Thanks to the NBA live engine, setting up pick-and-rolls is just a right stick flick away, but the unresponsiveness of other commands returns. It seemed as though I couldn’t execute on the fly passes when completely necessary. There is a tempo meter that distributes bonuses to each team if they play within their tempo. It’s a feeble attempt to recreate momentum that decides close games in the real world. Being a new player, I found it easier to run down the court and score as quickly as possible. My team then received penalties for my operation outside our tempo meter. You can always pick a team that matches your play style; but, it may not be your favorite. This compounds the games biggest issue. There’s a small video that shows you how to manipulate this system and a training mode, consisting of little dots “acting” out each play.
Memorization differs from in-game application. You can show a gorilla the quadratic equation. This doesn’t guarantee it will know how to use it. I would have thoroughly enjoyed my time with NCAA if it had taken the time to consider me, the average fan, over the hardcore aficionado. Online gameplay is basic, utilizing quick matches and lobbies galore. I appreciated its focus on rivalries. If someone signs on with a rival of your favorite team, you are given the option of challenging them. I felt my blood boil each time a Texas longhorn signed in.
A warning: If you don’t have a firm grasp of the game’s mechanics (i.e. actual basketball knowledge), playing online will expose you to decimation. The game never captures the fervor rampant in college basketball. The graphics are uninspiring. Players look the same, animations become stagnant, and facial expressions offer little to no emotion. The crowd, while one of the best looking in a sports game, suffers from the lack of immersion allotted from the overall look. The sound is clear and crisp but it’s nothing worth listening to.
The crowd’s cheers are drowned out by the irritating commentary (sorry Dicky V.) and lastly the fight songs dwindle in the menus’ background, their awe-inspiring beat is painfully absent during gameplay. Instead, the terrible squeaks and snickers of sneakers consume sound space. NCAA Basketball ‘09 succeeds in the same areas it fails. The dedication to simulating college hoops will entice veterans and push away newcomers. Breaking through the elitist shell exposes an average simulator. To make sure you’re suited to play, a test should be given out when the game is purchased or rented. Just be prepared for schooling if you don’t know what about zone 3-2 defenses or special 3 offenses.
