New football season scores high

NCAA Football '99

Sony Playstation

Just when you thought Chuck Woodson left campus, here he comes again, this time gracing the cover of EA Sports' "NCAA Football '99." The sophomore edition of this series comes packed with crushing tackles, big plays and every division I-A school that you never knew existed. This title won't disappoint fans of "NCAA '98," who will appreciate all of the changes and additions that "NCAA '99" offers. The action moves at a faster pace, animations are cleaner, and virtual college bands rock fight songs after big plays and touchdowns.

The dynasty mode, where players can take on the challenge of coaching a team through several seasons, received a major overhaul from last year and is, by far, the strongest aspect of the game. The dynasty now consists of five years instead of four, giving you a chance to see the team you built from scratch in action in its final season. Real recruiting takes place, and depending on who is sent out on recruiting visits - whether it's the head coach or the graduate assistant - you could wind up with players ranging in skill from blue chip caliber to walk-on benchwarmers. High profile juniors leave for the draft early, creating unexpected voids in your lineup. If you aren't able to produce wins at your school, you may be leaving early as well when the athletic director cancels your contract. If that happens, you'll have to continue on at a less prestigious school.

New bowls and awards have been added to spice up the chase for the national championship, and "NCAA '99" now includes analog passing, pump/pitch faking and trajectory control kicking. The analog passing is tricky to master, but can provide the most flexibility. The ability to control the trajectory of punts, kickoffs and field goals improves range and adds an extra element of kicking strategy that has been missing in past games.

The best new feature, though, is the play editor. If you get tired of the traditional plays that are offered for each team, then you can opt to create three of your own offensive and defensive alternatives. This is very useful in the dynasty mode, as you can design plays specifically around your teams' strengths and star players. A virtual announcer calls off last names of the more famous college players after big plays, and new last names can be added - something cool for people who like to create their own characters. Let's hear it for Sanders!

To keep up with improving industry standards, EA Sports gave "NCAA '99" a 3-D polygonal engine, allowing for more realistic gameplay. Tacklers in EA Sports' past football games used to just throw shoulder tackles. Now they wrap up, flip, or roll offensive players to the ground. The 3-D engine really sparkles when looking at instant replays. The camera can be moved around to virtually any position on the field and can zoom in close to capture bone-jarring hits and critical one-handed touchdown grabs.

Some improvements still have to be made for next year, though. Forced fumbles often backfire on the defense. If an offensive player scoops the ball back up, that player tends to rumble on for a rather large gain. Every so often, a blitzing linebacker may break through the line and bounce off of the quarterback who scrambles and becomes ridiculously hard to tackle. Either that, or the QB will release a crazy, over-the-shoulder pass which is usually hauled in for a big gain - very frustrating on those crucial third downs.

Minor annoyances aside, this game shines atop the college football game market. EA Sports did a good job improving upon last years' version and has whet players' appetites for next year. It's only fitting that a Heisman Trophy winner was chosen to be on the cover of this MVP-caliber product. Chalk up another national football championship in video gaming for EA Sports.

-Deveron Q. Sanders

09-16-98