An actual POLL!!! Your grade

[Tengo Juego]

Quote: Originally Posted by mgc201

I agree with most of what you said, although I rate it a lot higher than a 1. The first 10 games or so I was rating it around an 8. But after 30 games, my view of the game keeps going down. It's still kinda fun though. Animations: 6 - Way to inconsistent. Some look good, and a lot look absolutely stiff, robotic, and unrealistic. Some ******** looking gang tackles. Gameplay: 5.5 - Too many A.I. problems. 1 camera view. Robotic gameplay. Physics in the game, I rate a 3 out of 10. Ball physics are atrocious and player physics are below average. The way the ball is batted around and bounces looks extremely unrealistic. Graphics: 8 - Players, field, and lighting are great. Everything else is below average. Sound: 9 - Great crowd sounds. Excellent commentary Fun Factor: 7 Overall: 6.5

Your breakdown along with Heavy hitter's=My exact review/feelings.

There is one feature that I absolutely love, Custom Stadium sounds. It adds so much to the experience.

[texbuk84]

this game is a 10 to me. period

[dave374]

A 7-grade I might understand ... but anything above that baffles me.
I stand by my 6/10, because the graphics are pretty and the player control is improved ... but other than those two things, I can't think of one aspect where this game is improved over 08.

This game is the Ford Pinto is videogames.
Looks great at first, but the second you put it in the console, it blows up.

[AftershockFx]

I give NCAA 09 8/10. The game isn't perfect but, it's still very fun and looks much better than last years version IMO. There's definitly room for improvement but, it's a reasonably solid title compared to what EA or 2K has released in the past.

[Marino]

i gave it a 9/10...probably one of the better games i have played in a while. dont really care what all the haters say, unlike apparently many i really am having fun with this game.

[bucksfan07]

Quote: Originally Posted by AftershockFx

I give NCAA 09 8/10. The game isn't perfect but, it's still very fun and looks much better than last years version IMO. There's definitly room for improvement but, it's a reasonably solid title compared to what EA or 2K has released in the past.

that's the score I gave it and I totally agree with your points. This game isn't as bad as some would have you believe....

[JayBee74]

Quote: Originally Posted by jwil5050

this game is a 10 to me. period

Why a 10 Jwil? Over 15% of you have rated this game 9 or 10-Having not played it yet the lack of a pass rush and extraordinary CPU pass % would eliminate a 10 score.

[LBzrule]

I gave it a 6. Graphically, the game is to be commended. It's a pretty game. The fields look great. Lighting is wonderful. The player models are superb. They look like football players. Albeit some of the animations are a bit clunky. Some of the animations just do not look smooth.

To add, anytime you have suction blocking I gotta give you a low score. The suction blocking in this game, mehhh, not going to rehearse it. Yes, it has become a rehearsal to talk about suction blocking. Twenty years of Madden, and what at least 10 years of NCAA and we still have suction blocking Last night I had the Va Tech HB pinned in the endzone only to see my OLB warp pass him into the FB because of suction blocking. It should have been a Safety.

One other clunky looking animation is the stiff arm and defender reaction to said move. They have all runners doing the Greg Jones on Dexter Reid Stiff Arm and the defender just throwing his arms out like he's is screaming Hallelujah!!! at a Revival Meeting. It doesn't look right when a WR does this to a 278 lb defensive end, or a HB does this to a 310 lb DT. The jukes look good though along with the running animations on offense. Some of the running animations on defense look very stiff and also, on the blocking, break blocking, Oline vs Dline engagement, LB vs FB and OLine engagement, WR vs DB blocking, it looks too choreographed. The players do not move like they are playing football, they move like they are following directions. This may be the downfall of motion capture, where guys are doing more acting than actually getting after it. They need to figure out a way to make this appear more violent. After all football is a violent game. I'll give Midway credit on one thing. Even though their game is straight arcade, and some of the animations are over the top, when you look at their game, their players move around like what they are doing means something to them. Nobody appears to play "careful," and "choreographed" football. I need to see guys going all out and giving everything they have.

Anyways, more positives. If I was only grading this game on offense I'd probably give it a 9. Like I said the game is beautiful, the playbooks have some depth, the player control, although maybe just a tad bit more momentum would be nice, but the play control is spot on. Even on defense the player control is spot on. The slide protection actually works and does a hell of a job when used. You can create some good pass blocking schemes. The formation audibles add depth to your offense - not like that's needed though Establishing a running game can be fun but they built this game to where you do not need to run at all. Just pass every play.

Unfortunately I cannot simply take the offense and leave it at that. It's always been about defense for me and sadly there isn't much here.

Speed- The lack of speed by some of the defenders is quite baffling. Linebackers with 85 speed who cannot catch a TE with 72 speed? especially when the TE catches the ball he's only around 2 yards in front of said player? I don't get it. The linebackers act like they are struggling to move. I can play linebacker in here a little bit though. I have had times where I've shed a block and actually made the tackle in the same play on inside runs. It needs more work though. On outside runs, I can be complete unblocked and the RB always will bet me to the Corner. What happened to pursuit angles actually meaning something?

Blitzing - I understand; you want to try to get rid of nano blitzing. Well ok. But what are you going to replace it with? Guys are running all up against each other and going nowhere on blitzes, and when guys do get through, they either turn back into an offensive lineman or the Olineman will actually cheat and slide backwards and catch him so that he cannot run through clean. Needs a lot of work.

Coverage - It's good that in man coverage if your back is turned you cannot see. Ok, that's a good fix. However, we still have problems and they are big. I'm specifically referring to positioning in both man and zone coverage. I harped on this with 2k8. CB and DB play is all about positioning, hip riding. This is, in my view, one of the reasons in most games you have ridiculous user catch offense. I must qualify this here. I'm not saying there should be no room in a video game for such to take place. But this is where ratings should come into play. I see no reason to have CB's in 2009 rated along a scale.

Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone - Big issue in video football games. Stop turning your back and running out in front of the WR. Stop it please. If we are playing said zones and giving up the inside, backpedal and if the WR shows vertical threat, get on the outside hip and run with the man. If we are going to play our zone inside, get on the inside hip and run with the man, but please stop with the out in front, I can't see you, technique, Rocket Catch that every single time. If the outside WR's do not show vertical, stay in the backpedal and look for the Corner route by the next numbered WR from the inside.

Ratings - Why are guys on defense rated? Every defense ends up playing the same. The carbon copy feel of yesteryear is in full effect. I think a good example will showcase what I'm getting at here. On offense I know the exact meaning and significance of a WR rated 92 overall. His meaning and significance is not only known by me, but in head to head games it is also known by the other player. He' knows that this guy is going to be a problem against any DB especially if I know how to rocket. On the flip side however, the meaning and significance of a 92 overall CB is straight arbitrary, whether he is up against a 92 rated WR or a 68 rated WR, his meaning and significance is arbitrary, he's going to always get out of position against the rocket; he's not going to blanket the lower rated WR's very well.

Dline - I'm not going to rehearse it.

I could go on, but these are the biggest issues with this game to me (there are other issues to be sure, backwards sliders and even equipment creation in the create a player) and the fact that I don't agree with the generalization of the game's premise for this year. Big question, LB, do you like the game? I'll use an structural category to answer that question. When understood in terms of a whole and its parts, I like some parts of the game alot. But in no way do I think some of its parts come together with the other parts to create a commensurate whole/ or complete on the field College Football experience. I think about the only thing that keeps me playing until I just accept defeat is, not too many guys have a great defense and so, it's the search to find something that most guys do not have LOL. But this search will most likely end in vain