There are still issues even after messing with the sliders. The animations are just plain poor. You don’t need spot-on graphics to make a fun sports game but you do need animations that don’t get in the way of things. The dunk animation has a tendency to simply take over and you’ll see players leap from just inside the foul line and perform an impossible dunk or layup. It’s particularly frustrating on defense when players move to help when you don’t want them to. If I am controlling the center and want to guard the paint – the game shouldn’t move him when I don’t want him to move. The game has a real issue with this and it’s highly annoying.
However, there are areas in the gameplay that are a refreshing change from the 2K series. Players actually get open looks at the basket. This is something more basketball game designs need to nail down properly: bad defense does happen, and it need not be due to "bad AI." Here, a screen might open up wide open 3-pointer or a player might simply be slow to get to an open man. It happens in real college (and pro) ball every night and NCAA 09 does a fine job in that regard.
Recruiting is a bit on the light side, but it’s not the lack of depth that is the problem, as you can make the case that 2K’s game was way too detailed and it slipped into tedium. The problem with NCAA is again realism. Do you care that Navy might sign three 5-star blue chip recruits? Do you care that the sim engine produces crazy results? Just like College Hoops 2K, there are way too many shocking upsets every year and it starts to throw the seasons off kilter. The integrity of the behind the scenes game isn’t a big deal to every gamer but if you want your college hoop game to reflect today’s game...well--it doesn't.
It's natural to watch the Selection Show on TV and get the urge to play some college basketball. Right now, your best bet remains College Hoops 2K8. That said, problems aside, NCAA Basketball 09 is a positive step. While I can’t recommend the game at $60 simply because it’s superior than previous EA attempts, I can say that it might lead to a better series down the road. You have to start somewhere, right?
