My Experience with this game (like no other)

[biglami]

When I first got this game, I thought it was crap and hated it. I put it on my shelf and didn't touch it until I got this college hoop craving. And I played it again, and still thought it was crap, but thought to mess with the following settings:

1) Brightness/ Contrast: Outta the box, I feel like I am playing in a graveyard at dusk. But with the right adjustments, this game is RIGHT!!

2) Camera: I don't like being right on the court because I just can't see everyone. So I went to OVerhead, zoomed out, and it's nice.

Now, I think this game is awesome. I wonder how many people tried this game, thought it was crap and got rid of it without making these or other adjustments. I know my best friend did, which sux b/c he is a formidable opponent.

[Rebels10]

can you change the brightness/contrast in the game? I dont want to be able to change my whole tv settings for one game...i totally agree with what you said about the brightness.

[Behindshadows]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rebels10

can you change the brightness/contrast in the game? I dont want to be able to change my whole tv settings for one game...i totally agree with what you said about the brightness.

yes you can..do it from the settings menu or during the game pause and you should be able to.

[Rebels10]

Thanks...i must be blind--cant believe i missed it.

Hopefully, that will make the change i need for this game. I made the switch from 2k...that gameplay engine just got old for me.

I will say this game does grow on you--i am still trying to get used to the controls bc it plays much different than 2k.

[Rockamakis]

I too switched from the 2k series. It definitely takes some getting used to. Overall I like the game there are only a few things that bug me with this game.

[biglami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rockamakis

I too switched from the 2k series. It definitely takes some getting used to. Overall I like the game there are only a few things that bug me with this game.

Video games are like women in this regard. You just gotta find one or a few whose flaws are not that pronounced, and are in areas that are not that big a deal to you. I agree this game is far from perfect, but is Big Lami's pick for hoops game of the year. Past winners:

NBA 2k8 (360)
Ch 2k3,4,5,6,7 (xbox and 360)
NBA live 99 (n64)
March madness 98 (ps)
Coach k and NBA live 95 (co winners) (genesis)
Lakers v celtics (genesis)
Double dribble (nes)

[FunkDockta27]

I do have to sa i loved CH2k8 on PS2...not so much on PS3...got March Madness for PS3 this year...and yeah it grew on me...thought for sure id play more CH2k8...not so much tho

didnt play any of the pro games this year...no surprise really tho, as im more on top of the college games, than pro games anymore...except for baseball of course...

[LastEncore]

Yeah i hated it at first but because it did the weirdest things

1.Passing: It would pass to the craziest person it could find, oftenly down court or across it often resulting in turnovers. Solution: Began indefinitely using the RB to pass now.

Nitpicks:It takes a second from reactions. When on fast-breaks it delays you a bit to go through a string of reactions to pass. RB, Look at the button above the players head then press the button, finally the pass then take the shot. Instead of simply pressing A to pass and slamming it in. More often then not now I just use A when there's only one guy so it's only a small problem.

Second Issue: From time to time the RB menu lingers above players or doesn't linger long enough. If you press RB the buttons pop up for a second a two meaning you need to pass almost immediatently or risk or turnover. I've shot from half-court or took a lay from the perimenter 3 or 4 times because the buttons left so quickly as I second guessed my passing decision.

Third: Lingers...so now after having it fade away to quickly you get into a small rhythm of holding the button to decide for sure we're your going to pass it. Sometimes though you'll hit RB hit Y to get it to the PF which will be a clear shot under the goal and you'll hit X or B and pass it right back out to the small forward or shooting guard simply because the buttons were still above his and didn't go away either by human error of still holding it or soimply because it was lingering two seconds like it always does so again it wrecked your play.

Verdict:The RB has the benefit of direct passes always to who you want. But delays reaction and causes weird things to happen where you shoot when you want to pass or pass when you want to shoot.

The A button is just to random though in the heat of a game so i guess we have to take the problems of the RB. Make the A button more precise EA. Again though the more I play the easier and quicker I get with the RB. It's become a faster pass similar to the A pass but will unfortunately never top it on reaction time. Oh well.

