NCAA Football 09

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List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $6.37
Today's Bonus: 75% Off

I picked this game up to replace last year's version, and as a huge fan of college football I was pleased to see some neat additions (such as icing the kicker) that became a big part of the lexicon during last year's crazy season.

If you've played any of the games in the NCAA series, you know what to expect. Some new features for this year's version include "celebrating with the mascot" where you can run over to the mascot after running a touchdown and perform an animated celebration (mascot worshiping you/dancing around/etc.). The sideline players/cheerleaders/coaches actually exist this year, unlike in NCAA 08 when they mysteriously weren't on the sidelines during a game. You'll see cheerleaders dancing, players on the sidelines getting out of your way, etc. so the stadium atmosphere is much more alive than it was in last year's version.

Some new gameplay options are tweaks to the way running plays work. No longer can you just click 'go' and push forward, you can now find and exploit holes in the defense, you can get your offensive line to shift to one side to cover your option play, you can basically fine-tune your plays a bit more (as well as bluff your play art when playing side-by-side with a friend, something you couldn't do before).

On passing plays, you no longer have to worry about the AI intercepting the ball constantly. If they aren't facing it, they won't catch it. If you throw it directly into coverage though, do expect to be picked off.

Tackling has been upgraded, as has evasion. You can evade tackles if you know what you are doing, and you can also one-arm tackle, hit the player so hard they bust a flip and fall flat on their back, and basically do much more than just dive and pray like in NCAA 08.

Other neat features such as online dynasty mode, the ability to set up songs from playlists to play when certain things happen, downloading rosters, etc. give you much more in terms of having customization over your game.

Basically, each particular area in the game has been tweaked in just the right areas, and this is much more of a transition than 07 was to 08.

Bottom line: If they take what they have here and improve it for NCAA 10 then you can expect me to be a happy gamer for a while to come.

My only caveat with the PS3 version (I have both 360 and PS3) is that the controls are not quite as fluid. More often than not I was passing to the wrong guy, or lobbing the football like a girl. This is probably just due to the sixaxis way of handling the game, but maybe also because I was leaned back when playing and it probably didn't like that orientation. Otherwise excellent choice for your system.

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NCAA Football 2009 is by far the BEST yet. Sure, there are still some areas that can be improved upon or fixed. But, the game play, crowd interaction, icing kicker option, and many many other things make this an impressive and incredible game. I have been playing this nightly and can't seem to get enough. This WILL have you screaming from your couch just like watching real NCAA football.

COOL ITEMS:

Icing the kicker: Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but it's a cool and welcomed addition to the reality of football.

Turnovers aren't quite that easy: In 2007-08, picks and fumbles were all over the field. Now, having to be more aligned with the ball and needing a bit more skill, it's not a turnover free for all.

NOT SO COOL ITEMS:

Celebrate with the Mascot: It's cool for the first few times but gets a bit repetitive or boring. Would be great if you could use select buttons to execute a celebration (or unlock celebrations with 'user' points

The graphics can be a bit "choppy". Someimes the ball magically moves out of the QBs hands or receptions go through a players head/arms. These glitches should have been fixed by now considering the technological & graphical improvements already made.

Guessing the defense when you turn the ball over? What does this really get you other than an intermission? And added feature would be gaining coaching experience points when getting it right in order to unlock hidden playbooks or even plays of the other team (game film for future games).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE (IF EA EVER LOOKS AT AMAZON): User tackles and such don't do much for you: Would recommend making 'user points' like you get with Madden. Maybe then you can earn points toward player improvements, coaching improvements, or even buy things for your campus (a new library, new uniforms). Just would make it even more fun to knock around people and have interaction! Include this and a celebration addition and it'll be even greater!

Overall I give this 5 STARS and recommend it to anyone that LOVES football. It's as real as it gets!

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I was hesitant about buying this game after being disappointed in the last several years versions, but I will say this year is an improvement.

I like the improvements made with the recruiting assistance, the player graphics and animations are better, I like the way the pre-snap routes will be squiqqly when playing on the road in a hostile environment, the re-addition of the cheerleaders is a good thing, and just playing the game is funner than last years.

I am disappointed in the way the crowd looks though, and there are a few glitches that bug me as well, such as when you throw passes near the sidelines your player will tip-toe and stretch to make the catch and fall down, even if they're not right next to the sideline, and have plenty of open field ahead of them. There are still some things that they can be improved upon to make it an even more enjoyable game playing experience, but I still like it.

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First thing...this game is far and away a superior title to last years horrendous offering, and don't get me started about the 07 version. Gameplay is much improved with the game having a more natural feel and flow to it overall. You actually get a sense that you have some control over what you're doing, and what you may do next, when it comes to running with the ball. The previous versions were nothing more than an advanced guessing game with some less than intuitive button mashing going on to try and get to the next level. With 09, you can see the play developing and can react accordingly. The passing game benefits from this as well...I no longer feel immediate pressure to get the ball in the air the second I snap it. There is no issue with setting up to throw and finding a receiver for the most part. Of course you don't have all day either, and it's this solid balance that gives it that more authentic feel while running your offense.

Defensively...there is still alot of guess work involved...especially with rushing the passer. I wish it was more intuitive in regard to collision detection with the offensive lineman while using a defensive line player. I'm hoping this is something that gets easier to gauge as I continue to play. Linebacker play isn't all that bad, but you have to be careful not to lean on that left stick too much before the snap, or you will quickly put yourself either offside or out of position. Secondary play might as well not be allowed. I don't know anyone that ever bothers to start with a defensive back when playing these games.

Overall...very fun game. Would like to see some of the old PS2 bells and whistles added back in...like editing my coach, or playbook editing...but this is still a very fun game.

It looks amazing as well! I am so glad that the players no longer look like someone placed some plastic army men under a heat lamp anymore. The sizing and scaling of the player models is more true to life than it had been on next-gen consoles. They all still look like their skating up field still, but this is a very small issue considering that they have definitely improved on the player animations when tackling and making plays. (I flipped the first time one of my players broke into the open and then "looked back" at everyone after a few more steps)

The mini-games seem like they would be a great way to have fun online. Not sure how interesting the online dynasty will be...but we'll see...and one last thing...the recruiting has been revamped to make it as easy or involved as you would like it to be. (HUGE improvement!!)

Bottom line...BIG fun...grab your wallet...pick this one up!

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I purchased this game for two boys who have really enjoyed this game. The only drawback is that it is so much fun...they don't want to stop playing it. As part of the game, they had to choose a major and then take exams. Which I thought they would hate, but they actually love it. The game requires that they maintain a certain GPA. And they compete in the football part as well as the GPA part. It's funny to listen to them answering the questions and trying to remember what they had learned previously in a class. Not sure how much fun this would be for someone who just wants to sit there and play video football non-stop all day and not have to think about anything the entire time. While the tests are easy enough, if you don't know the answers and you don't maintain your GPA you will have to start your football game over again. It's No Pass, No Play in a video game.