NCAA 07 PS2/XBOX

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:06 pm

Leebo33 wrote:All I know is my cousin is the highest rated player on Army!!

Really???

Thats freaking cool dude

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:09 pm

SoMisss2000 wrote:
Badgun wrote:
JRod wrote:NCAA 306 is a first generation title. Well it's atleast a 1.5 generation title and it on the same level as the xbox version. It coudl have been madden deju vu. But we have too playable titles.

I don't know yet what's been stripped out of the 360 version that was of any importance. Maybe the spring game. Put nothing missing in the 360 version kills the game.
It's not on the same level of play as the Xbox version...not even close. As far as what's stripped out, what little presentation the Xbox version has, the 360 version doesn't have any of it. May be my imagination, but the dynasty just looks more robust and I'm not just talking spring game either. Trophy room, ESPN the Magazine, and other things that help immerse you in your dynasty are NOT in the 360 version. But let's forget about what they left out, the game just plays better on the Xbox...period.
Most 360 owners would disagree. I love the 360 version. The game reminds me of...dare I say...a 2K football game.

Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:33 pm

Badgun wrote:
SoMisss2000 wrote:
Badgun wrote: It's not on the same level of play as the Xbox version...not even close. As far as what's stripped out, what little presentation the Xbox version has, the 360 version doesn't have any of it. May be my imagination, but the dynasty just looks more robust and I'm not just talking spring game either. Trophy room, ESPN the Magazine, and other things that help immerse you in your dynasty are NOT in the 360 version. But let's forget about what they left out, the game just plays better on the Xbox...period.
Most 360 owners would disagree. I love the 360 version. The game reminds me of...dare I say...a 2K football game.
Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?

If talking about onfield gameplay, then no, I don't think there's even a comparison.

I have bashed the crap out of EA football games for the most part for the last several years. The 360 version of NCAA, at least up to this point, on the field is the game I have been looking for. Playcalling and player ratings actually mean something. By far EA's best pass and run game. I don't think the PS2 nor Xbox versions even compare.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:55 pm

XXXIV wrote:
Leebo33 wrote:All I know is my cousin is the highest rated player on Army!!
Really???

Thats freaking cool dude

Yeah, if a cousin by marriage counts! Mike Viti is my wife's cousin.

I just got my ass kicked by Navy....just like real life

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:45 pm

bkrich83 wrote:
Badgun wrote:
SoMisss2000 wrote:Most 360 owners would disagree. I love the 360 version. The game reminds me of...dare I say...a 2K football game.
Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?
If talking about onfield gameplay, then no, I don't think there's even a comparison.

I have bashed the crap out of EA football games for the most part for the last several years. The 360 version of NCAA, at least up to this point, on the field is the game I have been looking for. Playcalling and player ratings actually mean something. By far EA's best pass and run game. I don't think the PS2 nor Xbox versions even compare.

Have you played either the PS2 or the Xbox version? I mean sat down and played a full game with either one?

I'll give you the fact that it looks great, has great animations, and is greatly improved over Madden 360. There's just something about the gameplay that's not crisp and precise. It still has some of that floaty feel of Madden 360, not to mention the gameplay itself is nowhere near as smooth as the current gen versions.

So far I have seen 5 or 6 people who have BOTH versions, and everyone of them favors the current gen version over the 360. Must be something to it.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:53 pm

For what it's worth, IGN's reviews are up.

360 version 7.5
Xbox version 8.7

The closing comments on the 360 version sum up exactly how I feel about it:

The next-gen NCAA Football was among the most anticipated sports titles since the announcement of the Xbox 360. Football fans everywhere wondered where EA would take one of the best looking and best playing sports titles next? Unfortunately, EA took NCAA a few steps backward. Yes, the game looks, sounds and plays well, but there is a noticeable lack of polish and a painful lack of depth. If EA ironed out the graphical glitches and framerate, if EA increased the ESPN presence, and if EA included the awesome Campus Legend mode, this could have been the sports game of the year. While NCAA 07 is a good game, there are just too many ifs.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:12 am

I went online tonight and had a very good game vs a guy on ps2. Guy asked me how old I was first and then agreed to play me when I said i was not under 18.

