NCAA March Madness 07 [X360]

Unlike Live, there are no real players in NCAA; we're not as much of a stickler for this as some people, but there's no question that the commentary suffers from a generic feel because there are no real names to call out. When the track leans towards the repetitive to begin with, the lack of personality steals flavor from the game.

Those are the big points, but plenty of small issues contribute to NCAA's tug of war with quality. On the plus side is improved passing, a dynamic d-pad play calling set that keeps your defense moving and the Lockdown Stick, which further deepens your man defense and adds a visual system for indicating how you should be facing.

On the downside is a continuing set of arbitrary AI weaknesses that will see opposing teams attempting impossible and out of bounds shots and will have some of your own passes aimed unpredictably, even with the improved aiming system.

Having taken into account the momentum benefits and drawbacks on the court and in the audience, perhaps the most vital difference between NCAA and 2K's game is speed. College Hoops simply moves faster, and often with greater fluidity. That doesn't necessarily make it better or more realistic, but when stepping down to the speed of NCAA, you could very well feel like something is missing.

Even with the speed difference, the Team Intensity Control and outstanding crowd modeling make NCAA worth a look for hardcore and casual fans. Most of the massive problems that have plagued next-gen versions of Live have receeded, leaving a game that's fun, accessible, and while flawed, full of enough personality