First Encounter

I sat down with NCAA® Football 2005thinking the same thought I have with any new iteration of a sports franchise game: What is new and different? Previous titles ofNCAA Football and its older brother Madden NFL™ nailed the intricacies of football and excellent gameplay, so I wondered why I should try new versions. It turns out that evolution, not revolution, is the name of the game here. It comes down to the little tweaks and feature add-ons. Fortunately, this is where Electronic Arts (EA) has always kept a peerless track record, and NCAA Football 2005 is no different. Let’s take a look then at the some the additions that make NCAA Football 2005 a worthy investment.

The chaos of the game.

Field Match-ups
This has been a real thorn in the sides of football gamers for years. Your team is lined up, you know who and where your players are, but you don’t really have a clue as to who is lined up opposite them. Throwing to your star wide out is rarely a bad idea, but if the wily coach on the opposite side has matched up his all-American cornerback to shadow your go-to guy, you want to know this. This is where the match-up feature comes in handy. With a flip of the stick, you’ll see an on-field readout of not only the skill levels of your players and their counterparts, but their composure level as well.

Composure
Yes, that's right, composure. And, if you don’t think cool heads prevail in sports, you may want to take a long look at the how the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons artfully demoralized the Los Angeles “"et’s try to a buy another championship" Lakers in the finals (but I’m not bias). In NCAA Football 2005, each player has a composure rating, which is affected by different variables. Dropped passes, fumbles, getting sacked or pressured constantly, being smothered by a quality defender, or having the crowd shout out disparaging remarks about your mother are all factors that can affect players. On the other hand, playing well and with the full support of a raucous home crowd can do wonders for team confidence.

Just a bit of celebration.

Boo-Ya, It’s Sprinkler Time
Anyone who understands the above celebration reference is a true diehard football (specifically Seattle Seahawks) fan, but I digress. The point is, celebrations play a huge part in football, and this year you’ll be able to customize them on the fly. I pulled off a particularly tasty onside kick against a colleague the other day, and I just had to celebrate in my own annoying style. In other games, I would hope for a randomly generated canned celebration, but no longer. You can now toggle between player, mascot, and fan celebrations on the go. You’ll even be able to choose whether they’re mild or hardcore!

Big Hits!
I'm talking bell-ringin', helmet-poppin', you'd-better-cry-out-to-momma types of hits. No more pull-them-down-soft-and-gentle-like-a-lamb tackles. No sir, football is a rough sport, and the Big Hits feature brings that home. With just a quick tap of the white button, you can lay out a monster highlight-reel tackle. However, big tackles have big consequences, so if you miss, chances are you’ll be choking on turf as your opponent sails on by for six.

The possible result of a big hit.

EA + Xbox Live = Good to Go!
Let’s all take a moment to thank the good folks that merged EA with Xbox Live®. This announcement was so huge, Muhammad Ali himself even crashed the party. NCAA Football 2005 will be the first game to take advantage of this most wondrous of unions. You’ll excuse me if I do a little celebratory (customized, on-the-fly) dance won’t you?

Field match-ups, composure levels, custom celebrations, and big hits aren’t the only noteworthy improvements found in NCAA Football 2005. I didn’t even touch on the ramped up A.I., improved audibles, gorgeous graphics and animation, and the Home Field advantage features (that’s an article on its own). Don’t take my word for it, though. Try playing it yourself, and you’ll be the proud owner of a sore hand and blistered thumb in no time.

By Alex McLain