NCAA March Madness 2001 (PS1): A Deep Dive Review
The NCAA March Madness series has been a staple for college basketball fans on the PlayStation. The 2000 version of March Madness helped the series take a giant step forward, and this 2001 version reinforces its status as one of the best hoops series on the PlayStation, college or otherwise.
Every year there are more basketball games released for consoles than I can count on my fingers. The NCAA March Madness series first appeared on the original PlayStation, with NCAA March Madness ‘99. It was soon followed by March Madness 2000 and then 2001.
While it has its share of shortcomings, March Madness 2001 packs enough variety and fun to make it the champion of Playstation basketball. This isn't just an upgrade my friends, it's the real deal.
Gameplay and Controls
Everything from shooting a free throw to running the lane works well in the game. There's really not much to complain about this year. The game pretty much features all of the options and features that made last year's game one of the most feature rich in the history of sports videogames and has simply added to it to make it even more robust and playable than ever before.
However, even with the game's wealth of gameplay modes and excellent sound, the developers' failure to provide analog support and to improve the game's frame rate really hampers the franchise.
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Visuals and Presentation
Visually, the game has been significantly improved. The developers have pumped up the already solid frame rates, and the gameplay is also considerably faster, with quicker moves and more responsive controls. The player models and the arenas have also been enhanced. Although the players are identified only by their jersey numbers, most are visually identifiable by their body shape, posture, and facial features. There are over 150 detailed arenas in the game, complete with team-specific colors and logos. The player animations are also more fluid, when compared with those in last year's product. Rockets guard Steve Francis was motion-captured for the game, and his quick, flowing style is evident in the new dunk and dribble animations.
Sound and Commentary
The team-specific chants and bands return in March Madness 2001, and they bring an authentic college basketball atmosphere to the game. In fact, the developers have incorporated actual school fight songs played by the actual college bands. Adding to this true-to-life college hoops feel, Dick Vitale's repetitive commentary has been replaced by the two-man announcing team of Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. The result is commentary that is more in tune with the on-court action, and Raftery's "the kiss" call on bank shots and his signature man-to-man remark meld seamlessly with the flow of the game.
Game Modes and Features
As with last year's version, is highly customizable - even more than the brilliant NBA Live 2001. Players can compete in exhibition games, custom tournaments, the women's sweet 16, the all-time teams fantasy tournament, and the dynasty mode. New to this 2001 version is the coach mode, which is a part of the game's broader dynasty mode. In coach mode, you take a job at a small school, and you must meet certain criteria throughout the season, such as finishing with a winning record, winning 25-plus games, and defeating a ranked team, among others. Successful completion of these tasks can lead to jobs at higher-profile programs. Naturally, the bigger the school, the tougher the coach's challenges.
EA added the new coach mode and polished an already stellar game into the best college hoops simulation for the PlayStation. With NCAA March Madness 2000, Electronic Arts' college hoops series took a dramatic leap forward. It added several gameplay options, including such robust features as the dynasty mode, women's teams, 20 historical men's teams, and customizable gameplay options such as shot difficulty, block frequency, and steal frequency. It established March Madness as one of the most feature-rich sports series on the market, and it also solidified the series' reputation for solid play mechanics. This season, EA added the new coach mode and polished an already stellar game into the best college hoops simulation for the PlayStation.
AI and Gameplay Quirks
Despite the robust features set and the solid visuals, March Madness 2001 does have some flaws in its gameplay. The AI, particularly on offense, still makes some silly mistakes - it'll throw the ball away too frequently or take the quick jumper without setting up a play and finding the open man. Additionally, the computer-controlled players have terrible floor spacing. Instead of spreading the floor and rotating the ball, players are usually bunched up around the lane. This phenomenon is particularly aggravating when playing against match-up zones, where the aforementioned floor spacing and the ball rotation become more important.
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On the defensive side of the court, there are entirely too many blocked shots on the default setting. Even if the frequency of blocked shots is turned down, there are some quirky collision detection problems between the player and the basketball that result in unrealistic swats. For example, it isn't uncommon to see defensive players block jumpers while they are standing several feet from the shooter.
Transition Game
However, March Madness 2001 shines in the transition game. With the game's intuitive controls, it's easy to run up and down the court, shooting jumpers and driving to the hoop. On the break, the shooters spread out to the wings and cutters find the lanes to the basket - it's rewarding to set players up for easy buckets. So, despite its nagging AI problems, March Madness 2001 is fast and fun to play.
Reception
- Positive: 5 (56%)
- Mixed: 4 (44%)
- Negative: 0 (0%)
Legacy
Shows brief glimpses of that old EA excellence with its new dynasty mode, but sadly, the overall game slides weakly into the realm of substandard. Besides a few cosmetic changes, nothing appears to have changed from last year's game. People buying MM2K1 who own MM2K are probably being suckered into purchasing a $40 roster patch.
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tags: #ncaa #march #madness #2001 #ps1 #review
