NCAA Basketball 10 Available, Post Impressions Here

[Brandwin]

I was wondering that as well, ehh. I thought about picking it up, but I may just stick with 2K.

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

What was the deal with this game for 360? I was a PS3 owner when it came out so I didn't experience the freezing problems. I'm a 360 owner now and would pick this game up for cheap to play a couple of times a year as long as it actually works. Are 360 copies simply good or bad? If you get a copy that doesn't freeze then you're okay or is it sporadic? Is it a console issue?

I had the game installed to my 360 and didn't have many freezes. The replays were always filled with lag, though.

It sounds as though those that still have the game have noticed less freezes lately, so not sure how to explain that.

I've thought about picking it up, too, as I just really can't go back to 2K8 anymore, as great as that game was.

[DJ]

Well, the March Madness bug bit me and I picked the game up Mon. afternoon.

Let's get some things out of the way first:

-No signature jumpers.

-Limited body types, faces, so basically a lot of the players will look the same.

-No updated rosters.

-Dynasty is not as in-depth as College Hoops 2K8.

-Post game is limited.

OK, now that I have mentioned that, let's dive back into this game:

-FUN. I hadn't played this game in a few months and after a couple of games, that's the word that ws stuck in my head. This game is fun. It's not 100% sim and that's OK. It plays a good game of hoops, though.

-The colors really pop off the screen. I like that. Really blows 2K8 out of the water.

-The presentation is real nice. Being able to choose between ESPN and CBS is something other sports games need to look into. The replay packages are well-done and the stat overlays look good.

-Motion offense is a nice feature. It doesn't work 100% of the time (probably due to player awareness), but when it does, it's a thing of beauty.

-Crowds. Man, they GET INTO IT! I love that. Really makes it feel like college basketball.

-CPU, with the proper edits (if you are on 360, look for LP2 and download it. Myself and a couple of other guys edited over 70 teams and it really helps the gameplay), plays a real strong game. With the roster I mentioned, you won't see the CPU shoot every time the ball goes into the post. They will pass it out, and some teams will really milk the shot clock before shooting, while others will chuck up a shot within the first 10 seconds of having the ball.

Next up, let me address the 360 freezing issue:

-I've only played 2 games so far, but I have to say that compared to when I had this game last year, this copy (I bought a new one, didn't want to chance a used copy) has run SMOOTH. No hiccups or slowdown in framerate during gameplay or replays AT ALL so far. This never happened last year when I had the game, even when it was installed to my HDD, which it currently is not. So, I'm not sure if this issue was somehow addressed by EA secretly or what, but so far so good in that department.

Final thoughts:
-If you are looking for a FUN game and want to enjoy the college atmosphere, this is a game you should have in your gaming library. Yes, there are limitations, such as not having current rosters, being limited in terms of roster editing and the amount of depth in Dynasty. But, all that aside, I think this game does deserve a second-look from anyone that's big into basketball gaming.

It's a real nice change-of-pace from NBA 2K11. I'm glad I picked it back up.

[3Percenter]

The least expensive price I can find online for a used copy is $32.99 through Gamestop. I may check out my local Gamestop to see if they have got a used copy for cheaper.

[ehh]

That's insane. I'll wait a few more years until it's $5.

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

That's insane. I'll wait a few more years until it's $5.

I hear ya, ehh. No reason this game is priced as high as it is but I guess EA feels no need to drop the price since they abandoned the game anyway.

I used some trade-ins to drop the price but really, this game shouldn't be more than $9.99 at this point; Madden 10 and other EA games from last year are all around that price.

[twigstudios]

It's good to know people are still playing this game. I have a ball with it. I play with a PS3 and can remember it only freezing on me once and that was during a timeout. I bought my game via half.com for 15 bucks.

[BlueNGold]

So that big freezing issue was only a 360 thing?