For Only the Hardcore
Though it has been a couple of years since NCAA Football has graced the PSP, not much has changed in the meantime. It’s still the same game you remember, albeit with a few new features added to give PSP owners enough reason to do away with their 07 version and pick up 09. However, depending on how eager you are to have the latest college football game on your handheld, small differences may not be enough to sway more casual fans of the series.
The newest addition to the game is what EA calls Freshman Mode, which is a simplified quick game for those less familiar with NCAA Football gameplay. It automatically recommends play setups for you by flashing their choice, similar to the Ask Madden feature in their NFL series. Also in Freshman Mode, injuries, fatigue, and penalties are completely shut off and field goals require nothing more than hitting X to get a perfect shot every time. Playing as the QB, instead of marking individual players with different buttons for passing, X will pass to any player and when you hit it, you will automatically pass to the most open man to ensure you get it in his hands. On the defensive end, fumbles and interceptions are frequent and will have you quickly returning back to offense. The mode is also available on the PS2 version, though it’s called Family Play and is obviously intended for children and people who don’t normally play video games. Freshman Mode, however, on the PSP is actually a bit too easy when played solo and it makes me wonder about the importance of including it on the handheld. It’s not likely that children would be interested in playing an NCAA Football game or you’d be getting your family involved on your PSP, though I suppose it’s a nice option for those just learning how to play. It definitely is a less stressful alternative to the standard modes included in the game.
For those who know the ins and outs of NCAA and football titles alike, the rest of the modes require you to use all the buttons you can handle on offense and defense and lots of formation possibilities. There are lots of modes to try out as well, though nothing out of the ordinary. Dynasty Mode allows you to do all the things you would expect, as you build your franchise from the ground-up. There’s also the returning Campus Legend, Points Pursuit, Rivalry Game, a Practice Mode as well as online capabilities and a few other things to toy around with. Playing a normal game in any of the other several modes will have you making good use of all your buttons while quarterbacking, running with the ball, kicking, defending the line and in pursuit, calling audibles and doing all the things it takes to win. If you’re already familiar with the very in-depth button setup, you will have no trouble getting back into the swing of things after the two-year hiatus of playing NCAA Football on the PSP.
One thing I did notice is how difficult it can be to get a pass off from your QB. The mechanic for passing seems to be incredibly slow, and you’ll find that you will sometimes have to wait a couple of seconds for your QB to release the ball after you hit a pass button. When under serious pressure from the defense, you may have to pass it off before you are ready to avoid getting sacked knowing how leisurely the QB throws. I’m not sure if this is a framerate issue with the amount of on-field activity or just the QB’s animation, but it took several times of getting blitzed after rapidly hitting the same button to get rid of the ball before I realized something was up.
Some of the tackle animations are pretty humorous, as defenders run over the man with the ball and there seems to be a lot of variety, especially with the amount of tackles you can perform with dives, ball strips, and hits. However, many animations seem to be a tad too familiar and even reused from past NCAA Football titles, from touchdown celebrations to cheerleader dances. In wide shots of the stadium, crowds seem to not move at all, as you see thousands of blurred people completely motionless in the stands.
The game does often focus on several fans in the crowd in-between plays, however. They are the same character models no matter which stadium you play in, but are wearing different clothes and face paint to support their home team. In Hawaii, they can be seen wearing Hawaiian T-shirts for instance, as they perform chest-bumps and hold up various signs for a bit of added humor to the game.
Though looking at panoramic views of the audience is a tad lifeless, the audio of the screaming crowd adds to the level of excitement and emotion of college football games, and home field advantage plays a big role in NCAA Football 09. Commentary by Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and Brad Nessler is actually very well done and full of variety while playing, and the loud, brassy collegiate music adds to the college football atmosphere.
In all, it feels as though not much has changed in the couple of years gone by since the last NCAA Football title on the PSP. Depending on how eager you are to play the latest version, you may want to hang on to your 07 title or even the latest Madden installment for an equally entertaining football experience on the PSP. While NCAA Football 09 isn’t getting a negative review here by any means, as EA continually delivers unparalleled football titles, there aren’t enough additions here to make older versions unplayable in comparison.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
Players and stadiums look good on the PSP screen, and when viewed from a distance, it actually looks more like a television broadcast than a video game. More attention could have been given to crowd movement. 3.6 Control
Freshman Mode offers an extremely simple alternative to the otherwise detailed controls of the other modes included, though is unnecessary for experienced players. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Collegiate music and stadium ambience add to the excitement, while detailed commentating avoids repetition. 3.0 Play Value
There is simply not enough reason for gamers to run out and purchase this title if they own previous NCAA titles or recent Madden titles for the PSP. However, it is still a good football title with a decent amount of play value on its own. 3.5 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
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