[simgamer0005]

Quote: Originally Posted by Wednesday

I tried those sliders last night, here are some impressions. First thing I noticed is how nice the menus are. No lag at all, easy to get around. This should not be underrated, given how bad menus are on some new games. Game modes/features actually not bad. There are no spring drills, no classic or 1-A teams, etc. But there is Dynasty and Season mode, and you can create players and schools. In-game graphics are definitely showing their age, but enjoyable in a retro sort of way. The players actually look pretty good, but stadiums, crowds, etc are lacking.

Player models are very good. Crowds are quite good, the stadiums themselves are a little smaller, I think they made the stadiums larger in NCAA 2005. But the actually crowds look really good. The sidelines aren't as detailed, like there are more photographers and stuff in NCAA 2005, but the referees, chain gang, coaches, and bench players look great.

The player models have wider torsos and more pronounced shoulders in NCAA 2003 than in NCAA 2005. But the detail of the uniforms and stuff look fantastic. I also like the "blue" player icon under the player you are controlling.

Quote: Originally Posted by Wednesday

I really enjoyed the gameplay. The players are very responsive, you don't feel like you're fighting to gain control like you often do in current games. The cpu called a smart game (smart enough, anyway) and put up a good fight. I played Oregon vs. Nebraska and was tied at the half before I had to quit the game. The biggest problem with the game which would keep me from playing more often is the playbooks. Just too limited compared to the games even just a couple years later. Are you sure those sliders are right, as far as WR Catch? Seems low at 5. Receivers were dropping easy catches. Do you get realistic passing stats with these?

Yeah I know what you mean about player responsiveness, especially when running with the ball like on kickoffs or punts. (you noticed that?) How you can quickly change directions and break ankles and stuff. You can't do anything like that in NCAA 2005 (except somewhat on Varsity, but not on AA) and that's the biggest problem I have with NCAA 2005. The best thing about those sliders is just the fact that you get a challenging fair game. It's not too easy to beat the CPU or too hard. It's the one game where player ratings really, really matter, like you'll see the difference between a 75 and an 85 rated player whereas in other games you won't as much. Also realistic fumbles too and random unique stuff that happens every game. Like every time I play NCAA 2003 I see something I haven't seen before.

I agree about the play books, it's the biggest drawback because they were expanded so much in NCAA 2005 and again in NCAA 08 (last-gen). But as I pointed out, there are some plays that aren't in any of those later games. (like the extra 3 plays in goal-line defense formation) I do miss the 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 from NCAA 2005, but to be honest I'm pretty happy with the play books overall. You just gotta find a playbook that works for you. It's a little limited, but there are over 100 different play books to choose from and I haven't even gone through every one yet. An even bigger limitation to me is the limited hot routes compared to games like NCAA 2005. I do miss being able to hot-route to a slant pattern like you can in NCAA 2005, or even flipping a run to the opposite side without flipping the whole formation. You might want to set a few different audibles up in the same formation in audibles so you can essentially audible to slant routes and option left or right in the same formation.

It is very limited when compared to the later games, but that's the biggest drawback. The gameplay itself is fantastic, especially with these sliders. You kinda learn to deal with the smaller play books, and realize that you could run the same play 3 times in a row and each time the play will look different. Another thing about this game is that controlling an individual defender is a little harder than NCAA 2005, but your CPU teammates execute plays and coverages very well. Like there's more room to run on offense and it takes more skill to actually tackle the ball carrier. You can really hit holes when running in this game on these sliders, that's why I like it. Also I think the way you can swat passes looks more realistic in NCAA 2003 than any other game. It's not as easy to actually swat the ball (like you can in NCAA 2005) but when you actually do make a swat, it looks perfect in terms of collision and if a receiver will hang on to it. (more sim)

Yes the sliders are right. I have seen a lot of dropped catches, especially from the CPU. But it's random, and a lot of times it goes in waves, like one series receivers will just drop passes randomly, even good receivers, then the next series they'll be catching everything. I think it has more to do with the QB accuracy than the WR's catching. It's a very realistic game, like if that ball doesn't hit him in the hands he's not going to suction catch it like in later games......the one exception to that is for one-handed catches, which is pretty much the most hilarious thing about this game : the occasionally ridiculous physically impossible one-handed catches.

The game has its share of quirks, but I'm playing as opposed to NCAA 2005 at the moment, and I love the bells and whistles of NCAA 2005. The running game is just so good, you get over the limitations of the playbook. I do wish we could have NCAA 2005 play books with the running mechanics of NCAA 2003.