Anyone pick up MM or ESPN CB yet?
 

I was just wondering if anyone had any impressions on these games yet.

Yeah I bought the ESPN College Hoops game last Friday.

I also bought last years version of the game and let me tell you that this years game is so far ahead of that one it is ridicilous.

It is an awesome game bigjdotcomo.

The Legacy mode is truly amazing. You can recruit and scout players to come to your team...the player details are nice too.

There are sliders to switch back and forth to get the right kind of gameplay that you would like.

I started an 'open legacy' with the LSU Tigers. Right now, I am 8-2 and getting ready to play Centenary before I open up my SEC schedule.

It is a great game, it truly is. I won't be buying MM, because the ESPN game is really good.

Get it or rent it.

go to operationsports.com there is alot of discussion over there about the game, all good too.

Cincy,

How is the gameplay compared to last year's version? And do you have the game for XBox or PS2?

Ice the gameplay is excellent, no kidding.

I have adjusted my sliders enough to where each time I step on the court I am getting a challenge.

I lost to #1 UCONN in the Preseason NIT 88-78, then reeled off 8 in a row which wasn't easy...lost to a very stubborn UAB team 75-73 in a game that I never lead. Missed a jumper a the top of the key at the buzzer to lose and not force OT.

I have the XBOX version of the game.

I played last years version and though I really liked it, there just was not enough realism in the game. But this year it is a different story. They have put in so much more depth in the game that I cannot stop playing it.

The TOP 25 seems more realistic this year now, also it lists teams getting votes that did not crack the rankings.

There is a slam dunk competition mode which is alot of fun and there a mode called gym rat where you can play anyone anywhere....1 on 1, 2 on 2 and so on.

I am glad I bought the game and I am a hard gamer to please. It reminds me alot of the depth that EA's College Football 2004 offers.

You can create and edit players, you also can recruit players during the season. The recruiting is fun. You can choose visit 3 recruits per week, invite them to one of your games. There is an email system where recruits and assistant coaches email you with information, you can reply back to them.

Mike Patrick and Jay Bilas are doing the play by play which leaps ahead of last years guys who were so repetitious in the things they were saying.

Bilas saying, "he's got eyes in the back of his head" is probably heard at least once a game...but other then that the play by play is very good and more detailed than last years version.

The arenas and the crowds have been done really well also.

Check it out, it is a incredible detailed college basketball game. EA's MM has alot of competition to match up too.

Let me know if there is anything else you want to know.

I had cb 2k3, but the screenshots of MM look great. I love the bubble watch and the dynasty mode looks sweet. But, cincy, you make ESPN CB sound like the way to go. Could you post the ratings for Buffalo out of the MAC?

Did they fix the end of game in ESPN so that the opposing team will actually try to come from behind this year? That was my main problem with it last year.

operationsports gave them both good writeups, 4/5 for sega and 5/5 for ea. hmm which to buy which to buy.

bigj - you're in rochester aren't you, i recognize the henrietta.

Yup

March Madess I will wait and see and hear before I judge.

ESPN also has a bubble watch and a Legacy mode.

MM you can only play 30 years, ESPN is infinity.

ESPN College Hoops

Bigj I will post rating for Buffalo for you when I get home later.

I think infinity...will have to check.

I have ESPN and have been very happy with it so far. Like Cincy said, you will need to adjust the sliders to fit your dexterity. Once you get it set up...the game is alot of fun. Can't comment on MM...never played it. I bought ESPN NBA and wanted to be able to import players from the college game.

Oh yeah forgot about the import feature to the NBA game.

Thank MP...great season this year!

Cincy,

I see that you mentioned the preseason NIT. Are there any other pre-season tournaments, and does the game feature the postseason NIT?

Thanks!

Minor concern for me but it's still there:

Does ESPN again have the random name generator? And are their names on the back of the jersey's? Last year's there weren't names on the back of the jersey, and for me I hate that.

Yes and yes. Now go buy the game.

ESPN CB sounds a lot better then last years version.... I'll probably get it for christmas.

ESPN Basketball 2k4 is incredible though. Probably get both of them

Dude, importing to NBA2k3 last year, there were no first names. It was shitty. And they had no resemblance to their college generated guy.

Are these things fixed?

postseason NIT is there...will have to check on preseason tourney's for you.

I'm thinking of getting one of these. I was leaning towards ESPN CB because NBA Live got poor reviews this year, but it looks like the college version (March Madness) is good after all?

Kodos if you get MM let us know how good it is please will ya?

ESPN College Hoops has got me so hooked right now it is ridiculous!

i wish someone would get MM as it has been getting better reviews and it looks better to me so i can finally decide which one to get. they both look good, I played a little espn nba last week and that was good as well. i'm concerned that espn ncaa is last years nba while MM is seemingly going the ea ncaa football route and making it's own engine and everything instead of copying last years madden like they used to a couple of yrs ago.

From what I am reading over on the operation sports forums is that MM is getting mixed reveiws. Some are saying that it is not realistic enough, some say it is great, some say it is LIVE with college players.

but isnt espn ncaa just last years nba2k?

Well, I guess it would then depend on which NBA series you like better; seeing as I have not been able to stand Live for about five years, I will probably go back with ESPN College Hoops.

