The basketball junkie’s video game
PlayStation 3
Released in 2009 by EA Sports
Grade: A-
NCAA Basketball 10 stands out among all basketball games by effectively recreating cohesive team offense and a variety of defensive strategies. It’s a breath of fresh air for people who appreciate things like motion offense, zone defense, and patiently working for the open shot — basketball concepts that aren’t pillars of the pro game.
It has some frustrating gameplay issues, but don’t let that deter you. Playing this game is a uniquely fun and challenging experience.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the last and (by far) the best of EA’s long-running college basketball series. As of 2020, it goes for around $40 — pretty rare for an older sports title.
Praises and gripes
First off, the game simply feels better than its NBA Live counterpart and all the previous NCAA games. The control is snappy and you only get “stuck in an animation” when you should. It takes some getting used to, and the game doesn’t give you much artificial help.
Playing offense requires a combination of strategy and skill that makes this feel like real basketball. When you’re playing well, there’s a feeling of fluidity that’s quite satisfying.
The motion offense and set plays are easy to run, and their effectiveness is just right; they help you get open shots but don’t guarantee them. Shots are more likely to go in if you run a play, find an open man, and shoot in rhythm. Unfortunately, some of the plays seem broken, so you’ll need to push through some trial and error.
There’s a good blend of half-court and transition action that you don’t see in many games. One unusual feature is that each team has an ideal tempo (half-court, balanced, or up-tempo), and shots are more successful if you play within your team’s tempo.
The full-court press and zone defenses are depicted better in this game than in any other basketball game I’ve played. Some realistic details are firmly in place. For example, a 2-3 zone defense will fetter your opponent’s post play but you’ll give up some offensive rebounds.
Teams are highly varied in skill and style — methodical half-court offense and stout man-to-man D may work best for one team, and playing up-tempo and pressing aggressively may work best for another. Once you’re done with your Kentucky season, you can start fresh with Weber State for a totally different experience.
The ebbs and flows are realistic — you’ll go on a furious 10-0 run, then suddenly you’re missing everything. I like how many different strategies I’ve had to use to get my team out of a funk.
The game isn’t for sissies that way. If you tweak the sliders for a fair challenge, you’ll find the game frustrating at times. You need to play hard, you know, kind of like in real basketball. The defensive controls may seem limited initially, but you can figure it out. The CPU opponent punishes you for defensive mistakes or letting your teammates do your dirty work.
The game also looks good, at least by my standards. The players may be generic versions of 2010’s college athletes, but they move well and have enough variety to tell them apart. The graphics are bright and the use of both CBS and ESPN television presentation is nice.
Unfortunately, as much as I love this game, there are quirks I can’t get past. For some unfathomable reason, you can only make defensive play calls during live gameplay, not during a dead ball or from the pause screen. It’s a horrible oversight. Comebacks can be quite thrilling in this game; too bad you might waste precious moments calling plays while trying to defend your man.
There’s no “deny pass” function; stolen passes occur automatically. Boxing out is tricky, but luckily, the rebounding logic seems fair. There are good post-up controls, but getting into post-up position can be unreliable. You can cheaply steer a player toward the sideline and scoop up the ball as he falls out of bounds.
AI teammates step out of bounds from time to time, and not just while they’re cutting. Some effort was made to avoid this — there’s some “leeway” when a player appears out of bounds — but it certainly wasn’t done perfectly.
Despite all that, I can’t recommend this game enough to anyone who truly appreciates the sport of basketball, with or without the NBA’s glitz and superior athleticism.
Hey! You like this game, by any chance? You’ve gotta check the big, fat resource I wrote about it. See NCAA Basketball Guide: Sliders Explained, Gameplay Help, Customization Tips.