NCAA Football 2004 Hands-On

[Guest Flyboy]

Taken from IGN.com:

 

Maybe it's because I'm a jaded journalist, but I wasn't expected many big improvements for NCAA Football over last year's stellar version. And while the changes made aren't nearly a big as those found in Madden NFL 2004, when I began adding up all the little things, I was surprised by just how much EA is adding to their top-notch college pigskin title. NCAA Football 2004 ships for Xbox, PS2, GameCube, and PC this July with enough added goodies and improvements to put a smile on any football fans face.

 

Here's a down and dirty list of the simple additions, you know, things that basically pad the stats from last year:

 

 

36 new AA teams

20 new mascots -- 70 total!

5 new fight songs (there were already quite a lot last year)

165 new teams

10 new formations

Over 200 new plays

More trophies to win

More bowls

 

Enhanced presentation

As if last year's version didn't have enough college atmosphere, this year EA's adding some extra bells and whistles in an attempt to make as authentic a college football experience as possible. Cheerleaders look a lot better and will have additional cheering roles, like waving flags and firing cannons.

 

A new crowd reaction engine will be more intelligent than last year, allowing for over 300 crowd chants (from "Over-rated!" to "Go! Go! Go!" and beyond), and boos and cheers based on game situations. To add to the sound field, EA is slipping in some stadium-specific sounds, like the air raid siren at the University of Washington. You know a game's trying to be realistic when they start putting in things that truly annoy people at real games.

 

As dandy as all this sounds, none of it compares to the final big addition. After a big upset, or at the conclusion of a "great game", fans may storm the field and rip down the goal posts. Now that's what I'm talking about.

 

Dynasty mode

While I didn't get to see much of the Dynasty Mode, it does look like there have been some solid improvements. This year, you'll get to take on a greater role as coach of your team. Recruiting is based on your coaching style and you'll actually pitch recruits on different aspects of your program. As coach, you may be fired, offered a contract extension, or given offers from other schools, based on your performance, which is measured by a job security meter.

 

Beyond this, your entire team can be in jeopardy based on their ongoing performance. With conference prestige now making a difference (and thus fixing some problems with the poll logic), teams the under-perform for a significant amount of time can actually get dropped from their conference. At the same time, Notre Dame could do well and decide to join a conference.

 

Dynasty mode for the New Year should also do a better job of keeping more detailed records throughout the history of your Dynasty. Better yet, there's new in-game commentary related to career records. Get close to the career rushing record, win record, or any assortment of other prestigious marks and the commentators will give you props.

 

Toss in alternate unis (each team now has four unis total) and the ability to choose your mascot when creating a school, and you're pretty much set for another year of college football. Ah, but there's even more goodies in store for faithful gamers.

 

Your own magazine

While EA can't make an official sponsorship announcement as it's still working on signing a deal with a major sports magazine (I'm sure you can't guess which one), I can tell you that there will definitely be some enhanced magazine-style presentation added to Dynasty mode.

 

Much of the information seen in last year's Dynasty mode is returning with a few enhancements, but the magazine presentation will offer a prettier package. Each week you'll get a new cover based on events across the entire NCAA. One cover I saw had the headline "Upset Saturday", because there'd been five major upsets that weekend. EA plans a preseason issue and then an issue for each week of the season. Beyond the cool covers, which look about as authentic as possible, there'll be some substance lurking in the virtual pages.

 

A Heisman watch, All-American hopefuls, and conference outlook will all be staples of this changing magazine. Archived covers can be checked out throughout the season but, unfortunately, they don't stay throughout an entire Dynasty.

 

History lesson

History is the one aspect of college sports that is often overlooked in video games. Some teams have over a hundred years of history; have rivalries that can be researched back to one specific play during one specific game. EA is trying to recapture that history by adding in 20 classic games from the past two and a half decades. As with Acclaim's All-Star Baseball 2004, gamers will be afforded the opportunity to hop into key situations in these classic games and make them come true. Can you chuck a Hail Mary like Doug Flutie? If you can, you'll unlock both teams from the challenge for exhibition play.

