NCAA Football 2002

THE BAD:
game slows down between menus

SUMMARY:
running the option is great, stadiums are very detailed. uniforms of every team make this game great.
trying to stop floridas fun and gun, nebrakas option attack. miami s swarming defense , this is what college football is about.

THE BAD:
Too many fumbles in clutch situations

SUMMARY:
Great game overall. A must have for anyone who loves college football. Great realism!

THE BAD:
The computer can be difficult to beat sometimes

SUMMARY:
This game is so much fun, it will have you riveted for hours on end. There are so many different teams to choose from and so much to customize, you wonder what more they could have done with it, or how they are going to top it.

THE BAD:
limited commentary, although much better than previous years.

SUMMARY:
5 stars all the way, best game PS2 has put out....except for GT3, but how can you top that one. watch out for Madden 2002, previews say it is even more intense.

THE BAD:
The option of not being able to create/change your own schedule, and not being able to recruit the player that you've created/choose his teams.

SUMMARY:
What's the use in creating a player and not being able to have him play for your team, takes away the whole idea. There should have been an option in the create player mode that at least lets you pick the three schools that your player would be interested in. But other then that and not being able to tweak your schedule, a team like Navy or North Carolina A&T will never have the chance to have a shot at being number one or getting that prestige to be able to recruit 5 star players. Even though this may be a little picky, but it would have been nice to have to option to at least talk/discuss with players who want to leave early. Other then those few things, this is an outstanding game, if at least two of my options (change schedule/and choose teams for create player) would have been in there, this game could have be a 5 out of 5. Every football fan MUST have this game for there collection.

THE BAD:
Choppy framerate at times mars the beauty of the game. Commentary still isn't "next-gen." Why can't EA Sports note the fact that gamers are tired of seeing players meshing together, as if time and space converged onto football fields across America? Ummm, nitpickers never prosper, so I'll be moving along. Shall we?

SUMMARY:
NCAA Football 2002 is a great product, which exemplifies in all ways the magnificence of college football and collegiate athletics, in general. More so than professional leagues, the college game is passionate, intense, and so exciting that sometimes fanatics riot.

This particular franchise has come a long way since its exception on PSone. It is now a very remarkable piece of work you probably never even saw coming. You see, NCAA 2002 is not simply a re-hash of the previous 32-bit iteration. Nor is it simply Madden in collegiate clothing. No, people. This game is in a class of its own, for now the greatest graphical feat videogame football has ever known. For now, it can lay claim to the title of "Greatest Football Game in Town." How can I make such a lofty claim, you ask? Because I have played the game and I have seen the glory of EA Sports once more. If it's in the game, it's in the game. Follow me...

GRAPHICS

NCAA Football 2002 follows closely in the footsteps of its professional brother, Madden 2002, but is graphically superior. First up, the player models are no longer squat, with almost-exact builds that make distinguishing one player from the other "madden-ing." Now athletes are sleekly designed to look more realistic. And you have far more different body types. This is obviously a plus, seeing as how it seemed EA was still stuck in Tecmo Bowl limbo. The player faces look great, and even the horrid eyes have been improved, though only a smidgen. What I dislike about NCAA's graphics are to be found gruesomely within the games cutscenes and replays. I mean, for God's sake, man! Do something about the meshing and the damn slowdown. This is the DAMN PS2 I'm talking about, people. I BET a million dollars Visual Concept's NFL2K2 won't have such horrid clipping and framerate dros in the tens. Sheesh!

The stadiums are very detailed, and EA has even added more players on the sidelines, water coolers, mascots for each team, etc. You can't go wrong with the stadiums, though they are leagues away from anything resembling real life. But then again, this is just a videogame. A sim, but a videogame, nonetheless. Overall, this game is the cream of the crop in football games on consoles. Kudos!

GAMEPLAY

There are a wealth of gameplay options in this baby, which should hold you over until the next edition. You can play a game in Exhibition, give it a full go inn Season mode, or try and be the best ever in Dynasty mode. Either way, you'll get a chance to check out the game's immense charm and playability. The AI can be as difficult as you like, though you can change its intelligence at any point. Control is spot-on, though a few nuances will surely catch your eye. Passing is still iffy, which means it ain't exactly true-to-life. You can't lead and you can call back a reciever. Maybe next year. The running game is fabulous, though, and is a very bright spot in NCAA's brilliance. You'll find holes by looking for them, just as in the actual game. Patience is the key, however. Isn't it always? Anywho, you are welcomed to do just about whatever you'd be able to do in reality, so go ahead and make your day. Awesome.

SOUND

Sega Sports beats EA by miles and miles when it comes to commentary. The guys doing the work aren't crap de crap like Madden and Summerall, but they do great jobs impersonating them. Please, EA, go the made-up route like VC. Besides off-kilter commentating, the game shines in all other areas, including every teams fight songs. Crowds chant, announcers announce. All is good in that region. Nice

OVERALL

You really can't go wrong. If you like what Madden is all about, and you like college football, go out and buy this baby. On the other hand, those with no love whatsoever for Madden neet not apply. Be warned, NCAA is addictive as hell and warrants a lot of work hours. Take a day off from work and endulge yourself in the best football game there is, for now. Remember, no one does football like EA. It's in the game!