Gameplay

Enough talk about play modes though, let's look at how the game plays. If you played last year's version it plays very much the same with a few additions, a major misstep from last year and some of the same old problems that have almost always plagued the series. While last year's version had solid special teams programming, NCAA 09 does not.

The short version is that kick and punt returns are broken. Even a mildly skilled player will be able to return punts and kicks back for a touchdown with little problem as the kick return AI is completely off. Broken kicking aside, the game still features a slew of plays that can result in big yards or one shot scores every time you run them. It's a problem that has plagued both Madden and NCAA for years and one that I wish Tiburon would address. However not all is bad with the gameplay and there are a few new additions that add to the overall experience.

The biggest change is the performance and composure level. Something that is often forgotten is that these aren't professional players. Sure some of them will go on to be professionals in the NFL but mostly these are just kids playing football for the love of the game, so it would be understandable that these players sometimes loose their composure. NCAA 09 does a great job of simulating this with the player performance level and the quarterback composure rating. Both can fluctuate during the course of a game, if your quarterback has been rattled you will get an on screen representation of his lack of composure in the form of hard to read plays or the lack of receiver information before a play. Of course if your player is "in the zone" you will be able to play better and it can also life the levels of the players around you.

This all ties into a couple new additions that have been made as well, including the Quarterback Quiz, which will launch immediately after you have thrown an interception. You are given three diagrams of plays and if you choose the correct defensive scheme your quarterback will maintain his composure rating but get it wrong and it will lower. Quarterbacks aren't the only ones who can be visually affected when their composure gets low, kickers are as well. Although to be fair their composure can only be affected in the second and fourth quarters when the opposing team calls a time out before a kick. When you "ice" or have been "iced" before a kick the camera will lower to field level making it much harder to connect on your kick. It's an interesting touch that adds to the pressure of the situation.

Graphics and sounds

Graphically the game looks good and it is an upgrade over last year's version but it doesn't look as good as Madden did last year. There have been upgrades to the tackling animations and gang tackles actually look like they are being performed properly. There are still a few hitches here and there, in particular the ball carrier ends up getting pulled down often times in a very unnatural way but it's nothing that detracts from the overall experience. Despite the player models looking great this year the stadiums have also received an overhaul and look almost perfectly like their real life counterparts.

On the sound front the game is a mixed bag. Once again the announce team sounds stilted and dialog gets repeated often but this is very much an effect of not being able to talk about individual players on a personal level. However the school bands all sound great and all the famous fight songs make an appearance on the gridiron and the actual in game action is spot on.

Solid game

All in all, while it is a slight step back from last year's superior version NCAA Football 09 is a solid football game. College football fans will probably get plenty of satisfaction out of the game and its robust set of modes and options however most may just want to wait for Madden, which will be out very shortly.