NCAA March Madness 08

Developer: Electronic Arts Sports

Platform: PS3, PS2, Xbox 360

Rating: 3 stars

By Matt Gelb

Sports Editor

Leave it to EA Sports to find a way to mess up Erin Andrews.

Every male’s favorite ESPN sideline reporter was added to this year’s March Madness 08 game to provide in-game commentary. Her insights are well-placed during the game and not repeated each half.

There’s only one problem. We never see the cyber rendition of Andrews.

That’s the feeling for the entire game. Sure it has improved, but it’s not quite there yet.

The newest touted feature is ‘Dynamic Post Control,’ which allows the user to have more control over the players in the paint. While the intent is admirable, the end result is a slowing down of the overall game. And really, is that a fair simulation of today’s college game? Probably not.

The 3-point shot is still too hard to make. There aren’t enough players with high ratings in 3-point shooting, which is hard to believe. In real life, the college game is more and more dependent on the outside shot. Why focus on the post play?

On the visual side, ESPN has taken over. There’s the score and ticker, ESPN news updates and all of the front-end graphics have the ESPN brand name on them. It gives the game legitimacy, but it’s no more than eye-candy.

The Xbox 360 in-game graphics are stunning. EA deserves applause for the way the designers have handled the arenas. Duke’s Cameron Indoor is detailed to the finest element, including the correct retired jersey numbers and names hanging in the rafters. The player faces still are lacking, but there are licensing issues there, as usual. The graphic enhancements haven’t completely carried over to the PS3 edition.

If you’re looking for a true basketball sim, March Madness 08 is glaringly deficient in this department. For some reason, EA still doesn’t have teams’ actual 2007-08 schedules programmed into the game. Jim Boeheim apparently scheduled Southern California and Michigan State for this season. I think not. How hard can it be to get the real schedules?

The roster ratings are off, but proof that there’s no ACC bias: North Carolina’s player of the year candidate Tyler Hansbrough, a junior, is rated as an 83. Freshman Michael Beasley is an 83; Kevin Love and Eric Gordon are 82s. How about some deference to experience?

A cool new feature for basketball nerds is the addition of the NIT and McDonald’s All-American game in dynasty mode. And, the clutch option to intervene in a simulated game at halftime remains.

EA updated only the next-gen versions of the game, so PS2 players are left with a repackaged farce. The overlays and controls remain the same from March Madness 07 (and no, Andrews didn’t make the cut in the PS2 version). Basically, it’s a roster update.

In all versions of the game, the game play hasn’t changed enough besides the sometimes confusing Dynamic Post Control. And while that’s somewhat of an improvement, it’s not enough.

Maybe next year there will be less Dick Vitale and more Erin Andrews.

An even more animated Jim Boeheim: The Daily Orange compares the real Syracuse Orange basketball squad to its virtual counterpart

New Duds

Fear not, EA Sports has mastered the art of the form-fitting jerseys in March Madness 08. Working closely with Nike, EA designers developed a new model for the uniforms, and Syracuse’s new duds made the cut.

Live at the Loud House

That’s not all. The Carrier Dome court is replicated almost perfectly (down to Jim Boeheim’s signature on the floor). EA Sports focused on developing the arenas graphically, and the Dome is proof of that.

Where’s Arinze?

Arinze Onuaku is mysteriously missing from Syracuse’s roster. The starting center is Rick Jackson and the only backup is the now-departed Devin Brennan-McBride. Eric Devendorf is the Orange’s highest-rated player at 77. Freshman Donte Greene is a 75 and doesn’t have the 3-point prowess he does in real life.

Kickin’ It Old School

Syracuse has one team out of the 74 new classic teams added to the game – the 1987 Final Four squad. Rony Seiklay’s only rated an 82? Come on. For some reason, the 2003 national championship team didn’t make the cut.

– Matt Gelb, sports editor

Published on January 16, 2008 at 12:00 pm