Many of you think Todd Billet's game-winning three-pointers will come to an end after this season. But with "NCAA March Madness 2004," you can relive all the highlights of this season as well as start your own basketball dynasty.
"NCAA March Madness 2004" builds on the franchise's success with new and improved graphics, updated rosters, enhanced controls and insane added features.
The game boasts smoother player and crowd features, taking the look of "Madness" to a whole new level. You can easily tell who your favorite player is, even without his jersey number icon.
The newer version provides updated rosters, uniforms and stadiums to fully immerse you in the atmosphere. From University Hall to the Dean Dome to the No. 1 ranked Stanford Cardinal Maples Pavilion, the arenas are crafted beautifully and only augment the whole college basketball experience.
The most striking difference and best upgrade are the controls. With the freestyle controller (right analog stick), you can crossover, spin-move and dribble around your opponent with ease, making them look like a rookie.
The new "layup/dunk" button adds even more handling. Now you'll be guaranteed to wow your friends by dunking in their faces, instead of pulling up for lazy jump hooks that plagued previous installments.
The "pro-hop" button allows you to drive in the lane and pull up either for a signature Michael Jordan fade-away or throw it down with your post players. Seeing Elton Brown pro-hop and dunk on Sean May of UNC never looked better.
Of course, no basketball game would be complete without the "alley oop" button that can send the room into cheers and deject your opponent after he gets mashed on.
You can instantly call preset plays on offense and defense, further adding to the players control over the game. From running the pick and roll to implementing full-court pressure to forcing turnovers, this greatly adds to the feel of the competition and makes "Madness" as real as a college basketball game can get. Virginia's 2-3 half-court trap was instrumental in my upset against Duke.
What pushes "March Madness" into the upper echelon of games is the immense replay value. With the Dynasty Mode, gamers can recruit high school players, buy new facilities and control almost every aspect of their teams to ensure their ascension from Mid-major Cinderella to a perennial Final Four powerhouse.
Gamers can now play a more active role in coaching the team by having in-depth scouting reports on opponents. Only by through preparation can the average player be ready for Duke or Wake Forest's arrival at U-Hall.
More added features include Frat Party and Mascot games, adding a well received comedic value. The "Rivalry" games provide a forum for some of college basketball's greatest and most intense contests, including Duke versus UNC, Louisville against Kentucky, and Arizona taking on UCLA.
Fully utilizing the Playstation 2's capabilities, "March Madness 2004" also has online capabilities. Now gamers can take their skills and trash talk to the information superhighway, playing with friends at home and around the world in personalized games or massive tournament-style competitions.
However, "NCAA March Madness 2004" is not without its faults. Even with all the impressive controller changes and additions, gameplay itself can get a little bogged down. An inordinate amount of turnovers and odd camera shifts can cause the player to get disoriented.
As much as the gameplay itself has improved, the opposition the A.I. applies sometimes just does not seem fair. From making ridiculous shots (even for a video game) and shooting unheard of percentages, the game somewhat loses its real-life feel. As much as he might contest it, the 6'10" and 245-pound Mike Matthews of Florida State cannot shoot 60 percent on three pointers.
Despite some of the unrealistic features of "March Madness," the game does exhibit the characteristics to make it a great basketball game. Thanks to late-night Duke/UNC matchups, I have had have had a fun factor near 10.
Whether playing by yourself and taking U.Va. or your personally-created university to the national championship game, or crafting multiplayer tournaments with friends, "NCAA March Madness 2004" delivers the winning three-pointer for being a cool and fun video game.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
