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Video Game Review: NCAA Football 09

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By LUKE EASTERLING

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

Back to the gridiron we go, controllers in hand and headsets at the ready. But how will this year's version of NCAA Football 09 for Xbox360 stack up to last year's? Only time will tell, but here are some early impressions.

GAMEPLAY AND VISUALS

The first thing you'll notice about the game is the improved look of everything on the field. From improved player models to a much more realistic playing surface, the folks at EA definitely took some positive steps toward making this game much more realistic than last year's. Weather conditions have also been improved visually, including a blue haze that covers the screen when playing in cold weather, which adds to the feeling that you're actually freezing while playing a road game against Washington State in December.

The biggest improvement to the actual control of the players in this year's game is found in the running game. While the ability to use the left stick to make quick jukes is useful even as a receiver after the catch, it's especially useful as a running back when it comes to setting up blocks and hitting holes at the right time and at the right speed. Gone are the days when users could just squeeze the life out of the speed burst button while taking a HB Dive up the middle. This new control feature teaches the user to become more patient as a runner, thereby setting up more success in the running game. This control also makes open-field showdowns more realistic, as small stutter steps can be used to shake a defender in the open field.

Another interesting addition is the QB Quiz. After a user throws an interception, a screen pops up that requires the user to guess which defensive alignment the opponent had chosen on the previous play. The user can cycle through snapshots of the play as it progressed before choosing which defense they think is correct. Choose correctly and your quarterback's composure rating goes back up a decent bit. Pick the wrong defense, however, and the negative effect on your signal-caller will be felt next time he takes the field (instead of routes and face buttons matched to each receiver at the line of scrimmage, the screen will show nothing but squiggly lines and question marks).

Other notable improvements on the field include more realistic toe-tapping sideline catches by receivers, the return of on-field referees (why were they gone?), and juggling catches (hitting the receiver while he's bobbling the ball in the air is especially satisfying). One minor thing that's worth mentioning is a new tweak regarding hot routes. Now, when changing a receiver's route at the line of scrimmage, a simple click of the right stick will change the length of his route to make it go 1 yard past the first down marker. Again, it's a small addition, but it is extremely useful in the right circumstances.

MODES AND FEATURES

Dynasty mode is my favorite part of this game every year, as choosing your favorite team (or a new team every year) and guiding it through up to 60 seasons of play is by far the most fun I have with this game.

This year, however, dynasty goes online thanks to Xbox Live. Now, users can team up with 11 friends in Online Dynasty, which allows 12 users to run teams in the same dynasty. That means friends can play against each other and computer opponents, battling each other for recruits, as well.

This is likely to be the most popular feature in the game this year, and with good reason, as gamers have been clamoring for this type of mode for years.

While the improvements to this year's offline version of dynasty are small, they definitely make the experience more user-friendly. The most notable improvement of this mode is a recruiting tool known as the Quick Call. In past years, the user made a call to each recruit with a laundry list of subjects on which to gauge the player's interest in their school. Each school also has a ranking in each of these subjects (everything from Conference Prestige and Television Exposure to Academics and Playing Time), and the better your school is in each category, the better your chance of wooing the prospect in that area.

With Quick Call, instead of going through each of those subjects manually, the user simply chooses an allotted time to spend on the phone with the recruit, during which the computer assumes the task of finding out how the player feels about each category. It's a simple and somewhat small improvement, but it streamlines the recruiting process and makes things a lot simpler for the user.

If, however, you prefer the do-it-all-yourself method, you are still welcome to make all the calls and ask all the questions yourself.

Campus Legend mode returns without much change. Users take control of either a created player in high school or an existing player already in the college ranks, guiding them through their college career.

As a created player, you'll guide your team through the high school playoffs, after which you'll choose where to spend your Saturday afternoons for the next few years. The nature of the offers you get depends on your performance in those playoff games. While in this mode, the user can only control that particular player, which makes for an interesting new experience with the game.

The only notable difference this year is that the playing camera has been brought back to a wider angle before the snap, giving the user a more comfortable view of the field.

MINI-GAMES AND EXTRAS

Mini-games from last year's version return, such as Tug-Of-War (Each team gets one play at a time, changing possession until someone scores), Option Dash (a high-scoring affair in which only option plays are allowed), and Bowling (Ten frames from the 10-yard-line, TDs are strikes).

New additions are Special Teams Challenge, in which only special teams plays are allowed, and the first team to score wins, and HORSE, a pigskin take on the popular street basketball game, yet instead of shooting from anywhere, users attempt field goals from anywhere on the field (and yes, I mean ANYWHERE). These modes aren't anything huge, but they definitely add a great degree of replay ability to the game.

Fun extras include Mascot Mash-Up games, which replaced normal players with all mascots from that particular team (watching giant elephants and gators face each other between the lines is hilarious), as well as ESPN On-Demand content, which streams videos of ESPN features straight from the game menu.

OVERALL

This year's offer is definitely in improvement, especially with the addition of the online dynasty, which will change the face of football gaming in a positive way. And in this age of exclusivity agreements (EA Sports is the only developer allowed to make NFL- and NCAA-licensed football games), this game definitely shouldn't disappoint those who fear a poor product from the lack of competition.

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