Customer Reviews

NCAA Football 2003

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been an NCAA football fan for a long time, and this year's edition of EA's college football simulator has improved on last years if you can believe it.

First of all, let's talk about all the new bells and whistle's. EA has done a great job in bringing in the pagentry of college football by adding 3-D Cheerleaders, a trophy case, more emphasis on rivalry games, and team introductions prior to each game. Certainly these additions are not needed, but they bring the game to life and help differ NCAA from Madden or any other NFL video game.

Some other improvements I've noticed is the addition of Touchdown Jesus and the Green Jersey's for Notre Dame, more fight songs than ever, an improved Play Action Pass (it's no longer sack action), and improved A.I. on both sides of the ball. Add in a coach's report card, improved menu's in the dynasty mode, deeper dynasty stat tracking (everything from attendance at games to goals on the coach's contract are recorded), and improved commentary from the ESPN team, and you have a hit.

As far as the game play itself, it's up to the usual standards. The passing game doesn't seem to be quite as easy as last years version, due to the improved AI. The option works well and the other parts of the running game are great. I LOVE the gang tackling and once again, the improved AI is a godsend. Not perfect, but it's getting there.

Honestly, I was HIGHLY impressed with this year's version of the game. All the additions mentioned above have rounded out an already good game and made it truly great. If you love college football and video games, you can't go wrong with this one.

To be honest, I was a huge fan of NCAA 2002... lots of fun and one of the few games I played for the entire year. Now that NCAA 2003 has arrived, get ready for even more fun. The new version has some nice additions. Several new mascots have beenl added including Virginia's, Maryland's, Akron's and more. Cheerleaders have been added and serve the purpose of filling in for schools that do not have mascots.

The game play is improved as well. The opposing teams defense actually picks poorly thrown passes making offense much more realistic. You used to be able to thread the needle a little top easily, that is all gone now. You, and the other team, can also pick deflected passes... another nice addition. The game play, over all, is just much faster. Players of past NCAA versions will need a couple of games to adjust to the new speed, but all-in-all the games realism has come close to perfection.

Creating your own University in Dynasty mode is also a nice touch. Naming your school, picking its colors, logo, uniforms, location, stadium are really nice features. The addition of rivalry mode is also nice, the crowd seems a little more revved and the players do as well.

As for the crowd, they actually boo when you play poorly or the other team plays well. However, you are rewarded with cheers when you perform well. Past versions had the crowd only cheering when you scored. Finally, the announcing is slightly improved as well... with long runs being called with a 30, 20, 10, 5, touchdown! Nice touch.

All-in-all the graphics are phenominal, the number of schools (117 Div. 1A schools, and several 1AA) are great, the stadium replications are perfect and the fight songs are terrific. Simply put, get this game... design your own out of conference schedule and lead your boys to the National title... Run out and get it now!

...I did not think EA could improve upon NCAA Football 2002. Well, EA has proven me wrong once again. There's simply not a flaw in this game. All the new animations, AI, and band cadences are fantastic. For instance, the drum solos in the middle of plays make the atmosphere all the more realistic. The pass defense has been tweaked to frustrating perfection...we now have to read the defense in mid-play instead of choosing a receiver to throw to before the snap. And don't get me started on the beauty of the juke move. Finally, my favorite gameplay addition. After years of screaming at my TV after another sack, play-action passes are now just that. They're no longer play-action SACK, like they were in 2002. Kudos to EA for tweaking their weaknesses. Finally, the revamped dynasty mode is awesome. I love the ability to tweak my own non-conference scheldule so I can play either powerhouses or cupcakes. The rivalry mode and trophy room option is a great way to lose a friendship after an overtime michigan/ohio state game. This is the best college football game ever made. Buy it. And buy it now.

Let me agree with everyone else and say that this is a fantastic game -- quite possibly the best college football sim ever. Sure, there are unrealistic moments, but c'mon ya'll -- it's a video game. The game is fun.