 

Nearly 100 classic teams dating back to 1924 will be playable in NCAA Football 2004. Cooler still is that each generation will wear era-specific gear. Teams from the '20s, for example, will wear leather helmets. While this won't have an impact on gameplay, it is definitely a nice visual touch.

 

Gameplay

Of course, all the glitter in the world can't help if there's no substance inside (just ask Mariah Carrey). Fortunately, NCAA Football 2004 has a solid gameplay base to start from. Though I only played for about 10 minutes, it's pretty clear that there's nothing drastically different. However, some of the extra touches are already evident.

 

Most notable is the pass and run play cameras. Just like Madden 2004, when you choose a run play, the camera pulls in to offer a better look at open holes, and when you choose a pass play the camera pulls back and pans when you roll out. The new camera changes are instantly beneficially, particularly on draws and play actions. When you choose a play action, the camera pulls in and stays with the running back a good two or three seconds before pulling back and popping up passing icons. Draw plays are the opposite, with the camera pulling back, passing icons showing up, and then changing to the run play camera once the running back has the ball.

 

This is no small invention to be overlooked. Even when I had called a play action pass, I was fooled by the camera, groaning "What? I thought I called a pass play!" It dekes out human opponents and forces opposing players to guess what type of play your calling instead of relying on tips from the interface. It's simple but quite genius in execution.

 

The other instant favorite is the ability to execute eight different user-controlled endzone celebrations. Strike a Heisman pose or dunk the football over the goalpost after a touchdown. You run a 50% risk of getting hit with a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, but wouldn't it be unsportsmanlike not to show off in front of your friends?

 

Other gameplay tweaks inclue double reverse passes, the triple option, and much better special teams play. Just receive one punt and it's easy to note the difference. Your special teams do a far better job trying to set up the wedge and create a wall for the return man.

 

EA bio

NCAA Football 2004 is the first EA game to utilize the EA Sports Bio. Whichever genius came up with the bio deserves two raises and a bigger office, because the Bio is, essentially, the ultimate franchise mode. It links every future EA game, because the more you play and accomplish the more you unlock across the entire EA Sports library.

 

You got game

Not directly linked to the Bio (though you do earn points for them), is a final cool touch for NCAA Football 2004. NCAA saves your top 10 greatest games. Using a formula so complex even NASA can't understand it, each game is calculated for it's "greatness score". Factors include margin of victory, whether it was a come-from-behind victory, if it was a big upset, and other numerous incidentals. The date, outcome, and box score of your 10 greatest games are saved for posterity.

 

PS2 Online

Those with a PS2 and appropriate equipment will be able to hop online with NCAA Football 2004 and mingle in three separate skill rooms (beginner, intermediate, and advanced). There will also be regional rooms, such as the Southwest room, and user info available online.

 

Outlook

It's hard to believe that one of the best sports games of last year could get better, but NCAA Football 2004 looks like it will be an even greater accomplishment than 2003's model. Though I only played for ten minutes (trust me, I'll be playing this baby a lot more!), the gameplay changes were pretty evident and definitely appreciated.

 

Forever to be marked as the first game to feature EA's brilliant "bio" system, NCAA Football 2004 may only have one competitor in the football arena this year -- Madden 2004. We'll have lots more soon enough.

 

I can't wait for NCAA. I loved NCAA Football 2003 moreso than Madden 2003, and... it's going to be on PC! That means I can now import my graduating class into Madden 2004 this year since last year I had NCAA Football 2003 on my GC and Madden 2003 on my PC. Discuss and stuff.

Edited June 10, 2003 by Flyboy

[Guest fazzle]

I think I need another pair of pants

[Agent_Bond34 0]

A new crowd reaction engine will be more intelligent than last year, allowing for over 300 crowd chants (from "Over-rated!" to "Go! Go! Go!" and beyond)

 

I love the fact that they're gonna put the "overrated" chant in this game.

