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| On November 15, 2001 Microsoft launched the Xbox Video Game System in North America. Many dismissed the system as the next 3DO, but they could not have been more wrong. The Xbox has taken the world by storm, offering game experiences that often blur the line between fantasy and reality. The true successor to the DreamCast is finally here. And it is the Xbox. |
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| REVIEW: Only a few short years ago, college football videogames were mere shadows of their NFL counterparts. Only diehard college pigskin fans would ever think about picking up a copy of an NCAA football game. Times sure have changed since then. Now, Electronic Arts' NCAA Football series not only rivals Madden, but also exceeds it in many ways. In fact, this year's version of EA's college football franchise, NCAA Football 2003, just might be the best gridiron game ever released. One of the biggest reasons that NCAA Football 2003 excels over Madden is the sheer number of teams offered. 144 Division 1-A and 1-AA schools are represented along with accurate stadiums and mascots for most of the major teams. With the huge discrepancy between Division 1-A's bottom feeders, such as the Navy Midshipmen, and the elite, such as the Miami Hurricanes, wild and crazy blowouts will occur as well as spectacular upsets. In Madden, if the Bengals upset the Raiders it's about a tenth as exciting as if Connecticut upsets the Texas Longhorns. Another thing that sets NCAA Football 2003 apart from Madden is the electricity of the collegiate atmosphere. The team specific fight songs, crowd chants, intense rivalry games and crazy, dancing mascots all work together to create an exciting atmosphere that is missing from most football games. The commentary in NCAA Football simply puts Madden's to shame. Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso are two of the most humorous and entertaining announcers in real life |
| The good news is he won't be getting up looking out his ear hole |
| NCAA Football 2003 helps make up for the lack of texture detail. One-foot toe drags at the at the sidelines, clothes line tackles and pumped up touchdown celebrations are all animated flawlessly and live up to the standard set in all EA football games. Of course all the options you have come to expect from EA are included such as practice, exhibition, season and dynasty modes. You can unlock pennants by achieving various goals during gameplay. Pennants can be cheats, extra stadiums, mascot teams, All-American teams or team-specific rating boosts. All the A.I. and penalty sliders are completely adjustable, allowing for complete, user customization. All major stats are tracked in season and dynasty modes, player awards such as the Heisman Trophy are handed out, and all major bowl games are represented. College football fanatics will certainly find enough to do here to last until next year's release. NCAA Football 2003 not only raises the bar for all other college pigskin games, but for all football games in general. The great college atmosphere, tight gameplay and uber-deep dynasty mode propel this game into a league all its own. The graphics do have room for improvement, but then again what PS2 port has ever pushed the Xbox to its limits? The short and skinny of it is this one of the best football games on the Xbox right now, and all gridiron fans would do well to pick it up immediately. |
| and they add to the game's great energy. EA was wise to record an enormous amount of dialog so the commentary is always spot on and never repetitive. The visuals in NCAA Football 2003 are not quite as good as in NFL 2K3 or NFL Fever, but they are certainly above average and never take anything away from the game. Nice graphical touches abound such as the player's helmets reflecting, in real time, the actual stadium being played in, uniforms gradually becoming dirtier as the game wears on and fields becoming spotted with marks where cleats have torn up the grass. The amazing animation quality in |
| Screenshot courtesy of GameSpot (c) |
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| NCAA Football 2003 |
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| Publisher: EA Sports Developer: Tiburon Genre: College Football Sim Players: 1-4 U.S. Release: 7/23/02 |
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| SUMMARY: NCAA Football 2003 returns for another year of legendary rivalries, emotional upsets, and unique college gridiron action. See and feel the difference that separates the pageantry of college football's storied programs, with intense rivalries at 117 Division 1-A and 27 Division 1-AA schools across the country. Control all the action on the field with defensive swats, stiff-arm broken tackles, fake-out moves, and much more. It's what college football is all about. |
| - Joshua Kramer (12/20/02) |
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