NCAA March Madness 2005 – XB – Review

NCAA March Madness 2005 represents the latest entry into
EA’s game series of college basketball.  This version of March Madness showcases
the NBA Live 2005 engine, which offers updated graphics and fluid controls.
Also, there are a good amount of great gameplay modes and features, like online
tournaments, mascot games and more.  With the revamped new engine and smooth
controls, people who were disappointed in last year’s version should check out
the 2005 model.

March Madness 2005 offers 325 schools to choose from, as
well as about 75 classic teams from the past.  Each of these teams has accurate
statistics that are gauged in terms of overall ability, although the rosters do
not include the real player’s names.

The controls are taken from NBA Live 2005’s engine,
meaning that most of the elements from that game are present here.  The
Freestyle ball controls are here, meaning that you can control your character’s
ball tricks with the right thumbstick, allowing you to perform spins and
crossovers to get past your opponents.

The Off-the-Ball controls from Live 2005 are also
present, allowing you to control a non-ball-holding player while the AI takes
over the ball handler, giving you the opportunity to position your player closer
to the basket and a scoring opportunity.

One altogether new aspect of March Madness 2005 is the
Pontiac College Classics, a mode that allows you to relive some historical
college match ups.  These are done through ten different campaigns that operate
similar to mission-based mechanics, often placing you in the middle of a game
with a certain goal to accomplish before the game is over.  This is a fantastic
touch for sports history buffs looking to do a reenactment of some of their
favorite sports moments.

There are also some cool extra game modes, like the
mascot games, which allow you to play as a limited number of college mascots.
It can be quite surreal to play a basketball game as a group of trees (the
Stanford Cardinal, which actually looks like a tree wearing a hat) against the
actual Fighting Irish.  There is also a rivalry game, which pits you against a
rival college in an effort to score some pride points.

The graphics in March Madness 2005 are very solid,
featuring the newly revamped aesthetic of its big brother, NBA Live 2005.  The
character models look and move great, and while there are a few instances of
slowdown (particularly when the ball changes possession), the game remains very
fluid.

The sound is also pretty solid.  The commentary is well
done, although sometimes it can grow a little redundant (if I hear Dick Vitale
say “Yeah, Baby!” one more time…).  The music is also pretty cool, featuring
marching band interpretations of modern popular songs, like The Middle by Jimmy
Eat World, Last Resort by Papa Roach, and Hey Mama by The Black Eyed Peas.

The biggest problem that some may have with NCAA March
Madness 2005 is the same problem that people have with Live 2005; the gameplay
has a real arcade quality to it and ultimately has less technical and realistic
gameplay than many simulation fans would like.  However, the game is fast paced
and has great controls, meaning that if you are looking for a smooth game of
college hoops with high scoring, check out March Madness 2005.

Review Scoring Details for NCAA March Madness 2005

Gameplay: 8.3
The gameplay in the
main game of NCAA March Madness 2005 is pulled mainly from NBA Live 2005.  The
Freestyle controls are basically the same, giving you an unprecedented amount of
control over your ball handling skills.  The game doesn’t have features found in
Live 2005 like the Freestyle dunk competition or the three-point shootout, but
it does have some cool unique touches, like mascot games and the Pontiac College
Classics, which allows you to relive some of the most historical match ups in
college basketball history. 

Graphics: 8.5
The graphics are
fast and smooth and have some nice character models with great animation.  While
game isn’t too terribly detailed and there are a few instances of slowdown, NCAA
March Madness 2005 has a good look to it.

Sound: 8.5
The commentary is
very good, right in line with last year’s commentary, although it does get a tad
repetitive.&nbspThe soundtrack is pretty
interesting, composed of marching band interpretations of modern songs like Hey
Mama by the Black Eyed Peas and Last Resort by Papa Roach.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
The latest entry
in the series does a fine job of bringing the series back to the forefront by
offering the same tweaks found in the newest NBA Live game.

Multiplayer: 8.5
NCAA March Madness 2005 marks the series’ entry onto Xbox Live, which is
complete with online tournaments, one-on-one matches and more gameplay types.

Overall: 8.5

NCAA March Madness represents a big
change for the series, one with the new NBA Live 2005 engine, complete with
revamped graphics, and fluid controls.  While the jury’s still out on ESPN’s
soon to be released foray into this year’s college ball competition, NCAA March
Madness appears to be a very solid entry into EA’s franchise.