Introduction
I have to admit one of the main reasons I bought this game was the price. A used copy I found for $4.99. If you already have NBA 2K6 you will find a lot of similarities. I will try to point out the differences when I can. I also try to not take into account not playing any of the subsequent yearly releases.
Game play: 7/10
The game is setup with fairly easy controls to learn to play the game. Offense setup is fairly easy to learn as with the defense controls. All basics moves are there. Passing is not complicated as all you have to do is face the teammate to pass the ball to. In harder difficulties you just have to be aware of the opponents in the way to force turnovers. Depending on the distance to the basket you have two types of shots to use to score. The same can be said for defense moves in stealing, jumping to block and intercepting the pass. While NBA 2K6 has you using NBA teams, in College Hoops you get to use all of the NCAA teams available. One very noticeable difference is the names. While the players have numbers matching the life like players, this game does not have the real names to go along with it. There are quick games, season mode and multi player options. In local multi-player the game allows you to have up to four controllers. I did not play this game online and thus I cannot comment on it.
Graphics: 7/10
The graphics are decent. The players all look unique like you can who are point guards (smaller) to the centers and power forwards (big guys). You can notice height, weight, skin tones and hair differences between the players. Not everyone is a clone with a face rendered on. Only the home crowd looks a bit two dimensional but they do wear school colors.
Sound and Music: 7/10
I like the in game sound as you hear sneakers squeaking and the crow cheering. The game doesn't have the popular name songs playing in the menus like NBA but they do offer some good songs.
Difficulty: 1/10 (Degree of skill to enjoy the game)
Basketball is a simple game. The game offers a variety of ways to adjust to your skill level. From changing rules to creating rosters you can adjust the game to suit your needs and help balance out matches between friends. Very easy to master the controls to enjoy the game without the views becoming bothersome.
Final Thoughts:
In comparison to NBA 2K6 it is virtually the same game so going with your favorite school instead of you favorite pro team or pro player is the biggest comparison choice you might have to make. While this is a dated game with subsequent yearly releases, you can find this game rather inexpensive everywhere and for the price it is a low risk to find out if you like the game or not.
3.0