College Hoops 2k8...best ever? - MHammer113's Blog

MHammer113's Blog

College Hoops 2k8...best ever?

Posted on December 11, 2013 at 09:19 PM.

The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI is 12,500 strong all standing on their feet waiting for the ball to be passed in with ten seconds left to go in their final Big East contest of the year. The Friars are playing the undermanned Butler Bulldogs.

Bryce Cotton catches the inbound and watches the clock tick above the backboard. With four seconds he makes a quick move right and takes a step back three for the win....and its good. The crowd lets out a loud gasp and the Friars celebrate their 11th victory of the year in the Big East.

Yes this is all possible in a video game that was made SIX years ago. This is the thrill that is possible in what I am finally calling the best sports video game ever made. For years I have always conceded NFL 2k5 as the best sports game ever, but it has been dethroned in my opinion.

To this day there has been no game that I have logged more hours, played with more teams, or quite frankly enjoyed more. It still amazes me to this day the amount of detail and precision evident in this game.

Gameplay

Not only does this game qualify as a true sim, but the sliders all work allow the user to play any type of game they want. Want every game you play to simulate a VMI, run and gun, 100 points per game style? It is possible. Or do you want every game to resemble Bo Ryan and his slow paced Badger offense. It is all possible in College Hoops 2k8.

Graphics

The visuals in College Hoops 2k8 are still relevant. Sure the player models and crowds could use some work, but keep in mind this was a year 2 release on the 360/PS3. The court detail is great and the amount of arenas in this game is mind boggling. Almost every single school in the game has an arena that resembles the real life counterpart.

Customization

Why was I able to play Butler in my final Big East regular season game? Well, because this game was the first college game to give you custom conference options. Sure it isn't perfect, but I have created the new Big East which is all I really need. Playing with Providence College in the new Big East is gratifying enough, but I was even given the chance to customize the current court to have the color scheme it currently has. The rosters have been continuously updated and RaiderFAN you are the MAN!!!

I could go on about this game forever. The fact that every game, every season, every possession feels unique in its own way. The fact that I have play hundreds of games and the game still doesn't feel stale. The fact that I have now played legacies of over five years with Providence, Brown, Maryland, Georgia, and Duke. One day we may all be blessed with another College basketball game that will beat College Hoops 2k8 in every single way, but for now I can live with Choops 2k8. Thank you 2k Sports, RaiderFan, and several others who have made this a glorious six year run of college basketball

Comments

# 1 SkillzKillz719 @ Dec 12

This is all too true.
Just give us a next-gen College Hoops with editing and we can make it last.

# 2 Ejfalcon9 @ Dec 12

I still break out my copy whenever I get bored by 2k. It still holds up. Was running a Florida A&M season leading up to release of the PS4 and 2k14 and had a blast.

# 3 tril @ Dec 13

cosign.. best basketball game ever. dont forget about

dynamic passing
player collisions
blocks are ultra realistic
size matters
recruiting is fun
small vs large arenas
dynamic crowds based on winning percenatge
coaching carousel.
stats, etc
the development process of players is very gratifying
the difference between a 5 star recruit vs is 3/2/1 star players is very noticeable.
halftime adjustmenst
adjustments matter, do I run a three guard offense to beat a team that presses, etc..

this game is always in constant rotation. Ive played over 95% of my games, never gets oold or boring!!!

# 4 cwash020 @ Dec 13

Probably my favorite sports game of all time. Definitely in my top three along with NCAA Football 2002 and NBA Street Vol 2. This is the first year I haven't played it since 2007 and I miss it terribly.

# 5 MHammer113 @ Dec 13

I'm glad there are still others out there. Tril thanks for going further is depth because everything you mentioned is barely done in the new releases. Choops was way ahead of its time

# 6 robbie24 @ Dec 14

definitely my fav sports game ever! i could get sucked into my dynasty for hours

# 7 tril @ Dec 14

another nice feature in the game was the broadcast cycle camera angles. you'd get various camera angles throughout the game.