I have a confession to make. It's been quite awhile since I've played a basketball game. I would say it's a safe bet that the last one I played was probably on the original Playstation. So, when I was given the opportunity to review a basketball game this year, I wanted to make sure that it was a college version, because I haven't really followed the NBA for several years. College basketball, on the other hand, is a different story. When I then found out that College Hoops 2K8 featured former Ohio State Center Greg Oden, that was pretty much a lock for me.
Gameplay
The gameplay in 2K's and Visual Concepts' version of NCAA Basketball is very good. The game does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of a college basketball game, where it's more about the crowd getting into it to give your side momentum, which plays a major part in how well a game will go for you. At the bottom of the screen where you'll find the score and time remaining in the game, there will be a momentum meter of sorts. It will gauge how well the game favors you at the moment. If you're at home, it obviously means that you'll get a boost from your crowd in helping you make those crucial shots, but it also means that your opponent will feel the effects of the crowd noise and get a little distracted when it comes to being clutch during this period of time. I liked this part of the game, because it always seems to hold up the more you watch a game of college basketball on television.
Another part that I enjoy is that the game seems to favor the player who will actually run plays instead of just hoping to bomb three pointers or get lucky on a cut to the lane. Crossovers and such are easy to pull off with the controller, but you will benefit from running plays simply because it opens up an offense more. Even if you don't know what a play is supposed to do, 2K8's interface helps you out with directions on running these plays by giving you arrows and icons on the floor to show you where you're supposed to go. Granted, this doesn't help you out if you're playing someone locally on multiplayer, but it's a great learning tool to have when playing against the CPU. For the first time, I was finding myself running basketball plays like I actually knew what they were supposed to do.
However, the gameplay isn't all positives. There are a few bothersome things that need to be included. First off, 2K8's "Lock-On" defense, as they call it, has it's upside and downside. While it's a great way to keep a player in check on defense, what doesn't make sense is how slower players can play defense against some of the smaller, quicker players. It takes a few crossovers to get past this, but even then you have to get lucky. You're supposed to be able to take advantage of matchups, not have a problem faking out a seven footer when you're slashing to the hoop.
The most bothersome thing I had to deal with was general player movements and reactions to plays. To give an example, I found that, at some points, it was near impossible to run a player who had the ball out of bounds. This also leads to one little issue with the crowd. Some arenas, the default camera angle will not allow you to see the nearest out of bounds line, so you can end up with some easy turnovers if you're not careful, although I did have some issues, as I previously mentioned, with simply going out of the court area. Then again, you have to be careful what you wish for, because players who do go out of bounds sometimes forget they're in the game and take their sweet time getting back into the court of play. On top of all of this, be prepared to blow wide open layups from time to time, no matter what your momentum meter is at. It's ridiculous that a seven foot center will not go straight up with the ball and dunk it, let alone miss a two foot layup with no one around him. I can understand missing three pointers, but missing layups, unless heavily contested, should be a no-brainer.
I'm on the fence with the right analog stick shooting. For free throws, I believe it's necessary to have something like that, although it seems way too much like I'm trying to hit a golf ball in a Tiger Woods game. However, I never found myself using the right analog stick during the game itself. I found it to be too cumbersome to go from hitting buttons to trying desperately to find the analog to time my shot perfectly.
For my two "nit-picks", I'll focus on some simple things that need to be pointed out. Referees in the game sometimes get in the way, and they also position themselves properly only some of the time. Not only that, I think it would be nice to see them actually make their visual calls instead of just sitting there. I never saw this, and I'm hoping that one of these days, I get this out of a basketball game. The second thing is more of a rule guideline for the developers of the game. Players are improperly placed on free throws. The NCAA made a rule change in the summer that moved them up one spot on the lane, which means that the low block is no longer occupied. However, the developers did not catch this and players are still on the old rules.
Features
2K8 has a lot of extra features that I like and a couple that need some touching up. First off, the creation ability that you have is fairly deep. You can create your own chants for your home fans to go through that has some decent depth, but I would like it to be expanded further. The play creation mode is actually very good, although it takes some time to get used to the controls. You'll find that you don't have complete control over the motion of players during your creation, and it's frustrating to know exactly what you want to do but unable to really make it happen. Player creation has the same depth that you'll find in other 2K games, such as All-Pro Football, however one thing that needs to change: the player models. The models seem outdated and, quite frankly, sometimes just don't look very realistic. I understand that the players used in the general game can't directly resemble the players on the court due to NCAA guidelines, but when you create a player, you want it to at least look good, and I really had a tough time doing this.
