The Five Best Things About NCAA Football 2005
Jun 4, 2004Each year millions of gamers have a familiar debate -- Madden or ESPN Football? However, it's another football title, one that sells nearly as well as the Madden franchise, that is always my most eagerly anticipated gridiron game. NCAA Football 2005 looks to continue the tradition of providing the best atmosphere and most enjoyable gameplay among the football contenders. After spending the day with it, I gotta say, it's been worth the wait.
This year, NCAA tries to offer several innovative features, almost as if in an attempt to one-up itself more than the competition (as there is no college football competition). While last season didn't do all that much, 2005 has come fully loaded. If you love college football, if you love playing football on your couch, or if you just need a smile, NCAA Football 2005 is gonna do you right.
We've done hands-on of this game before, and nothing's really changed since E3, aside from the fact that the game now sits in the comfy tray of my console, where it belongs. So, in honor of finally getting my most-anticipated summer title in my hands, I've composed a list of the five things that make NCAA Football 2005 great. And there are lots of things, plenty of things, that could have made the list. However, these are the five best, in order. Doubters read on. The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief -- EA hasn't mucked up NCAA in any way. They've made it faster, stronger, better.
#1 - Online Play
While PS2 owners enjoyed online play last year, Xbox owners were left sobbing in a dark corner. That's changed this year. And even though online play may be old news for PS2 gamers, it's still a damn nice feature to have. If you know all about the online aspects because you have the fortune of owning a PS2, you might want to
A lot of speculation came from EA's deal with Microsoft. The main issue has always been EA's insistence that their online games run on their servers, but that's not the way Xbox Live works. Or, rather, that's not how it used to work. Instead, connecting to an EA Online game requires you to go through two servers. First, select Play Online from the main menu. This logs you into Microsoft's Xbox Live servers for authentication of your account. When you're ready to play, your information is transmitted to the EA server and you're moved there. However, this long transference appears to only be necessary the first time you try to go online, as subsequent online attempts took me directly to EA's server (after a 5 second pass through Microsoft's authenticators).
Once online, PS2 and Xbox owners can create tournaments (up to 32 teams) or play in head-to-head matches in any of five different regions -- East, West, Beginners, Advanced, or Pontiac (your guess is as good as ours). The real-time sports ticker is back, but, of course, is totally new to Xboxers. The ticker shows the scores for real games, just like you'd see on ESPN, but also include scores of game from those on your Friends List. A few other modes exist, including Overtime Drill (he who scores first wins) and Even Teams (where every school has an equally talented roster).
I'm looking forward simply to head-to-head matches with my buddy Mr. Carle, who's UAB is certainly doomed against the might of the San Diego Aztecs. For 'boxers, we've had NFL Fever (eww) and ESPN Football (yay) online before, but come on, we're talking college football here. It's gonna be rockin' the hizzoy.
Each year millions of gamers have a familiar debate -- Madden or ESPN Football? However, it's another football title, one that sells nearly as well as the Madden franchise, that is always my most eagerly anticipated gridiron game. NCAA Football 2005 looks to continue the tradition of providing the best atmosphere and most enjoyable gameplay among the football contenders. After spending the day with it, I gotta say, it's been worth the wait.
This year, NCAA tries to offer several innovative features, almost as if in an attempt to one-up itself more than the competition (as there is no college football competition). While last season didn't do all that much, 2005 has come fully loaded. If you love college football, if you love playing football on your couch, or if you just need a smile, NCAA Football 2005 is gonna do you right.
We've done hands-on of this game before, and nothing's really changed since E3, aside from the fact that the game now sits in the comfy tray of my console, where it belongs. So, in honor of finally getting my most-anticipated summer title in my hands, I've composed a list of the five things that make NCAA Football 2005 great. And there are lots of things, plenty of things, that could have made the list. However, these are the five best, in order. Doubters read on. The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief -- EA hasn't mucked up NCAA in any way. They've made it faster, stronger, better.
Homefield Advantage does a great job of recreating the benefits of having a massive crowd behind you. When on defense, the home team player can try and bring the crowd into the game. Tapping the "Homefield Advantage" button repeatedly increases the pumpitude of the crowd. In a giant house known for rabid fans, like Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, this can cause your opponent's controller to rumble frantically and the screen the shake like an epileptic bobblehead.
This goes beyond a visual and actually has an effect on a player's confidence (which I'll get into in #3) and can make audibles impossible. In fact, I gave an audible a shot when I brought the Wolverines to Wisconsin. My receiver heard the wrong route and wasn't there to catch the ball. He wasn't even close. Fortunately, neither were any Badgers. The effects of this are much less intense at say, the home of the Chattanooga Mocs, who's fans only get up on Free Viagra Day. In that scenario, the pump meter is tougher to fill and the effect is not nearly as severe.
