College Hoops 2K6 Review (no fat)

Game Description

Yet again, the unique atmosphere present at college-level basketball hits the Xbox. College Hoops, the NCAA basketball franchise, is back in a 2K6 feature-packed version that promises to be even better than its predecessor. Playing through College Hoops 2K6 includes a lot of facets, such as scouting players and eventually recruiting them, and ensuring that everybody performs well by using all the players in your squad and regularly conducting meetings to avoid internal conflicts and dissatisfaction.

College Hoops 2K6 Gameplay

In spite of all its additional features and modes, College Hoops 2K6 is your typical basketball game where your priority is to win matches, as you aim to increase your popularity so you can handle the biggest teams. You can perform all of the actions inherent to basketball such as passing the ball around to fool the opponents, stealing the ball whenever you’re the trailing side, or simply striving for incredible dunks instead of the less flashy regular shots. Unfortunately, College Hoops 2K6 doesn’t boast the infamous ESPN license, but this does not make such a huge impact on the game itself.

This new edition boasts the inclusion of a large number of teams for you to mess with, as well as a Selection Sunday highlight, whose importance in the game shouldn’t be ignored. In addition, more emphasis is now placed on recruitments, as you may now enroll players by attending training camps on a regular basis. Of course, it takes some time and exhaustive scouting for the stars to actually agree to play with you, but such things are actually possible in College Hoops 2K6. Moreover, the game is very demanding, as your targets can casually choose to ignore you even after you’ve invested a lot of time trying to lure them into your squad.

The game’s main feature is obviously its Legacy mode, where the multitude of options, decisions, and events to take into consideration is amazing. Starting with a small school, your objective is to literally build an empire out of it. You select what team you want to control, and once your choice is made, you stick to it as long as you want. You may move on to coach another bigger school when the opportunity to do so arises. Of course, you’ll have to earn a good reputation beforehand by winning games and turning lousy teams into competitive ones, as the jobs are rather hard to come by in College Hoops 2K6.

You are solely responsible for your team’s overall performance. Be charismatic, and your players will be positively influenced and motivated, thereby churning out wins day in, day out. Your duties thus involve conducting meetings to appease players who may feel they are not getting enough playing time. Plan your meetings wisely during the season to keep them under control and to keep a good mood within your team, and your dreams of being the supreme champion will be more easily reached.

This latest edition is no pushover, and the opposing teams are not to be underestimated however strong your current squad may be. Each college is actually worthy of its ranking, as the players proudly brandish an excellent A.I. You won’t find yourself rapidly breezing through the game because each team tries its best to ridicule you.

College Hoops 2K6 is also massively armed in the multiplayer department. With several leagues and tournaments to play online, the game benefits from an extraordinarily high replay value. There’s also the inclusion of the mandatory quick mode, which allows you to play a short match whenever you’re in a hurry.

College Hoops 2K6 Controls

The version’s controls have been improved, and the response time is excellent. An incredible new feature in the series is how you can now use the right analog stick to steal the ball, as opposed to the conventional X button. This new implementation works wonders, as you can now attempt to steal the ball by having your player literally plunge in a specific direction simply by tapping the analog stick in that angle.

Moreover, the same right analog stick can be used to fool your opponents by setting the direction of your shot when you’re in an attacking position. The standard button still exists for those who cannot adapt to the new system, which does take some time to get used to.

College Hoops 2K6 Visuals

Graphically, College Hoops 2K6 is impressive with its nice attention to realism. While the players are obviously generic, they nevertheless sport well-designed jerseys and a smooth lifelike animation. The amount of details sprinkled throughout the game is astonishing, as well as the huge palette of colors.

The stadiums are equally spectacular and full of details to make them as complete as possible, although, once again, there are a couple of exceptions, specifically for the lower schools. Of course, this does have the advantage of fitting with the game’s obvious objective of sticking to realism.

College Hoops 2K6 Sound

College Hoops 2K6 lacks the familiar voices of Jay Bilas and Mike Patrick, everybody’s favorite announcers, who are replaced by two lesser-known guys. While lacking the slyness and commitment of the ESPN commentators, the replacements nevertheless do a good job in spite of the nonsensical lines they continuously spit out.

College Hoops 2K6 boasts excellent sound effects, be it the crowd’s relentless cheering, the players shouting and grunting, or simply the typical noises found in a basketball stadium. The music appropriately fits the game, although it is far from memorable. The lack of a custom soundtrack option is, nevertheless, rather puzzling.

College Hoops 2K6 Overall

College Hoops 2K6 is an excellent basketball game and a definite improvement over its predecessor. The numerous options available and the addictive franchise mode make it a must for those who dig college basketball.

College Hoops 2K6 Cost

College Hoops 2K6 currently retails for $29.99.