My gamertag on ea is : Inuyashaz

I saw Jasonsgn out there but it was too late when I got done and had to sleep. I'll add the rest of you guys over the weekend.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:18 am

Badgun wrote:The closing comments on the 360 version sum up exactly how I feel about it

After all your posts on the game here and at OS, did you think there was any doubt in anyone's mind regarding how you feel about the game? We pretty much knew how you felt or were going to feel about the game by last weekend.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:21 am

Badgun wrote:
bkrich83 wrote:
Badgun wrote: Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?
If talking about onfield gameplay, then no, I don't think there's even a comparison.

I have bashed the crap out of EA football games for the most part for the last several years. The 360 version of NCAA, at least up to this point, on the field is the game I have been looking for. Playcalling and player ratings actually mean something. By far EA's best pass and run game. I don't think the PS2 nor Xbox versions even compare.
Have you played either the PS2 or the Xbox version? I mean sat down and played a full game with either one?

I'll give you the fact that it looks great, has great animations, and is greatly improved over Madden 360. There's just something about the gameplay that's not crisp and precise. It still has some of that floaty feel of Madden 360, not to mention the gameplay itself is nowhere near as smooth as the current gen versions.

So far I have seen 5 or 6 people who have BOTH versions, and everyone of them favors the current gen version over the 360. Must be something to it.

I have played both versions. I don't know anyone that favors the current gen version. No comparison for me. I'll keep the PS2 version to play against friends who haven't gone 360 yet, but I really have no desire to play the current gen version after playing next gen.

We all knew how you would feel before the game was released. This really isn't a surprise.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:22 am

Speaking of IGN, what did they say about the yardage bug in the PSP version or didn't they care because they're all about flash and not substance?

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:37 am

Worth getting for the Xbox??

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:34 am

Badgun wrote:
SoMisss2000 wrote:
Badgun wrote: It's not on the same level of play as the Xbox version...not even close. As far as what's stripped out, what little presentation the Xbox version has, the 360 version doesn't have any of it. May be my imagination, but the dynasty just looks more robust and I'm not just talking spring game either. Trophy room, ESPN the Magazine, and other things that help immerse you in your dynasty are NOT in the 360 version. But let's forget about what they left out, the game just plays better on the Xbox...period.
Most 360 owners would disagree. I love the 360 version. The game reminds me of...dare I say...a 2K football game.
Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?

someone made an excellent point that I agree with...sports gamers say that game play in THE most important thing. Yet a game with good gameplay comes along, you want to complain about th emissing "fluff". Of course i'd like the missing features of the current version, however, I can't imagine it having better gameplay with that dated engine it's running off of. I guarantee you that youll see more complaints about the current gen version as far as gameplay than you will the 360 version.

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:36 am

Leebo33 wrote:
Badgun wrote:The closing comments on the 360 version sum up exactly how I feel about it
After all your posts on the game here and at OS, did you think there was any doubt in anyone's mind regarding how you feel about the game? We pretty much knew how you felt or were going to feel about the game by last weekend.

EXACTLY!

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:47 am

Badgun wrote:So far I have seen 5 or 6 people who have BOTH versions, and everyone of them favors the current gen version over the 360. Must be something to it.

I guess that I am not included in the "EVERYONE" seeing as how I just told you last page that I thought the 360 version was better thus far.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:21 am

I just got to play the 360 version at a freinds house. All I can say is WOW!

The 360 version of the game reminds me of one of those games that are so good as a whole package, that you dont mind of any missing modes or AI flaws that the game may have.