Lots of nice touches in the game, and lots of improvements as well. Finally, a HB screen that plays like a real screen play -- the halfback stops and turns, waiting for the pass -- unlike before where the back would just keep bolting down the field. Gang tackling is very cool. I still think it's a little too easy to gain four or five yards with the run. The passing game is good, the AI pass defense is improved.

The cheerleaders are a good touch. The team prestige rating is pretty cool in Dynasty Mode. (You have to earn the respect of the polls and the fans, as well as maybe not having your games televised.) The Mascot Game is silly, but fun. I couldn't bring myself to play an entire game though. Maybe too silly.

I really want to give this game five stars, but I'm running into a problem -- the game will ocassionally freeze. Wouldn't be THAT big of a deal, except for the fact that you cannot save during a game (at least in season/dynasty modes). So if the game seizes up in the fourth quarter against #1 Miami, and you've got the lead -- well, you're hosed. Searching around the net, I've found I'm not alone on this either -- it seems to be a widespread problem. The symptoms are pretty clear that it's about to happen too -- all of a sudden, the game announcers "leave the booth" (they stop talking). After a few plays, or if you hit the Start button, the game will just stop. At that point, only "Reset" on the console works. Yes, it's a headache.

If you're a college football fan this is the game you want. The recruiting is fantastic because it has detailed player information like ratings on hands for WR's, throwing strength for QB's etc. It says how much they can benchy and squat. It also tells how coachable a player is, if he wants to stay close to home, if he wants Freshman playing time, hometown and other useful info like that. The create-a-school and schedule choosing are back so the most fun thing to do would be to create a school, load up the schedule and take it all the way. Then continue your dynasty after recruiting, training, and redshirting in the offseason. This blows the competition (NCAA football 2K3) out of the water. The 2k2 version of the game had horrid recruiting and its dynasty mode (called 'legacy' mode) had little to offer. The gameplay is great, with tons of plays to choose from. Also, Campus Challenge, a point-scoring system with rewards keeps the game interesting. Users create a profile to score points on and if they do things in the game such as getting 3 tackles with one player, a 30-yard pass, 10 first downs, certain numbers of points they will receive 4, 6, 8, or 12 points depending on teh difficulty. Fifty points buys you a 'card' which unlocks mascot teams, stadiums, and cheats that upgrade your team and players.

Why is "football" stressed? I'll tell you in a moment. First, let's go over what makes this title great. For starters, when you pop the disc into your PS2, the game introductions are randomized, much like Madden 2003's. This is quite cool, as it makes you pay attention to what's in the beginning (most games will have the same beginnings to them, so this is a good move). Some of the beginnings are even comical, as watching the Hurricanes' mascot bum-rush someone was quite funny. You could spend a lot of time just trying to look through the different beginnings, but let's get to the game, shall we?

The graphics and animations are clear and crisp, especially on a high-resolution screen. Replays are really good, and the NCAA licensed football is terrifically rendered. I took a double take looking at the players getting hyped in the beginning. It looked so real! Absolutely fabulous, and you're not going to get too much better graphics for a football game, pro or otherwise. Only problem is everyone's faces look the same in a sense, but without putting the names in the game, you're stuck with the likenesses (or reasonable facsimilies). I did have a problem with one thing, though: I'd like to see black cheerleaders at an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) like Howard and Bethune-Cookman, but otherwise, the graphics will blow you away.

The sound is no slouch, either, as most of the teams' fight songs have been recorded on this disc. But the sound doesn't stop there! The commentators are almost as authentic as the commentators for the NFL2K series, with a three-man booth calling the action in a realistic tone (even though the sound repeats itself, but you're going to find that wherever you go). I was playing the game the other day, and decided to leave it on demo mode. I went upstairs to help my gf with some work, and she asked me who was playing on the TV, thinking it was a real game. Now that was without stereo speakers and the like, so just imagine that on a booming system. Oddly enough, though, the sound is better the farther away you get from the game. Mionr point, but whatever. No initial player names because of licensing or whatever, but you'll be too busy playing football to pay attention to this detail.

