College Hoops 2K8 Review

Like last year's entry, 2K Sports' College Hoops 2K8 will appeal mostly to dedicated college basketball fans. Pro players already have the astounding NBA 2K8 available, a mildly better game in some aspects. That's not to say this isn't a fine companion to it, however. A couple of added features make it worth driving down the lane for.

What'll get your attention first is the new Play Designer feature. This lets you create your own offensive and defensive plays, no matter how off-the-wall they might seem. Better still, you can put them to the test against real plays in a practice run to see how well they execute, making tweaks along the way.

Sixth Man Advantage is another key addition. During a match-up, whenever your team goes on a scoring streak, the crowd gets more behind you. A meter builds up and sends them into overdrive (along with the confidence of your team) once you get way out in front, improving your shot accuracy. The problem, however, is that they can get too excited. When you shoot a few bricks and then make a couple of baskets, they whoop it up like crazy. A little more balance would make this feature more realistic. We do love some of the chants 2K comes up with, however. "You need practice!"

College Hoops' other new features are minor at best. Maximum Passing has made the transition from NBA 2K8. On occasion, however, you'll still screw up throwing to someone on the other side of the court. In addition, players icons change too quickly during the transition of a play. It's still an effective technique, but it could've used some tightening. Lock-On Defense also makes its debut, although it's somewhat unrealistic. Say there's a powerhouse shooter with twice the speed of a huge center, able to dart around him in real life. Here, the big guy manages to keep up with him without missing a step. Again, a little retinkering would've made all the difference.

The gameplay is still lively and kinetic, especially when it comes down to nailing a three at the buzzer or delivering a thunderous slam-dunk. However, there's still a huge inconsistency with lay-ups. More often than not, lay-ups are hard to complete -- even if no one's near the player trying to execute it. It's a mild issue, but one that nevertheless irritates -- especially when you're down big points.

2K Sports' college hoopster also puts a great deal of emphasis on coaching. You're able to make Coaching Adjustments during halftime, choosing from a list of pre-selected options. It has a good effect on the team's motivation, pushing them to score better as a result. Just make sure you make the necessary decision when it counts -- it can make all the difference between a win and a loss.

There's plenty to do outside of quick exhibition games. Along with the outstanding Play Designer mode, you also have Tutorial and All American Challenge modes. These put you into a number of scenarios to test your skills, including Maximum Passing and scoring situations. The All-American Challenge has fourteen activities of its own to put you through your paces, including shootout contests and the ability to match-up against better-known basketball pros. Online play also returns. Here, you have the option to upload your plays and team roster against others to see how you fare against the competition.

Legacy Mode returns yet again, and it's better than ever. Most of its aspects remain the same from last year, including drills, coaching decisions and the importance of performing well as a team. However, the recruiting system now involves an amateur basketball league, letting you pluck high school players right from the field. It would make a difference if actual high school/college players were available, rather than the generic roster 2K Sports generates (since NCAA prohibits the use of real pros and numbers).

Presentation mostly hits the mark. The graphics look good, representing the mantra of college b-ball. However, some player models are better looking than others, and the game occasionally slows down. With audio, the game has terrific (if overexcited) crowd noise and chants, college band music and realistic sound effects. The commentary team is robust as well. Vern Lundquist and Bill Rafferty are a lively duo, supported by Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg in the studio along with Tracy Wolfson on the sidelines. Not only do they keep up with on the on-court action, but they also note small items, such as when coaching changes go into effect and when a team hits a "hot streak".

College Hoops 2K8 has a little ways to go before it can catch up to its big brother, NBA 2K8. The lay-up issue is in desperate need of a fix and the graphics require more effort. However, when it comes to getting into the spirit of college b-ball, designing masterful plays and coaching tomorrow's hopefuls, 2K Sports still knows how to score.



Final Score: 8/10