#1 of 2008: NCAA Football 09

by pastapadre
Posted December 29th, 2008 at 9:23 am

The NCAA Football series has always filled its role as the first football game of the year effectively holding me over until Madden. I’m more of a fan of the pros than college so there is more attachment to Madden. Once that was released I’d turn my full attention to it even though in many cases NCAA was a better game.

That was the case until this year anyway. NCAA Football 09 introduced Online Dynasties which changed the course of sports gaming and how the games can be enjoyed. I’m still playing NCAA to this day in multiple dynasties and have barely touched any others sports game over the last two months. That displays just how much value NCAA 09 offered.

The dynasty setup bypasses the difficulties of leagues in that you can have a dynasty that consists of teams that rarely have head-to-head games. Scheduling becomes less of an issue. Teams also always have something to play for. Even if they aren’t in the National Championship hunt there is always building for the future. This allows dynasties to continually progress at a smooth rate. Basically you have the interaction and competition by being involved with other users without the frustrating elements that have plagued online gaming. That would be mainly taking a larger member dynasty into consideration. It should not be forgotten that many of the active dynasties out there consist of 2-4 close friends where more head-to-head may be appealing.

Tiburon delivered the wide open gameplay that was promised with NCAA 09. It still seems to lack some of that “anything can happen” feel as the game leans towards offense but in more of an efficient manner than a big play one. There were some well documented gripes such as the ineffective pass rush, overly accurate QBs, and over-powered kicking. Despite that scores and statistics were realistic when using six minute quarters even with the “wide open” gameplay. Most importantly the games remain fun to play.

NCAA Football has always taken a backseat to Madden. This is the year where it really surpassed it though. While Madden remains somewhat stale avoiding any risks, NCAA took a big innovative leap by adding the Online Dynasty. Not only did it make it my top sports game of 2008 but it stands as a barometer for all future sports titles to live up to.

#1 NCAA Football 09
#2 NHL 09
#3 MLB 08: The Show
#4 FIFA 09
#5 NBA Live 09
#6 NBA 2K9
#7 Madden 09
#8 Blitz: The League II
#9 NFL Tour
#10 Tiger Woods 09

Tags: latest news, top 10

JALEN

NCAA FOTBALL IS GREAT BUT TAKE OFF MASCOT MODE. HAVE ALABAMA J.WILSON ON THE COVER.

swizzy jr.

Hey swizzy my pizzy are you five? you arn't from the hood. you arn't even black! your white as a gohst. Quit the act or i''ll call the cyber cops!

Play Online Games

I disagree with your choice for number one games because FIFA 2009 is much better than NCAA Football 09 as FIFA 2009 is the real football.

David Backes

I got it today!<saturday Jan.3> it's amazing i thought Pasta was crazy for putting it over NHL 09 but Now I can see why! the Campus Legend Mode and dynasty(s) are the best

Eheh

my game of the year also im still playing it because of online dynasty

Mark

To game would be so much better if they updated the rosters. A LOT of players improve in college, so updates would be nice.

David Backes

To:cabrillo24 Thanks for all the info on NCAA football 09! I'm buying it Saturday. Is the offline dynasty fun? I only play online once a week, but I'll still start a dynasty.

Thanks again

kbshowtyme

I agree NCAA is a good game but I didnt give it a chance I been so busy playing Madden which grew on me. Im renting NCAA again

droopy34

ncaa has set the bar,now we want online franchise for madden and live,hopefully we'll get it soon.

cabrillo24

I think that's the direction EA is going in.

JHeb

Anyone who thinks NCAA 09 is joke or whatever must be the type of person who is never satisfied. NCAA 09 is great. It's the best NCAA yet, by far.

J.R. Locke

No thanks. NCAA football is the worst game at representing the NCAA experience. THe playbooks are laughably pathetic. The defense is atrociously simple. There is zero strategy involved in the game....I am appalled that this game is ranked #1 by anyone.

Online franchise I agree is something that everyone wanted and they delivered but the core gameplay is terrible and the presentation is beyond boring.

ferris

i got this game for christmas and i love it. i never realized how much of a difference there is between ncaa and madden until i played my brother in both of them back-to-back and i realized how much better ncaa plays. it just feels better playing. also, are there any spots left in your online dynasty patsa?

pastapadre

Right now we're set but feel free to check back with me within the next couple weeks.

cabrillo24

This is a game I'm going to have to revisit. In the past I'd rush through NCAA football before Madden would be released. Even though I did enjoy Madden it didn't have the longetivity I was seeking. I really do miss the owner mode, which would keep me playing multiple seasons.

