PlayStation 1
Released in 2000 by EA Sports
Grade: C+
This game is like going on a date with someone you know you won’t sleep with: definitely not satisfying, but potentially fun if you have a good attitude about it. I like it for its care-free fun factor, quick pace, and absurd lack of realism, but its limited AI and slippery control eventually get old.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the last of four college hoops games EA made for PS1.
Praises and gripes
The typical formula for March Madness games is to take the engine from NBA Live and tweak it slightly, usually resulting in a slightly worse game. But this time, I actually like EA’s college offering better. The gameplay is faster and more wild than NBA Live 2001, yet it somehow favors jumpshots over dunking.
Be sure to turn off all violations and fouls, which seem random and ruin the flow of the game. Don’t worry, you can’t violently shove opponents like in past EA games, so the action isn’t too circus-like. With free-flowing action, you rush up and down the court trading quick-strike opportunities. The go-to strategy is to get an open jumper in “early offense,” not quite a fast break but not in the half-court set. It feels great to make a couple passes and find a guy who can shoot in space and rhythm.
On default settings, teams run a different play every possession, on both offense and defense, which makes for ridiculous variety. Defenders can steal passes and swat inside shots easily, but it’s hard to stay in front of your man and it’s rare that you poke the ball away. The key to the game is safe passing leading to open jumpers.
I can deal with the game’s limited basketball logic, but the control is just too slippery, and the camera angles don’t help. They inexplicably left out a decent vertical camera view, so you’ll probably go with a side view, which I don’t think works well for 5-on-5 basketball. On the bright side, the game looks nice by PS1 standards, with bold colors and fluid movement.
It’s got four difficulty levels and over 150 teams, so you can get a good challenge against the delightfully aggressive CPU. I like how they’ll fight back if they’re down late in a game, but unfortunately, they’ll still flub some late-game situations.
I have a real soft spot for this game, despite its glaring weaknesses. It’s loose and fun. It’s good for coming home late and sneaking in a quick care-free game, which won’t take more than 10 minutes.