Looking for opinions on NCAA 06...

[Flyermania]

Hello all!

I have been looking into picking up NCAA 06 (Xbox), but was hoping I could get some opinions/feedback from you guys (I have never played the NCAA series).

I downloaded the clips/trailers from gametrailers.com (which looked good), and most of the reviews I've read are pretty favorable. My main concern is that I really don't care for the style of gameplay that Madden provides (I prefer 2k5), so if NCAA is a lot like Madden I'm not so sure that I'd like it.

Is NCAA similar to Madden, or does it have it's own feel? Would you say 06 is the best in the series?

Any comments on the game would be greatly appreciated....thanks!

[cch99]

Personally I think that if you don't like the Madden style of gameplay you are not goign to like NCAA.

It definitely has it's differences but the look and "feel" of the 2 games are very similar.

That's jsut my opnion. I like NCAA more than Madden because of some of the little gameplay differences but it is not a totally different style of game.

I am more of an EA style of game fan and I enjoy both but if you don't like Madden there's a good chance you won't like this.

[rudyjuly2]

This was the first year I bought NCAA and I love it. I'm a huge NFL guy and haven't gotten Madden this year. Can't remember the last time I haven't gotten an NFL video game.

I was exlusive Madden until I switched to 2K4 (didn't like 2K or 2K1). Thought both 2005 titles were mediocre. 2K5 had too many issues and the CPU QBs were a game killer for me. Madden's biggest weaknesses for me were the awful presentation, poor player interaction and terrible defensive line play. When I say terrible defensive line play, I mean the strong fat DTs get all the sacks, the pass rushers are not that good and the sim stats even sucked.

Well in NCAA 2006, all of the big weaknesses in Madden are much improved. The presentation is great. The 3 man booth is really good and I swear I still hear stuff I didn't remember hearing once in awhile. The crowds and fights songs are great too and I know little about college football although this game has me watching more of it than normal.

Player interaction still has suction blocking but the defensive line moves are mapped to the right joystick. Its made playing as a defensive lineman so much better than Madden (2005 anyway). Its not up to the level of the 2K series but its much better than Madden 2005.

Other features this game has that are not in Madden has are impact players (I like), fight for extra yardage feature, and different styles of gameplay. The playbooks are limited but facing a scrambling QB is a lot of fun, extremely well done in this game and rare in pro football. Using a scrambling QB and running the option is a blast too. Recruiting during the season is a great feature and adds something other than just playing. The fact your roster is turning over constantly is something I don't particularly like in the college game but love as a video game.

Lastly, the BCS makes this game nerve wracking. The entire season is like a playoff in that you don't want to lose a single game. On this generation of games, I loved 2K4 but NCAA 2006 may be one of the greatest football games of all time. Once you get used to the game, major slider tweaks do become a pain and the deep ball is too easy (valid complaints) but this game is a blast. It can be simple but its so much fun. I've played around 100 games and still can't wait to play more (wife and kid don't though). I could never say that about any of the Madden games this gen. Only 2K4 comes close. Do yourself a favour and at least rent it.

[Pared]

I know many on this site alone claim they hate Madden but enjoyed NCAA. While the games are similar, the minor differences really lend a hand to recreating the college football atmosphere, with games that are typically shootouts. You CAN, however, have defensive games, although they are not as common.

The previous post covered a few things. I've been a Madden (CURRENT GEN!) fan as well as 2k5, which I favored. I really love NCAA. I just wish I could play it on my XBox 360.

[ehh]

I'm definately partial to NCAA over Madden, but the short passing game in NCAA is pretty brutal, IMO.

And for the most part you can complete too many fly pattern bombs, but the game is pretty fun.

[jraider32]

NCAA football is the only EA sports game I play. If this game was BC I would still be playing it on my 360. After some tweaking and finding the right sliders for you, this game is great. You just cant beat college football.

[cbird]

if your looking for truly arcade expierence with excellent graphics and animations go with 2006.

the good
-great graphics and stadiums
-great animations
-home field crowd
-great atmosphere

the bad
-terrible simmed stats....
-too many dropped passes on medium/short routes..
-cpu playcalling woeful---not enough running--extremely questionable late game decisions by AI.
-fly patterns for the most part unstopable. not 100%, but damn close to money plays. DB's are worthless in single coverage on deep ball. no difficulty,rating,or slider can fix it.

-

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by cbird

if your looking for truly arcade expierence with excellent graphics and animations go with 2006. -

Yes, that's absolutely right. In terms of ARCADE football, Blitz doesn't have anything on NCAA '06.