Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
112 of 116 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good update (revised 8/5), July 13, 2005
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Now that I've had a chance to play through some seasons, I'm slightly revising my review. Previously it was more of a 4.5 star review, but now it's more firmly entrenched at 4 stars. Still a good game, but a few more qualms have surfaced.
The question every year when NCAA Football and Madden come out are will they live up to the hype. Last year, I was disappointed by NCAA's lack of any significant updates. Yeah the ability to get the crowd pumped to have an impact on the game was nice, but it wasn't a good enough update to be worth the price of the game if you owned 2004. This year, EA has come back stronger, with a better game than '04.
The most important improvement is in the gameplay. The game is a little faster than years before. You drop back to pass, you better get that ball out of there or you're done. Hit the hole fast on run plays, don't overpursue on defense (though this proves almost too difficult at times). I will say that the option game needs to be scaled back DRAMATICALLY. If you have a reasonably fast quaterback you can run the option on third & long and have about the same probability of getting a first down as dropping back to pass. I used Penn State and my quaterback ran for over 300 yards in games against Ohio State and Michigan on the hardest difficulty level. It's insane.
Pass defense has FINALLY been adjusted to a respectable level. I only ever play the game on the maximum Heisman difficulty, and in years past I could put my DB's AI all the way up as well and my corners still got torched all the time - especially on deep throws. They simply would never make a play on the ball and just make a tackle after the reciever made the grab, which does no good. In 2006, corner's swat the ball away actively and intelligently, according to their skill level. Awareness of your defenders is very important, because if they aren't showing high awareness they're more prone to not make the important plays. Safeties and linebackers close in for big hits to jar the ball loose, it's improved overall.
This year brings back the composure category from last year, letting you know how players perform under pressure, as well as the ability to view matchups at the line of scrimmage. Both of those were nice tweaks before, but the new "Impact Player" feature enhances them - although it's imperfect. Now your team likely has at least one or two impact players on each side of the ball, and they're always identified by a pulsing white circle. The faster it pulses, the more amped that player is to make a great play (and Brad Nessler announces when they're in the zone, which seems wildly unrealistic). On the plus side, this means you can choose to blitz your fired up linebacker on the fly, or call a hot route for your impact reciever to go deep. On the other hand, this isn't really all that realistic in the manner in which it comes and goes somewhat at random, and it also gives you an indicator as to who on the other team is hot for the moment. I was able to make playcall adjustments at the line when I saw that the other team's safety was primed to make a play. It's not a bad idea, but it definitely needs work.
Race for the Heisman is the flagship enhancement this year. Your focus in this mode is to take a player from freshman year through his college career, giving you four years to win the Heisman. Having played through this mode now, I can say that it's like Dynasty Lite and not really all that remarkable.
You get to pick a player from any position except for Offensive Lineman, Kicker and Punter. This potentially gives the game more replay value than any of its predecessors, if you find this mode enthralling. I don't know if they adjust the requirements based on who you pick, but it seems like it would be a real challenge to take a D-Lineman and win the Heisman with him - considering it's never happened in college history. Initially you go through a drill - depending on position - and that's how your skill level is determined. That's my first problem with this mode - there should be 2-3 drills per position, not just one. I picked Scrambling QB, as opposed to Pocket QB, but he's basically an option guy. There's no way to start off balanced or allocate the points. It doesn't look like how well you perform in the drill even matters regarding your skill level. You also automatically get the starting position at a school that's pursuing you, regardless of your skill level compared to the others in your position, and who recruits you apparently has no bearing on who needs a player at your position. Understandably, as you're not the coach, you can't adjust the depth chart during the week (only during games) or do any recruiting in the off season. But you still have to deal with ALL of the off season simulations, which is pretty tedious and very lame. They should have figured a way to circumvent this.
This is another squandered idea. It has a lot of potential, and it seems like the game developers decided to only use this as a warm up edition for the future of the series on PS3 & XBOX 360. There ought to be more features that are unique to the Heisman mode. Simply having "dorm rooms" you can't accessorize and girlfriend pictures you can't select or customize is not enough.
The trademark dynasty mode is as deep as ever, featuring in-season recruiting now. This is similar to the ESPN College basketballl game in that you have certain points to allocate during the season toward recruits, and can even invite recruits to a game, and how you perform in that game can affect their desire to play for you. This is another feature that doesn't feel as thoroughly developed as it should be, but it's pretty decent nonetheless.