 

That is greatness by itself.

 

Well not really, but either way, I will be giving this game (and most of the other new football games) at rental when they come out.

 

It sounds good, so far, judging by the articles, and such.

 

Are there any screenshots for this game?

[Guest El Satanico]

Wow...sounds great. I'm definately getting this one.

[Guest Flyboy]

Are there any screenshots for this game?

PS2 Version.

Gamecube Version.

X-Box Version.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

A new crowd reaction engine will be more intelligent than last year, allowing for over 300 crowd chants (from "Over-rated!" to "Go! Go! Go!" and beyond)

 

I love the fact that they're gonna put the "overrated" chant in this game.

I could have sworn I heard that chant in a previous NCAA game (NCAA 2000 or 2001). I was whupping up on a highly-ranked computer team (I was Miami at home), and I'm pretty sure I heard the crowd chanting "Over-Rated!"

[Guest Ronixis]

Madden has got to get these guys on his 2005...

 

This is a orgasmic clusterblaster of football.

 

And why oh why EA cant be just nearly one third with there other games as their NCAA Football games are?

 

Madden cant even call the Super Boal preditions anymore. Thats the only reason 989 Studios is hanging by a leg...

[Guest Flyboy]

Let's see... this year we have:

 

ESPN Football (NFL 2K4) > Madden 2004

NCAA Football 2004 > Madden 2004

 

Someone at EA needs to wake up.

[Guest phoenixrising]

Oh...my...God...

 

Fans charging the field? New chants? 100 historic teams? New Formations? SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

 

Yup I've decided... 10 years of buying the Madden Series...done. I'm only buying this game. Hell, I still play last years version pretty often.

 

Can't wait till July...

[Agent_Bond34 0]

Are there any screenshots for this game?

PS2 Version.

Gamecube Version.

X-Box Version.

Thanks, Flyboy.

 

Those screens look pretty nice.

 

XBox screens look to be the best of the bunch.

 

I could have sworn I heard that chant in a previous NCAA game (NCAA 2000 or 2001). I was whupping up on a highly-ranked computer team (I was Miami at home), and I'm pretty sure I heard the crowd chanting "Over-Rated!"

 

Interesting.

 

I never did play either of the adforementioned versions of NCAA you're talking about.

 

Either way though, the "over-rated" chant kicks ass.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

There are preview videos for both Madden and NCAA on the gamecube demo disc I got.

 

The only thing you can really get from the videos is that they both look good although admitedly I think Madden looks better, but if NCAA has more depth in gameplay (which you can't really tell from the video) then it doesn't really matter if Madden looks better.

[Guest Spicy McHaggis]

You da man, Flyboy!

 

I was waiting for some more info on my annual favorite.

[Guest Flyboy]

An interview from E3 conducted by Football-gaming.cm:

 

FBG: I saw the greatest games feature: what's the deal with that?

Luhr: Now there's greatest games and college classics. The greatest games, Basically as the user, if you play a great game, you play a buddy, the CPU, close game, a lot of lead changes maybe a last minute hail mary-we calculate a greatness score for each game. And if it meets certain level, it will qualify as one of your 10 greatest games of all time. It will save the final box score and players of the game so you can go back and look at the greatest games you've played.

 

Now the college classics, it's the 20 greatest games since 1980. You know -- Michigan vs. Colorado 1994, try to throw the hail mary.

 

FBG: So like a great game would be like I'm down by like 30 points, and I come back and beat Florida state?

Luhr: Comebacks are a factor, so is game magnitude -- ya know if it's number one versus number two, national championship. It's got to be a close game obviously, you won't see any blowouts qualify for a greatest  game. So after you've played a game, if you thought it was great, it's probably gonna qualify as one of your greatest games.

 

FBG: So is that profile specific or dynasty specific

Luhr: Settings specific, all game modes. And you can lose a game, and it can still goes down as a greatest  game.

