NCAA Better than Madden?

[bigjake62505]

I have always enjoyed the college game more than the pro game. I have played madden and D AI seems much better, but Everything else, in my opinion, NCAA is just as good. The biggest thing is the atmosphere. The stadiums do not seem to rock as much in madden. In NCAA the game feels much bigger. Madden has some good features but the pagentry of college football seems much better. I like the 3-4 year cycle of players and the recruiting during the season. The massive amount of teams and the rivalries in NCAA seem better to me. I figure after a couple more months I will pick up madden and not be able to put it down but I am not there yet.

[DrUrsus]

I prefer to play college football really, but I am done with this game until patch 2 comes out. Madden 09 is a very very solid football game in my opinion (I rarely play online, so I can't comment on that). I am having a lot of fun with it. It is what I wish and hope NCAA will be after the second patch (adjusted for the college game of course).

In my current limited game time situation, I am happy playing Madden 09, MLB 08 The Show, and occasional Metal Gear Solid 4 right now. I have to say however, that I can't wait until the patch comes out. I like NCAA 09 a lot and for me, just having working CPU sliders will make it fun for me, flaws (OL/DL interaction) and all.

[LAKE4742]

O.K., so , clearly more seem to prefer Madden.....but it baffles me. I've only played the NCAA demo. But, from what I've seen on the demo, if the full game is pretty much the same, then I think there's some things people might not be payin' close attention to.

1.Madden gameplay is solid, but has anyone noticed that when you go from regular runnin' to Sprint, there's a jerky movement, which kinda slows you down? But in NCAA, the transition to Sprint is really smooth.

2. I notice in the NCAA demo that players really jump high to go get the ball, instead of barely leavin' the ground and reachin' really high for the ball, like in Madden.
I also notice in the NCAA demo that players really seem smart, as in catchin' loose or batted balls, even more than in Madden-which could be seen as a good or bad thing, I guess. But it seems like there's more effort in NCAA, no? The players dive all over the place-in all directions. They seem to make some sick catches, no? And it seems like the player show alot more emotion. And the atmosphere seems much more alive than in Madden.

3. Madden 09 graphics are probaly more detailed and sharp, but the colors are way off. I'm not diggin' the unis. Aren't the unis in NCAA at least more accurate? The LSU and Ohio State jerseys in the demo look pretty good, to me-just not as sharp and detailed.

4. Both games have their share of bugs and glitches. Who's are worst? Do players run out of bounds with daylight ahead as well in NCAA 09?

5. A couple of features in NCAA that I really thought would easily be in Madden are not. The Quarterback Quiz-which happens after an interception, and the player feedback to the team to "get open" or "tackle better", etc, IMO are great features that I was lookin' forward to in Madden. And the customizable stadium music is icing on the cake.

So, after these observations, the race seems close, to me. But since I don't have the full retail version of NCAA 09, I'm hopin' you guys can give me some honest feedback and opinions on my thoughts of the demo. Am I right in my observations? Do the players really jump for the ball, show more effort and emotion than what they do in Madden. After the patch, will the gameplay be very similar, if not better in NCAA 09? Any help with comparisons and informative feedback is greatly appreciated!

[DikkHead88]

NCAA is better and thats my opinion, i think im trading my madden in when hoops games start coming out

[Darkeus]

Both of the games have bugs that are really unacceptable. I really don't think Madden is that far ahead of NCAA. I have seen some of the same bugs in Madden 09 that are in NCAA 09. DL/OL interaction isn't that much better. I still found it easy to go across the middle in Madden 09. Robo-QB is still very much alive in Madden as well. You think the NCAA completion % is bad. Man, I had Big Ben Rothlisburger 100 % after the first half! The Browns aren't that bad..(Well, I don't know )

Plus, and this is from a guy who plays NCAA for Dynasty mode, I could not enjoy a Madden with a flawed Franchise mode. The bugs in that are really game breaking to me. At least that works well in NCAA.

Which one is better? I have said it before around these boards, might as well play NCAA 09. Just gonna be waiting for a patch for Madden anyway. Madden isn't horrible, just not that much better IMO.

[stoncold32]

Quote: Originally Posted by LAKE4742

O.K., so , clearly more seem to prefer Madden.....but it baffles me. I've only played the NCAA demo. But, from what I've seen on the demo, if the full game is pretty much the same, then I think there's some things people might not be payin' close attention to. :

Not to discount your lengthy post, but if you're judging NCAA based on the demo, you're gonna be kind of disappointed. Alot of people think the demo was better than the retail version and didnt have all issues.

[LAKE4742]

Thanks for the input, guys. But, tell me this, please: Does NCAA have more change of atmosphere, when it come to BCS title games, compared to the the lack of change in Madden?

[spymoose]

There is NO atmosphere in Madden, which bothers some people. Every play, down, game, etc. feels the same as the stadium doesn't get loud like it does in NCAA and the game itself remains bland and emotionless. Discounting all other factors, if you're looking for atmosphere it's not even a comparison - NCAA wins.