Sunday Sports Selections: NCAA Football 09
In the Sunday Sports Selection series, we showcase a sports-related product (gadget, book, film, equipment, etc.) that we have enjoyed and think you may find of interest as well.
I anxiously await its arrival every year. Once I start seeing the advertisements pop up, the my anticipations begin to mount. I’m, of course, referring to the newest version of the NCAA Football gaming franchise produced by EA Sports.
In my opinion, EA Sports is the premier producer of sports-related video games. From the Madden NFL franchise to NBA Live to NASCAR to boxing to FIFA, Electronic Arts is the leader in the video gaming world, and as far as college football, they own the monopoly being the company with exclusive licenses with the NCAA.
But how does EA do so well? They constantly are making their games better, and NCAA Football 09 is no different. It is simply the best edition yet of the series.
With new features (mini-games, online dynasty play, Quarterback Quiz, the ability to ice the kicker, bluff play art, custom stadium sounds), over 70 new features according to the official web site, and revamped old features (Campus Legend Mode, new Home Field Advantage, enhanced recruiting), NCAA Football 09 has outdone itself, once again.
Even though my dynasty isn’t exactly producing national champions as of yet, I’ve love the gameplay. Of course, national championships aren’t expected in the first few seasons for me because I always pick one of the game’s worst teams (Florida International University this season) and try to build the program from the ground up. After battling to a 3-9 record my first season (and I was lucky to get to 3 wins), I got one or two key recruits and some matured veterans helped lead me to a 9-3 record, the Sun Belt conference championship, and a win in the Motor City Bowl.
Something, I’m really interested in is the online dynasty play. I’ve always enjoyed the Dynasty Mode, and it is even more fun when you are actually battling against other human players. In college, we would get together some friends and all play in the same conference, which made every game important and recruiting very interesting. So once I can get the wireless working in my home again, this is something I’m definitely going to have to try out.
I’m also intrigued about the new Campus Legend Mode. They added this mode last year, and it had its early appeal, but it wore off quickly. I never even made it through a full four years with a player. This year, however, they have revamped the gameplay for this mode.
Instead of playing just like a regular game, you now will be only your player. Therefore, if you are a wide receiver, you have have to run your routes or block on every play that you are on the field; if you are a lineman, you will be trying to throw that killer block to spring your running back.
One last feature I will mention that I’m absolutely in love with is the Super Sim. During Campus Legend Mode, if you are an offensive player, you can easily simulate when your team is on defense. That way you aren’t sitting around watching the tv instead of actually playing the video game.
But Super Sim is not limited to Campus Legend Mode. If you are playing a game in your dynasty and you only have 30 minutes or so before class, well you can sim through the first quarter or only play on offense and sim when your team is on defense, so that you can finish the game and still have time for class.
Overall, NCAA Football 09 is a must have for any fan of sports video games, and particularly for any college football fan. I highly recommend this game not only because I play this game every year, but also because I think they’ve done a remarkable job on the game this year.
You can pick up the game for your system ($40 for PS2 & PSP, $50 for Wii, $60 for XBox 360 & PS3) in any retail store or you can go to a store like GameStop and get one used (where someone decided they didn’t like the game) for a couple of dollars cheaper. You can also try eBay (it’s always worth a look to see if you can find a deal).
But it appears, like is often the case, you can get the game cheapest on Amazon. You can get the game for as much as $15 cheaper for a “used” version on Amazon. As always, check out all of your options before making a decision.
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August 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I haven’t gotten a chance to play my copy lately, but I definitely recommend it. I think my favorite new feature is the ability to sim to any point in the game, which is a new feature for the PS2 version. I’d been waiting for this one for the longest time, and they finally did it. Makes things quicker and easier…but simming too far ahead isn’t always a good idea, since it might put you in a hole you can’t get out of. Then again, that’s what ‘restart’ is for!
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August 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
@Eddie The ability to sim at any point is probably one of the top 5 additions to the NCAA Football series since it’s inception. I don’t know how many times in the past, I’ve wanted to sim through the ending of a blowout or only had 20 minutes, so I’d have to leave the console on and risk one of my roommates deciding to play a game.
Another benefit of it, that I’m currently using since I’m still learning the XBox360 controls, is that you can turnover the reins to a particular part of the game. For instance, if I get ahead in a game, I may just sim every time I’m on defense. My pressing the wrong button on defense had previously led to several comebacks but now the compute handles it for me.
You can also watch any play that you want to sim, if you are trying to actually learn anything about the other team. OR you can skip ahead…to the next possession, next quarter, or end of the game. That definitely helps to speed up the game play.