Review: 'NCAA Football 2002' busts through

From...

By Uncle Dust

(IDG) -- Using high-quality, Madden-like presentation and gameplay, EA Sports' "NCAA Football 2002" is the total package for college football. Its outstanding looks and stellar controls make it a heavy favorite to win the championship.

All the thrills and intensity of the college gridiron are wrapped into a tight package in "NCAA Football 2002." This game features 144 Division I-A and I-AA teams, and 26 Bowl games -- and is the only one with BCS standings and the Sears Trophy. Plus, you get an amazingly deep Dynasty mode, with in-depth recruiting and statistics for each and every team and player.

Everyone knows it's not the features that sells a sports game; it's what it does on the field that counts -- and this is where "NCAA Football" excels. Built on the celebrated "Madden" engine, "NCAA" goes beyond its PlayStation past and delivers a custom-built collegiate feel -- from hundreds of team playbooks featuring tons of plays to mascots on the sidelines cheering on their teams. Taking a page from the "Madden" book, the game features a Campus Challenge in which you earn points for gameplay goals to unlock secret teams and cards, which adds plenty of replayability.

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Whether you're looking to lead a new dynasty or enroll yourself in the college football team of your dreams, "NCAA Football 2002" is the ultimate experience. Strap on that helmet, put on your pads, give yourself a scholarship, and get into the game! And I mean now!

• Graphics: 4.5 Impressive stadium models, detailed players, smooth animations, and even realistically populated sidelines -- you've never seen a college football game look this amazing.

• Sound: 4.5 This game truly captures the sound, spirit, and hysteria of college football from the cheering crowds to the marching bands, and the play-by-play commentary is also very good.

• Controls: 4.5 You'll easily be able to juke, jive, dive, tackle, and anything else you'd want to do in football. Play-calling (even down to audibles) is also simple and straightforward.

• Fun Factor: 4.5 If college football is your game, then NCAA Football 2002 is the real deal. This game has everything from sharp presentation to a deep, involving Dynasty mode -- it's the big man on campus.