I remember when ncaa came out that first year for ps2. That to me was still the MOST FUN ncaa game I've played. 2003 and 2004 were better, but that 2002 game had that 'something' that made it a ton of fun to play. I think this years' 360 version is similar how to comes off.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:02 am

I won't repeat everything I said in the OS thread, but I agree with Badgun. The gameplay in the 360 is great, but the dynasty mode suffers from the lack of 1AA teams, stadiums, uniforms, on-field referees and the chain gang and other missing features. The magazine covers themselves might be fluff, but a consolidated page that contains all weekly dynasty info is sorely missing from the 360. I hope that next year EA not only upgrades the 360/PS3 dynasty but expands stat tracking. There is no reason that a next generation sports game can't track everything historically. In year 40 of a dynasty there should be somewhere I can go (like an almanac type section) and see a list of previous BCS champions, Heisman winners, Sugar Bowl matchups and winners, etc.

No way am I going back to the Xbox or PS2 - I like the 360 controller too much and I only play 1 console at a time - but the 1-3 years it takes EA to 'catchup' is hard to take.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:51 am

Since this has become the de facto NCAA impressions thread, all I can say is the 360 version has made a great first impression with me. I have not really been into NCAA since 2003 -- the 2004 version was great, but I spent most of my time playing 2k4 that season. 2005 was crap, and 2006 felt like a slight evolution of 2004.

This game feels more fresh. I don't have my XBox or PS2 anymore, so maybe the XBox has better gameplay, but I'm not having any control issues with the 360 version.

Anyway, I only played two games, AA level, 5 minutes, just to get a feel. I played as Missouri at home against Nebraska and lost a fun 7-0 defensive struggle, where the only TD was a fumble returned for a touchdown. My second game, I played as Iowa at Notre Dame in the rain and lost 24-14.

Long-winded first impressions:

PROS

--CPU playcalling. The thing that has always held back NCAA IMO has been the idiotic CPU playcalling. Teams not running enough, throwing deep too much, etc. The two games I played last night, the CPU ran well and worked the shorter routes a lot. It wasn't flawless -- Nebraska ran a PA with less than minute left and a 7-0 lead -- but the computer actually mounted sustained drives. A welcome sight.

--Blocking. The best I've seen in an EA football game.

--Animations. Lots of cool new ones I haven't seen before, especially tackle breaks and guys getting knocked on their asses by blocks.

--Graphics. They're not on par with something like GRAW and Oblivion, but the stadiums feel huge and more alive than previous versions. It doesn't look like your 3D guys are playing against a Seurat painting anymore.

--Audio. Not sure how different it is, but the 5.1 sounds much better to me. The crowd reactions are pretty good and best of all, they are LOUD.

--Special teams. Blocking on kick returns! Blocking on punt returns!! And blocked kicks!!! Now when the CPU is in punt block, I actually need to think about audibling to max protection.

--The touch on passing. I'm not using the cone, but I really like the feel of throwing in this game. You can lead your guys but you'll also see a fair amount of poorly thrown passes, even with default sliders.

--The running game. I really like it. Still getting used to the controls, but I like the way the backs move and the way holes open. The downfield blocking is awesome.

--Variety. Game 1, Nebraska and I combined for 6 ints, 5 in the first half. Their only TD came on a fumble from a sack that was run back. Neither offense did much in the air. Game 2, Notre Dame came out and played me like a fiddle. They threw no picks and only turned over a blocked FG I ran back for a TD. That swung momentum my way as I got my O in gear and also recovered an onside kick, only to throw a game-clinching INT late.

--Offensive playbooks. Huge and varied by team.

--Mini games. Slap my ass and call me Sally, I like them. Well, at least Tug of War, which was really fun as well as a good way to practice improvising since you are given plays to run.

CONS

--Camera angle. As in one angle. It's a good angle, totally playable, but we're back to not being able to see to the sidelines when passing. That sucks.