 

FBG: Last year, with draft classes, when you'd import to madden, for example the speed rating of certain players would drop, but others it would be unchanged.

Luhr: You'd have to ask the Madden people.

 

FBG: I've also noticed that in both games, blocking seems to be a little bit different this year.

Luhr:  Now this is what we always call "suction blocking".

FBG: Now did you guys try to tone that down?

Luhr: We did lots with blocking, with user players especially, to try and get off the blocks faster, so that you don't get sucked in there and feel like you're out of control. The other thing we've done is improved open field blocking.  New open-field "impact blocks" have made huge improvements to our run blocking.

 

FBG: Have you done much to alter the control scheme?

Luhr: Tightened it up a bit. We've done a few things with defense. You can intercept an option pitch, any kind of lateral.  You can also turn a little easier as a user-controlled defender.

 

FBG: I noticed that, in some of the screenshots, there's a guy wrapped up, making a perfect pitch, and all the hardcores are like "nooo! Bad.", but in gameplay it felt different. You guys made it so option pitches aren't so effective anymore?

Luhr: Well, they're still pretty effective, it's got to be fun. A lot people say it's bullshit-it's only bullshit if you're on defense.

 

FBG: Do option pitches miss a little bit more,

Luhr: Oh yeah, you've got to be smart about it. It's risk reward. They're very effective, but you see a lot of fumbles that way too.

 

FBG: But that's what I mean, is it more likely to fumble this year?

Luhr: Ya know, I can't say we've done a whole lot with it this year.  It might be a little less effective, but only because defenders are in a little better position. 

 

FBG: What have you done as far as changing the AI on defense.

Luhr: We've done a lot on defense, we've also done some with the running game.  Primarily defense, zone coverages, they're a lot more disciplined, the deep zones, the flat zones, they'll stay in better position, but also will rotate with the quarterback rolling out. But the major improvement is on the special teams AI.

 

FBG: I noticed that...special teams are a lot more..."fluid"

Luhr: Well they're forming a wedge now on kickoff returns, they're forming a wall on punt returns, if you can get around that wall, you can get some crackback blocks, and you can bust it...but you've got to be fast.

 

FBG: It seems the game plays a little bit faster.

Luhr: We have increased game speed. The whole game will play faster.

 

FBG: When you switch one player, like taking a ROLB and have him play MLB, will he take a skill hit?

Luhr: Certain positions will take hits. Like if you're a right guard, and you switch him to left guard, he's not gonna take a hit. But if you make that right guard a right tackle, he'll take a little bit of a hit. Mostly the hits are in awareness.

 

FBG: As far as dynasty mode, what have you guys done as far as changing the recruiting model?

Luhr: Yeah we've done a lot with recruiting. The recruiting comment system, where it tells you about a prospect, and how his interest has gone up or down, we've completely redone that, to make it more personal about each prospect. And also if say, he can't match his advertised bench press, we'll display both his old and new bench press numbers. You can also sell a prospect on prestige, location, coaching style-based on what you feel is most important.

 

FBG: Now, are you guys gonna have athletes?

Luhr: Not this year.

 

FBG: What about larger rosters?

Luhr: We're just very limited as far as what we can store. Something we've always wanted to do.

 

FBG: Does recruiting always start in the offseason?

Luhr: Yes.

 

FBG: It really does depend on your offensive (or defensive) philosophy?

Luhr: Coaching style was added this year as a factor, in addition to prestige, location, and wins.  So if you're Nebraska, and you run the ball 80 times a game, you're not gonna get the blue chip receivers.

 

FBG: We'll not only notice the style, but how you played?

Luhr: It's all stat-based. So you can't change your sliders and say "oh I'm a balanced team now." It's all stat based

 

FBG: That was one thing about last year: why is Nebraska getting good wide receivers?

Luhr: Yeah and not only good ones, but they'd get like five blue chips.

 

FBG: Oh yeah, I bet a lot passing quarterbacks want to go there.

