From the start, there is plenty of stuff to tinker with. This game does a good job of catering to a very wide range of gamers. For the ones who need a quick fix, there's the Exhibition mode. For those who want a little more lasting taste, they can play a season. And for all the college football nuts, fulfilling your life's dream of running a dynasty is even possible. Before taking off to the field, a visit to the Options menu may be in order. With this you can view team rosters, create your own player, set skill levels, toggle penalties and adjust the AI. There is also a User Profile that keeps track of what is accomplished in a game such as sacking the quarterback, making a twenty yard run and so on. Completing these tasks earn you points that can be traded in for campus cards. Much like the Madden cards, these can open up fantasy teams, hidden stadiums and special cheats.

NCAA Football 2002 adopts the graphic engine as seen in the PS2 Madden editions. The players look beautiful and I've even noticed improvements in the facial animations compared to the Madden game. The stadiums are faithfully replicated down to the most minute detail. Since I'm a Sooner fan, I've noticed that they've even recreated the Sarkey Energy Center (a tall building next to Oklahoma Memorial Stadium!) In addition, the players on the sidelines aren't just cardboard stand-ups. Players will note that they they pace, get water, sit on the bench...everything an actual player would do. Even the mascots are included, as authentic as their real-life counterparts. All in all, the game looks incredible and the attention to detail is simply astounding. If I wasn't holding a controller in my hand, I might have thought it was an actual game.

When it comes to gameplay, the game loses a little bit of its luster but not much. The loose control scheme seems to ripped right from the Madden game. This is acceptable though since it adds to the feel of actual college football. The button configurations remain unchanged and the kicking setup is also the same as Madden. One thing I would have liked to have seen in this game that's in the Madden game is the play calling setup. Calling plays by the player who would get the ball was a really innovative feature and made calling plays less like study hall and more fun. But alas, the standard playbook play calling is featured. Another frustrating gameplay issue is the speed boost button. For offense and special teams, it's the X button. On defense, it's the O button. So if you intercept a pass on defense, you must now push X instead of the O button to get your player moving. Another mark on the gameplay is that the play clock goes by too quickly. It takes some some time to get adjusted to reading and calling plays quick enough to avoid the five yard penalty. Furthemore, the collision detection is a little spotty, but not too bad. Sometimes players arms will disappear into the opponents body, sometimes they will just walk right through the player. On the other hand, if you go out of bounds you could inadvertently knock over the line judge or even the coach. Though despite the flaws within, the gameplay doesn't make the game suffer too much.

The computer's adjustable intelligence is also a noteworthy feature. AI can be switched to help you with passing, running, defense or just rounding out each aspect. This also gives a boost to the college feel of the game. I don't expect the players to respond to every situation perfectly because this is, after all, an amateur sport. It's also nice to see players not just run routes or cover a receiver, they actually try to get open or intercept a pass. There is some work to be done though. I suppose the added AI for receivers and defensive backs was taken away from the linemen. If they get knocked down, they'll get up and just stand there, leaving your quarterback or running back to fend for themselves. It's a small spot on the otherwise good AI.

No sports game can go without commentary and NCAA Football 2002 is no exception. This game offers up the voices of Brad Nessler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit who handle most of the big time college games on television. While the commentary is usually dead on to what's going on in the game, the constant reuse of certain phrases and quotes gets old. One unique thing is that not every game will get the same commentary. If the game isn't high profile enough, you won't get commentary at all. Instead the play-by-play will be called over the stadium PA. There isn't much talking on the field aside from the "hike"'s and the "oomph"'s. The crowd cheers and occasionally breaks out into a chant to show support for their team. The band will play the school's fight song and various other tunes. These are nice touches that really make this game standout.

The small negatives in this game are more than made up for by the glaring positives. With the inclusion of everything from the Bowl Championship Series to the Heisman trophy, college football has never been represented so well and finally has a game that it can be proud of. With a plethora of things to do and try in this game, you will definitely get your money's worth. For college football fans, this game is perfect for the off-season. For all others it's just an enjoying game to play. Whichever you are, NCAA Football 2002 is definitely a game to check out.

· · · Space Cowboy