PlayStation 1
Released in 1999 by EA Sports
Grade: D+
Madness is the operative word. This game has some serious issues that’ll make you feel silly for spending much time with it.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the third of four March Madness games on PS1. The series had yearly installments until NCAA Basketball 10 on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Praises and gripes
This game moves fast and loose. The graphics are choppy but fluid and charming. The controls are responsive for the most part. The ol’ “stop n’ pop,” for example, feels like gravy. Players rush up and down the court, and it can feel great to push the ball, make a pass or two, find some open space, stop, pop, and tickle the twine.
That’s all great if you’re just setting aside 15 minutes to whoop on the low-level CPU opponent.
But if you’d like an actual basketball experience, look somewhere else. This game is riddled with issues.
The loose control will betray you. You’re bound to slip out of bounds often. The CPU does it too, even on the highest difficulty.
Rebounding feels like a trick. The erratic AI sometimes has five or six players running away from the ball as it’s bouncing off the rim.
Passing is insanely frustrating and results in a high rate of turnovers. Your teammates don’t move with much intelligence, they don’t come to the ball, and any time the ball comes near a defender it’s stolen.
In crowded areas, there’s no telling what the hell is going on, but whatever it is, it’ll probably be another turnover.
The camera sometimes gives you an awful view of the court, barely keeping the ball on screen at times. After violations, the ball is thrown back into play before the defense can get back, resulting in an easy dunk, which is an efficient way for EA to proclaim, “We didn’t even test this game before putting it out!”
Skip this one.