ESPN College Hoops

"Capturing all the college atmosphere into one game"

If you love college hoops, or have a college team you root for all season, even if you just love the environment of the Big Dance, this game is for you.

This game has many of the features that basketball games of the past have had. You have the basic exhibition game, as well as a legacy mode that will keep you playing for many game years.

The Legacy mode has two options, Career Mode and Legacy Mode.

Career Mode allows you to take over as the coach of a small school and try to build your way up. As you have successful seasons, more and more schools will have interest in you and you can apply for a job at a bigger name university. In an Open Legacy you take head of any of the over 300 schools and go from there. At the end of each season you are given the opportunity to switch to a new college.

In either Legacy mode you basically have the same tasks and goal. Recruiting is always one of the favorite parts of college sports games and this game provides one of the most enjoyable way to do it- during the season. No longer do you have to complete a season and then do your recruiting in the off-season. You can now get a head start on going after the prep ballers of your choice. If you can't get them to commit to your school during the season, you still have a chance to get them to sign during the off-season recruiting period.

Gameplay 7/10- The gameplay in this game is good, if a little clunky. As you play you will notice that it will be a lot tougher to score points, since many colleges play a zone defense. The zone D makes it tougher to drive to the lane and get the easy dunk or layup that is many players' strategy in other basketball games. You will find yourself depending on the mid range jump shot for the majority of your points.

Sometimes while playing a game, ESPN College Hoops will freeze, this glitch may cause irritation at times but I'm sure most gamers will get over it.

The gameplay is pretty realistic, though slow at times. The gameplay isn't really anything special, but it works to add to the quality of this game.

Graphics 7/10- The graphics on this game aren't as pretty as some of the other basketball games, but are still good and fit pretty well with the game. The cutscenes to the crowd in-game in particular are very well done and humorous at the same time.

Sound 10/10- Whether it's the ESPN theme music in the menu, or the crowd cheering and the pep band playing while you're playiing a game, the sound in this game is spectacular. The cheers and band in-game particularly add to the college basketball experience.

Play Time/Replayability 10/10- You can play this game forever, since you'll have pretty much a whole different team every year in your Legacy. Every year is like a new game, but the goal isn't. The National Championship of college hoops. There are also a ton of unlockables such as mascot teams and arenas that keep you playing so you can unlock everything.

Final Recommendation - This game is definitely worth giving a look. I would rent it first to make sure you like it, but if you're a die hard fan of College Basketball I'd definitely buy it straight away.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/01/04