--Stuttery frames. It's better than the demo, but the game still chugs during stadium shots. It seemed fairly smooth when playing.

--Collision detection. It's dicey at times, and you'll see some phantom tackles as well the occasional touch football tackle from behind. You can really see it on replays.

--Animations. While some are good, others just look odd and remind you this is the first effort.

--Repetitive cut scenes. If you're going to insist on showing the break of the offense, how about having more than 3 scenes? And maybe not have the defense standing there pre-huddle break, swaying like they're listening to "Amazing Grace"?

--Weather. The mist from the rain looked great, but the rain itself looked very XBox-ish.

--Blocked kicks. Awesome that they are there, but I had two in both games I played. However, I didn't have any in the demo, so it's perhaps a fluke.

--Defensive playbooks. Big, but they looked the same to me from team to team (including the demo).

--Next generation taxation. As in taking away features when giving us richer graphics. I agree with Kevin, it's tiresome, and especially when it's things like cutting 1-AA teams. WTF? It's not like they had to model those stadiums. The paying for alternative unis thing is also crap.

OVERALL

Can't wait to get home and play again, a feeling I haven't had from a sports game since MVP 2005. That's really all I can ask for after the first few hours with a game.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:57 am

SoMisss2000 wrote:
Badgun wrote:
SoMisss2000 wrote:Most 360 owners would disagree. I love the 360 version. The game reminds me of...dare I say...a 2K football game.
Don't you mean most 360 owners without an Xbox or PS2 would disagree?
someone made an excellent point that I agree with...sports gamers say that game play in THE most important thing. Yet a game with good gameplay comes along, you want to complain about th emissing "fluff". Of course i'd like the missing features of the current version, however, I can't imagine it having better gameplay with that dated engine it's running off of. I guarantee you that youll see more complaints about the current gen version as far as gameplay than you will the 360 version.

To me gameplay IS the only thing that's important. While I enjoy a more robust dynasty, the Xbox version has BETTER gameplay than 360 version. Keep in mind, I'm not talking just animations here, I'm talking about the way the game feels in your hands when you throw the ball to a receiver cutting across the middle or juke a guy out of his shoes as you break into the open field. I just feel the Xbox version is so much more precise and responsive when doing practically everything. The audible system and pre play adjustments are so much easier on the Xbox now. Why they didn't incorporate these same ideas into the 360 version is beyond me.

As for seeing more complaints about the current gen version, you couldn't be more wrong. I have seen more complaints about phantom qb sacks and collision detection with the 360 version than I ever saw on the Xbox version. It's worth mentioning again that the horrible way the 360 version allows you to finish a play, call another one, and get back to the line of scrimmage in 2 seconds is NOT in the Xbox version. The Xbox version still handles this the way it should be handled. I did not like Madden 360, and while NCAA improves off of that game, many remnants of it are still around. It saddens me to think that this is the direction that next gen is heading.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:57 am

Just some Xbox observations.

I find the game pretty easy on default AA settings. Normally in the past versions I would struggle on default AA settings. Sliders will definitely be necessary. I found the gameplay fun but I think winning and winning big on AA had a lot to do with that. I played two complete games and just the first half on about seven others. I have a few concerns and one of them is the turnovers. In the two complete games I played my opponent turned the ball over 10 times...5 fumbles in the first game, 5 interceptions in the 2nd game. The momentum factor could have alot to do with this. Another concern is that I was the home team for all 9 games that I started and I won every cointoss but one. Not a big issue but seems like a bug.
I think it's a fun game though with some nice new animations but I have to be honest, the whole time I was playing I was wishing I was playing it on the 360. I just feel it's time for something new. I'm going to try it again tonight and if I still feel the same way, looks like i'll be getting a 360.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:58 am

Brando70 wrote:Since this has become the de facto NCAA impressions thread, all I can say is the 360 version has made a great first impression with me. I have not really been into NCAA since 2003 -- the 2004 version was great, but I spent most of my time playing 2k4 that season. 2005 was crap, and 2006 felt like a slight evolution of 2004.

