Customer Reviews

NCAA Football 2004

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is nothing like college football there is more emotion, spirit, and atmosphere than in the pros. That could be why some college football video games fall short of the ratings pro games receive, they just don't put you in the game or seem as realistic. They dont capture the intensity and emotion of the game which makes it so popular. Plain and simply this game does. The stadiums are so amazing its like ur right there you hear the fans react to plays and refere calls. The bands playing the fight songs can send chills up your spine. The players stumble and regain their feet. Bone crunching tackles. You can hear the pads crashing, that is football. And this game brings u all of that and much more. You can play the 20 greatest games of the last two decades and create players. You can also create teams and their stadiums which includes everything down to the surface u play on. The graphics are amazing the jukes and spin moves are enough to knock you out of you seat. If you are a fan of football especially college football this is the game to get.

I thought NCAA 2003 was the pinnacle of this series, but EA Sports has outdone itself with the 2004 edition of NCAA Football!

Certainly, they have added new "goodies" like Sports Illustrated magazine covers based on your dynasty season, heritage football teams that are dressed like their era, more fun and goofy college mascots, and overall better graphics.

The biggest upgrade, and the one most important to continuing fans of the series, is to the gameplay. It's those little details the average reviewer doesn't notice but you do because you've taken your dynasty twelve years deep. It's the fact that your offensive lineman are now awarded pancakes and you can therefore win the Offensive Lineman of the Year. Or the fact that you can lead a receiver with your throw to take him away from defensive pressure. Sacks are more plentiful. Special teams is vastly improved, with members of your team forming a wedge in front of you on punts and kickoff returns. No longer can you just play "Toss Sweep" and outsprint the computer to the corner. It takes sophistication in your play to advance. In short, NCAA has taken an already impressive football simulation and made it even more realistic and authentic in its gameplay. It has all the glitz, but it also has all the important stuff: the gameplay that makes you feel that your coaching and playing has an impact on every down.

One also has to appreciate the sheer expertise EA Sports has shown in assigning attributes to the different teams and players. It is extraordinarily accurate in gauging real teams' abilities.

So the positives of this game:
-Improved Gameplay
-Tons of goodies (throwback teams, Sports Illustrated, more of everything)
-Authentic recreation of what we all love about the college game

The negatives (and you have to look really hard for these):
-Some of the commentary dialogue is new, but most is the same as last year
-The opening sequence at the start of each game is slightly changed but largely the same
-Running backs don't catch the ball coming out of the backfield very well (I'm being very nit-picky on this one!)

Tremendous game... you won't be disappointed!

I did like NCAA 2003 with its freaky-deep Dynasty mode and all, but nothing prepared me for what NCAA 2004 had in store. Basically, it's NCAA 2003 with a facelift

Pros: 1. Its NCAA 2003... With a facelift!

2. EA Sports teams up with Sports Illustrated to make this a better game (the best moment in Sports Gaming since Sega meets ESPN!)

3. More Teams, Plays, and Mascots

4. The Best Dynasty Mode around just got even deeper

5. NCAA 101 will help newbies to the game by teaching then the basics (Offense, Defense, The Option, etc.)

Cons: 1. The game has some bugs in it (one is where the game stalls for some random reason, but dont worry, this only happens for about 5 seconds then it returns to normal. Another is the typical EA bug where it sometimes does that "this disk cannot be read" thing)

2. Loading times are a travesty

Final Verdict: Id say buy it, the bugs dont really ruin the game's image at all and with the SI contract, this game is a cant miss

You can check sales figures to see that EA's NCAA Football ranks as one of the best selling titles of all time, or you can simply believe a long-time gamer who has lived through such games as 10 Yard Fight, 4th And Inches, and Tecmo Bowl......Please, take my word for it; this is a great football game!

I had read the reviews, talked to friends, and seen the trailers, so I decided to give NCAA 2004 a try to see what all of the fuss was about. Needless to say, I was blown away, and the game has certainly lived up to my expectations.

The spirit of the college game comes alive in NCAA 2004. The rivalries, the rankings, the bowl games, the prestige, the fans, the teams, the mascots.....it's all there. Of course, the dynasty/franchise mode is the best you will ever have the pleasure of playing. Recruiting, signing, training, scheduling, negotiating contracts.....you're in the game. The gameplay and the graphics are smooth, and the controls are tight. It is challenging, competitive, and last but not least.....FUN!

