Welcome to the last stop before the pros: NCAA Division 1-A. All 115 teams are represented here, as well as the stadiums they call home. You can settle in for a crisp autumn game or drive your team to the Rose Bowl. The game's Total Control Passing feature lets you lead or underthrow to your receivers so you can react to defensive strategy. In career mode, you can play as a head coach, coordinator, or assistant and work your way up the ladder to better jobs at bigger schools. And, perhaps best of all, you can take your best seniors with you to the pros by downloading them into your copy of NFL GameDay 2001.
Also included in NCAA GameBreaker 2001 are 64 teams that have made college ball history, and 21 of the season's greatest bowl games. Up to eight players can compete with the separately sold Multi Tap accessory. And with the recently retired Keith Jackson aboard for the play-by-play, you know it will be fun. Whoa, Nelly!
Talk about complete! NCAA GameBreaker features all 115 division 1-A teams and 64 of the best college-football dynasty teams in the history of the NCAA. This version's Total Control Mode allows you to fine-tune your passing game or send a running back for a short pass out of the backfield to throw off the defense. Add a newly modified career mode, and this game has all the trimmings that might give this title a pass to a big bowl game in January.
The motion capture has been redone, and the on-field tackling and blocking animations are crisp and clean looking. The animations keep up with the gameplay, and the control is the best part of this game.
Unfortunately, the sound is terrible. If a running back is gonna get tackled, then it should at least sound like a running back is getting tackled. Not to mention the crowd noise--it's more of a hiss than a roar. Keith Jackson is back doing the commentary this year. But like Madden's voice-overs on the Nintendo 64, Jackson has very little to actually say, and his phrases get repetitious fast.
GameBreakeris ultimately a solid NCAA pigskin simulation that fans should enjoy. In any case, it's still a lot cheaper than sending the kids to college! --Todd Mowatt
Pros:
Modified career mode
Great control Cons:Terrible sound effects
Keith Jackson's small repertoire of phrases quickly becomes repetitive