NCAA Basketball 2K3: A Timeless Classic on GameCube
NCAA Basketball 2K3 for the GameCube delivers a compelling college basketball experience, capturing the essence of the sport with its blend of realism and engaging gameplay. While not without its flaws, the game stands out as a shining example of how a college basketball game should be made, offering hours of entertainment for fans of the sport.
Gameplay and Realism
No console hoop game to this date has fully realized the smoothness of real life basketball, but 2K3 is awfully close. Less cinematic and slower than March Madness, it captures the look, sound, and most importantly, the feel of the college game. The game distinguishes itself by focusing on team play and strategy, elements that define college basketball. The high-flying antics versus the discipline of team play is what defines basketball, and in systems that rely heavily on team defense with lots of rotations and zones, it becomes necessary for the gamer to try to work out smart plays and organize the right matchups to truly get a good shot at the basket. Players must work out smart plays and organize the right matchups to get a good shot at the basket, especially against teams that rely on team defense with lots of rotations and zones.
The AI is generally smart, but can fall into predictable patterns, such as telegraphing passes when facing a 2-3 zone. Creating a 2-3 zone forces opposing teams to pass the ball around the perimeter for a while, and the AI, though usually smart, can get into a pattern of telegraphing the pass. Steals are a prevalent part of the game. The passing is generally accurate, though it can be unreliable near the basket in a half-court set. The analog control stick is not quite as reliable as the Xbox controls, and often an intended pass inside might be sent sailing dangerously across the court.
Dribble penetrations are gratifying, and posting up after a good entry pass feels realistic. The dribble penetrations are just as tough and just as gratifying as in Sega Sports' NBA 2K3 game, perhaps even more so. Because of the strength of the defense in NCCA hoops, the breakaway jam or the occasional crossover drop-step to the basket becomes that much more gratifying. Posting up after receiving a good entry pass is also realistic.
However, the game is not without its issues. Passing can be slow, giving defenders too much time to react. It's incredibly difficult to get an open fast break in NCAA 2K3, simply because a computer opponent will almost always run by the player with the ball and block his path to the basket. The defensive side of the ball has its own irritating problems, the first of which is rebounding. Even with the rebounding option set to the equivalent of high, players will occasionally just stand around when a ball drops right in front of their faces, allowing the opponent to get the offensive rebound and another chance to score.
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Game Modes and Features
NCAA College Basketball 2K3 shines in its variety of game modes. The game features the standard array of options ranging from quick exhibitions to lengthier seasonal and tournament play. The game features the usual season and exhibition options, in which you can play through an entire season of college basketball or just one game, respectively, but it also features a great custom tournament mode in which you can create a tournament for any of the 30 conferences or all of the NCAA, a practice mode to help you become familiar with the fundamentals, a gym rat option that is comparable to the street ball mode in NBA 2K3, and a legacy mode. These include:
- Exhibition Mode: Play a single game with any team.
- Season Mode: Guide a team through an entire college basketball season.
- Tournament Mode: Create a custom tournament with any of the 30 conferences or all of the NCAA teams.
- Practice Mode: Hone your skills and learn the fundamentals.
- Gym Rat Mode: Similar to the street ball mode in NBA 2K3.
- Legacy Mode: Build a dynasty by recruiting players and leading your team to championships.
The Legacy mode is incredibly comprehensive and it's something that'll keep players busy for hours on end. [Jan 2003, p.84] There are two different types of approaches in the legacy mode, open and career. With the open option, every team has an open coaching spot right off the bat, so any one of them is immediately selectable. However, in the career option, most of the teams are locked and you'll be forced to start at one of the lower-tier basketball programs and meet a certain requirement to consider your season successful. If you meet that goal (which can be something as simple as winning half the games that season), then you might get job offers from other schools. If you don't, you'll have to stick it out with the same school for another season. It can be an incredibly fun mode to play through, and one that would've provided substantial motivation for continually playing through the legacy mode, but much of that is taken away by the fact that you can just go ahead and select any team in the open option. In any case, at the end of a season in legacy mode, a number of players will either graduate or move on to the NBA, so those holes in your lineup have to be filled by recruiting high school players. When the recruiting screen opens up, you'll see a list of players and their overall rating, their position, and the top three schools they're interested in. You can attempt to recruit any one of these players by spending recruiting points and having either the head coach or an assistant coach give that particular player a call to find out more about his abilities and the type of school he wants to attend. If he does show signs of interest, you can follow up the phone call with an actual visit by the coach so his interest remains intact. There are quite a few things to pay attention to in the recruiting process, but one of the keys is to at least go after a player who is already somewhat interested in playing for your school.
The Legacy mode stands out as a highlight, allowing players to take control of their favorite Division I program and build a dynasty by recruiting talent and training their squad. Take the reigns of your favorite Division I program and build a modern-day dynasty in Legacy Mode, as you recruit the best crop of young talent throughout the nation. Train your squad to run team-oriented motion offenses, overpower your opponents with high post plays and antagonize teams with aggressive full court presses. You call all t…
Graphics and Presentation
While the graphics are not as superior as it was with "NBA 2K3" or the controls as super smooth as "NBA Live 2003," the game is still a shining example of how a college basketball game should be made. The graphics on the GameCube version are comparable to that of the Xbox, with not much being noticeable. The facial textures look just as bland, though, probably because of the inability to license the names and appearances of amateur collegiate players. From the banners in the rafters to the styles of the floors, almost all the arenas in the game look great, and graduates of the schools in NCAA 2K3 should be able to recognize them almost immediately. There are also some nice little touches in the crowd, such as cheerleaders and student sections that will hold up individual cards to spell the school name. The stadium noise is actually quite good, but the commentary could use a little more work. The physical movements of the players are dramatic as the animations are realistic to a point, but velvety enough to give it a little fantasy. Not everyone can glide like Dr. J, but in video games, anything is possible. The game features real arenas and school-specific chants, enhancing the college basketball atmosphere. Not surprisingly, Sega Sports delivers a reasonable facsimile of the college game complete with real arenas, school-specific chants, and (dare I say it) an excellent use of the ESPN license. The attention to detail in some of the arenas borders on the obsessive.
Sound and Commentary
The stadium noise in NCAA 2K3 is great, as you'll hear not only team-specific cheers but also many of the chants meant to rattle the opposing team. Likewise, the stadium noise in NCAA 2K3 is great, as you'll hear not only team-specific cheers but also many of the chants meant to rattle the opposing team. The commentary in the game is solid, for the most part, and it sounds natural when the play-by-play man and the color commentator interact with each other, but the team does have the tendency to repeat itself, and in some cases the play-by-play man can't quite keep up with the action onscreen. To the gameâs credit, the play by play does cover the action pretty well. The crowd seems into the game as well. The inclusion of authentic fight songs adds to the immersive experience. have their authentic fight songs.
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