NCAA basketball games (question)

[Donatello]

So, this is going to sound awfully n00b, most likely, but I'm okay with that. I'm also well aware that I could google/etc and find answers to this, but I have no immediate need for an answer and it could be a decent discussion point here. So here we are.

I'm not into NCAA basketball. NBA is all I've ever watched or been interested in. Same goes for video games. I've never touched a NCAA game. NBA Live for years, and now the 2k series (and NBA Jam/Street/etc, but those are a whole different category, of course).

What are the main differences I would notice between the NBA games I/we are used to, and a NCAA game? I only know the basics like the differences in the length of the games/halves/etc.

I ask because I noticed NCAA games are dirt-cheap used at my local GameStop (the new one is only $19 after member discount), and was considering playing a player through college and then importing the draft class into NBA 2k8. But I don't want to do it if the differences are too great to be able to pick up the NCAA game and get into it fairly easily.

[JaoSming]

College Hoops 2kX has usually been a decent clean up compared to the NBA 2k release. CH2k7 > NBA 2k7 for instance. Other than that, not many gameplay/atmospheric differences.

With March Madness you get a pretty different type of game on the 360 compared to Live 08. It is based off the PC/PS2/Xbox engine and plays similarly to that as well. Players show a lot more emotion and you can taunt opposing players/crowds/mascots ect or show off with them making the gameplay pretty different.

On the PS2 it is a refined version of the 2005 Live engine. Shorts move and the entire crowd is 2d. (yet MM03 had a full 3D crowd and you could break the backboard...please explain why that shit cant be kept year after year) The PS2 version does have new/better celebrations than CG Live but they don't really compare to the 360 version. Also, the only thing different between the MM07 and MM08 games is literally ONLY the roster.....that's it.

[Donatello]

Ooops, I shoulda clarified a few things. I'm talking xbox360, and the 2k side of things, not EA. Good to have that other info, however.


Thanks Jao.

Hm... I have NBA 2k8. Do you happen to know if you can you import draft class from an older version, College Hoops 2k7, for example- to NBA 2k8? Or does it have to be the newest version?

[JaoSming]

i thought you could, but I guess it was CH2k6 > NBA 2k7 that worked.

but draft classes from 2k7 do not work in nba 2k8 because they added new ratings.

BTW, a great resource for you would be www.operationsports.com if you didn't already know of it. That is where momentousceltic and a bunch of other big 2k ppl hang out.

And if you don't know who momentousceltic is, then *slap*

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHfft-CPVV8&fmt=18[/youtube]
(PS, HQ YouTube Video embed test)

[jonthefon]

Momentousceltic's stuff is absolutely amazing. I remember his "Shaq Free Throws Diss", that was funny.

[Andrew]

Anyone wanting a college basketball video game is out of luck here in Australia. As I understand it, there's some issue with the licensing rights for the NCAA outside of North America that prevents it from being released here. Hopefully, those issues will be resolved one day, at least for 360 users who don't have the luxury of region-free hardware. I believe PS3 users can just import the game from the States.

[Donatello]

Shoot. Just to clarify though, College Hoops 2k8 ----> NBA 2k8 draft imports work, right?

That sucks, Andrew.. if you're into american college basketball, that is.

[JaoSming]

Yea they do, 2k wasnt dumb like EA and didnt take that feature out

[Andrew]

That sucks, Andrew.. if you're into american college basketball, that is.

I wouldn't say that I am, but I'd still be interested in checking out the games. It might even pique my interest in the college game.

[Donatello]

That sucks, Andrew.. if you're into american college basketball, that is.

I wouldn't say that I am, but I'd still be interested in checking out the games. It might even pique my interest in the college game.

Yeah, that's how it was for me with the NBA. NBA Live got me into the NBA, I was thinking (besides the obvious 'cool factor' of important a draft class), that it might do the same for me with NCAA basketball.

One thing that's always kept me away from NCAA is the fact that the teams change completely at least every 4 years, usually more often than that. But.. with the trade atmosphere in the NBA the way it is now.. it's not really much different

[Andrew]

Coverage has always been fairly limited here in Australia which is the main reason I don't really follow it. ESPN Australia does show a few games though, particularly around this time of year (as any NCAA fan would hope ).

[Donatello]

Heh... I went into GameStop last night to buy College Hoops 2k8... and walked out with Smash Bros Brawl.

[JaoSming]

hm, i got that last week but havent played it cause my gf has the wii. once I get my apartment up and ready wanna try it online?

[Donatello]

hm, i got that last week but havent played it cause my gf has the wii. once I get my apartment up and ready wanna try it online?

Sure. I have to at least reach 'noob' status first... right now I'm at 'lolbuttonmashingisfun'.

[Skills]

I kind of perfer NCAA better.
There's no TRUE star for a team, so it's always exciting.
By the way, you made a good choice getting Brawl
The only problem is that Ness dude pisses me off too much.

[SpaceFlare]

Coverage has always been fairly limited here in Australia which is the main reason I don't really follow it. ESPN Australia does show a few games though, particularly around this time of year (as any NCAA fan would hope ).

I used to have a hard time following american college hoops. I have to rely on the games ESPN decides to show now and then, and sometimes they aren't even very entertaining match-ups.

I'd recommend signing up for March Madness on Demand for those who have difficulty catching games. It's free anyway.

http://www.ncaasports.com/mmod/welcome