Of course, this all sounds good in theory, but if it did nothing in reality, well, what's the point, right? No worries. The Homefield Advantage is pretty cool. The first few games it seems a bit gimmicky. A cool gimmick, but a gimmick nonetheless. But once I started going to different fields, I realized that the sound levels were unique for different crowds and intensities and that heading to Tennessee was much more imposing than going to see UAB. And that's the way it should be in college football.
Each year millions of gamers have a familiar debate -- Madden or ESPN Football? However, it's another football title, one that sells nearly as well as the Madden franchise, that is always my most eagerly anticipated gridiron game. NCAA Football 2005 looks to continue the tradition of providing the best atmosphere and most enjoyable gameplay among the football contenders. After spending the day with it, I gotta say, it's been worth the wait.
This year, NCAA tries to offer several innovative features, almost as if in an attempt to one-up itself more than the competition (as there is no college football competition). While last season didn't do all that much, 2005 has come fully loaded. If you love college football, if you love playing football on your couch, or if you just need a smile, NCAA Football 2005 is gonna do you right.
We've done hands-on of this game before, and nothing's really changed since E3, aside from the fact that the game now sits in the comfy tray of my console, where it belongs. So, in honor of finally getting my most-anticipated summer title in my hands, I've composed a list of the five things that make NCAA Football 2005 great. And there are lots of things, plenty of things, that could have made the list. However, these are the five best, in order. Doubters read on. The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief -- EA hasn't mucked up NCAA in any way. They've made it faster, stronger, better.
Is your crappy cornerback who's been burned the past two plays matched up against another team's best receiver? If you're quick enough, you can use audibles to switch off or at least take control of your safety to help cover the wideout. This works for every player in the game, so you can see how the runningback matches against the linebackers or how the O-Line and D-Line stack up. And you can do this throughout the game, any time before the snap.
While this may seem like some sort of easy cheat, I assure you, it's not. For one thing, you and your opponent see the same information (unless your opponent is the CPU) and just because a receiver sucks and has no confidence doesn't mean he won't make a stellar catch to win the game. After all, every ugly duckling has his day in the sun. Instead, the Match-Up Stick lets you easily view player progression throughout a game and gives you easy insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your players on a play-by-play basis. Plus, it's just damn cool to use.
Confidence is affected by a few things. First, there's the crowd. Remember all that shouting and whooping going on thanks to Homefield Advantage? Well, some kid from Crawfield, Illonois might just crack under the stress. But mostly confidence is influenced by performance. Throw three straight completions and your QB will get a boost in the ol' confidence sack, but throw a pick and he may begin to doubt himself. This works for all players, so even your O-Line might get dragged down by giving up a sack or simply by being pushed around by a defensive tackle.
All of this forces you to keep an eye on your players throughout the game. If your runningback has no confidence, it may be time to sub for him for a few plays or to run some pass plays. And if you notice that a rather poor DB is in looking like he's gonna play zone on the left side of the field, put your best wideout in motion to the left. A very cool dynamic has been added to an improved game experience.
Each year millions of gamers have a familiar debate -- Madden or ESPN Football? However, it's another football title, one that sells nearly as well as the Madden franchise, that is always my most eagerly anticipated gridiron game. NCAA Football 2005 looks to continue the tradition of providing the best atmosphere and most enjoyable gameplay among the football contenders. After spending the day with it, I gotta say, it's been worth the wait.
This year, NCAA tries to offer several innovative features, almost as if in an attempt to one-up itself more than the competition (as there is no college football competition). While last season didn't do all that much, 2005 has come fully loaded. If you love college football, if you love playing football on your couch, or if you just need a smile, NCAA Football 2005 is gonna do you right.
We've done hands-on of this game before, and nothing's really changed since E3, aside from the fact that the game now sits in the comfy tray of my console, where it belongs. So, in honor of finally getting my most-anticipated summer title in my hands, I've composed a list of the five things that make NCAA Football 2005 great. And there are lots of things, plenty of things, that could have made the list. However, these are the five best, in order. Doubters read on. The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief -- EA hasn't mucked up NCAA in any way. They've made it faster, stronger, better.
I shouldn't have to explain how the combination of the Homefield Advantage and controlling crowd celebrations truly brings the college experience to life, so I won't. Okay, I just did, but you get the point.
On top of this, you can make up to 10 different custom signs for fans to hold. You've got three lines and a variety of colors to choose from. "UCLA is teh suck!" or "Go Bob, love Mom and Dad" can be yours for no cost at all. Signs fit into a number of categories, so you can have a general sign, one for TDs, one for first downs, and so on. Sadly, signs can't be used in online games, but show up in all other modes. At least you'll have the Voice Communicator online to give the smackdown to your opponent and if you are playing a buddy on the couch, you can always hold up your hand and show him who's number one any time you feel like it.
