Pros: Graphics, Adjustability, Balanced levels of play, lots of teams
Cons: Really just Madden 2001 in college uniforms.(But is that a bad thing?)
The Bottom Line: Easily the Heisman winner in console college football. If you liked Madden 2001, you'll like this one too! Now if only they'd let me review Triple Play Baseball!
sportster's Full Review: NCAA Football 2002 for PlayStation 2
One of the titles I've been waiting for since the day I got my PS2, NCAA 2002 has not been a disappointment. This game gives college football the same great treatment that EA's Madden 2001 gave to the professional game. The game features well balanced levels of play, multiple modes to compete in, good graphics, and it's own version of the Madden challenge. Yes, the announcers tend to repeat themselves pretty quick, but that can be easily over looked amidst everything else the game gives you. Grab your team jacket, and lets head over to the stadium for some great college football.
Right from the opening video you can see that the game has the look of Madden 2001. In fact, it looks pretty much identical. I find this to be a good thing. All of the same attention to detail found in that game can be found here as well. Your player models look good(they are, for the most part, the same ones from Madden)and move in a very natural manner. Little things like eye-black, nasal strips, and finger tape appear on the players. There is quite a bit to see here. One nice touch is the between play shots, whether it's the coach on the sidelines, the player's reaction to a big play, the Quarterback calling the play in the huddle, or even the mascots on the sidelines(yes, the mascots even have cut scenes now! What? No cheerleaders?).
Stadiums haven't been neglected either. Most look like their real world counterparts. Each school plays on it's proper surface, and field markings are in place and accurate. Play at Tennessee, you have the famous checker-board zone. There's quite a bit of sideline activity in the game as well. The mascots will prowl the end zone areas, and you can see officials take a spill when the play comes their way. The crowd(which is blurry at best)will mostly be dressed in the home school's colors, and the band section is easily spotted. All in all a very good representation of this fall ritual.
This isn't to say that there aren't any graphic flaws, there are. Sometimes during between play scenes a player's neck will arch in an impossible angle, and, as already stated, the stands are blurred. Outside areas will look like cut-outs as well. Want a good example of this, check out the trees behind Army's Michie Stadium. They look like card board stand-ups. Minor flaws, but since they're present, they bear mention.
Ok, so the game looks good, but how does it play? Again I'm happy to say that the game handles as well as it looks. The controls are on the money. And simple to use, especially if you've been playing this series for a few years, or have tried Madden. Most of the basic functions are assigned to the four buttons(things like sprint, dive, hurdle, and spin moves), while the special moves(jukes, pump fakes)make use of the shoulder buttons. The passing game is identical to the one found in Madden, one button brings up the icons, then the icon button to pass to that receiver. On the defensive side of the ball it's the same, basic moves on the buttons, specials on the shoulders as well. Movement is by use of the D-pad or stick, your choice. Both work well. Even if you've never played an EA football title before, the system should be easy to pick up. And since the controls are responsive, you should be able to compete with just a short practice time(no two-a-days here). The only real new wrinkle is the new kicking meter. You kick in much the same manner as you swing in a golf game. One press starts the meter upward, try to stop it at the mark for maximum power, then stop the descent inside a colored area(varying size by kicker)for accuracy. Like I said, if you've played video game golf, you'll have no problem.
And compete you can. The game's levels are nicely balanced. As is the case in almost all sports titles, the lowest difficulty level(junior varsity)is little more than a training mode. You can easily run the score up against the CPU. You can learn the basics of defense here as well, since your opponent won't be scoring much. Jump up to Varsity level and the game gets more interesting, but not impossible. I actually think this is the best starting level, unless you've never played a football sim before. The last two levels, All-American and Heisman, will require a good feel for the game and the controls. Winning the National Title here isn't going to be easy. Personally, I find All-American to be my favorite for an accurate sim game.
There's quite a bit of adjustablity built into the game. You can set the length of the quarters, frequency of penalties(by the infraction), and adjust the CPU's abilities in certain areas(this is in addition to setting the overall level). Sound options include setting all in game and menu volumes. Do you want to hear music while in the menu screens? How loud do you want the crowd? P.A. announcer getting to you? You can turn all of these things up, down, or off, individually.
Speaking of sounds, this is the one place I have to give the game mixed reviews. While most of the in game sounds are well done, the announcers tend to get old real quick. They don't have a whole lot of lines, so you'll hear most of them 4 or 5 times per game(if you play 15 minute quarters). Other than that I have no problems with the game's sounds. The bands will strike up the home team's fight song after scores, and there are quite a few stadium specific chants(although not as many as in previous years). The P.A. announcer will make the right calls, sometimes the coach will have a comment on the sidelines, and the refs will audibly call the penalties. One interesting note here, if you are playing in season or dynasty mode, you only have the T.V. announcers if it's a televised game(check the weekly schedule), otherwise it's only the P.A. for play-by-play. Exhibitions always have the broadcast team in the booth. Nice touch, too bad I didn't have one televised game on my schedule(WHAT? the Army-Navy game not on TV?). Overall, I give the sounds a thumbs up, just too bad they didn't give Corso and Co. a few more lines.
I've already mentioned some of the modes of play, but let's take a more complete look at them. Season mode allows you to play the upcoming season for the college of your choice. Think you can make it to a coalition bowl? Here's where you find out. You do have the option to convert your single season into a dynasty after the bowl games are over in this mode. Dynasty tosses you into the coach/AD's shoes for multiple seasons. Now you not only have to worry about winning this year, but recruiting talent to fill the shoes of those departing seniors! Off-season decisions will include red-shirting and seeing how well your players have been training. You will also be able to send your graduating class to Madden 2002 for the draft. Have to admit, this is my favorite mode. Exhibition lets you pick any two teams and play. This is the only place you can use any of the teams you unlock with the campus challenge cards. Too bad, I'd love to take the Shadowgate Monsters out for a full season of play. Practice is the place to learn your team's playbook(very team specific)and work on those plays.
Not happy with your roster? Then just create a player. Works identical to the one found in Madden 2001. Choose Ht, Wt, Pos., appearance, number, and accessories. Then set the key stats, and you may have a Heisman Trophy winner on your hands. You can also rename and adjust any already existing players in the same manner. Note: the broadcast team will actually say the names of the players on occasion, if they're ones that are programed into the game(mostly common names like Smith or Jones).
All of the extra stuff is unlocked by use of the Campus Challenge. This works like this, certain feats during the game(sack the QB, break a 20 yard run, etc.)award you points. You then use these points to purchase cards(50 pts. per card). These cards can either be hidden teams, or stadiums, or enable certain cheats when played. Yes, we've seen it before, but isn't it fun?
In conclusion, if it sounds like this is basically Madden transposed to college football, it is. But is there anything wrong with that? I say it's the best college football game available, and have been enjoying it immensely. If you watch your football on Saturdays, and have January 1st circled on the calendar, I highly recommend it.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.