This game feels more fresh. I don't have my XBox or PS2 anymore, so maybe the XBox has better gameplay, but I'm not having any control issues with the 360 version.

Anyway, I only played two games, AA level, 5 minutes, just to get a feel. I played as Missouri at home against Nebraska and lost a fun 7-0 defensive struggle, where the only TD was a fumble returned for a touchdown. My second game, I played as Iowa at Notre Dame in the rain and lost 24-14.

Long-winded first impressions:

PROS

--CPU playcalling. The thing that has always held back NCAA IMO has been the idiotic CPU playcalling. Teams not running enough, throwing deep too much, etc. The two games I played last night, the CPU ran well and worked the shorter routes a lot. It wasn't flawless -- Nebraska ran a PA with less than minute left and a 7-0 lead -- but the computer actually mounted sustained drives. A welcome sight.

--Blocking. The best I've seen in an EA football game.

--Animations. Lots of cool new ones I haven't seen before, especially tackle breaks and guys getting knocked on their asses by blocks.

--Graphics. They're not on par with something like GRAW and Oblivion, but the stadiums feel huge and more alive than previous versions. It doesn't look like your 3D guys are playing against a Seurat painting anymore.

--Audio. Not sure how different it is, but the 5.1 sounds much better to me. The crowd reactions are pretty good and best of all, they are LOUD.

--Special teams. Blocking on kick returns! Blocking on punt returns!! And blocked kicks!!! Now when the CPU is in punt block, I actually need to think about audibling to max protection.

--The touch on passing. I'm not using the cone, but I really like the feel of throwing in this game. You can lead your guys but you'll also see a fair amount of poorly thrown passes, even with default sliders.

--The running game. I really like it. Still getting used to the controls, but I like the way the backs move and the way holes open. The downfield blocking is awesome.

--Variety. Game 1, Nebraska and I combined for 6 ints, 5 in the first half. Their only TD came on a fumble from a sack that was run back. Neither offense did much in the air. Game 2, Notre Dame came out and played me like a fiddle. They threw no picks and only turned over a blocked FG I ran back for a TD. That swung momentum my way as I got my O in gear and also recovered an onside kick, only to throw a game-clinching INT late.

--Offensive playbooks. Huge and varied by team.

--Mini games. Slap my ass and call me Sally, I like them. Well, at least Tug of War, which was really fun as well as a good way to practice improvising since you are given plays to run.

CONS

--Camera angle. As in one angle. It's a good angle, totally playable, but we're back to not being able to see to the sidelines when passing. That sucks.

--Stuttery frames. It's better than the demo, but the game still chugs during stadium shots. It seemed fairly smooth when playing.

--Collision detection. It's dicey at times, and you'll see some phantom tackles as well the occasional touch football tackle from behind. You can really see it on replays.

--Animations. While some are good, others just look odd and remind you this is the first effort.

--Repetitive cut scenes. If you're going to insist on showing the break of the offense, how about having more than 3 scenes? And maybe not have the defense standing there pre-huddle break, swaying like they're listening to "Amazing Grace"?

--Weather. The mist from the rain looked great, but the rain itself looked very XBox-ish.

--Blocked kicks. Awesome that they are there, but I had two in both games I played. However, I didn't have any in the demo, so it's perhaps a fluke.

--Defensive playbooks. Big, but they looked the same to me from team to team (including the demo).

--Next generation taxation. As in taking away features when giving us richer graphics. I agree with Kevin, it's tiresome, and especially when it's things like cutting 1-AA teams. WTF? It's not like they had to model those stadiums. The paying for alternative unis thing is also crap.

OVERALL

Can't wait to get home and play again, a feeling I haven't had from a sports game since MVP 2005. That's really all I can ask for after the first few hours with a game.

good review!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:00 am

Brando, you think the block kicks has something to do with the new kicking meter which I am not really fond of?