Each year millions of gamers have a familiar debate -- Madden or ESPN Football? However, it's another football title, one that sells nearly as well as the Madden franchise, that is always my most eagerly anticipated gridiron game. NCAA Football 2005 looks to continue the tradition of providing the best atmosphere and most enjoyable gameplay among the football contenders. After spending the day with it, I gotta say, it's been worth the wait.
This year, NCAA tries to offer several innovative features, almost as if in an attempt to one-up itself more than the competition (as there is no college football competition). While last season didn't do all that much, 2005 has come fully loaded. If you love college football, if you love playing football on your couch, or if you just need a smile, NCAA Football 2005 is gonna do you right.
We've done hands-on of this game before, and nothing's really changed since E3, aside from the fact that the game now sits in the comfy tray of my console, where it belongs. So, in honor of finally getting my most-anticipated summer title in my hands, I've composed a list of the five things that make NCAA Football 2005 great. And there are lots of things, plenty of things, that could have made the list. However, these are the five best, in order. Doubters read on. The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief -- EA hasn't mucked up NCAA in any way. They've made it faster, stronger, better.
This season player management will be a lot more important. Team discipline is going to matter and if you're not careful, you may end up in some heat from the NCAA. In an attempt to mirror real life, players may commit infractions during the year. Some are minor, like missing curfew or getting some bad grades, others might be more severe. If you ignore the infractions, the NCAA will eventually shut your ass down, but you have a limited number of discipline points to spend throughout the year, so you may only want to sit your party-hardy halfback for the first half of a game instead of benching him for the week.
Along with disciplining your kids, you'll also need to keep them happy at the school. Deny a talented kid playing time and he may try and transfer to another school at the end of the year or even try and go pro early. You can attempt to talk a wayward student from leaving your program early, but your attitude and the team's discipline (and likely it's ability to win games) are all factors in the player's ultimate decision.
Recruiting and training are also important and expect some greater details on the offseason soon enough. But it's player management that's made the biggest Dynasty splash. Some other new features will help make Dynasty better, even though they aren't exclusive to being in the franchise mode. For the first time you can create your own playbook. Now add that to the ability to create a school, better player creation tools, and creating a stadium that is designed to shake the rafter, and you can truly make your own team from top to bottom. Time for me to make Team Hangover with Captain Morgan at QB and Bud Draft at wideout.
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#2 - Homefield Advantage
Aside from the multi-million dollar contracts, the biggest difference between pro and college is the atmosphere. Sure, a few NFL teams have stadiums packed with over 60,000 hollaring fans, like Kansas City, but few pro teams have the kind of fanatical following found at the biggest colleges. What's 60,000 drunk middle-aged men compared to 100,000 drunk and horny college kids? Atmosphere is what college ball is all about and while the NCAA series has done an admirable job portraying this, none of what came before compares to what's been done this year.
#3 - Match-Up Stick
I dig Homefield Advantage and it's a great feature, but perhaps more indispensable this year is the addition of the Match-Up Stick. Whether on offense or defense, before the ball is snapped you can push the Right Thumbstick left, right, up, or down to learn information about how your players stack up to what your opponent has on the field. Push left to check out how receivers and the secondary match up. A meter appears above each receiver, cornerback, and safety showing their talent level (full green is very good, a sliver of red means they are a chump). You'll also see a circle above each player. A black circle means they are rattled at the moment and will be easier to exploit, half-full means they are about average, and an all-white circle indicates someone with major happy pants (and full composure).
#4 - Celebrate Good Times
Celebrations last year were handled by slapping the Thumbstick in different directions after a score and about 50% of the time forced a flag. This year you can still celebrate after a TD, but you can also celebrate after any good play on offense or defense. Following a positive play, squeeze either the Left or Right Trigger (for mild or extreme) and choose to have the player, the mascot and cheerleaders, or the fans celebrate. We've yet to receive a flag, so celebrate on.
#5 - Deeper Dynasty
Though the overall look of Dynasty hasn't changed, a few new additions will make for a deeper experience than in previous seasons. The Sports Illustrated covers return, but they are a little better put together in terms of the images used and the variety in headlines. They've also seen the addition of a 25 Toughest Places to Play section, which ranks the toughest houses in the game. This is dynamic and will change depending on how teams do throughout the seasons of your Dynasty. Can you turn Qualcomm Stadium into the most feature place on Earth? Please stop laughing.
Those are the five best things about NCAA Football 2005 If those weren't great enough for you, check out the new screens and flicks. Will this baby be better than Madden or ESPN Football this season? Who cares -- it's first and it's online. Viva la futbol baby!