XBox Solution

It’s that time of year again! Time for college football! I heard a lot about the Next-Gen version and was excited to see what new features and controls it had to offer. Each year NCAA is really a warm-up for Madden and normally arm chair quarterbacks can get a good idea of what to expect from Madden after playing NCAA. A freshman year on any console can be a rocky one. It seems that while NCAA Football 07 has a lot of great features and plays great, it also has some issues! The pre-game clock has hit zero so let’s kick off the full review of NCAA Football 07.

By now our readers know I enjoy sports games and really want a game to bring the element of realism to help get me into the title. For the most part NCAA 07 does this very well. However, right away once you see the players on the field, they look like players cut from the NFL and not college athletes. This year EA went for that huge bulky player look and, while it looks good, I know it takes even the best college player years to develop bodies that are shown in the game. While this could be over-looked later on, you will read why this one change throws off the balance of the franchise this year. As far as being a Next-Gen title, yes it looks good and they threw in some features never seen before. I am not trying to give one compliment then throw in an insult, but while the game looks and plays like a next-gen title, it lacks some of the basic mechanics that made NCAA a hit in the first place.

I mentioned the huge bulky players, well here is where this seems to stick out. There is a problem in every game I have played offline or online with collision detection. Even those who have never watched a football game know each player has an assignment such as a player they need to block or guard. For some strange reason, this year’s NCAA seems confused. The AI misses key blocks, fails to lead the halfback and at times just gets in the way of the quarterback. At times it can be overlooked as the “freshmen year”, but then the biggest flaw is when you’re on defense and someone online or the AI is step in step with you as they pass to their covered receiver. The ball somehow tends to go right through your defensive player and into the waiting arms of the receiver. Having watched replays over and over offline, of course, you see that the ball had to pass right through your body. This needs to be addressed in next year’s version!

Okay so there are a few problems and it just does not seem as solid as past versions of the franchise. Once you get past the fact that this is an issue, the game plays very well. They revamped the kicking system and finally you now kick the ball off by using the right joystick, a feature I have wanted for years. Most agree this change is great, but then once again it seems blocking field goals, punts and even kickoffs are incredibly easy. Even on the hardest setting it seems that basic formations can be used to exploit this and just makes the game a bit irritating. I have never been one to sugarcoat a football game so while it may seem like I am ripping the title apart, I am just pointing out the things that really stuck out.

Now as far as the things improved, the option plays are harder and more complicated as it should be. You have more defensive sets and options and the audible system is great. Once again, they added in the mini-games, dynasty mode and an online mode. Also returning is the rating system for each team. One more thing that needs to be tweaked next year is that any die-hard gamer that loves sports games can pick a team with no rating at all and beat the crap out of a high ranked team. While this has always been possible, this year it seems a bit too easy. I want to say they wanted to create a new fan base like last year’s Xbox 360 Madden, but it seems more like a lack of time or the push to get the title out earlier.

I like the presentation and feel of the game and it certainly shows improvement in this area. A play book editor would have been nice, but the plays are good and fans will notice they added more this year. The momentum system is a great idea and plays a role in the game but at times one key play leaves a player with the momentum too long. For the die-hard fans now calling hot routes or changing plays is easier and less time consuming and this was needed since college ball has a different game clock. Overall, NCAA 07 shows great potential and is enjoyable to play. They just need to work on the collision detection and, if the past is any indication, the sophomore year has been the one that really shines overall.

NCAA 07 shows off some great ideas and new improvements to the die-hard players. Those who play the game every once and a while or first time players may not even notice the areas that I mentioned. The single-player mode is a good start for the Xbox 360 and it should be interesting to see where they take it next year.

The controls are set-up well and work great with the Xbox 360 controller. For those new to the game, learning the more complicated controls and options will take about 45 minutes. The die-hard NCAA player will learn everything in about 20 minutes or less. It is important to note that if you change the default control settings, which most advanced players do, you will not see the help guide on the screen for your team. Having tested this with a friend, we thought there was something you needed to adjust in the settings to bring it up. It will pop up for each side but only if both players are using the default settings. While this makes sense for the most part, the bar is useful for calling a quick audible and other pre-snap plays.

