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Platform: PS2, XB Genre: Sports Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: EA Canada ETA: Fall 2003
Related Links: Review: Inside Drive 2003 (XB) Review: NCAA Football 2003 (PS2)
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NCAA March Madness 2004
While
summer may be just getting started, it’s never too early to start
thinking about college basketball. Following up their
better-than-expected March Madness 2003 offering from a year ago, EA
Sports has a new palette of features waiting for you in NCAA March
Madness 2004. Take a look at these features: Build
a Dynasty: With an incredibly deep Dynasty Mode, you have up to 30 years
to build your own powerhouse. Recruit the top high school players in the
country, play in the EA SPORTS Roundball Classic, train your players
during the offseason, customize your non-conference schedule, and play
your way into the EA SPORTS Top 25 as you fight for your ticket to the
"Big Dance." A ticker with updated scores even updates you on
your opponents during the season. EA
SPORTS Coaches Council: With the EA SPORTS Coaches Council, users get
scouting reports, strategies, and other unique advice and input from
coaches representing every major conference in Division I. Rick Majerus,
Gary Williams, and Billy Donovan are just a few of the bright minds
helping to devise a winning game plan. School
Spirit: A college basketball game just wouldn't be the same without the
cheerleaders, bands, and raucous crowds that help make the sport
special. NCAA March Madness 2004 not only has all the action covered on
the court but incorporates all the game's unique sights and sounds. New
post-game celebrations, cheerleaders, mascots, arenas, and specific
crowd chants and fight songs are included in 2004. Team
Specific Quick Play Strategies: Maximize your school's strengths with
team specific offensive and defensive sets at your fingertips. Turn up
the heat on D with a full-court press or lock down your opponent with a
variety of pressure man-to-man or zone defenses. On offense, race the
ball up the court to devastate your opponent in transition, get the ball
into the post, or isolate your defender on the perimeter-whatever it
takes to win. The
Ultimate Roster: With the addition of more than 150 new schools, NCAA
March Madness now features every Division I basketball program in
America. Pick from more than 300 different schools, large or small, to
take all the way.
EA
SPORTS Freestyle Control: String together ankle-breaking moves by using
the right analog stick. Sweet crossovers, triple threat moves, post
moves, and strip steals all add to the non-stop action of college hoops. EA
SPORTS Online Competition: Take on opponents from anywhere in the
country (PlayStation 2 only). An online lobby area allows gamers to
meet, greet, chat and play NCAA March Madness head to head. Going
Deep: In addition to going online, NCAA March Madness 2004 also features
new Mascot and Rivalry Modes. Battle with team mascots like Syracuse's
Otto the Orange or the Stanford Tree for added entertainment, or turn up
the intensity in big-time rivalry games like Duke vs. UNC. EA SPORTS Bio: Memory card based tracking/rating system recognizes and rewards gamers for playing multiple EA SPORTS titles.
Of
particular interest here is the online capability for the PS2 and the
new EA Sports Bio feature. PS2 owners will finally get to show their
school spirit online and will be able to trash talk using the USB
headset. The EA Sports Bio feature is intriguing as many sports game
fans (including yours truly) buy more than one EA Sports game per year
and it’ll be interesting to see what EA Sports is planning as far as
hidden features or bonuses. Here’s
hoping that Dick Vitale gets more varied commentary this year. Look for
this game right around the tip-off of the college roundball season,
later this fall. - Peter J. Skerritt, Jr. (June 22, 2003) |
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