Other things of note: The graphics are pretty consistent with years past. Minor upgrades, but nothing too advanced. Given the next generation consoles on the horizon, we're almost certainly not going to see any graphical overhauls for PS2 and Xbox versions of this game anymore. Some new animations were added though. You can choose to have the computer automatically name all the players, and while this doesn't input real collegiate names for obvious reasons, it's still better than just seeing a bunch of numbers for the first years of your dynasty. Commentary has been adjusted yet again, and yet again it gets repetitive after a while, but not annoyingly so, and the guys still sound like they're actually trying to sound authentic (as opposed to Madden and Michaels, who always sound like they phoned in their performances). And it's a little thing, but I really like the new menu backgrounds with the football inspired artwork. The streaming highlight reel in the first menu screen is also pretty cool, I just wish it had more footage. EA should have applied that attention to atmosphere to the rest of the game.
All in all, this is a good game, and I still think it is worth the purchase and a good upgrade from '05. That said, it also feels like this was a warm up for '07 that brought a lot of potential that was unfulfilled - possibily intentionally. The Race for the Heisman is especially disappointing once you play through and find it's not all it's hyped up to be. I especially think that Madden's new, similarly themed Superstar Mode is going to expose Race for the Heisman for how ultimately shallow it is in comparison.
|
|
|
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NCAA 06 - THE Game for Fans of the College Ranks, October 25, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
There's no disputing that EA owns the lion's share of the sports videogame market, especially with their recent acquisition of exclusive licenses for both pro and college football. Many (understandably) feared that this lack of competition would lead to lackluster games, i.e. each year's release being reduced to not much more than a full-price roster update. The team that developed NCAA 06 apparent set out to soothe gamers' fears and ended up rewarding us all with a top-notch college football game full of both subtle improvements and big-time innovations.
GAME MODES
When you put in the game you're immediately rewarded with a number of gameplay modes, some familiar (dynasty, single game) and some new (Race for the Heisman). The Race for the Heisman mode allows you to create a player and then guide him through tryouts for a scholarship, choosing a school, and then playing a career aimed at racking up the massive stats required to take home the hardware. Along the way, the main menu is your dorm room where you can review your accomplishments in the school newspaper, head off to the practice field (small mini-game drills), and check how your season stats compare versus the compeition. It's a little bit self-involved since you're emphasizing your individual campaign over that of the team, and make no mistake, you will have to put up unreal numbers to beat even the candidates with lesser stats. At the end, the presentation of the Heisman award ceremony is a little bit uninspired given that it's your main aim in this mode. Once you've finished your college days with or without the Heisman, you can port your created player over to Madden 06 to continue your career in the pros.
The real gem here is the dynasty mode where you control a school's program year-round. During the season, you get a great mix of responsibilities: you're the Athletic Director looking to avoid NCAA sanctions by disciplining problem players, you're the coach sorting out the depth chart while also courting high school recruits, and of course you're the players strapping on the pads each Saturday. In-season recruiting is one of the best additions to this year's game - it works basically like a poker game where you bet your finite time on how much attention each recruit needs and what kind of pitch will attract him to your school. If you leave it to one of your assistants to call him about the school's prestige, don't be surprise to watch him commit to your rival whose entire coaching staff showed up at his front door promising an immediate starting role. You also schedule recruit visits to your school, which can go a long way toward securing the signing if you beat up on your on-field opponent that week. There aren't any unsavory aspects of the NCAA represented here, i.e. you can't buy a recruit a car and so that he'll immediately sign. In fact, it's quite the opposite - if your team is under any NCAA scrutiny for rule violations or disciplinary problems, you'll find it much harder to attract blue chippers, so don't slack on your AD responsibilities when your superstar decides to stop going to classes. As the season winds down, you'll get your committments and start playing for the bowl rankings and player trophies. Weekly updates are presented as stories in Sports Illustrated magazine, which is a nice visual approach compared to traditionally dry menus.
