NCAA Basketball 10: A Deep Dive into EA's Collegiate Hoops Offering
College basketball is a unique and captivating sport, distinct from its professional counterpart. The frantic, intimate, and intensity-packed atmosphere of college basketball games is unrivaled. NCAA Basketball 10, EA's attempt to capture this essence, arrives with the challenge of improving upon a series that has been considered mediocre in recent years, especially with the absence of competition from 2K Sports. This review delves into the various aspects of the game, exploring its strengths and weaknesses to determine whether it successfully brings the excitement of college hoops to your console.
Familiar Gameplay with a Collegiate Twist
The first impression of NCAA Basketball 10 is its striking resemblance to EA's NBA Live 10. The controls, gameplay, and even animations feel borrowed from its professional counterpart. However, this isn't necessarily a drawback, as NBA Live 10 was a significant improvement for the series. The familiarity allows for an accessible and engaging experience, especially for those already accustomed to EA's basketball mechanics.
Presentation: A Broadcast Experience
One of the standout features of NCAA Basketball 10 is its presentation. The game incorporates both ESPN and CBS broadcasts, allowing players to choose their preferred network for the game. This is a significant highlight, as the commentators do an admirable job of recreating their real-life counterparts, and the on-screen graphics are spot-on. The inclusion of CBS's iconic Road to the Final Four and March Madness presentation adds another layer of authenticity.
College arenas and atmospheres are also well-represented. Playing in venues like Syracuse, with its steep sea of Orange, creates a tangible impact on the game. The inclusion of a Top 25 toughest places to play list, which updates as you play, adds a great touch of home-court pride. These elements combine to create an immersive and authentic college basketball environment.
Gameplay: Motion Offense and AI
The gameplay in NCAA Basketball 10 is engaging and smooth, thanks to smart AI that makes for a more fluid and realistic experience. One of the highlights is the motion offense, which allows players to initiate set plays and create opportunities for cuts, screens, and open shots. This feature adds a layer of strategy and realism to the game, differentiating it from the pro offerings.
Read also: Pope's NCAA Tournament Goals
Freestyle passing and direct pass receiver control also enhance the gameplay. By holding a trigger and using the right analog stick, players can throw passes in any direction or take control of a player off the ball to make a cut. These controls provide more control and flexibility on offense.
However, the defense doesn't hold up quite as well. While players assume a defensive stance automatically, post defense and rebounding can be problematic. Maintaining steady body contact is difficult, leading to too many offensive rebounds for the opponent.
Game Modes: Dynasty Mode and Missed Opportunities
NCAA Basketball 10 offers standard quick-play modes, tournament modes, rivalry games, online mode, and dynasty mode. However, the game feels bare without modes like Career or My Player, which have become standard in sports games. The absence of a mode that allows players to take a player through high school, choose a college, and work their way up through the ranks is a missed opportunity.
The Dynasty mode is engrossing, with recruiting, roster management, strategy, and staffing all present. The menus are simple and easy to navigate. Online play is smooth, with very little slowdown encountered during games.
Visuals and Audio: A Mixed Bag
Visually, NCAA Basketball 10 resembles NBA Live 10, with a college twist. The animations are largely the same, and the player movement and feel are similar. Player models look acceptable, and you can recognize your favorite players. The uniforms are vibrant, and the new cloth animations make player movement look more realistic.
Read also: The History of NCAA Basketball's Gold Series
However, the audio presentation fails to match the visuals. While EA included two distinct broadcast crews with Brad Nessler, Dick Vitale, and Erin Andrews for ESPN games and Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery for CBS, the dialogue quickly repeats, and they rarely match the emotion of the fans or players on the court.
Shortcomings and Criticisms
Despite its improvements, NCAA Basketball 10 has its share of shortcomings. One of the main criticisms is the lack of originality. The game feels too much like a reskinned NBA Live 10, with not enough unique features to set it apart. The AI also has its issues, with players sometimes drifting out of bounds, moving into the backcourt, or looking confused on defense.
Another issue is the dynasty mode's lack of authentic schedules out of the box. The game also lacks a superstar career mode and an online dynasty mode.
Read also: The dominant UCLA Bruins in 1968
tags: #ncaa #basketball #10 #ps3 #review
