NCAA Football 2K2

by Sega Of America, Inc.

Product Features

• America Football video game
• Sega Dreamcast

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005ME68
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 28, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,406 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The release of NCAA College Football 2K2, based on the NFL 2K1 game engine, should appease many of the long-suffering Dreamcast owners who look upon the NFL with disdain and pined for a good college-ball simulation. The game offers good playability, tight controls, generally good approximations of college stadiums, and excellent graphics. There are a few flaws, however, most of them relating to the most anticipated aspect of the game--the college-specific features.

The passing game is sharp, as the developer minimized the number of "money plays" without taking away every option available to the offensive player. There are few plays you can run for instant yardage, making it more important to cycle through your many options on passing plays. And the defense will play effective bump-and-run coverage on your receivers, throwing off your timing on some of those otherwise dependable out patterns. The running game is also solid, although occasionally a bit generous to the offense on up-the-middle runs. The game has more than 700 plays from actual team playbooks, and gives players the option of designing their own.

Graphics are smooth and often spectacular. Watching your receiver make a leaping catch over the middle with the safeties in pursuit is both as exciting and scary as it should be. The graphics on the sidelines and in the stands are sacrificed in favor of better resolution and animations on the field. One thing is never quite explained, though: why do so many skill-position players have beer bellies?

The title offers several game modes, including a tutorial mode, network play (with some lag time--the game doesn't support broadband adapters), and season, scrimmage, tourney, and legacy modes. Legacy is somewhat of a disappointment, as recruiting players (one of the cornerstones of college ball) amounts to looking at nondescript player ratings and choosing several athletes for visits. Even a few minor tweaks would have made recruiting more enjoyable, such as including names, pictures, quotes, stats... anything, really. But legacy mode does allow you to choose redshirts, cut poor performers, and allocate skill points to players in spring ball.

The collegiate atmosphere, while definitely welcome in the game, is sadly the biggest disappointment to die-hard college fans. Many college fight songs are included, but not all of them, which will aggravate fans whose rival teams have to listen to Michigan's "The Victors" after every score. In addition, Sega Sports wasn't able to secure a deal with the Bowl Championship Series, so no BCS bowls are included in the game (with the exception of the Rose Bowl, which has always marched to its own beat).

NCAA College Football 2K2 is still a good college football game, however, and that's great news for people who prefer college ball over pro ball. If you just plain like football and don't care what level it's played, stick to the NFL 2K series (especially if you already own NFL 2K1 or 2K2). If you're a college football fanatic for whom every small detail has to be perfect, stick to watching it on TV. But if you just plain like college football and want to play a good football video game with your favorite teams, NCAA College Football 2K2 fits the bill very well. --Rivers Janssen

Pros:

• Great passing and running engines
• Defensive AI makes you work for your yards, but lets you take advantage of mistakes
• Graphics and gameplay are especially good for the first game in a series

Cons:

• Doesn't include all the little things that make college football fun
• Legacy mode, particularly recruiting, is disappointing
• If we hear the announcers make their Brittany Spoons joke just one more time...

Amazon.com Product Description

NCAA College Football 2K2 brings the thrill of NCAA football to your Dreamcast. Rich with features, it boasts a number of play modes, including Create-a-Play and Multiplayer Dynasty modes. As a single player, you can go for a bowl spot and try to rocket your team to the national championship. The feature that really gives this release a college feel, however, is the chance to run plays drawn from real NCAA playbooks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Serves It's Purpose, But Short of the First Down, September 9, 2001

By 

Christopher R. Cicatelli "cicatelli" (bethesda, md) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NCAA Football 2K2 (Video Game)

ok...so i've been waiting' and waitin', just like so many other dreamcast owners, for a college pigskin game on dreamcast, so when i heard VC was slammin' together a college game, man i was psyched.
first of all, the game is visually beautiful. great graphics...fluid motions...it's got it all. the gameplay, although very much like nfl2k1, is great. running plays are fun...pass plays are sweet...and defense is pretty fun to master. now for the ugly side of reality. unfortunately, ea-sports beats the pants off of VC when it comes to player depth, recruiting (legacy mode), create-a-player, etc. for starters, you can't name players...sure you can create-a-player, but his name won't appear anywhere...not on his jersey, not in the stats, nowhere! plus, you can't use created players in legacy mode which is just stupid. and recruiting? forget it...it is simply set up so horribly, after a couple seasons with miami in legacy, i was so upset, i didn't want to play too much moreno feeling of actually accomplishing anything...ea sports ncaa college football 2001 for playstation is simply amazing when it comes to dynasty/ legacy. the players just seem so much more real...in ncaa 2k2, there are no names, and the skill ratings are questionable. plus, players never improve...no matter how many seasons you play with them!! it's very depressing....Visual Concepts had such a chance to kick some pigskin butt, and they simply dropped the ball. don't get me wrong, it's a fun game to play, but there are so many little things missing, it just makes you mad. ea sports always seems to get the "if it it's in the game, it's in the game" just right. since this is the only college game for dreamcast, i happy to own it...but man do i wish ea sports settled a deal with sega...it would be amazing. oh well...i just hope Visual Concepts gets it right in NCAA 2K3....created players in legacy....names of players on jerseys...option to name real college players...fluctuating ratings...all the school fight songs...better two man commentary...basically everything ea sports does, except do it better Visual Concepts!!!

peace

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good game, but..., October 3, 2001

By 

PL Potts (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NCAA Football 2K2 (Video Game)

...its disconcerting to play as Ohio State, score a touchdown, and hear "Hail to the Victors" (Michigan fight song). Apparently not every school portrayed in the game consented to allow their fight song to be used, and that takes away from the collegiate atmosphere somewhat. Another nitpicky thing--the referee calling the penalties wears a black hat, same as NFL 2K1. Otherwise, game play is similar to NFL 2K1, which I appreciate--don't have to learn a whole new control scheme. The stadiums are accurately rendered, even the smaller schools like Bowling Green, which blew me away. I recommend it for the college football fan...

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars just play the game before you review it., September 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: NCAA Football 2K2 (Video Game)

first of all i've read all of the reviews. and none of the reviews are by people who have actually played the game. i bought it a couple of days a go. i own ncaa 2002 also. and i will have to admit. ncaa 2k2 doesn't have the "eye candy" that ncaa 2002 has. nor does it have the bcs standings. but that doesn't detract from a fun and enjoyable experience. if you are a dreamcast owner and a college football fan this is a must buy. the graphics aren't as nice as nfl 2k1 just a little below but good none the less. that's probably because there's so many teams and information that is packed into one little disk. i haven't tried the legacy mode. their equivalent to dynasty mode on nacaa 2002. but in this one you have to put in place a work out program for your players. and seems a little more in depth than nacaa 2002's dynasty mode. the one thing i like about this game the most. is i'm not that good at football games. when i got nfl 2k1 the rookie level was too easy and the pro level was too hard on the defensive side of the ball. i'm glad this is not the case on ncaa 2k2. i played on the starter level and moved the ball well and was actually able to make a few stops on defense. mind you i'm not all that good. but it was fun and challenging for me anyway. i always enjoy those games where it comes down who gets the ball last or who makes the big mistake. and the 2 games i played was just that. also the commentary was entertaining. the controls are the same as nfl 2k1. with a few minor changes like the play calling screens have been redone. but its nothing too unfamiliar. well i hope this review was helpful. i promise you'll have fun on the "road to the rose bowl."