SEGA Sports(tm) NCAA

Sega Sports has done a
fine job of creating an excellent crop of sports games across all major consoles
and NCAA Basketball 2k3 is a prime example.  The game provides the most polished
and accurate representation of college basketball to date.  The gameplay is very
well done, and even supersedes NBA 2k3 on several fronts.  With hundreds of
teams, good graphics, deep game modes and excellent atmosphere, NCAA Basketball
2k3 is the college hoops experience to check out this year.

 

NCAA 2k3’s gameplay is
extremely smooth.  The passing is much smoother and easier than NBA 2k3, as you
can either have the game choose who you pass to, or you can use the C stick to
manually pass.  Players used to playing pro-ball games will quickly notice the
differences between pro-ball and college ball.  In pro-ball, you can run a
high-scoring game with one player scoring most of the baskets.  However, in NCAA
2k3, the defense is much more astute, making it harder to score loads of dunks
and buckets as you would in a professional basketball game like NBA Live 2003 or
NBA 2k3.  NCAA 2k3 requires much more of a team effort than most basketball
games, so you won’t get very far unless you know how to pass.

 

The game boasts over three
hundred Division 1 teams and stadiums.  Each team is accurately represented in
terms of strengths and weaknesses.  The game does a great job of creating an
atmosphere, as away teams are booed and heckled throughout the game. One great
example of this is when the away team steps up to the line to throw free throws;
the crowd will boo and hold up signs that say "Brick".

 

The game features six
gameplay modes; Exhibition, Season, Tournament, Legacy, Practice and Gym Rat. 
While the rest are fairly self-explanatory, the Gym Rat mode sounds a little
strange.  Gym Rat mode allows you to play a friendly game in a college gym,
either two-on-two or five-on-five.

 

Of the game’s six modes,
the Legacy mode is definitely the most engaging.  This mode puts you in the
shoes of a coach trying to rise in the ranks of college hoops, from a smaller
school to a choice larger school.  You can scout players from high school and
deal with graduating players and those leaving early for the NBA.

 

The game’s graphics are a
bit more polished than those of the PS2 version, but could still be better.  The
player models aren’t very detailed, and the game makes simple use of shadow and
lighting effects.  The crowds also look pretty nasty, composing of simple 2D
images that move around unrealistically.  However, the player animations are
very smooth and look great, and the courts are nicely detailed.

 

The game’s sound is very
good. The game features many school fight songs, nicely reproduced.  The
commentary is also really good, albeit a little bit delayed at points.  The
crowds also do a nice cheering/booing job.

 

With good graphics, deep
game modes, and smooth gameplay, NCAA Basketball 2k3 is an excellent title that
should be considered one of the best basketball games around, and certainly the
best game of college hoops.  Anyone who wants a game that finally does college
basketball some justice should look into NCAA Basketball 2k3.

 

#Reviewer’s
Scoring Details

 

Gameplay: 9.0
The gameplay in NCAA 2k3 is great. 
The controls are smooth and easy to grasp, and the game modes (especially the
Legacy mode) are engaging and very well executed.

 

Graphics: 8.5
While not quite as detailed as other
basketball games, the graphics in NCAA 2k3 are very clean looking.  The
animations are superb, and the courts look very nicely detailed, although the
crowds could use a lot of work.

 

Sound: 8.9

Most of the school’s fight
songs have been nicely reproduced, and the crowd noises are very good.  The
commentary is also pretty good, but oftentimes a little delayed.

 

Difficulty: Medium

The game provides a much
different experience than a typical pro-basketball game. The defense’s AI has
been significantly upped, making it much harder to have a high scoring game.

 

Concept: 9.0
Over 300 Division 1 teams are
accurately represented, complete with their strengths and weaknesses.  The
gameplay modes are also very deep and interesting.

 

Multiplayer: 8.9

The game features
four-player gameplay in most of the modes, which is great, but some online play
would have made it great.

 

Overall: 9.0

With six game modes, a
complete Legacy mode, and most of the Division 1 teams represented, NCAA College
Basketball 2k3 is the most complete college hoops experience around.