05-14-2004, 03:47 PM
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#8
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Pac12fan
OVR: 12
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Molalla, OR
Posts: 2,179
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Re: Finally IGN Hands - On Impressions
Quote:
May 14, 2004 - The quarterback walks up to the line of scrimmage. He sees my blitz coming and starts to audible. Before he can shout a syllable, I start pounding on the trigger to get my crowd hyped. The guy playing next to me doesn't quite understand what's going on as his receivers throw their arms into the air. They can't hear the play being changed. I try to explain it to the poor bastard who stepped up and interrupted my single-player game, but he doesn't want to hear it. He thinks he's the man at the game, saw my nametag, and is trying to prove a point.
I actually pause the game. "Hey man, they have this new home field advantage feature where if the crowd is going crazy, your players can't hear if you try to audible."
"I know how to play the game," dude snaps back.
I hit start again and look at the screen with a grin. Poor sucker didn't know what was about to hit him.
His receiver runs an out…too bad he audibled to an in. My safety picks the pass and I run it back for a touch.
"Lucky," he says.
Lucky!?! Ha. This is getting funny, and I'm about to get merciless.
Besides home field advantage, NCAA also features more tipped passes than in any football game in recent years, setting up scrambles for the ball as the float back to the turf, and setting up receivers to get blasted with a variety of the new hard hit animations.
Next play, he tries a run to the right. I slide my linebacker up through the gap and he punks the runner with a shoulder hit from the side that made it look like the ball carrier got shot with a cannon. One play later, the crowd was amped again, and he throws another bomb over the middle. My corner reaches up, tips the pass and my safety dives over and grabs the ball.
Silence from my opponent. Cheers from my fans in the stadium. That's the audio I was hoping for.
I utilize the matchup stick before my next snap, showing the players on the field, who is rattled, and who is the better player at each spot on the field. My slot receiver is looking strong, especially against the nickel back he has out there who is already shaking in his cleats.
Motion out of the backfield, hike the ball, then toss a lob over the middle. His safety blitzed, corner jumped for the pick, but the ball had just enough touch for another score.
Fool I was playing actually put the controller down and walked away without saying another word.
That's what home field advantage is all about.
Send your opponent packing.
Nah-nah-nah-nah…
Notes: NCAA will feature 70 man rosters, not 75 as was quoted earlier. And even though it has been reported elsewhere that Madden is going to be the first game on Xbox Live, that is incorrect. NCAA Football 2005 will actually be EA's debut on the service. The gameplay is feeling tight, improving on a series that's already a classic. Just when you think they can't think of anything else, in comes home field advantage, a perfect addition to the college experience, and something that actually affects gameplay. This is no gimmick. Rattled receivers will drop passes, players will false start because of the noise. The screens shakes, players get confused, and you get a quick feel of whether someone on your team has the heart of a champion.
-- Jon Robinson
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