They could have at least allow the bar up for the different audible options no matter what settings since they really don’t change much even when the control scheme is changed. It also comes in handy to be able to look up and shift the line with out having to remember everything. Overall, the controls are great and the hit stick on both offense and defense is more balanced. You will get most of the basic controls from the manual and load screens, but it seems each year the game book included gets smaller. In 2004 NCAA had 38 pages in 2006 it had 27 and this year the book is reduced to 9 pages. Sports fans are probably the only ones who actually read or look for the game manual for help. I question this, but it is a growing trend to shorten the books included.

The lobby is the same as always and you can’t play a ranked game against someone on your friends list. I have already stated in many Xbox 360 reviews my own thoughts about this since playing a ranked game should be allowed and I don’t know anyone who would throw a game to rank a friend up. Hopefully, Xbox Live and the other developers will start to take notice that people have a friends list for a reason and allow them to play ranked matches. Playing online is a bit different. The main change is you won’t be able to pause the game and look at the replay. This is a bit aggravating as well as there is no way to challenge a call. While lag is not an issue, there is a frame-rate issue and a few twitches where players will stand but seem to have a cramp and look like they are trying to work it out. It is not a constant issue but it happens.

Connecting to the EA server has been improved and it shows that EA is listening to their fans. Online and offline is like playing two different version of the game though. I wish it was more balanced but as a first year attempt it’s enjoyable. EA overall made the online mode good but throw in the option to watch a replay or challenge a play please. Anyone can find someone to match up against depending on skill level and even set-up a private room. Overall, a good online mode just needs a few tweaks in next year’s version.

Fans will notice the new load screens and the polished stadiums that look fantastic. They once again are going for the televised look and feel where last year’s Madden went more for that radio-style presentation. The weather conditions are great and unlike other versions this really affects the game in one way or the other. The players look good although a bit juiced up and too bulky for college players. The animation helps for the college feel. EA nailed most of the look of a Saturday game on any campus and even nailed the mascots and the fans. No more cardboard-looking crowds. The stadium really begins to come to life as the game plays out. Overall, there are a few minor issues but the game lives up to a Next-Gen title.

NCAA 07 Football Xbox 360 Screenshots

I have talked with several people who played NCAA this year and they all said the same thing. While I appreciate Lee Corso and all he did as a college coach, he repeats things too much. I talked with the team at E3 and they did not just use last year’s Xbox commentary. They brought in each one and recorded a brand new set of voiceovers. However, Corso still is using lines he used back in 2003. Lee, I get the cookie jar analogy, but I don’t need to hear it every other time you speak. I don’t want to be harsh, but the franchise would be better overall if they reduced his role like they did with John Madden. He is getting a bit irritating and Kirk Herbstreit seems to spoon feed him the set up this year.

I think overall the team of Kirk Herbstreit and Nessler would be a great team for the play by play, and then allow Corso to add in a few color commentary lines. While the commentary has been revamped, it still lacks the depth needed in a football game. At times they match what is going on perfectly, then like any other sports game they say and the ball is downed on the one yard line. Only to see the ball brought out to the 20 yard line. Any sports fan wants better and accurate commentary. It would be impossible to get everything exact but let’s get rid of some of the repetition. Other than that the games audio is fine.

NCAA 07 is loaded with game modes a decent dynasty mode and an online mode. It is worth every penny and while it certainly showed some issues, having the franchise on the Xbox 360 is a great addition. Fans are going to be happy just to have it and be able to play it this year. The achievements are decent and not as easy as last year’s Madden, but they could adjust them a little. Overall, arm-chair quarterbacks everywhere will be playing this one till Madden hits then try and build up their key senior class to use them in Madden.

Overall Score: 7.8/10 [not an average]

The first game of a great franchise on a new system is always looked on with harsh eyes. Reviewers and fans alike will always judge it by past versions. NCAA 07 certainly has the right idea and just needs to be slightly tweaked and a bit more balanced. It shows promise and I personally can’t wait to see what they do with next year’s version. College fans won’t be disappointed, although at times they may shake their heads at a few plays. Then again, every Saturday fans do the same thing when watching their favorite team.

• EA Sports
• NCAA 07 Website
• NCAA Football 07 Xbox 360 Screenshots
• NCAA Football 07 Xbox Screenshots
• NCAA Football 07 Cheats and Secrets – Xbox 360
• NCAA Football 07 Cheats and Secrets – Xbox

Review by XBS Head Writer Rich Reed

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