A Quick Look at NCAA March Madness '07

This review for March Madness 07 is for the Xbox 360, it is worth noting as a friend of mine has played it for the Playstation 2 and said to me that it was far inferior to this one. Now that we have that out of the way, I will state that the game seemed to release a bit later than it should have. Most sports titles release before the start of the actual season, not halfway through it.

The first thing noticed when first firing up this game, is that it seems to borrow heavily from Electronic Art's NBA Live title. The graphics and sound borrow heavily from NBA Live, and that should be considered a good thing. March Madness looks fantastic. The stadiums feel alive, the wooden floors are reflective and the characters are sharp as well. The sound is also pretty impressive as the stadium sounds can be very immersive, especially if you have a surround sound setup.

However, that is where the comparisons between this game and NBA Live mercifully come to an end. Sure, some of the controls handle similarly, but NCAA March Madness 07 plays far better. One aspect of the game that can be particularly entertaining is the way momentum works. A player's composure can cause them to shine at the end of a big game, or to become the goat. This is something NCAA Football has made use of in the past, and it was genuinely entertaining to see it used in this fashion for a basketball game.

Like its football cousin, Electronic Arts' March Madness has a deep dynasty mode, and I always enjoy the off-season a great deal. The recruitment process can be lengthy, but also enjoyable when you get to make use of your new players on the court. Last but not least, there are some solid online options found in the game as well. While that is not my thing personally, it should be right up the alley for those players who like their living competition.