Kent

NCAA FOOOOOOOOOOTBALLLLLL

James

good #1 choice... Ncaa deff surprised me this year, now all they have to do is polish the gameplay and add to the presentation and atmosphere

Kevin

I think NCAA 09 Demo was the best. The gameplay on that was awesome... oh well...

Anyway the PS2 versions of NCAA and Madden are also VERY fun especially for sim gamers.

cabrillo24

Pasta,

Could you put up a poll for game of the year for the readers possibly using your top 10 list. Think this could be a good way to end 2008 on PastaPadre.com

JHeb

No doubt about it, NCAA was the best game of the year...The online dynasty took this game over the top. Madden is stale. It's draft scenario and scouting is WEAK! I probably won't but it in '10 if they don't make dramatic improvements in the offseason stuff, draft, etc.

TMW

Wow, I agree with most of the list but I personally HATED this years NCAA. So many features still missing, the gameplay still feels incredible unresponsive to me, and the presentation as always is horrid. The NCAA series used to be by far my favorite of any sports game out there, but over the last 3 years I have grown to despise it. Its gone from best to worst IMO.

West Coast Willie

MLB 08 The Show is hands down the best sports game out! To put NCAA College Football 09 over it is a TRUE insult to REAL gamers like myself.

You should really be ashamed of youself Pasta. I hope EA paid you a fat bonus.

cabrillo24

I think many more people felt that NHL 09 was the game of the year. Everyone has an opinion, and no one single person's opinion is the end all be all, so please step off your soap box.

Quo

Dead on, Pasta! NCAA is so much better than Madden this year... and it's by far the best sports game of the year, with NHL 09 coming in 2nd. The rest everyone can argue all day long.

NCAA just gives you more flexibility in gameplay. Want to play against humans? Set up a big league. Against AI, but want to manage? Set up a small one.

There's no argument on the little issues the game has, and I like how you've readily admitted that. Even moreso, EA once again dropped the ball on a few key elements... online intergation with their website is somewhat weak and they bungled the player transfers/players leaving thing pretty bad and just refused to fix it. That's EA for ya, and that's why they suck as a corporation. All in all, though, this game is great. Better than anything out there, so kudos to the programming team.

AmenRa

just limit the people in the dynasty. to me 8 is the maximum reasonable number

fatdave

I agree, i would like to see the use of double jersey numbers for 2010, other than that i never had a complaint about the series.

S1lenz

The only problem is collegial sports are the only sports that have enough teams where you have a situation where very little head-to-head competition. You wouldn't be able to do this for any pro sports because in a league like the NFL, for example, where there's only 32 teams, and with a dynasty of 20 players, most of those teams would be quickly taken up by real players.

With 100+ teams in NCAA, it's easier to have AI controlled teams.

thetruth34

Yo pasta I got live over the weekend the animations aren't as good as 2k9 but the halfcout game and ai is by far the best since inside drive a very underated game, the way they run plays and teams truely play to there real live counterparts it nice, hopefully then can get the animation I little bit better next year, I love sports games and I don't have time to advertise for 2k and EA like some of these guys on ur site they don't pay my bills 4 me to do that.

My number 1 would have been fifa

Keith

Gotta keep those free "paid for by EA Sports" trips coming, huh Pasta? Nothing like a little old school payola to place EA garbage ahead of a true next gen sports game like The Show.

pastapadre

The Show is great, no doubt. But like NBA 2K9 its tough for me to justify what is many ways is half a game with damaged online play experience. Online elements are a big part of what I get out of these games and when those are poor it affects my feeling on them a great deal.

you

if you don't like it...leave...stop cryin

matt

whn is the madden roster update coming out... playoffs are here afterall

Badluck

great choice at number one.. i still play NCAA although i wish my connection didn't suck so i could play a game with out it lagging and disconnecting every time. i would definitely get into online dynasties...i feel like im missing out :(

cabrillo24

Are you playing wireless? If so, check the channel you're using on your router, you should either be using 1 or 11. Hope that helps.

AmenRa

LOLOL Swizzy why these haters on yo nuts playboy lololol

swizzy

LMAO da nerve of dem COWARDS tryin 2 use sum SUCKA SH...talkin like he a KILLA

HA HA HA HA HA

DEY CAINT HOLD DA SWIZZ MAN DOWN

YA DIGG???

pat Oak

Swizzy I am offended by your stupidity

swizzy

I SWEAR 2 many H0 M0's B HEAR
ya'll probably take turns DRINKIN da THROAT YOGURT SWAPPIN & ISH ILL

Kevin

I swear you're probably from white suburban Michigan, you're a straight A student, and your mom drives a minivan, you probably have never sworn in real life because you think its wrong, and you are probably a really nice kid in Junior High.

Nobody from the hood brags about being from the hood dumbass.

Chaf

Or he really is some douche bag gangster and really is that dumb

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