What NCAA game best captures the triple option and all it's intricacies?

[hrudey32]

I always heard the bad pursuit angles on 08 PS2 ruined the game. Don't have it, though. But I know Playbook Gamer tested it.

I don't really like the NFL much. Honestly, what I love about college football is pretty few and far between. I just love the triple option. It is so much more fascinating to me than the constant passing. But it also brings me back to Nebraska and Clemson and players like Homer Rice. So maybe that is part of it. I love the Triple Option. I wish Ga. Tech still ran it. Miss Paul Johnson.

Actually, the pitching and QB keepers in PS2 era feel amazing. The B back dive not as much so in my limited experience.

Quote: Originally Posted by PGaither84

It is funny that you list all of those games except 08. With how popular Madden 08 on the PS2/Xbox classic/PC is, NCAA 08 is the perfect companion. I have been working on a slider set and naming players in 08. Yes, NCAA 14 is the king, and it is great to import rosters into Madden 25. However, keep enjoying PS2 era NCAA. I like it better than the madden games. EA's football engine feels like a better fit for the college game than the professional game, and I feel the NCAA team always had more passion for their games. They put way more effort into implementing and improving features, as well as pioneering things which would take years to import into Madden.

[hrudey32]

So, I was off work today and spent the better part of the day playing 14 on 360 as well as 09 & 11 on PS2, both with as current rosters as possible. Army in 14 (21/22 rosters), Navy in 09 (2017/2018 rosters) and 11 (2018/2019 rosters) as Georgia Tech. I also love 06 but since I run flexbone I like the pre-snap motion offered in 09/11.

14 is very good. It really is. I get it. Prob the last great EA football game. And the actual "reading" of the triple option is prob best in 14. As is the Dive and B back running....maybe. With that being said, though, I like the actual pitching and QB/A back running better in the PS2 games. It just feels right. I also like how the QB does the 1 to 2 step drop then starts his option movement down the line waiting to cut upfield or make the pitch as well as the triple option pass movement (2 steps, move down line then tap x to drop back) which is much more realistic than in 14. At least it seems it is to me. In replay mode, it actually looks like the QB is running the triple option. 14 doesn't look really right to me, esp the triple option pass plays.

But there are a ton of great things about 14 so I get why people love it too.

I'm not sure how they pulled it off but, to me, there is just something special about NCAA games on PS2. The attention to detail. Actually getting correct and numerous penalty calls (something which I hardly ever get in 14 despite having the penalty sliders jacked up.) PS2's NCAA's presentation is simply unmatched. Not having Corso in the later games really makes it stale. In the PS2 games, I've lowered the RB ability and tackling way down to slow the game down a touch which I think helps as well. And I don't use the sprint button unless in the clear so that blocking matters.

I really like 14. I do. And am planning on playing it a lot. But as it stands right now, the PS2 era NCAA games just feel more like College Football. They are so good...dare I say 2K5/2K8 good. I spend so much time in replay mode watching great things happen. And heck, 06's AI is the best but the playbook is limited and no pre-snap motion for flexbone. So I tend to play 09 or 11.

Enjoying my time with all these new (though old to most) NCAA games!

Hoping to hear others chime in on more 14 triple option thoughts as well as anyone who loves the PS2 era triple option mechanics.

[OBinKC]

Quote: Originally Posted by hrudey32

I'm not sure how they pulled it off but, to me, there is just something special about NCAA games on PS2. The attention to detail. Actually getting correct and numerous penalty calls (something which I hardly ever get in 14 despite having the penalty sliders jacked up.) PS2's NCAA's presentation is simply unmatched. Not having Corso in the later games really makes it stale. In the PS2 games, I've lowered the RB ability and tackling way down to slow the game down a touch which I think helps as well. And I don't use the sprint button unless in the clear so that blocking matters.

I truly think it’s because developers had to get the game right on day 1 of launch and didn’t have the luxury of patching errors later on. This is why I’m afraid we’ll never see games as good as the ones in the PS2/XBox era, and I’m not really excited about the next version of NCAA at all. With how we’ve seen EA operate in the last several years (don’t even get me started on their micro transaction business), I just have no faith in their quality control.

But man, you’ve actually got me thinking of running some Triple on PS2 now (I’m currently playing ‘11 on PS2, lol) and figuring out its intricacies on that version!

[volwalker]

Quote: Originally Posted by OBinKC

I truly think it’s because developers had to get the game right on day 1 of launch and didn’t have the luxury of patching errors later on. This is why I’m afraid we’ll never see games as good as the ones in the PS2/XBox era, and I’m not really excited about the next version of NCAA at all. With how we’ve seen EA operate in the last several years (don’t even get me started on their micro transaction business), I just have no faith in their quality control. But man, you’ve actually got me thinking of running some Triple on PS2 now (I’m currently playing ‘11 on PS2, lol) and figuring out its intricacies on that version!

I would love to get into 11 for the ps2 since it was the last and has the most playbook variety, but that game has way too many issues for me to enjoy it.

[OBinKC]

Quote: Originally Posted by volwalker

I would love to get into 11 for the ps2 since it was the last and has the most playbook variety, but that game has way too many issues for me to enjoy it.

I totally hear you on that! From JTS to the lopsided recruit classes to probation hitting teams like the plague, there’s no shortage of reasons why NCAA 11 for the PS2 is considered unplayable by many people. The thing is, I really really really wish 06 had 1) updated playbooks and 2) zone defense that makes hi/lo route concepts more realistic.

I’ve got the sliders playing as close to 06 as I possibly can, and I’m actually enjoying the games right now. I’m sure I’ll have to go back to 06 eventually as we all seem to do.

[hrudey32]

11 does have some issues. I had too many fumbles in my Georgia Tech?Georgia exhibition game. But in the first game of my Ga. Tech season I only had a couple. But heck, ever watch the Ga. Tech Clemson game from 2018. The Yellowjackets were fumbling everywhere!!

Playbook Gamer is the expert on all these games and I agree that overall 06 is the most solid. But there a few things that it is missing that keeps me playing the others. More expanded playbooks, better kicking, pre-snap motion for flexbone. But 06 does have best AI.

Let me know how your 11 triple option gaming goes, my friend!

[volwalker]

Quote: Originally Posted by OBinKC

I totally hear you on that! From JTS to the lopsided recruit classes to probation hitting teams like the plague, there’s no shortage of reasons why NCAA 11 for the PS2 is considered unplayable by many people. The thing is, I really really really wish 06 had 1) updated playbooks and 2) zone defense that makes hi/lo route concepts more realistic. I’ve got the sliders playing as close to 06 as I possibly can, and I’m actually enjoying the games right now. I’m sure I’ll have to go back to 06 eventually as we all seem to do.

Right, the dynasty issues are the biggies for me. I don't know how to enjoy 11 without playing dynasty though.

[hrudey32]

Also, I picked up NCAA 09 All Play on the Wii to play on my Wii U for the heck of it. I basically bought it for my collection. To my surprise, you can turn most of the goofy stuff off and more importantly it seems to be, at first glance, basically the PS2 game engine! That's great! The motion controls feel great but I'm just not big into motion controls. Was excited though that it feels pretty much identical to the PS2 era.