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Overview
I'd really like to get understand a little more about the game development process, I suppose, so maybe I could know why so many PC sports games are seemingly developed for console game players like Sega or Nintendo. It's that spinning field of view that gets to me. Then again, I don't know anyone who really likes the camera spinning around the arena on console sets, either. So what I'm trying to do while I get to the point is be fair to GTE's NCAA Basketball by saying that I don't know of any good sports PC games that take place in cramped little arenas. The only arena game I've ever liked was on 16-bit Sega; in fact, I still play that game: EA's NHL '95.
Nonetheless, GTE has done a very nice job on an arena game despite the limitations of PCs, and if your niece or nephew is screaming for a PC basketball game this Christmas, this would be a decent choice. Unfortunately for those of us who like a little bit of football in our basketball, though, NCAA Basketball is not the kind of game where you can just get the ball, zigzag to the hoop and jam -- it actually requires a combination of skill and luck to make it in this game, and I knew I didn't really have what it took when I was Number 1 ranked Arkansas and I lost to my basketball-anemic alma mater, San Diego State -- ranked dead last at number 64. It wasn't pretty, and no, it wasn't my first game.
Gameplay / Interface
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This game is not easy. There are a few reasons. One is the fact that on anything smaller than a 17' monitor, ten guys on the court is at least four too many, Dr. Naismith be damned. It could also be due to the fact that -- even on bench-warmer mode -- those guys are fast, and unless they're contending with a hangover from last night's frat party or they got a pre-game blow to the chops from Coach Knight, for them, the arena isn't spinning. In fact, gameplay was so fast on my P5-100 that I wondered if something was wrong. It was super-fast on all three machines I tried it on, though, so I guess it's just meant for non-epileptic kids or for late-night study breaks when you need to wake up.
The controls, either through joystick or keyboard, are intuitive and customizable, but I couldn't really figure out whether my players' not responding to my commands was based on their ranking, or was a flaw in the gameplay. How many times did I want to shout at my players: 'Jump! I said jump, you stupid punk! You get your ass in the air or I'll send you back to daddy's farm and you can shuck corn and slop pigs for the rest of your life!' Well, whatever it is, it's frustrating. And it happened to the Razorbacks as well as, when, in a fit of overconfidence and school spirit, I decided to shoot for my lowly Aztecs. Sometimes I wondered, though, whether I was yelling at the wrong punk, and my highlighted player was actually jumping somewhere off screen or behind a bunch of taller guys.
That off-screen area does seem to come into play, so to speak. It's particularly frustrating when you're trying to inbound the ball after the opponent just dunked on you -- occasionally you have to just count on someone being there, just off-screen, when you hit the pass button because the five second clock is ticking. And there's no such thing as a planned fast break, because if you can't see the guy 15 feet away you're trying to inbound the ball to, you're certainly not going to see that guard breaking for the football pass at midcourt.
I'm sure several of these items could be helped if you got good enough. Set it up so that you control more of the details (I kept it on computer-assisted passing). Maybe that's incentive enough for people to buy this game -- if you just get too good too fast and most games can't keep your attention, this is one that will keep you busy for a long time before your Aztecs beat Arkansas on 'All-American' mode.
Graphics and Audio
The sound and video effects are, without a doubt, the coolest part of this game. Though you have to hit return through five or six screens before you get to play, if you appreciate what it takes to create decent multimedia sequences, it's worth it. The video is almost television quality, mimicking a dramatic pre-game intro and CBS' 'At the Half' show. The audio is not annoying, even at its worst. At its best, it's amazing. Effects are accurate, and the music, play-by-play, and crowd noise are very well done and overlay cleanly. It's a far cry from the most annoying audio I've ever heard -- the five or six Robin Leach-esque screams you have to endure while playing Destruction Derby.
System Requirements
DOS and Windows 95 compatible, 486/DX2-66, SVGA card, 8 MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive, 100% SoundBlaster compatible sound card, mouse
Recommended: Pentium, 4X CD-ROM drive, 16 MB RAM, joystick
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Bottom Line
Overall, I think I could grow to like this game a lot; it's definitely a high-skill game you won't easily grow out of. It does have a few downfalls that can't be fixed by a large screen -- occasional lack of player responsiveness, rotating field of view -- but if you've got the right equipment and don't take drugs, you probably won't be bothered by the game's worst features. If you're a patient coach, you have good speakers, a 21' monitor, and lots of practice time, you'll rock.