Luhr: And that's another factor too. If I'm a blue-chip quarterback, and I want to go to USC, but USC has already signed two blue chip quarterbacks, my interest in them is going to go down significantly.

 

FBG: Is the recruiting period still staged like it was last year?

Luhr: Five weeks, yeah, it works well for us. We're not gonna change it any time soon.

 

FBG: For people who want to edit the game, will it be allowable for them to edit to make a wide receiver a cornerback. Like to change a Chris Gamble?

Luhr: No, we're still gonna continue to lock out positions. You can still put a player like Gamble as a receiver on the depth chart, but you can't change his position and you can't change his year.

 

FBG: He'll take a ratings hit?

Luhr: He'll take an awareness hit.

 

 

FBG: What did you guys spend the most time this year?

Luhr: Well... online, gameplay, college atmosphere, and Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated is going to be huge.

 

FBG: It looks like you guys improved the stadiums a lot. I played a game against the Hurricanes. Looked a lot better.

Luhr: The Hurricanes' stadium is one of the stadiums we renovated. We sent a guy out to take photographs of all the stadiums. We went and modeled some of the more important ones, Miami being one of them. The differences are phenomenal.

 

FBG: It looks like lighting is a little bit different.

Luhr: Lighting is a lot different this year. For daytime, and night, you'll see a huge difference. We also have new lighting systems  for rain and snow.  In addition to that we've got new helmet reflections. We've got specular lighting on the PS2 with the helmets-you'll see it on all platforms actually. [specular highlighting was used heavily on the X-Box last year; it gave player models their sheen. -J]

 

FBG: What is the online functionality

Luhr: With all the EA Sports game, you get a shared login. So no matter what game you're playing, you got the same login

 

FBG: Other than online, are there any sort of console specific improvements?

Luhr: Uhh, X-box will simulate games faster.

 

FBG: Haha. Load times are quicker...

Luhr: Load times are quicker. With the X-Box, we have specular highlighting on the jerseys, it looks a little cleaner. Game speed is the same on all three.

 

FBG: Sega opened up their NFL 2k4 game to let you edit historical player names. Are you guys gonna do that, is that allowed, is that even possible?

Luhr: That was something we were gonna do but didn't have time for, so no, not this year.

 

FBG: You said that the running AI has changed?

Luhr: Yeah it's something that we're working on, something we've been working on recently.

 

FBG: So it's still being tweaked?

Luhr: Yeah, we've still got three weeks, and I intend to get a lot accomplished in the next three weeks. So running was one of them. The CPU running game has always been something that was easily shut down. You could call nickel, dime, and still shut down the CPU running game. So they're reading their blocks better, timing their runs, but they're a little more effective.

 

FBG: Have you done much to balance the teams more?

Luhr: I've been asked that. If you're seeing a large difference between teams like Washington and Michigan, that's a problem. But if you're seeing a difference between Miami and Miami of Ohio, that's what we want.

 

FBG: Last year, in Heisman, I'd find a linebacker would be running down like, the fastest player in the game, and not just because he was fast.

Luhr: That shouldn't be in the game. Your speed is your speed no matter what level you are playing on. The pursuit angles and how fast they react, that changes based on the difficulty.

 

FBG: So they don't instantly become smarter or stronger?

Luhr: Smarter yes, stronger, no.

 

FBG: So you just want it to be smarter players...

Luhr: No. Well, when you're on a lower difficulty level, your blocking will be more effective. It's not just awareness.

 

  Jeff had one last thing to say about Sports Illustrated. "It's something we've always wanted to do. I think it's very immersive, there's always something new.."

 

 

Yeah. I know you love me.

[Guest Flyboy]

Since the game will be released in July I thought I would bump this thread and add two new pics to it.

 

 

Can you say 'ownage'?

[Guest fazzle]

Sucks that the goalpost rippage isn't gonna be in the game anymore though.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

I can't wait to take one of my area teams (University of Houston or better yet, Sam Houston St. if it's in) and tear someone like Univ. of Texas a new asshole at home. Crowd yells "Over-rated", chaos ensues at the final gun, my coaching reputation goes up another star. Ahhh, glorious.