I noticed that a couple of reviews on this site mentioned some technical flaws. Well, I have played one full season of dynasty mode, and I have yet to witness any glitches that affected play. Do yourself a favor, and play this game.

I'm not one to go out and buy the newest version of NCAA or Madden each season. I talked myself into buying this (and not Madden 2004) simply because I heard about the 20 Greatest College Games being added onto the game. Naturally, I expected to actually be able to PLAY these game. Unfortunately, they are situationals- example- For the 1986 Fiesta Bowl, you're Miami with 3:09 left and you're down 14-10 against Penn State. You cannot control the defense in this situation, only the offense (this might not apply to the other 19 Greatest Games, but as far as I know, you control one or the other). As for game play, its much smoother. When tackled, the players' 'falls' are more realistic. Play action passes provoke the camera to change views to fool the defense more (more effective against another user). The Sports Illustrated cover with the Preseason picks and All Americans is a nice addition. Aside from my gripe over the 20 Greatest Games, the only other issue I have is that the game is not live enabled, but no EA Sports games are for XBOX. All in all, its a good buy if you're an absolute sports junkie.

This game is a ton of fun to play. If you've played any of the previous versions, you'll feel at home, although there are many changes here. The animations and controls feel better and more realistic, and the graphics are solid. There is amazing depth in this game, especially in Dynasty mode. You are in control of everything, and EA puts a ton of information at your fingertips. Nice additions: the weekly Sports Illustrated Covers/headlines really make it feel realistic; the EABio feature allows you to earn rewards for playing other EA games (any of them!) and grants you a player level; the recruiting and off-season is incredibly fun and could be a simulation in and of itself; although no names appear (NCAA regulations), you can enter the names yourself, and the broadcasters have hundreds of names recorded (all the major stars). Well worth the money!

The usual tweaks make this a better game than last year's version, which was already superb.

The thing that takes the game up to a new level, though, is the collection of classic teams.

A perfect example of why these classic teams are great is Army. If you play this game at a realistic level, such as the All-American level, you're going to get punished if you are using the 2003 Black Knights. But if you're a fan of a team that's not likely to have a good year, wouldn't you want to reach into the team's glorious past? Army wouldn't be able to beat Ohio St. if they played this year, but if you roll out the 1945 team, things get a little more interesting.

Another good thing about the classic teams is that they are assembled with the full benefit of hindsight. EA Sports does a great job predicting how players will perform for an upcoming season, but it's a lot easier to replicate the past than to divine what will happen in the future. For example, last year Nebraska relied heavily on a freshman I-Back, but in NCAA 2003, the workhorse I-Backs were a pair of seniors.

My only lament about the classic teams is that there aren't more. Specifically, I would have liked to see more teams that had exceptional individuals. As it is, there are plenty of championship teams. But what about those teams that had exciting Heisman trophy winners but didn't win the title? Let's have more of them. Also, if a a team had a lot of players who went on to play in the NFL, let's have them.

Wish list aside, this is a great game. It's worth buying even if you already have NCAA 2003.

As good as the first one was, this one somehow got 500 times better! i love the dynasty mode! it's so great to follow and play your favorite college team and try and take them to the national championship!! The new Sports Illustrated interface is nice (in the dynasty mode) i think it's cool, to strive to be on the cover. The rivalries are once again, unbelievable. This game is one of the best games...ever! The graphics are crisp, and the game play goes quick, but yet it stays VERY realistic. This game is so great i love it and i HIGHLY recommend you buy this game to add to your XBOX game library.
by the way...LET'S GO ORANGE! haha Syracuse RULES!!!

solid game, decent graphics for it being a game from 2003. lots of improvements from previous installments. overall a cheap thrill if your into throwback original xbox games.

There is something about an EA SPORTS game that keeps us glued to our TV sets, keeps us up almost all night entertained into another world of throwing touchdowns, running the triple option play, and shuffling through the nation's top running backs you hope to recruit for next season. EA SPORTS offers those people out there who love sports, and gives those who wished they had the luck and skills to play Division 1 college football. Well, now you can. And you don't have to worry about your SAT scores to play for Notre Dame, either. EA's NCAA Football 2004 offers superb graphics, a deep Dynasty mode, and many plays to execute. My only complaint is that EA could have sped up the game a little, but overall the game is nice. There also should be an option where we can download real roasters for the XBOX. I don't know, you might be able to do that on the PS2 version. Overall, NCAA Football is the best football game I have ever played.