NCAA March Madness 98 was the first installment in the NCAA March Madness series. It was released on February 25, 1998 for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Coach K College Basketball. Former Wake Forest player Tim Duncan is featured on the cover.
| NCAA March Madness 98 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts Sports |
| Series | NCAA March Madness |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Sports, Basketball |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Gameplay
editNCAA March Madness 98 uses the crowds as a gameplay mechanic. A "Momentum Meter" responds to a team scoring consecutive baskets or making a big play, upon which the crowd roars and the players of the momentum-gaining team receive a temporary boost to their abilities.[1]
Development
editNCAA March Madness 98 was built with a revamped version of the NBA Live 97 game engine, utilizing that game's animation data with the addition of a few new motion captured moves from Tim Duncan and others.[1] Developer Electronic Arts consulted with collegiate coach Lou Carnesecca in designing the game's artificial intelligence.[2]
Beta versions of the game featured a Conference Tournament Mode and a Dynasty Mode which let players manage and play using a team over a number of years, requiring them to replace graduating seniors with freshmen players.[1] Both of these modes were left out of the completed game due to time constraints.[3]
A PC version of the game was in development but was cancelled.[4]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 76%[5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    [6] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.125/10[7][a] |
| Game Informer | 7.75/10[8] |
| GameFan | 88%[9] |
| GameRevolution | B+[10] |
| GameSpot | 6.9/10[11] |
| IGN | 6.5/10[12] |
| Next Generation | [13] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [14] |
Most reviews for NCAA March Madness 98 were mixed. Critics widely agreed that the game succeeded in capturing the fundamental differences of college basketball, with more evenly-matched players than standard basketball video games and all-around more team-oriented play.[3][7][11][12][13] GameSpot said that the game "lets college basketball fans who understand the college game apply what they know, like running a good half-court offense and changing up defenses to keep teams off their rhythm."[11] IGN applauded, "March Madness is built on the premise that if you absolutely love the crazy high created in the post-season games of college basketball, and you love real team ball and all of the strategies that come with it, you should go head-over heels for this game. A full court press, hand-baskets of fast passing, recognizable offensive formations, and evenly distributed talent in each of the players are characteristics that make this game great."[12]
However, critics also concurred that the use of the NBA Live 97 engine resulted in a game which is graphically outdated, particularly against its contemporary NBA Live 98.[3][7][8][11][12][13] Next Generation added that the enhanced animation of NCAA March Madness 98, when run through the aging NBA Live 97 engine, results in a lower frame rate that makes the game feel slow and choppy.[13] IGN described the graphics as "surprisingly blurry, fuzzy, and as muddy as any Nintendo 64 game."[12] GamePro was more forgiving, saying that though the graphics are not as polished as NBA Live 98, they do not detract from the excitement and gameplay.[3]
Most reviewers described the A.I. as being challenging and in particular resistant to the strategies which normally work in pro basketball video games,[3][8][12][13] but Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and GameSpot both found the defensive A.I. is too weak.[7][11] EGM and GameSpot both also complained that the crowd noise is underwhelming and unrealistically quiets down shortly after a dunk.[7][11] Multiple critics praised the innovation of the momentum meter[3][7][11][13] and the inclusion of women's teams,[3][7][12] though IGN added that the impact of having women's teams is blunted by the fact that they play the same as the men's teams.[12]
GamePro gave the game 4 out of 5 in graphics, 4.5 for both sound and control, and a perfect 5 for fun factor, summing up, "To win consistently in MM, you need to learn the intricacies of the game, from executing successful give-and-gos to calling the correct offensive and defensive sets. The end result is unparalleled depth, realism, and, more importantly, fun."[3] By contrast, Next Generation called it "an overwhelmingly mediocre game in which what was done well is overshadowed by shortcomings."[13] EGM were more in the middle, saying that the game could have been much better in more than one area but was still a worthy effort at recreating college basketball which was worth buying.[7] Game Informer similarly said that it was not a top end basketball game but would satisfy fans of college basketball.[8] The game held a 76% on the review aggregation website GameRankings based on four reviews.[5]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 7/10, and the other game it 7.5/10.
References
edit- ^ a b c EGM staff (January 1998). "March Madness 98: EA Finally Makes a 32-Bit College Basketball Game" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 102. Ziff Davis. p. 90. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ The Rookie (January 1998). "NCAA March Madness '98 (Preview)". GamePro. No. 112. IDG. p. 111. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Rookie (April 1998). "College Hoops Madness Is Finally Here". GamePro. No. 115. IDG. p. 88.
- ^ Kaiafas, Tasos (February 18, 1998). "No Madness for the PC". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 5, 2000. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "NCAA March Madness '98 for PlayStation Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "NCAA March Madness '98 - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kujawa, Kraig; Hager, Dean; Rickards, Kelly; Hsu, Dan (April 1998). "[NCAA] March Madness 98" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 105. Ziff Davis. p. 100. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "March Madness 98". Game Informer. No. 60. FuncoLand. April 1998. Archived from the original on September 9, 1999. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ Justice, Brandon "Big Bubba" (April 30, 1998). "REVIEW for March Madness 98". GameFan. Metropolis Media. Archived from the original on June 5, 2000. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ Zimring, Jason (March 1998). "[NCAA] March Madness '98 Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kaiafas, Tasos (March 11, 1998). "NCAA March Madness '98 Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on January 4, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Perry, Douglass C. (February 25, 1998). "NCAA March Madness '98". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "[NCAA] March Madness '98". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. p. 136. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ Maruyama, Wataru (April 1998). "[NCAA] March Madness 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 7. Ziff Davis. p. 82. Retrieved July 3, 2023.