NCAA March Madness 98 uses the crowds as a gameplay mechanic. A "Momentum Meter" responds to a team scoring consecutive baskets or making a big play, upon which the crowd roars and the players of the momentum-gaining team receive a temporary boost to their abilities.[1]
Development
NCAA March Madness 98 was built with a revamped version of the NBA Live 97game engine, utilizing that game's animation data with the addition of a few new motion captured moves from Tim Duncan and others.[1] Developer Electronic Arts consulted with collegiate coach Lou Carnesecca in designing the game's artificial intelligence.[2]
Beta versions of the game featured a Conference Tournament Mode and a Dynasty Mode which let players manage and play using a team over a number of years, requiring them to replace graduating seniors with freshmen players.[1] Both of these modes were left out of the completed game due to time constraints.[3]
A PC version of the game was in development but was cancelled.[4]
Most reviews for NCAA March Madness 98 were mixed. Critics widely agreed that the game succeeded in capturing the fundamental differences of college basketball, with more evenly-matched players than standard basketball video games and all-around more team-oriented play.[3][7][11][12][13]GameSpot said that the game "lets college basketball fans who understand the college game apply what they know, like running a good half-court offense and changing up defenses to keep teams off their rhythm."[11]IGN applauded, "March Madness is built on the premise that if you absolutely love the crazy high created in the post-season games of college basketball, and you love real team ball and all of the strategies that come with it, you should go head-over heels for this game. A full court press, hand-baskets of fast passing, recognizable offensive formations, and evenly distributed talent in each of the players are characteristics that make this game great."[12]
However, critics also concurred that the use of the NBA Live 97 engine resulted in a game which is graphically outdated, particularly against its contemporary NBA Live 98.[3][7][8][11][12][13]Next Generation added that the enhanced animation of NCAA March Madness 98, when run through the aging NBA Live 97 engine, results in a lower frame rate that makes the game feel slow and choppy.[13]IGN described the graphics as "surprisingly blurry, fuzzy, and as muddy as any Nintendo 64 game."[12]GamePro was more forgiving, saying that though the graphics are not as polished as NBA Live 98, they do not detract from the excitement and gameplay.[3]
Most reviewers described the A.I. as being challenging and in particular resistant to the strategies which normally work in pro basketball video games,[3][8][12][13] but Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and GameSpot both found the defensive A.I. is too weak.[7][11]EGM and GameSpot both also complained that the crowd noise is underwhelming and unrealistically quiets down shortly after a dunk.[7][11] Multiple critics praised the innovation of the momentum meter[3][7][11][13] and the inclusion of women's teams,[3][7][12] though IGN added that the impact of having women's teams is blunted by the fact that they play the same as the men's teams.[12]
GamePro gave the game 4 out of 5 in graphics, 4.5 for both sound and control, and a perfect 5 for fun factor, summing up, "To win consistently in MM, you need to learn the intricacies of the game, from executing successful give-and-gos to calling the correct offensive and defensive sets. The end result is unparalleled depth, realism, and, more importantly, fun."[3] By contrast, Next Generation called it "an overwhelmingly mediocre game in which what was done well is overshadowed by shortcomings."[13]EGM were more in the middle, saying that the game could have been much better in more than one area but was still a worthy effort at recreating college basketball which was worth buying.[7]Game Informer similarly said that it was not a top end basketball game but would satisfy fans of college basketball.[8] The game held a 76% on the review aggregation website GameRankings based on four reviews.[5]
