User Rating: 8 | ESPN College Hoops XBOX
Sega's 2K4 version of college basketball treads a fine line of gameplay. At times, the controls are delight. At others, you are left wondering what just happened. On the offensive, you will find jumpshots are nicely executed when performing a J. Release at the right time with a good player and you are fairly certain to drain it. Getting closer to the hoop, though, controls tend to be fishy. On a fast break, you are just as likely to get a bad layup or even a fad away shot rather than a dunk (even from the big men). Sometimes the AI will stay in the paint too long. As for rebounds, your best bet is to take control of someone quickly after the shot, or else the defense will easily box you out. On the defensive, you will find that steals are possibly, but a poorly timed one will get you burned. Your teammates tend to let a guy drive the lane too easily. Consequently, your teammates are not tough below the hoop. They will play aggressive though, going for steals, intercepting passes, and making solid blocks on even the best shooters. As for defensive rebounds, typically your big men will crash the boards well but I've found times where I can get a 6' 1" guard to rebound beneath the centers. On free throw, a mechanism shows on your upper left that allows you to aim the sides while trying to time the shot in the middle of a circle that the side aims form. For reliable shooters, it'll move slow and should be easy to nail. For less reliable players, you're going to need to concentrate well. The players move around well; passing goes quite smoothly, leading to open shots when you need them. On occasion players will pass across court on poor decision, but this is not common. Other considerations: Some players with 3 (for 3 point shooter) next to their name actually cannot hit a 3 to save their life; some opponents can hit 3s from well beyond NBA range consistantly (the plus is that you can too, but it still is unrealistic). My biggest complaints come in three categories: 1) The default camera view - I found it a bit difficult to use because I felt it stayed to far away from players below the hoop. 2) Last second shots - Your guard will stand at the end of the floor with you rather than trying to run to center court. If you have only 2 seconds to shoot, this pretty much eliminates any chance of hitting it. 3) Intentional fouls - The opponent will get intentional fouls even when not near you, yet when you call one your players will sometimes fail to get it (thus wasting an entire shot clock). My biggest compliments: 1) Messing with shooters - Simply putting pressure on even the best shooters can lead to bad shooting by your opponent. 2) Team rally meter - Hit a couple of 3s and you'll start to see the game turn towards you. Give a few up, you'll see it go to your opponent. Clever use of timeouts can turn the tables on a rally but, inevitably, getting on a run can help you put a game away (or, likewise, have it taken from you). 3) Speed and moves - Is man defense so close that it is practically smelling your shampoo? Use turbo and a few moves and you'll find enough room to get chased and leave a teammate open. 4) Band - I personally like having the band playing all the time. While it doesn't happen in real life when the ball is in play, it is more enjoyable than only hearing the announcers. ESPN College Hoops is worthwhile if you want a college basketball game, although you might wish to play the EA version to decide which you like more. I would like to see Legacy mode include more schools and more school specific announcements at home games (for example, the court announcer says "Mizzou Tigers" instead of Missouri yet he says "Texas A&M Aggies" instead of the common home phrase of "Fightin' Texas Aggies").