2.Fouls. My god I used to get charging calls like crazy. I'd simply post up back up once and get a charge. Or take a drive to the lane begin to lay up a guy jumps and gets hit by me and for somereason I get a charge for a guy who was in the air. Well luckily this problem gets fixed by either turning down charging(which I hate to do because it also turns down Block fouls which is actually pretty decent) or adjusting to the game knowing how the charge system works and working around it. As I have learned. No longer did I post up and push back. I know post and begin to jostle with the RS until I can lay a drop-step, a turn or some sort of up and under. Anything really besides backing up.

3.Turnovers and the Zone...

Yup the CPU just gets broken in half by the Zone. I mean if I played a 20 minute half I'd wind up with over 39 turnovers in a half. Woooooooh...that's alot of turnovers.

Remedy: Sliders. Ros's* offered on this very site did wonders for the zone and made it more or less not a instant CPU turnover destroyer. Other fixes come in the form of simply playing less zone (shouldn't be a option, but is if you wish to enjoy the game).

Steals though on the Human side or as inconsistent as anything. I can't how many times the ball has gone through my face or hands or when I hit X simply nothing happened at all. Multiple times online* or against the CPU i'll be right in the passing lane hit the button and like black sorcery it would fade through me and re-form in the hands of the opposing team. Yeah...

FIX:There isn't a fix here, it's become better with time as my reflexs have gotten better and the way I aligh myself in the lanes has gotten good enough to the point where I can pick it off easier. It wasn't ever really a game killer, but it did cause frustration in close games. Overall though it was alleviated by Slider changes again and when playing humans, well it's a balanced playing field anyway.

4.Dynasty

Yup this almost broke my down. The craziest brackets formed my first two years with teams like grambling getting into the 3 seed with 18-14 records and teams that had only played like 20 games that year making high seeds. And some teams would be upset in simulation by teams tons better them in regular season or in the tournament. Memphis hasn't lost a C-USA game seriously in 4-5 years if I can recall correctly. Yet for some reason they went 6-12 in conference play my first dynasty year. The Tournament was all messed up in general...

Solution:Well you either stop caring...or get far enough into your dynasty that you believe that anything is possible...it's what I did and the dynasty is not a few pints better as far as belief goes.

Pro Player: Everyone from every time leaves for the draft all the time. My player on my team, guys with 64 ovr who start for my Arkansas Pine Bluff team would leave for the pros simply because...what...they played that year? I mean this SF hardly ever saw the ball, never rebounded, and couldn't drive or take a three to save his life. Yet, he decided he would go pro the next year. Stay your horrible, sorry, not skill self in college man. What are you thinking!? And ontop of that the persuade feature is "wavy" at best. I could spend about 120 recruting points on a guy and he would never be swayed. I had a few guys leaving one year 6 or so guys. A mix of draft guys and transfers, I couldn't persuade anyone...

Remedy: Nope...not one for this...enjoy the player while they're their. Maybe you'll get lucky and persuade a guy or two...I know I couldn't at all...

The Recruiting Boards:

It's just strange. In the offseason you can see thousands of players from all over the country, a list of ESPN top 100 and a full list of all players arranged by what order you wish. But during the season everyone seems to drop off the planet. I'm not sure what the cause of this is or how to fix it. As UAPB I can only pursue 2-4 star guys. There's maybe one All-American on the list at all and the thing has reduced down to some list I could have composed driving the streets of my hometown and writing the names of people I saw. in my current season now, I have a stunning ONE Center available to recruit. A mammoth listing of two PFS. The rest or so consist of 50 or so guys across the other positions. Point in case is how am I to complete my recruiting goals of getting a C+ inside game rated players whens there's only two players who might have the rating and neither of them do...I guess I just don't...

Verdict: I enjoy the gameplay alot but the game leaves alot to be desired which explains why I bought it, took it back the next day then had to pick it back up again once march madness started...like a previous poster stated, it's like a woman...and I dumped up then realized I wanted her back...