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:05 am

Badgun wrote:It's worth mentioning again that the horrible way the 360 version allows you to finish a play, call another one, and get back to the line of scrimmage in 2 seconds is NOT in the Xbox version. The Xbox version still handles this the way it should be handled.

I could definitely see it becoming an issue offline, but from what I saw last night, it's not a big deal offline (just my opinion). The playbooks are big enough and playcalling important enough that I was often using the whole playclock, even if skipping the break animations. As for the CPU, even if I skipped it, they would usually get to the 10-15 second range before snapping, and I often just let the animations run to keep the time more real.

I know "not pressing the button" is not really a solution, but it's different than money plays where you have to take entire plays out of consideration. This involves some occasional waiting for animations, which while slightly annoying, is not much more than that to me.

What would be awesome would be an accelerated clock feature you could customize, so that if you call a play before X time, it always runs down to X.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:11 am

10spro wrote:Brando, you think the block kicks has something to do with the new kicking meter which I am not really fond of?

No, it has more to do with the way the defense penetrates. I didn't have any of my kicks blocked, but blocked two FGs because my teams got good pushes up the middle. I actually took a pretty cool picture of an Iowa LB leaping up and blocking the Notre Dame kick.

HipE · Post by **HipE** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:26 am

Was anyone able to play the 360 version online last night? I tried to get in a game with Leebo, but the EA servers were down at the time. I ended up playing the game for about six hours last night offline, and I had a blast with the game. The game definitely stutters when the camera pans around the stadium, and the framerate during gameplay needs to be improved, but after a couple of hours with it I didn't even notice it anymore. And yes, the CPU playcalling is phenomenal, I got killed by my opponents on third and long with screens and draw plays all night long.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:27 am

The compaints about the lack of features are totally understandable. I had an "instant classic" last night and was very disappointed when nothing really showed up in the summary except the score by quarter and the players of the game. Wow, BFD. I expected to see at least a decent box score and in the "next gen" a few highlights. EA is still light years behind the extinct 2K series (which had halftime highlights, "primetime", and the ability to replay any play from a play-by-play list) as far as presentation.

However, I just absolutely love the gameplay. I played 2 1/2 games last night and each team played a different style. Navy ran on me (Army) 42 times and passed 8. The ran even on 3rd and long. Wisconsin mixed it up pretty well, but still ran a little more than they passed. Notre Dame came out throwing against my Michigan team, but used the pass to setup the run beautifully in the 2nd quarter. I got sacked quite a bit with Army, but with Penn State I think Morelli only got sacked once or twice. Except for the fact that my games were too short due to only 7 minute quarters, I looked at the stats and they were awesome without a single slider adjustment. As is typical in videogames when new elements are added, I feel that there are too many blocked kicks. I have seen two in 2 1/2 games (one of mine and I blocked one) in the retail version and more than a few in the demo. However, it's very much welcomed. In fact, it caused me to lose to Wisconsin 21-20 when my 31 yard FG got blocked with 49 seconds left. I didn't raise the kicking bar though to get a higher trajectory, something I'm going to have to try in the future. Of course, this wouldn't help the CPU.

The stadiums in the 360 version look fantastic. Start a game at 6PM at Beaver Stadium and watch the transition. The animations are also great. There is so much variety in this game it is incredible. I see plays I *never* saw before in a football game. All types of screens are great. Draws can work. Another thing I like is great players really make a difference. Last night Wisconsin totally burnt me on a screen with 3 blockers and wide open field with nobody but Posluszny in the way...who shed a blocker, broke up the play for a short loss, caused a fumble, picked it up and returned it for a TD.

I'm glad folks are enjoying the Xbox version, and maybe it is the graphics whore in me, but I could NEVER go back as long as the 360 version is this good. Just chatting with HipE while we each played a separate game was worth playing on 360.