OK, so your dynasty school just ran over the competition in their bowl game. Mission accomplished, right? As Lee Corso would say (and does say quite a bit in the game) "Uh-uh. I don't think so, Sweetheart." You've got to look at who's graduating, who's going pro, who you might be able to talk into staying (furthering the integration with Madden, you can even export that entire NCAA class to become the draft class for Madden's franchise mode). After that period is over, you hit the recruiting trail. The off-season recruiting works much like the in-season session but with even more detail. For instance, over the course of the several years, you can set up specific states as pipelines where the many of the top candidates will already be interested in your school on day one. Still, it's up to you as coach to figure out the right buttons to press to get the commit. Recruiting continues week by week for five weeks; however, if you're not into this much detail, you can opt to automatically have the computer do its best for you. Afterward, you check on your players' off-season skills progression, set the depth charts, redshirt players and then you're ready to suit up for the next upcoming season. You can also change up the team's non-conference games in order to bolster your strength of schedule or generate a new rivalry.
If you build up your school's program over the course of several seasons, you may receive an invitation to join a better conference and play in front of better crowds, all of which will attract better recruits. Of course, your head coach may also opt to take a higher-profile job elsewhere, so success is a dual-edged sword.
The game also solves one of my biggest pet peaves with prior NCAA games - you can finally just substitute made-up names for the players instead of going with QB#7 handing off to HB#23. I understand why legally you can't use these players' real names, but I never understood why you couldn't just go with any name instead of position and number. Of course we all know who that stellar Texas signalcaller or USC ultra-back is, so made-up names work just fine. If it really bothers you, you can take the time to edit them.
The main menu also features options to quickly set up one-time games, including all of the major rivalries, and even a goofy game played between mascots.
GAMEPLAY
In-game control is another highlight of NCAA 06 - you can perform a lot of cool moves with relatively simple and sensible button/stick combinations. Chief among these is the use of the right analog stick to perform juke moves on offense and big hits on defense. Earlier EA games turned the right stick into a Superman button where your player would defy the laws of physics as a reward for you merely touching the stick. Thankfully, this has been reeled back to more realistic limits while still keeping the excitement factor. You even have the option to zoom in and slow-mo particularly well-executed moves. You can't help but get hyped up when you look to be caught in the backfield by the other guy's blitzing backer only to spin, stiff arm him to the turf and then hurdle over him on your way to six. The control configurations are just about identical to those of Madden, making it easy to switch between the two (Madden obviously doesn't have the option offense).
Before the snap, the right analog stick allows viewing of matchups. This new feature zooms out to field width and shows player skill level and composure for particular matchups, e.g. wideouts vs. defensive backfield, o-line vs. d-line, or QB/RB vs. linebackers. It's a nice feature that allows you to see if you've got any potential mismatches to exploit from play to play, giving you an idea of which receiver to key on or maybe even enough insight to audible a different play.
But is NCAA 06 more than just Madden dusting off its old varsity jacket? To quote the coach once again, "Ab-so-lutely". The makers of the game paid painstaking attention to detail here, making NCAA 06 truly a payoff for fans of the college game. The stadiums are intricately rendered - I play my dynasty as a mid-major (Miami, OH) and even their field is accurate right down to the dorms in the distance being accurately drawn and properly placed. As best I can tell, all of the MAC fields are like this, so enjoyment of that home field experience isn't limited to just fans of the biggest programs at the biggest conferences. This year's game even includes division 1-AA and NAIA schools. Want more evidence of what a massive tribute to the college game this is? Here goes: Mascots? Check. Rivalry games? Check. All year-end trophies? Check. Fight songs? Well, NCAA 06 earns an incomplete for this one. Not all of the fight songs are there - some just get generic march music and drumlines - but I'm guessing that was more due to legal rights than effort by the developers. Fans of ESPN's College Gameday program will be happy to know that Lee Corso does his signature donning of the mascot's head during his pre-game pick.
GRAPHICS
Player models are about the best that this generation of console can deliver. Clarity and sharpness can suffer a bit when looking at a pile of players in the wide field view, but up-close, they look great. The real strength is in the massive stockpile of fluid, natural animations and the way that the game combines them. String together some impressive combinations of moves and you'll find yourself watching the replay over and over again (it's a shame that you can't save them).
The in-studio pre-game show is the biggest low-point, exposing EA's longtime problem with weird lighting of facial models. Everyone at the desk seems to be underlit, making them look sinister. Plus, their movements are surprisingly robotic. But in terms of importance, these problems are miniscule - the developers placed their efforts on the on-the-field action where it belongs.