I'd tell you, but I can't hold a lead. :)

I just picked up ESPN CH tonight and in my first game, I came back from a 13 point second half defecit to take the lead by one with 55.1 left. The CPU then drained back-to-back threes to win it 57-54. Not a bad first impression! :)

I picked up MM last night, haven't played it yet though.

Thought I would mention this about ESPN College Hoops.

When recruiting for players, when you choose to attend a recruits game you can either play the game or watch your recruit play.

Yes, you can play HS games!!! Did not know this, WOW!

Also about preseason tourney's in the game. There are 12 preseason tournaments to choose to play in.

You can also customize your schedule to play any team that you choose.

I am finding out that the game almost 100% editable.

That means you edit players, class status and attributes for each player.

Not bad at all for this game.

I have been really enjoying this game. I just lost 79-66 last night to Alabama in game that I was so streaky. I was up 62-61 with about 3 minutes to play and Alabama sank 3 straight 3's to take the lead 70-62....it was basically over. My team went cold when it didn't need too. Oh well....gotta love the challenege that each game brings.

I turned around and barely got by a stubborn New Orleans team 85-77.

I am 11-3 so far in 1st year LSU Tiger legacy.

The game just has so much more depth to me that March Madness.

....and no I don't work for Sega or EA. Just giving my honest opinion of the game.

Cincy,

Thanks for your continued thoughts on the game. I think it will be my next purchase, once it comes out for PS2.

You could actually play the HS games in last year's versions as well, just to let you know. Thanks for your efforts though Cincy, I'm now strongly considering purchasing this game.

That was only All-Star Games, this is actual High School season games. Were a small school 7'0" wander could be playing against a 6'2" center opposition.

Wow, really? I take that back then.

Isn't this out for PS2? Ebgames says it "usually ships in 24 hours".

Here's IGN's March Madness review... that coupled with other opinions I've read have me leaning towards ESPN, if I decide I get sick enough of NCAA 2004 to need another game:

I may just wait another year though...

That's what I thought, but checked the ESPN Games website, it says it ships Dec. 1, and couple stores I have checked haven't had it in yet :confused:

I'm leaning towards ESPN CB as my only basketball purchase this year. But maybe ESPN NBA too...

Betraying EA twice in one season with the same sport - have you aliens no decency?

I might just pick up ESPN then I will have both and can't go wrong.

I'll also pick up both, but first I wanna make sure that the import feature works. It didn't last year, which really pissed me off.

I have both games for Xbox, but I haven't even touched the NBA game since I got Gladius, which was a couple of weeks before I got College Hoops. I don't think NBA will get much play over here, but I only paid $15 for it.

How did you get the ESPN NBA game for only 15$. Or better yet, where?

Trade-ins. Lots and lots of trade-ins.

Electronics Boutique was doing a promotion (maybe they still are) that added $3 to the trade-in of each game traded in toward a new release. ESPN NBA Basketball was a new release at the time. I traded in 7 games for a combined total of about $20 in store credit. Then they added on another $21 because of the promotion. That left me to pay only about $15, including tax.

Ahh, I see. I usually buy everything from Gamestop (Babbages) in the Lakeside mall and didn't see any similar deals recently.

The only EB stores in the area are in New Orleans Centre (next to the Superdome), the Riverwalk, and the Esplanade in Kenner. If you happen to be in or near central Metairie, none of those places are particularly close to you. For new releases, though, if you have something to trade in, EB is a pretty good deal.

I actually live in uptown New Orleans, just off of St. Charles, but my mother-in-law lives in Metairie, and I have to usually go visit with my wife as the trade-off to getting myself a game ;)

I work at Charity a lot and didn't know there was an EB there next to the Superdome.. thanks for the info! :)

I'm still struggling with this. Does anybody prefer MM over ESPN? The reviews are all contradictory...

The best I can get from all of the reviews and the forums is MM has slightly better gameplay while ESPN is more in depth in terms of modes and the legacy mode.

Also MM has one team in the wrong conference and alot of the fresmen are missing.

My only real criteria is gameplay so I am leaning towards MM. I wish I could rent them but neither are being released in Canada because they can not collect royalties here so I have to order them online.

I have only played ESPN but I think that the gameplay in the game is solid... I had major issues with the 2k3 version of NCAA but this year I am astounded by the improvements they made...

I have played Live and I would assume that if you like that style of play you would prefer to play MM rather than ESPN... Though I think the ESPN style of play suits me best...

The game plays excellent out of the box... In total I have adjusted only the foul sliders and increased the tendency of the CPU to pull midrange jumpers and threes... Otherwise I have not touched a thing playing on the mid-level...

I have started a Legacy with Radford and so far I am 3-2 and I am entering the toughest part of my nonconference schedule... Before that I got about 9 games deep into a legacy with UNC-Greensboro but restarted with Radford once the X-Port Rosters came out with all of the players named...

I am truly a gameplay kind of guy and I cannot find anything wrong with how ESPN plays... I would highly suggest renting both of these games before choosing one to purchase if you really think MM might be your preference... As for me I think ESPN plays great and I love the career legacy options, recruiting, coaching aspects, as well as the graphics and gameplay.

I would say all in all I would give ESPN College Hoops a 9/10...