Gameplay is like Madden, but faster. There's a shorter play clock, and the option, when run efficiently, is THE GREATEST SINGLE PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL. Anyway, Madden-ites will pick the gameplay up without a second thought, but it's still easy enough for someone else to pick up. Running up the middle with Penn State never felt so good, as the game is fast, but I'm able to follow my blockers and squeeze every yard out of a gain (or get obliterated by a blitzing LB).

What makes this game a keeper, though, is its Dynasty/Rivalry game modes. Dynasty puts you in command of the team, redshirtting players, recruits, you name it. What makes this more difficult than the Franchise mode in Madden is that you can't trade players, so you're stuck with who you have. Rivalry has all the schools' rival teams, and the trophies that they sometimes play for. That alone is worth getting, as you can play for your alma mater's pride.

Two things missing from this game that could make it the best ever: Online play, and the create a play mode. Maybe next year, but these modes would've made NCAA 2003 the best football game ever, just slightly nudging out Madden 2002.

As I stressed before, this is the best "football" game available today. The realism is there, and the fun factor, whether you're playing the computer or against friends, is high. Simply put, the game is a blast, and has incredible depth, and worth your gaming dollar. If you're a football fan, I HIGHLY advise at least renting the game, if not buying it outright.

All I can say about this game is...wow. I have read some of the other reviews of this game and anyone who says this game is bad apparently works for NCAA2k3 or has never played football games on PS2. I am sure the Sega game will be of high quality but they have a lot of catching up to do to even come close to the quality of the EA game. Where should I start, I guess I can list the strengths, since there are very few weaknesses to this game.

1) Enter the names of your players for your favorite team, get on the net and get your favorite team's roster and enter in the names, this game not only has the right players & numbers but most of the incoming freshman are also on the game. The announcers will even say their names once you enter them.

2) Enhanced dynasty mode allows you to start a team and continue to play, coach, and recruit over many seasons. There is even a trophy case to keep all the awards and national championship trophies along the way. Once again the recruiting process is still amazing with detail on the recruits going all the way down to where they are from, GPA, and many other strength and speed catagories.

3) The graphics and realism of the teams and stadiums are much improved, the addition of the players running out on the field before the game adds even more realism to the game. The crowds are actually louder and shown to be more full depending on the importance of the game, and whether the game remains close. The announcers do not disappoint as even more sayings have been added and the end and beginning of games have real life assessments that always seem to be different and pertain the game that is going to be played or has already been played.

4) Gameplay has been approved, it is tougher to pass, and very rarely can you throw into coverage without the defender knocking down the pass or intercepting it. This a great improvement as it was virtually impossible to stop the pass in last year's game. The offenses and defenses are also very realistic as you must call the right defenses, if you call a pass defense, you very rarely will stop the run offense for less than 5 yards and likewise on offense. The blitz defenses are also very realistic.

Overall there are very few weaknesses to this game, and it is scary that this game is even better than last years. This is the best football console game I have ever played hands down, and Madden will have to improve a lot to even match it. If you want an indication of how real this game sounds and plays, some female friends were over to the house the other day and asked my buddies and I if Ohio State was playing already, we said, "no, it is just a game, OSU doesn't play for another month."

Madden2003 , NFL2K, good games yes, but the best game out of the bunch this year : NCAA 2003.

Why?

Unlike the pro game, ncaa 2003 gives you the atmosphere of the college expereince. The game is much improved from last years (great game also) by including more modes and an open sense of play than the pro games do.

