Review
Release Date: 03.06.2006
Platform:
Xbox 360Developer:
Visual ConceptsPublisher:
2K SportsReviewed by
Ryan Dean on 6.8.2006
Being entirely truthful here,
College Hoops 2K6 is my first true experience with a basketball video game, at least for an extended period of time. I'm about two months in and I can say the game is easily better than all other sports titles currently available for the Xbox360. While much isn't required to be better than the likes of
MLB 2K6 and
Madden NFL 06,
Visual Concepts could have put a little more time and effort in.
When comparing a next generation version of a game to its current generation counterpart, one usually takes note of the expected leap in quality of the game's graphics, however there isn't much to see in
College Hoops. The player models, lighting, and animations have all received a little polish, but
College Hoops definitely suffers from the regular "first wave" disease in gaming. This would be excusable if
Hoops was out at launch, but it wasn't. I'm fairly convinced that the original Xbox could handle this game. Well, maybe without all the sweat that is highlighted in almost every screenshot of every sports game for the 360.
College Hoops 360 really is just the Xbox
Hoops with some glitter (erm, sweat).
Unlike other sports games,
College Hoops features an audio feature that makes the whole experience more authentic than anything you've ever experienced: School fight songs. Oh boy, that's right, you can listen to the University of New Hampshire's fine band or maybe even perhaps listen to what Shelden Williams heard from the stands when he was still playing. It's a nice touch, but what about the generic rock/rap songs that get tossed into all the other titles? They aren't really there. You can count on one hand the non-school
techno songs featured alongside the anthems, and I can't decide if that's a bad thing. I don't really like techno with my sports, but I don't want
just drums, trumpets, and trombones.
The audio presentation is highly customizable and can be easily changed to create your style of the game. If you'd like to get the broadcast feel, you can change the options to make your announcers louder than the crowd and players, or you can pretend you're really there and turn up the crowd volume, chants, and music. You might want to experiment with these features for a while until you really find what's best. I personally like to hear "Go Home!" when I'm done burning whoever tries to take on the Jackson State Tigers. Oh yes,
Jackson State.
Now to why we're here: basketball. Hardwood floors, squeaky shoes, crazy fans, bracketology, averages, recruiting, the trey from beyond the arch, the stuff, the steal, the dunk. Even if your interest in the sport is only mild, you're going to love
playing College Hoops. If you choose to dive right into the game you're going to enjoy it, even without all the nifty coaching options and plays. Just stealing the ball and getting it to your angry big man waiting to smash the rim is great. Fighting for rebounds and tickling the twine with a perfectly placed turn around jumper feels pretty smooth, and it all controls excellently. Instead of smashing a button to shoot the ball, Visual Concepts has blessed us with the Shot Stick. Simply pull down on the right analog stick at any time to fire the ball. Use it in time with the left analog stick to pull off great finesse dunks or powerful slams. Passing the ball up the court can be done with a simple tap of the A button, or for those of you who like to set up your team the right bumper can be used to turn on passing icons. Even better, the Y button is used to control two players at once. Tap Y until you find the man you'd like to move and use the left analog stick to send him in any general direction. Once he starts moving, the ball handler can pass the ball off to him quickly.
But what if you get fouled? Of course, (if shooting foul) you'll take your shots by simply pulling back on the right analog stick, and with perfect timing according to your player's release, sink the shots. But what after? Defense. I really like playing on defense, I think it's a great part of the total package (well, we all kind of expected defense in a sports title) but there are a few flaws. When attempting to block a shot or go for a steal (which of course are easily controlled with the Shot Stick and Y button) your player will flail around wildly. I know some features in games can't be automatic, that'd take the challenge away, but it'd be nice to be semi-realistic. Coming into the next generation, I expect to see multiple animations for each move I attempt to make (or for each input). However, it seems your character will simply dive in with incredible momentum at any time when a steal is attempted. What if I want to make a small, quick jab at the dribble? Think of it this way. In
Madden you pass the ball with the touch of a button, but you can control the angle and velocity of the pass with the analog sticks. In
College Hoops you can make a move but not completely control how it is executed, at least defensively. This problem makes fouling a little easier and this takes away from the authentic "feel" that so many other features are used to create (School Anthems, for one).
As for gameplay modes,
College Hoops features enough options to stand alongside all other sports titles (and far above next-generation ones. Looking at you,
NBA Live). All the things you're accustomed to seeing, Legacy, Play Now, Multiplayer, they're all here. Xbox Live gives you the ability to play in leagues and against your friends, which is pretty enjoyable, but unless you've got a group that's enthusiastic, not many people are playing these days. Legacy is incredibly deep with Coaches Meetings, Email, Recruiting, Roster changes, complete stat tracking and comparison. Unlike some Dynasty or Franchise modes featured in other games, you'll keep coming back to this one and playing for multiple seasons, and the game constantly changes things up with new coaching jobs always available.
With a strong single player experience, solid control scheme, and slick audio features,
College Hoops is definitely worth your money. However, if you'd rather be cautious about your purchases, you have a lot to look forward to. The next edition in the series should feature geniune next-gen graphics during actual gameplay and enhanced coaching options. The fun factor is definitely here and counterbalances most of the mistakes made. See you on the court!
