Visual Concepts is known for their excellence in the sports genre. I have followed their 2k series since they debuted on the Dreamcast in 1999. Now under the ownership of Take2 Interactive, Visual Concepts is out to prove they are still a major player in the sports genre. Visual Concepts has been placed in the 2k Sports division alongside of Kush games (NHL 2k6) and Indie Built (Amped 3). Would Visual Concepts put forth the same quality basketball game as they did with NBA 2k6?

College Hoops is practically a brand new game when compared to last year's game. The controls have been changed, the legacy mode has been fleshed out, the computer A.I. plays closely to their real-life counterparts, and play calling is a little easier. I want to cover the controls first and with that in mind, I have to speak about the shot stick. Having played NBA 2k6 already, I was already comfortable to jump in and play College Hoops with an easy transition. The shot stick is configured to the right analog stick. Those who have played several installments of this series remember that the right analog stick originally was used for the juke and dribble maneuvers. To execute a great crossover now, you’ll have to put yourself in the appropriate stance (right or left trigger buttons) and tap the left analog stick from right to left to perform the crossover properly. This system of jukes and maneuvers is the new improved iso-motion system.

This iso-motion system is harder to grasp a hold of. You’ll find that you’ll pick up the ball more often than usual and get stuck with trying to find an open player. The system isn’t as user friendly as the old but it does provide thrilling moments in the game when it is done correctly. Crossing over to juke out an opponent and then effectively back spinning around an opponent for an aggressive dunk couldn’t be any more fun than doing so in College Hoops 2k6. The first few times you play, anger will set in due to that it isn’t easy to perform the high-flying dunks and spins as you used to. Once you become comfortable, you’ll want to show everyone your moves on the court.

Back to the shot stick though, you can carry out different shots with this new function. If you want to hit that fade-away jumper, tapping away from the basket will allow that shot to reach for the skies and hope to beat the buzzer. Different dunks can be slammed down by the shot stick also. When driving, pressing forward on the shot stick will create an aggressive in your face dunk you always wanted to do to your opponent. The biggest factor in which the shot stick plays is in the post game. In older iterations, I felt posting up never made it’s way to playing authentically like the real life game. Using the shot stick while in the post is quite efficient. Performing fall away jumpers, head fakes, and just flat out dunking on the opposition can be done at any time. The post game plays out like a chess game now and I love it.

Perhaps the biggest letdown for me though is the free-throw mechanics. It is now basically on how you press down the shot stick and the timing of how you release. There’s no on-screen presentation of your timing or power. You’ll be lead to only watch the player and his form until the shot is fired away. If Visual Concepts would have made a visual representation, it would be enjoyable to use.

A new aspect added that isn’t in NBA 2k6 is the “Coach’s Clipboard.” When you call a timeout, the clipboard will pop up to assist with player substitutions, offensive and defensive adjustments, and pick new plays for your playbook. This setup helps out the user so there aren’t menus that you have to wade through in order to put in a defensive stopper or a three-point shooter.

Legacy mode is the primary hot spot that every hoops player will find themselves dwelling deep into. Recruiting is expanded for those who wanted initiative control of their team. Recruits are ranked with primary and secondary attributes. The attributes include – intelligence, potential, athleticism, and their overall skill. Sending assistant coaches and scouts to watch these recruits will benefit your research on which player is best for your team and offering them scholarships to your school. There’s a twist though; if you send your coaches and scouts all out to recruit, who’s going to stay in the office to watch video tapes of the upcoming team you are about to play? Big decision is it not? Of course you’ll want to split up time between scouting other teams and the recruits for next year’s freshmen for the team. The downfall with the recruiting portion of the legacy is that if you don’t do all the scouting yourself, it’ll barely get done on its own. The computer doesn’t seem to help out at all to help bring in new incoming players to replace those starters that could be heading off to the pros.

College Hoops 2k6 isn’t as presentable as its bigger brother, NBA 2k6. NBA 2k6 is a beautiful game regardless of which system you pick it up for (especially the Xbox 360 version). College Hoops on the other hand is a mixed bag for all the consoles (not yet out for the 360 but is on the developer’s plate for next year). Player models don’t represent authentic college players at all. What I mean by that is that some of these players you’ll be using to hoist up a last-minute shot look like they are book nerds. The models are a huge downgrade from NBA 2k6’s incredibly sleek-looking players. They are blocky and aren’t lush with detail as they should be.

The audio isn’t anywhere’s near acceptable. The announcing crew this time around is Bill Raftery and Verne Lundquist. Bill Raftery hands-down needs to go if they are to make changes again to the announce team. Lundquist did an adequate job but couldn’t lift this team any higher when Raftery kept dragging it down every time he spoke. The sound effects are decent but nothing that is worth bragging about. All the standard squeaking shoes and rim-rattling noises are present.

In the end though, College Hoops 2k6 is a worthwhile game if you haven’t played NBA 2k6 yet. If you already have, you can pick this up and play without any trouble. Disappointment will set in when you realize that this feels all too similar to NBA 2k6 but isn’t as nearly fun nor easy on the eyes. The graphics need to be improved on the next time around and Visual Concepts needs to find chemistry in their next announcing team they hire.

Gameplay: 7.8
Don’t want to keep repeating myself but if you have played NBA 2k6, you essentially have played College Hoops 2k6 already. Just you’ll be playing with players from college with fake names of course. The shot stick is here, the weird free-throw system is present and crossovers are difficult.

Graphics: 6.0
The horrible crowds and courts should show you that this isn’t the game you should be picking up if you are wanting gorgeous visuals from your graphics department.

Sound: 5.0
If you thought John Madden was hard to listen to after a horrible passing play, just wait to you hear Bill Raftery provide his thoughts when you miss a dunk. Replace Raftery and maybe next time the announcing team will sound decent. Often times I found myself muting the television or turning the announcers' voices off during the game.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
This ranges from easy to medium for one reason. If you have played NBA 2k6, it will be easy to play. If you haven’t yet, getting used to the free-throw system and shot stick may take awhile. Plus the subtraction of the easy crossovers may discourage players from giving College Hoops more than one outing.

Concept: 5.4
Take the NBA 2k6 engine and try to provide enhancements along the way? That doesn’t take a genius to figure out the math of a College Hoops game as such. I’ll give them credit for the recruiting and scouting portion of the game, which sure was fun for the time being.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The multiplayer experience usually consists of novice players picking it up to play against the aged veteran who owns the game. That’s hardly any fun for the novice player. The real fun is when veteran players face off against each other and wage some war on the court.

Overall: 7.4
Don’t let the sound and graphics score dissuade you from buying this game. Even though they aren’t a site to behold, they barely detract gamers from using their favorite college teams to pit bitter rivals against each other. Who wouldn’t be attracted to play as Duke against their number one nemesis, North Carolina. If you are looking for a graphical prowess to be found in your college hoops game, look elsewhere.