Why is NCAA better than Madden?

[Senator Palmer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Carolus Rex

How is the pass rush in NCAA? That is the main/only problem that bothers me in Madden. I can get pressure on the QB but he allways gets the passa away in the last second. There seems to be no reason to blitz in Madden since that will leave a hole in the defence and the QB will still allways get a pass off. Is it possible to get a sack in NCAA?

I feel you on this. That's always been my gripe with EA games this gen. While the pass rush isn't what it was out of the box for NCAA, I still think it is better than Madden. It is more consistent and if I have an impact player on the line, he can take over the game. For instance, I'm leading the nation in sacks with Jake Bequette in my Arkansas dynasty. In my FSU dynasty, I am in the top three for team sacks in the nation, but they are more distributed because I don't have an impact player. All in all, it's not perfect, but it's more consistent that Madden.

Run blocking -- I think it is better than Madden. When I DT breaks through the line, it looks more real. He has to squeeze, swim and shed. In Madden, there are times when the CPU just says you aren't going to run the ball and the DT will shed in an unrealistic flash.

Passing -- I actually think the passing is better in Madden. There is a touch of unrealism in the way that you can't throw the ball over linebacker's heads without them jumping to bat the ball. In Madden, you can place the ball a little better. It is more route based. I can throw guys open. I can throw hooks, and out routes. The drawback is the drops.

Momentum -- I actually like the momentum better in Madden and way it's weighted. It lends itself to more real looking plays, BUT it isn't balanced. The offense can still shift and change direction, leaving your defender planted in cement. In NCAA it is more balanced. I can counter the sudden cuts with my defender and make the play.

Defense -- There is more gap integrity in NCAA. When I play as an MLB and take on a dive, I stuff the FB, spilling the play back inside to my weakside LB who fills the hole perfectly with a solo tackle. In Madden, I take in the FB and spill the HB back inside and there are times with the WILL LB will stand there and get run past, or he will step up, try for a high tackle and get shrugged off. In NCAA I can actually rely on my CPU defenders to make plays. Solo tackles are reliable. In Madden, I just have this feeling that if I don't make the play then it's a toss up as to whether my guys will get the runner down.

There is more control on defense. I can tell my defense to play looser or tighter zones, pin their ears back and rush (jump the snap) or lay back, go for a strip or safe tackle. Madden could definitely benefit from this, because a lot of what happens seems random, or worse, pre-determined.

When it comes down to it, from a gameplay perspective, NCAA is a better and more balanced game. Madden, ironically, is more geared towards offense this year.

[demondecs21]

Senator palmer as far as pass rushing its almost non existent agreed, the only way i can get any pressure on the QB is to bring the house or several LB's with speed other then that nothing doing.

I wish EA would bring back the D-line pre snap option where you could have hit A(on Xbox) and got a jump on the O-line, i cant even remeber how long ago or what year it was but i would like to see it agian, it worked to prefection if you could time the snap right.

[RayAllen20]

-More variety of playbooks....I love playing with Texas Tech one game, throwing 50 times, then playing with Auburn, running with Cam Newton, and using the great no huddle feature.

-Presentation....ESPN and the pre-game stuff is better than Madden in my opinion. Plus the atmosphere is good

-Kickoffs. In NCAA, I get realistic results from kick offs. I rarely get a TD, and mostly get out to the 20,25, or 30.

-Defense. It is definitely there in this game, even without sliders. I've been held to 21,while using the high flying Oregon Ducks, by the Auburn Tigers. While there are shootouts (I can put up 45 with Texas Tech almost every time), there are also the grinding wins and losses (I can never score 20 or more against OSU).

-Tackling. The tackling looks realistic, as there are tons of gang tackles that transition fantastically. Also, with sliders tackles are made, when they should be made.

-Variety in every game. I know I already mentioned playbooks, but with the atmosphere, different uniforms/teams/players, it really is awesome. The CPU does have trouble running some offenses (spread), but if you do what I do which is always control offense for that team since I play tons of games and don't control 1 team, you'll really feel the difference of every game.

This game is better, and its a blast if you like College Football.

[Isura]

Basically everything has been mentioned. To me it's simple, NCAA is more fun and immersive. And I've a bigger fan of NFL than college FB too

[Segagendude]

-Player lock. Awesome on defense!!

-Progressive lighting. Game looks beautiful as the sun goes down.

-Uniform degradation. After the patch, it's a thing of beauty. Admittedly, it was broken upon release, but fixed quickly.

-Gameplay. Specifically, to answer a poster above, you CAN get sacks. The QB doesn't always get a pass off just as you're about to lay the wood to him.

-Run blocking. Screen passes, when executed right, are downright awesome. Watch the downfield blocks by the WR's, and you'll see what I mean.

Presentation----Sure, I'd love the crowd to be louder, but it's not bad..I love the "home field advantage" with the squiggly lines. And the bands alone bring more life than Madden.

This was my first time getting NCAA over Madden, and I have no regrets at all, even though I'm more of an NFL fan. Until Madden absolutely blows me away with gameplay and presentation, I may just stick w/NCAA from here on out.

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by z Revis

This post covers it all. When it comes down to it, for me, there are 3 main things that separate NCAA from Madden. 1. The variety. In Madden, every game feels the same. Sure you can have shootouts, blowouts, close/classic games, but that's not what I mean. I'm talking about the different stadiums, atmospheres, fight songs, the amount of teams, amount of plays, different styles of play for each team(every team in Madden runs a pro style offense. In NCAA, you have multiple styles of play), etc. There's just so much more variety and it never gets stale. 2. Recruiting. Sometimes recruiting can be a pain, but it's far better and more accomplishing than drafting a player. You fight all season to land these top recruits, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. When you win, you really feel like it's "your" player. It's not as easy as just pressing a button and drafting a player. Plus the fact that your teams change every year(and every 4 years you have an entirely new team). In Madden, players play for 10+ seasons and you can have pretty much the same team year after year after year. This could also go in the variety category. 3. The College season itself. 1 loss can ruin your dreams. Every game matters. You could go 9-7 or 10-6 in Madden and still be able to win it all. In real life, I like the Playoff system better, but in a video game I prefer the BCS system because it's more challenging. Also, I like the polls/BCS standings. By the way, I'm a much bigger fan of the NFL than CFB.

I agree with all of your reasons but the last one really makes a big difference. Lose a game in Madden (or the NFL) and it's really not that big a deal. Lose a game in NCAA and it can ruin your title shot along with hurting your recruiting.

[Playmakers]

Classic teams and players ENOUGH SAID!

[sportyguyfl31]

The game is just a more fun gameplay experience.

Online Dynasty is so much fun.

I also like how if I have recruited a nasty defensive line..they play like it.

In Madden, you can be in a Online Franchise and a guy like Julius Peppers finishes the season with 3 sacks.

Criminal