NCAA March Madness 07 [X360]

"Only the home team can do the cheerleaders."

My first thought when the development team from EA Canada told me this about March Madness 07 was, "Duh." My second thought was, "What about Larry Eustachy?" Real college basketball fans know what I'm talking about.

But snapping back to reality, EA was referring to its new Intensity Control mechanic that is helping this next-gen title capture college atmosphere like never before. Basically, you build up an intensity meter and trigger an Impact Moment between one of your teammates and the crowd, the band, the teammates, the opponents, the mascot and yes, the cheerleaders.

But only the home team can do the cheerleaders.

And Eustachy.

The Impact Moments give your players a huge composure boost, another new meter to follow this year. When you have low composure, you dribble off the leg and turn the ball over like Ollie in "Hoosiers." When your composure is full, you calmly sink free throws to win the game, like Ollie in "Hoosiers." As you remember, there's a big difference between a composed and a non-composed Ollie.

All of this plays into the excellent college atmosphere EA Canada has instilled in March Madness 07. Like NCAA Football on the 360, there are authentic crowd sections, and the band, students and alumni are all rocking along with the action. Unless you have crappy fans, in which case your stadium sounds like a cricket farm and tumbleweed blows across the parquet.

On the floor, the answer to your question is yes. NCAA March Madness 07 is better than NBA Live 07. And 06. Let's not forget that travesty. Although many of the visual elements are borrowed from the Live engine, the Madness team is being careful to make the game be, well, fun to play, a problem for Live fans. And you know something? It is.

The lockdown stick, a nice defensive touch, helps you put additional pressure on ball handlers. Defenders will get right up into their grill and force them toward the sidelines, occasionally forcing a turnover. The risk is a foul if you attempt an aggressive steal, but the lockdown stick adds some pressure that EA's rival, College Hoops 2K7, was lacking (if you don't count an overpowering steal button, that is).

The big highlight on offense is the excellent play calling system. Finally, it feels like you are running an offense. Using the D-pad, you can quickly select from a number of base plays like the standard pick and roll and post play, or you can get into the playbook and call a double high or a zone offense. From there, your point guard sets everything up.

Watching the double high in action for the first time, I knew Madness was on to something. The 4 and the 5 wait for the pass at either side of the free throw line, while the 2 and 3 wait on the wings. The point guard dishes inside to 4, then runs past the 5 who sets a killer screen, and receives the pass from the 4 for a huge dunk. The computer catches on quickly so there are no money plays. After my 1 scored twice in a row, the AI defense shifted into a 2-3 zone. And in my zone offense, it's important to look for more than one way to penetrate. A few times you'll slip the ball into the high post and he'll hit the 2 or 3 on a back cut from the wing for an easy lay-in. Simply awesome. This is what basketball is all about.

Madness still suffers from some issues. Standing still, the game is beautiful. In motion, you'll see some quirky animations (and some great ones). Like NBA Live, the biggest annoyance is the ball. If just doesn't look right. The physics are a bit off and it seems to teleport between players. The framerate still is nowhere close to College Hoops 2K7. Still, these are issues we hope EA cleans up before the final release.

Stay tuned for our review in the coming weeks. Until then, ask yourself. What would Eustachy do? Wait. Don't answer that.

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