 

I hope they don't tweak the recruiting too much. It was actually my favorite part of the game. Although I wish they did have larger rosters. Getting a class of 17 5* athletes then having to cut half a dozen of them because there's no room sucks.

[Guest Flyboy]

Meh. I want to make Texas Tech or the University of Texas a dominant force just as I did in 2003.

 

I pre-ordered my copy yesterday for XBox.

[Guest The Tino Standard]

You know, they were ripping down goalposts in Madden '92.

 

Win the first round of the playoffs, crowd storms the field. Round two, they shake the goalposts. Round three, down go the posts.

[Guest Choken One]

Jesus...This game will OWN.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Good Lord I still can't wait. The new GameInformer had a release date of July 1 so I put down my preorder at the local Game Stop. Then I check around and saw that they pushed it back to the 18th. One very unhappy Victim here. Plus when I put my preorder down I sold my 2003 so I can't even go kicking around teams while I'm waiting.

 

I just hope Arc the Lad holds me over but it doesn't look like it's going to. I'm pretty sure I'm heading toward the big finish. Calendar is moving soooooo slowwww. I check this topic every once in a while just to see the pretty pictures *drools a bit*.

[Guest phoenixrising]

Calendar is moving soooooo slowwww. I check this topic every once in a while just to see the pretty pictures *drools a bit*.

Same here. Every time I play NCAA 2003, I think of 2004. I'm even planning when I'm going to get it, and it doesn't come out for another two weeks. I'm also already figuring out how I'm going to work doing the rosters. Probably UCLA's first, followed by Top 25 teams, then go by conference. Damn I can't wait for it to come out. I didn't pre-order it though so either I will have to get lucky or wait until there are more copies available.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

You know, they were ripping down goalposts in Madden '92.

 

Win the first round of the playoffs, crowd storms the field. Round two, they shake the goalposts. Round three, down go the posts.

Don't forget the fireworks that took place after the Super Bowl...

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Damn I can't wait for it to come out.  I didn't pre-order it though so either I will have to get lucky or wait until there are more copies available.

Eh I don't think that'll be a problem. It looks kickass but there probably won't be a huge widespread demand for it. With other games in the genre to split the demand, I imagine the bigger chains (Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) will have enough to make everyone happy. Only the smaller chains like GameStop might have trouble meeting demand.

[Guest Flyboy]

I believe the release date is now July 15th.

[Guest The Tino Standard]

July 15 sounds right.

 

Gamespot.com listed the release date being July 16, but that's a Wednesday. Doesn't everything get released on Tuesdays?

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Yeah DVDs and games usually come out on Tuesdays for some reason. I guess so everyone can get their weekend shipments on Saturday or Monday and get everything set up (shelf space, signs, advertisements, etc.). Still too far away though *kicks things around impatiently and goes to look at more screenshots*.

 

BTW Phoenix, how long does it take you to enter all the rosters? Man for 165 teams and 54 per roster that's gotta take a shitload of time for guys that'll probably graduate in a year or 2 or turn pro early. I guess it is better than seeing "WR #4" and shit like that on jerseys.

[Guest The Tino Standard]

Talking about filling in the names for the rosters...

 

I heard from my boss today (a total NCAA Football junky, mind you), that about a week or two after the game is released every year, somebody puts out a Game Shark file that has the name of every player in the game.

 

If you see me on here gloating in early August, you can safely assume this file is legit.

[Guest Flyboy]

Oh man, you can find files everywhere. You if you have an XBox with Action Replay, it's very easy to get roster updates and such. I already have Excel files for all the teams and incoming players as well.

[Guest El Satanico]

I dislike the "no name for real players" rule, but I'd never waste the time it takes to name all of them. It only lasts for 5 years and I'd rather just wait.

 

However, I do rename the team I'm using in franchise mode.

[Guest MrRant]

Eh... I usually create a school and I get names.