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Publisher: EaSports
Sport: Football
INTRODUCTION
There are some things I have to get out of my system before I get into the semantics game. I
have been a die-hard fan of NCAA Football 98, yes it had its problems but I enjoyed it
because of the total college atmosphere it had to offer. NCAA Football 99 was one of the
games that I had been desperately waiting for, so before writing this review I had to play it
enough so there would be no biases towards the game. So, before I continue to jabber let me
get down to business.
GRAPHICS - 95
NCAA Football 99 has the best graphics that I have yet to see for a football game on the PC.
That is if you have a 3dfx card. Unfortunately, if you don't have a 3d card then the sprite-based
graphics look exactly the same as NCAA Football 98. The 3dfx graphics are very nice, the
players look crisp and clear and you can see the player names visibly on the back of the
jerseys. Everything seems to be very solid and precise, the players actually have real faces
and look pretty nice. Basically, if you want to see the true power of the graphics you will need
a 3fdx card.
INTERFACE -80
The interface has some problems; I feel that there are too many different menus to navigate
through. First you have to create a user then create a dynasty user. Maybe its just me but it
took me a while to figure out exactly how to start a season. The manual is horrible also; I did
not even know how to create or edit a player until five days after I got the game. Although, it
sounds like I hate the interface, you really have to get used and deal with it.
GAMEPLAY - 97
The one thing that NCAA Football 99 does have is gameplay. You have the choice of playing
an exhibition game, dynasty, practice mode, tournament, great games and of course modem
and LAN game. You can also view your entire user stats and personal records against the
computer and your buddies. The practice mode is a nice add on that really helps in my
opinion. Great game takes you back in history and lets you replay some of the eighty greatest
games in history. Tournament mode simply allows you or your friends to pick a team and try
to go at it. Its nice to go head to head against sixteen teams hoping you comes out on top.
Believe me, I tried it and it took us about three hours before I lost in the championship game.
Dynasty mode is where gameplay shines in NCAA Football 99. After picking a team you go
through a season hoping to reach the championship bowl game win the national title. Things
get interesting after the season is over. First of all, you get to see where all the players got
drafted and in what round they went in. Some players can even leave after their junior year!
Once all that is over with you get to view the returning starters and get to recruit players.
Recruiting players is based on what your team needs. You get to allow a certain number of
points for a particular position. The more points you allot to a position, the better chance of
landing a blue chip player. If you had a great season then you will receive prestige points
meaning you will have a better chance of landing a blue chip player in comparison to a solid
performer or contributor. On the other hand if you had a horrid season you may get
contributors or bench players meaning less skilled players. After five years with a particular
school or earlier depending on your record, the school may renew your contract or fire you. If
you get fired you can either retire or accept a job at another school and try to build a program.
The amazing thing about dynasty mode is you can go unlimited amount of seasons meaning
never ending gameplay.
AUDIO - 90
There is no color commentator in NCAA Football 98. However, play announcer Chuck White
does a great job. The play by play is done with precision, and the echo makes you feel like
you are at the game. The college football fight songs add to the atmosphere, there is nothing
like hearing the Florida State fans yelling the tomahawk chop. I absolutely love the
introduction and menu sounds; it really feels like you are about to play a college football
game. It's really a great experience you get excited just listening to all the chants and fight
songs.
DIFFICULTY - 90
Okay NCAA 98 had some major problems, I mean you could run up the score at will. The
computer is smarter. Even on varsity mode the computer can offer a legitimate challenge.
You could easily win a couple games into the season, then all of a sudden you play a team
and you may find your self down a couple points. On All-American mode things are quite
hard, the computer AI really picks up on defense, no longer can you continually get those
screen passes to the running back. I have found the running game quite difficult, I mean
expect three to four yards per carry, though it seems as if the linebacker is just waiting to
crush you every time. One thing is for sure; there are not any money plays on offense. If you
run the same play more then two times consecutively the third time the computer will catch on
and completing a pass or running for long yardage will be more then difficult. However, I have
found a few money plays on defense. I highly recommend getting a low rated team and trying
to win a championship, it will add to the difficulty and you are likely to enjoy it more rather than
stomping on your opponents almost every time.
OVERALL - 90
NCAA Football 99 is good solid game. It is the best college football game available for the
PC in my opinion. Although the game is not perfect and just a few changes could have further
enhanced the game. However, the bottom line is if you like football this game is a must have. I
highly recommend NCAA Football 99.
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System
Requirements
Required:
Win95/98
Pentium 166MHz
5MB,16MB RAM
4X cd-rom
DirectX 5 or higher
Recommended:
Pentium 200MHz
32MB RAM
10MB+
8X cd-rom
3Dfx Accelerator,
8 button gamepad
Cons:
- No in game save
feature during the
dynasty game,
you can only save
when playing in
exhibition mode.
- Questionable AI,
even with patch.
There are some
defensive plays
that will easily
sack the QB
- Interface could
have been better
- Edit and create
player feature
could have been
better, its tedious
going through
each skill at a
time.
Pros:
- Great dynasty
mode
- Excellent
gameplay
- Love the
announcing for
when you create a
player from one of
the last names
Chuck White has
pre programmed.
- Great college
atmosphere.
Coolinfo Bottom
Line
If you like college
football, this is a
must buy.
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