Greatest thing about ncaa 2003 : VAREITY!!! There are over 117 teams, and guess what, you can even make your own school in the game, complete with building your own stadium, designing your own uniforms, etc... If you are like me, who's alma mater had cancelled their football program, well you can revive them back to life! Even without using create a school option, all the conferences and teams and unique stadiums are included in this game. Also there is a extra rivarly mode so you can play ohio st vs michigan/ oklahoma vs nebraska, etc...
Gameplay wise, ncaa2003 moves with a quick pace. Since the college game moves faster with its' play clock, you will need to make quick decsiions on the plays you will be selecting and then execute them.
Also, the big play makes a major appearance in this game. Just like true college ball, big plays make or break a season. This is also true in this titel as well.

Now to the Dynasty mode : excellent. I love this mode since every year, you have to upgrade your team since you will have players either graduating or going to the pro's. It really makes you use the dynasty mode since one year you can be #1 and the next lose half your team to the pro's and drop down to #25. Recruiting is also fun since you have to research the skills of the high school players ready to make the next step to college football.

All in all this is a FUN game. Also the ability to download roster updates from the internet and importing draft classes into madden 2003 makes the longevity of this game solid.

I currently own both NCAA 2002 and 2003 Football and they are both AWESOME games. NCAA Football 2003, however, makes everything much much better.

Pros
1. Much easier gameplay, running is possible and very fun (unlike in Madden 2002) and passing is fairly easy too.
2. Graphics are better, the old game tended to lag at spots (at least mine did) but there is none here.
3. Create-A-School: Easy to do from the mascot to the uniform (very fun). Also customize your roster with Create-A-Player.

4. Dynasty Mode - The very core of this game. Choose your favorite team and play through countless seasons of the polls, rivalries, and offseason recruiting. This mode is what I thrive around.
5. Rivalry Mode - Pick your favorite hardcore gridiron rivalry and battle it out for the trophy and bragging rights.
6. Trophy room - It's always fun to look back at your past accomplishments from Dynasty and Rivalry mode.
7. Audibles and Playaction plays are more effective than ever.
8. The atmosphere is much better, the fight songs, the crowd, the mascots, hey they even added cheerleaders!!
9. The announcers are not so repetitive like in the past game, there are many different scripts.
10. You can choose your favorite team in the settings and it will load the game with their fight song, and all the team select screens will start with your favorite team (no more endless scrolling if you play with the same team).
11. Making your own out-of-conference schedule in Dynasty Mode.

Cons (NO game's perfect)
1. Teams that were expected to be bad before the 2003 season started never get better (Dynasty Mode). For instance, in my 6 seasons in dynasty mode I don't think Kentucky or Northwestern have won one game.
2. Hail Mary's are downright impossible. If you lob it to a player spot they will swarm him and swat away the ball. You can complete it sometimes though.
3. In the highest difficulty, games where the computer is down they will find a way to win and have exceptional hail mary's.
4. The defense can run in front of the receiver and stop him from getting the ball but no pass interference will be called.

Despite the cons above, this game is a MUST have for any football gamer. This is, in my opinion, the best football game out there right now. It's playable for the expert football coach or the football beginner. This series of games is my favorite football series and I'm eagerly anticipating NCAA Football 2003 which will probably have internet connection.

O.k. I am going to give it to you straight. NCAA 2003 is the greatest college and can be argued as the greatest football game of all times. The atmosphere alone will give you the chills. Let's start with the introduction, you will find yourself pressing the reset button over and over again to see who is going to say "EA SPORTS, IT'S IN THE GAME" and from what University in which they represent. The teams running out on the feel is enough to make u loose control of your mind. The stadiums, the fight songs, the bands just doing there thing. I am getting fired up just thinking about Texas vs Oklahoma, Michigan vs Ohio State, Miami vs Florida State, Tennessee vs Florida and many, many more games that will electrify your mind. If you have not purchased this game you should immediately because it is not to late to get the season going and lead your University to the National Title. There are even more features but I am going to leave you in suspense because I have to go and play Florida (I'm Tennessee) in the SEC championship game.