When it comes to game modes, you'll find the general quick play as usual. You'll also find Legacy Mode, which is the basketball version of your franchise or dynasty mode. Recruiting and scheduling is extremely deep and you'll easily get locked into what you can do outside of the game. Sometimes, I forgot that I was actually required to play the games besides recruiting players and preparation.
On top of Legacy Mode, you'll also get a tournament mode where you can set up the Big Dance just the way you want it. Feel like having a team like Kent State as the top seed in the tournament? Knock yourself out. The bottom line is that the combinations are absolutely endless when it comes to setting this tournament up.
Online mode is enjoyable with 2K8. The games I played online were fairly laid back as I managed to find some decent players who were looking for a good experience. Players were generally helpful, as most of the guys I played were seasoned in the game itself and, while they were probably looking for a quick win, they were quick to help out with some helpful hints and tips to improve my gameplay. Considering that I found the same helpful group when I reviewed APF 2K8, I'm thinking that it's no coincidence that the 2K fanbase is a very good one to play against with little issue of profanity and trash talking. It's very refreshing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, College Hoops 2K8 gets a nod of approval from me, but it doesn't come without some warnings. The gameplay itself is very good, but suffers from some flaws that will need correcting in upcoming versions. 2K does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of a college game, but some simple issues need to be fixed for this game to be National Championship worthy. College Hoops has plenty of online and offline features to keep you locked down for awhile, but sometimes those little flaws here and there will leave you frustrated.
Scores/Ratings
Presentation
The college atmosphere is fantastic, while the menu systems are easy to navigate through and not confuse you. The game suffers from some simple issues from time to time.
Score: 8/10
Gameplay
Runnings plays has gotten a lot easier and the crossover control is very good. However, players will blow easy shots from time to time. AI sometimes drops down as players can get lost in the game.
Score: 7.5/10
Features/Achievements
Everything from creating plays and chants to playing against hoops fans from around the country give you plenty to look forward to off the court. Achievements are somewhat easy to obtain, although a couple will really have you scratching your head.
Score: 8.4/10
Final Score: 7.9/10
Gameplay
The gameplay in 2K's and Visual Concepts' version of NCAA Basketball is very good. The game does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of a college basketball game, where it's more about the crowd getting into it to give your side momentum, which plays a major part in how well a game will go for you. At the bottom of the screen where you'll find the score and time remaining in the game, there will be a momentum meter of sorts. It will gauge how well the game favors you at the moment. If you're at home, it obviously means that you'll get a boost from your crowd in helping you make those crucial shots, but it also means that your opponent will feel the effects of the crowd noise and get a little distracted when it comes to being clutch during this period of time. I liked this part of the game, because it always seems to hold up the more you watch a game of college basketball on television.
Another part that I enjoy is that the game seems to favor the player who will actually run plays instead of just hoping to bomb three pointers or get lucky on a cut to the lane. Crossovers and such are easy to pull off with the controller, but you will benefit from running plays simply because it opens up an offense more. Even if you don't know what a play is supposed to do, 2K8's interface helps you out with directions on running these plays by giving you arrows and icons on the floor to show you where you're supposed to go. Granted, this doesn't help you out if you're playing someone locally on multiplayer, but it's a great learning tool to have when playing against the CPU. For the first time, I was finding myself running basketball plays like I actually knew what they were supposed to do.
However, the gameplay isn't all positives. There are a few bothersome things that need to be included. First off, 2K8's "Lock-On" defense, as they call it, has it's upside and downside. While it's a great way to keep a player in check on defense, what doesn't make sense is how slower players can play defense against some of the smaller, quicker players. It takes a few crossovers to get past this, but even then you have to get lucky. You're supposed to be able to take advantage of matchups, not have a problem faking out a seven footer when you're slashing to the hoop.