SOUND
In-game commentary is provided by the familiar voices of Brad Nessler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. The game contains tons of commentary clips, but you will hear a lot of the same lines over and over again once you've played a few seasons. The game generally does a good job of mixing commentary up and also playing the right clips at the appropriate times. Nevertheless, if you're not a big fan of Corso and Herbstreit's Abbott-and-Costello routine,...
Read more ›
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Many improvements in gameplay make this a great game..., July 18, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I got started a bit late in college football gaming, but I have seen several iterations of this product, and NCAA 2006 is definitely a large improvement over previous versions.
I was disappointed in the small difference in gameplay between 2004 and 2005, and although the bells and whistles (e.g., home field advantage, and some dynasty mode improvements) that were added increased my enjoyment of the game somewhat, the only reason to pay the extra $49.95 was for the new rosters.
2006, however, contains some substantial improvements in gameplay. They fixed or improved upon previous flaws in gameplay including in pass coverage, getting off blocks, manouvering while running and fakes/play action. These are discussed in more detail in the next paragraphs.
In previous versions, you could have ten or more passes batted down in a game with five minute quarters, as defensive backs flew all over the field and leaped around with perfectly timed swats to knock balls off course. Additionally, after swatting at the ball, if a defensive back was near the receiver while the receiver was trying to catch the ball, he was instantaneously tackling the receiver without even having to adjust his position. Now, the game seems to have been improved, so that throwing the ball to the open receiver is easier, especially if you are trying to throw over the coverage, but still throw relatively quickly (before, to throw over the linebackers, you had to loft the ball so slowly that a safety would always be there waiting). Receivers still have trouble catching darts, and the ball will hit them in the head if they aren't looking for it. Additionally, if you throw into coverage, it is very difficult to complete a pass (to your own teammate), moreso than in previous versions. From what I have played, this seems like a huge improvement.
A previous issue with the EA NCAA line of games has been in blocking, in the sense that it was exceptionally difficult to run up the middle. Usually, when I called a run up the middle, I would look for a hole in the middle, and if one didn't form, I would just run to the outside. Because of this, I would end up running to the outside a large percentage of the time (over 1/2), especially if the defensive line pinched. Now, holes form much more clearly, and they form where you would expect; additionally, if you call a run to the inside, your momentum goes in the direction of the hole that the playcall has you going through, making it much more difficult to change directions to the outside. This makes the playcalling a lot more important, as an inside run call when the defensive line is pinching and the linebackers are in close will likely result in lost yardarge (and not huge yards on a run to the outside). On the defensive side, it's much easier to control your movement in getting off blocks, as you now use the right analog stick.
2006 also improves gameplay by adding a backward juke, and by making the right analog stick control the juking movement. This control substantially improves the fluidity of running (which itself is, I believe, much improved already) and takes my right thumb off of the sprint button (which I used to use far too much). The option becomes a lot more fun to run, and it's easier to regulate the magnitude of the jukes using the right analog stick rather than by modulating the length of time that the L1 and R1 buttons are pressed down.
Finally, the computer is much more likely to be faked out by play action (and by draws). This is especially true if you have established the run (or the pass) already. I play using UT (Texas), and I have been very happy with my ability to sell the run and then throw over the top to my tight end for huge yardage. In think there is more variability player-by-player in the speed at which the players realize that there was a play fake; also, Texas A&M embarrased me for a huge touchdown on a pass by the RB (to the QB) -- these never worked in '05. (I ended up embarassing them in the end, though). If the defense is playing the run, you may be able to air it out for a long touchdown (as the safeties bite on the fake).
All of these aspects make the play calling a larger part of the game. You cannot win by continually calling pass plays, as you will have more more success mix together running, passing, play action and draws.
One final note is that position-specific audibles are much improved. You can now audible coverage changes (cover 2 man, 1-deep to 4-deep zones, bring safeties close to the line, etc.), you can crash left or right, rush to the ouside or pinch with the DL (without moving them at all), you can call DE QB spies, and you can call/call off LB blitzes. These improve your flexibility on defense a lot.
The bells and whistles added (Heisman race, in-season recruiting in dynasty mode and impact players) aren't really that important. However, the spring drills are kind of fun and helpful.
Overall, I am very happy with this game and I think it was worth every penny.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
