NCAA 2007 Has Huskers Winning 10
Each year, college footall season starts in mid-July. Well, at least the virtual one does. Video game developer Electronic Arts recently released NCAA Football 2007 for several consoles including Playstation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360. The past few iterations of the game have received very positive critical acclaim. Some gamers even claim that the NCAA series has surpassed the Madden NFL series as THE football game to own.
NCAA Football is perhaps best known for its ability to capture the spirit of college football. From cheerleaders to stadium noise and crazy mascots, everything that makes the college football atmosphere special can be found in the game. This year's edition even features a new momentum meter. The meter fills up after big plays to swing the balance of the game in favor of one team or the other. Any fan of college football knows how momentum can truly affect a game, so the meter is a welcome addition.
NCAA does an excellent job of rating teams and players relative to their real-life counterparts. Every division I team is in the game. Each team is granted a number of "impact players" who can catch fire and put their personal mark on an individual game. Nebraska is rated #20 in the game (first in the north division). The scarlet and cream's impact players are Adam Carriker, Terrence Nunn and Stewart Bradley. I don't see how Zac Taylor could be ommited from this list. If there is one position that the Huskers cannot afford to lose a starter, it's at quarterback. However, this is a minor quibble. If you play well enough as Taylor in the season, he can become one of your impact players.
If NCAA 2007 has any powers of prognostication, the Cornhuskers are in for a pretty successful season. After a simulated season, Nebraska went 10-3 with losses to USC, Texas and Texas A&M. Zac Taylor ended up 5th in the Heisman voting, and we defeated the mighty Terrapins of Maryland in the Gatorbowl. I don't want to say I'd be too satisfied if this all came to pass (BCS bowl or bust), but I could certainly live with those results.
Gamers who own more than one game console might want to consider which version of the game to purchase. Be warned: the Xbox 360 version may look the prettiest, but the rest of the game is pretty stripped. There are no impact players or defensive hot routes, and it is missing the create-a-school, campus legend, scrimmage and co-op gameplay modes. The 360 version also has the longest loading times. But, if you can look past those faults, it's still a great pick up for any college football fan. I should mention the 360 version also contains three mini-games not present in its PS2 and Xbox counterparts.
The PS2 and Xbox versions are feature packed (containing everything missing from the 360 version). The decision basically comes down to whatever controller you like the best- I prefer the PS2 controller thanks to the four shoulder buttons.
As the old saying goes, a gamer who loves college football but does not have a copy of an NCAA Football game...umm, is not a football gamer at all? Well, I think that's how it goes. Anyway, do yourself a favor and get this game.
There are more screenshots at IGN
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