On the Fence About NCAA Football 09

[GaryT531]

Everyone loves Tecmo Super Bowl because we were all kids when we played it. As kids, all we cared about was having fun with the game. We knew we would, and so we did. We weren't looking for bugs or glitches or whatever, but there were a ton of them, and we didn't care. If somehow we can get back into that mindset when playing a game, then we will enjoy these games more, like the way we did as kids.

Eventually this roster thing will be fixed. Sooner or later someone other than PastaPadre will have rosters up in the EA Locker that work. So if you love college football then just go out and get the game because somewhere out there is Fairdale Kings sitting in a dark room with the determination to be the first guy to get us working rosters, and he probably will.

[Playmaker24]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tywon

That's the best advice I've read on these boards in weeks.

Agreed.

[GatorFan1963]

Quote: Originally Posted by GaryT531

Everyone loves Tecmo Super Bowl because we were all kids when we played it. As kids, all we cared about was having fun with the game. We knew we would, and so we did. We weren't looking for bugs or glitches or whatever, but there were a ton of them, and we didn't care. If somehow we can get back into that mindset when playing a game, then we will enjoy these games more, like the way we did as kids.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't agree 100%. Yes, Super Tecmo was fun because we were kids, but it was fun because it was pound-for-pound a great football game. PERIOD. I don't know about you, but from where I come from people love their Madden and NCAA. But, pop in Tecmo, and you will have all out wars. I remember when I was in late high school (about 11 years ago) and somebody actually brought their old NES to school with Super Tecmo...we literally had like a 2 month tournament. Complete with conferences and all...ending in an 8 man tourney. I have never seen the likes of that (in terms of passion and trash talk) in any Madden or NCAA game.

And to be perfectly honest, if Microsoft got that game for Live and was able to update the rosters somehow and allow online play...I'd play it like there was no tomorrow.

[theaub]

Quote: Originally Posted by GatorFan1963

I understand what you are saying, but I don't agree 100%. Yes, Super Tecmo was fun because we were kids, but it was fun because it was pound-for-pound a great football game. PERIOD. I don't know about you, but from where I come from people love their Madden and NCAA. But, pop in Tecmo, and you will have all out wars. I remember when I was in late high school (about 11 years ago) and somebody actually brought their old NES to school with Super Tecmo...we literally had like a 2 month tournament. Complete with conferences and all...ending in an 8 man tourney. I have never seen the likes of that (in terms of passion and trash talk) in any Madden or NCAA game. And to be perfectly honest, if Microsoft got that game for Live and was able to update the rosters somehow and allow online play...I'd play it like there was no tomorrow.

This is so true. A couple months ago I was at my friend's house and we were incredibly bored. Somehow the SNES got busted out and we started playing Super Bases Loaded. Now, SBL is truly an awful game. Every flyball is basically a homer, the positioning of the players is incorrect, and there are some truly bad ball physics, but IMO it was more fun than playing MLB '08. Now 5-6 of us get together every so often and play a double elim tournament, and its amazing.

And I think that's the key issue. When you play NCAA '09 or MLB '08, you expect a perfect experience. I remember when MLB came out, if someone played three games where the scores were 9-8, 11-7 and 7-5, they'd be all "This game is too offensive!" and then someone would play the same series with 3-0, 2-1 and 4-0 scores and complain about the lack of offense. A lot of people expect every game to be 5-4, just like a lot of people playing Madden expect every game to be 21-17 with each team throwing for 225 yards and rushing for 125. Super Tecmo Bowl wasn't a good game per se. Bo Jackson ran for frickin 800 yards a game. The last time something even remotely close to that was seen in a video game (Mike Vick in Madden 2004), people were pissed.

At the moment, I have no idea if I will buy this game. The roster glitch seems like a killer (which is funny, because games like SBL or even the first Griffey game didn't even have real rosters), and five years ago when I bought my first NCAA game, I didn't care about that. Hell, until I came here I didn't even know what a slider was. I played about 200 games of NCAA '04 on the default setting and had a ton of fun. Now I play 5 innings of a baseball game and I'm adjusting strike percentage or pitcher aggresiveness if whoever on the mound is throwing 70% strikes. So yeah...I guess we all screwed ourselves over

[J.R. Locke]

Good read! Features that give users control add to the excitement and fun. I am still playing College Hoops because they have a play editor in the game and I can edit every single player in franchise. Plus detailed sliders can change the game drastically. If I get bored I will randomly switch the sliders to add difficulty. So nice.

EA games discourage user control of settings, editing and shaping the game for the individual player. There games still feel the same way they have felt for years. When I played the NCAA demo I had no learning curve whatsoever. They have added no sliders that I know of. And editing playbooks is off limits. Now a problem with editing players....stale to me. Hope everyone else enjoys the game though. I just wish I could.

im on the fence between PS2/PS3 right now.....ps2 madden was real fun last year, and i actually think PS3 MADDEN this year is gonna be really good, but i play up to 15 years in madden and ncaa and it really bothers me thinking that the bugs in this year game will only end up creating new ones.....I do believe that the roster bug will be fix but when will all the problems be patched and they could create new ones...i think we got MADDEN08NCAA right now with this game.......i hope im wrong but i dont think i am

I think the game will be real fun to play but i cant playwithout rosters

[zeroice]

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Are you on the fence about buying NCAA Football 09? If so, you are not alone. Our very own Carlos Hernandez is as well and you can check out his thoughts in his article, On the Fence About NCAA Football 09.

I always get it free anyway, i never pay for MADDEN OR ncaa, I ALWAYS HAVE SOME STUFF TO TRADE IN ON SELL VIDEO GAMES .COM................i SOLD MY Halo 3, Mass Effect and Guitar Hero with Guitar...Should be here tomorrow, might be in tonight but oh well, they shipped it two days ago.

[ramenite]

Ok, I'll open this up with noting the major TSB glitch. The nose tackle dive. A move that if done in a TSB tournament would get you banned.

But it was said earlier and it's the truth--sports games in general are just too bug ridden. You HAVE to read sites like this to actually get some real impressions about a game before you put down some money. Or else you get a game with some major bug that just makes the whole game almost worthless. Look at the top threads in ANY of the game boards. What are they? Bugs and glitches. Things not working as advertised. I fully expect NCAA 09 to have something goofy like all Big 10 schools only recruit QBs and DEs. They also never got things like Big 12 schools mixing up what teams they play in the North/South. And it's not like scheduling is something that's even hard to code. I actually DID a schedule generator for a project back in college for baseball. And it worked better than you would see in any baseball game today--my seasons didn't start with 14 away games.

Oh, how about THIS bug you STILL see in Madden. Who's ever seen a player catch a ball out of bounds, you go to challenge, and the only option that comes up is "challenge spot of the ball". Or what about the bug in all the current NHL games, where they can't even get how many points you get for a Win/Loss/OTL correct? I'd put money down that's not fixed for NHL 09 either. I'd put the same money down the horrible "reply" in Madden wasn't fixed either. Seems like that game intentionally screws up calls just so you have to use it--just hope it gives you the option to challenge what they blew.

So basically all sports games go on the "pass" list, until like a month after release to see if there aren't any major issues with the game. I'll let other people beta test it for me, and see if they ever come out with a patch. I have better things to spend $60 on than some some sports game with 5 new bullet point features, and the same 10 major bugs from last year not fixed.