GameCube

NCAA Football 2005

I was disappointed in last year's NCAA for a few reasons. The main one was that I felt that the game artificially created too many big plays in an attempt to replicate the feel of college ball. Ironically, this title is all about creating that same atmosphere, and I couldn't be happier about how NCAA goes about doing it.

GamerDad believes sports games are among the best to play with kids. Competition and complexity intertwine beautifully in video-Football and EA Sports does everything possible to teach the game to new players. Parent and child can even play co-op versus friends or the AI, and bond throughout a long season of play.

Excellence is simply expected with EA Sports - college-football series, and like the sun rising in the east each morning, NCAA Football 2005 shines brightly on the gridiron once again. Along with some razor-sharp tuning of last year's little flaws, this year's powerhouse posts big numbers with new features that bring home-field advantage to life, add a layer of depth to Dynasty mode, and even add a touch of humor with customizable signs for fans in the stands.

NCAA Football 2005 is a bit of a conundrum. The series has always been great -- in fact, it's been my favorite football game the past three years -- but it's never managed to be superior in graphics., sound, or gameplay compared to Sega's 2K series or EA's own Madden. It's never better on technical merits, but always seems more fun. That tradition looks to continue this year as NCAA Football 2005, despite some nice feature additions, remains Madden's little brother. Though it will provide endless hours of fun, the series is beginning to show its age.

The inclusion of Home Field Advantage is a great feature, and really strengthens the strategy of the game when coupled with the Match-Up Stick. Unfortunately, these two things aside, too much of the game plays, looks and sounds like NCAA Football 2004. This is unfortunate, considering that with a more substantial amount of features, EA could’ve finally put the nail in 989’s sputtering Gamebreaker series, especially since they didn’t release a title this year.

While NCAA Football 2005 could still use a bit of a graphical overhaul, and the running game still needs some help, the additions of Homefield Advantage and the Matchup Stick really add a lot to the game. Although there isn't any online play, the game is still a lot of fun if you've got a friend around. If you've got even an ounce of school spirit, this is the game for you.

Summer has barely gotten into full swing, and Electronic Arts has already released its newest college football game, NCAA Football 2005, out of the gates. The developers at EA's Tiburon studio have added a number of interesting new features to NCAA Football 2005 that help distinguish the game from Madden. Unfortunately, the added effects these new features have are tempered by the fact that the game has failed to evolve in other important areas--namely presentation.