NCAA Basketball 10 Review
Every year EA Sports tries to sell its NCAA Basketball game as the best one ever, especially in gameplay and authenticity. This year, it falls short like a buzzer-beating heave that hits the front rim and leaves the stadium gasping. I am guilty for drinking the Kool-aid and believing this year’s game would be the best NCAA game. It is good, but not great, much like the 2003 Kansas Jayhawks that lost to Carmelo Anthony in the NCAA Championship. Enough with the cliché sports analogies…
Does this game deserve to cut down the nets?
Gameplay
It is hard to argue with the game’s uncanny ability to recreate, almost flawlessly, how a player moves, cuts, commits fouls, and even shoots. However, it takes some time to adjust to shooting, especially 3s and long-2s, because shooting is all about timing. Each player is different, which can be very frustrating. Rhythm is the most important part of shooting, and each player is different based on their rating and shot motion. Some players shoot exactly at the apex of their jump, while other have a hitch and may hold the ball longer before releasing it. The more frequently you play with the same teams, or at least types of teams, will help you develop better timing for your shots. Rhythm and timing also imply to shooting free throws. Regardless of the level of difficulty, if the user is good enough at them, the shooter’s free throw rating has almost no effect. This becomes frustrating if your opponent is very good at free throws.
Like playing FIFA, mastery of both control sticks can make a huge difference. This is one of my flaws, and it allows my opponents to steal the ball from me more than a few times per game. This is a common problem amongst the gamers I interviewed, all of whom voiced frustration that in the game oftentimes when a player will drive toward the bucket, the defender will magically strip the ball and force a turnover. Understanding when to spin and how to control the dribbler is crucial for enhanced gameplay. It allows you to not just score and have more possessions, but creates some exciting moments in the game. Know that it will take time to master the control sticks and correctly timing both shots and dribble moves. The payoff is not just winning games, but winning in style.
Crowd
I had hoped that the impact of the crowd would be huge in close games because every sports gamer dreams of a game where there will actually be a good way to replicate home field advantage. Unfortunately, the crowd impact is a miss. The crowd will be loud and shake the camera if the game is close and late, but overall, it has little effect on the outcome, leaving me sorely disappointed. A momentum meter, like the ones featured in previous versions of the game, would have been a welcome addition. It is always fun to see how one’s performance in the game would realistically affect the crowd and momentum for each team.
The CBS presentation features the familiar overlay and theme song.
Announcers
As with all sports games, be prepared to grow quickly tired of the same phrases from the same voices. The good thing is that both ESPN and CBS worked on this game so there are 5 different announcers rather than 3. It is nice to have Dick Vitale and Gus Johnson in the same game, because it allows the player to choose who they want to broadcast each game. They compensate from having constant color commentary with cut-ins of the crowd and people like Erin Andrews. Announcing never adds much value, but it can ruin a game. EA gets a passing grade for having both ESPN and CBS, although a few more colorful and situational lines would make the game experience significantly better. Presentation is very important and overall the game does a very good job of it.
User game experience makes all the difference when playing, especially against friends. This game is worth the investment if you have a good friend with whom you can play. My advice is rent the game before you buy it if you are not a huge NCAA Basketball fan. I give the game a four because it is a lot of fun to play, but it certainly clangs off the rim, and fails to be a slam-dunk.
Watched the match between France and Uruguay. Too bad it was a draw. Wondering about the next matches results.
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Wow, I truly adore Carmelo! He is the most talented dude in bball! Go Knicks!