The most bothersome thing I had to deal with was general player movements and reactions to plays. To give an example, I found that, at some points, it was near impossible to run a player who had the ball out of bounds. This also leads to one little issue with the crowd. Some arenas, the default camera angle will not allow you to see the nearest out of bounds line, so you can end up with some easy turnovers if you're not careful, although I did have some issues, as I previously mentioned, with simply going out of the court area. Then again, you have to be careful what you wish for, because players who do go out of bounds sometimes forget they're in the game and take their sweet time getting back into the court of play. On top of all of this, be prepared to blow wide open layups from time to time, no matter what your momentum meter is at. It's ridiculous that a seven foot center will not go straight up with the ball and dunk it, let alone miss a two foot layup with no one around him. I can understand missing three pointers, but missing layups, unless heavily contested, should be a no-brainer.
I'm on the fence with the right analog stick shooting. For free throws, I believe it's necessary to have something like that, although it seems way too much like I'm trying to hit a golf ball in a Tiger Woods game. However, I never found myself using the right analog stick during the game itself. I found it to be too cumbersome to go from hitting buttons to trying desperately to find the analog to time my shot perfectly.
For my two "nit-picks", I'll focus on some simple things that need to be pointed out. Referees in the game sometimes get in the way, and they also position themselves properly only some of the time. Not only that, I think it would be nice to see them actually make their visual calls instead of just sitting there. I never saw this, and I'm hoping that one of these days, I get this out of a basketball game. The second thing is more of a rule guideline for the developers of the game. Players are improperly placed on free throws. The NCAA made a rule change in the summer that moved them up one spot on the lane, which means that the low block is no longer occupied. However, the developers did not catch this and players are still on the old rules.
Features
2K8 has a lot of extra features that I like and a couple that need some touching up. First off, the creation ability that you have is fairly deep. You can create your own chants for your home fans to go through that has some decent depth, but I would like it to be expanded further. The play creation mode is actually very good, although it takes some time to get used to the controls. You'll find that you don't have complete control over the motion of players during your creation, and it's frustrating to know exactly what you want to do but unable to really make it happen. Player creation has the same depth that you'll find in other 2K games, such as All-Pro Football, however one thing that needs to change: the player models. The models seem outdated and, quite frankly, sometimes just don't look very realistic. I understand that the players used in the general game can't directly resemble the players on the court due to NCAA guidelines, but when you create a player, you want it to at least look good, and I really had a tough time doing this.
When it comes to game modes, you'll find the general quick play as usual. You'll also find Legacy Mode, which is the basketball version of your franchise or dynasty mode. Recruiting and scheduling is extremely deep and you'll easily get locked into what you can do outside of the game. Sometimes, I forgot that I was actually required to play the games besides recruiting players and preparation.
On top of Legacy Mode, you'll also get a tournament mode where you can set up the Big Dance just the way you want it. Feel like having a team like Kent State as the top seed in the tournament? Knock yourself out. The bottom line is that the combinations are absolutely endless when it comes to setting this tournament up.
Online mode is enjoyable with 2K8. The games I played online were fairly laid back as I managed to find some decent players who were looking for a good experience. Players were generally helpful, as most of the guys I played were seasoned in the game itself and, while they were probably looking for a quick win, they were quick to help out with some helpful hints and tips to improve my gameplay. Considering that I found the same helpful group when I reviewed APF 2K8, I'm thinking that it's no coincidence that the 2K fanbase is a very good one to play against with little issue of profanity and trash talking. It's very refreshing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, College Hoops 2K8 gets a nod of approval from me, but it doesn't come without some warnings. The gameplay itself is very good, but suffers from some flaws that will need correcting in upcoming versions. 2K does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of a college game, but some simple issues need to be fixed for this game to be National Championship worthy. College Hoops has plenty of online and offline features to keep you locked down for awhile, but sometimes those little flaws here and there will leave you frustrated.
Scores/Ratings
Presentation
The college atmosphere is fantastic, while the menu systems are easy to navigate through and not confuse you. The game suffers from some simple issues from time to time.
Score: 8/10
Gameplay
Runnings plays has gotten a lot easier and the crossover control is very good. However, players will blow easy shots from time to time. AI sometimes drops down as players can get lost in the game.
Score: 7.5/10
Features/Achievements
Everything from creating plays and chants to playing against hoops fans from around the country give you plenty to look forward to off the court. Achievements are somewhat easy to obtain, although a couple will really have you scratching your head.
Score: 8.4/10
Final Score: 7.9/10
