2k sports bricks the free throw

I am a huge fan of 2k sports, and especially the College hoops franchise. With that said, I was very excited about the 360 version of 2k6; even though it came out in march. All in all, i feel a little disapointed. With all the capacity and power the 360 has to offer, this game seems rushed (wich is ironic for a game that had a release date that was pushed back so many times.)

The graphics are the first main flaw. It doesnt really look all that much better than the xbox version. For the higher price tag, i would have liked to see better use of the 360 capabilities here. Even high profile players (the redicks and the morrisons) dont really look all that great. After seeing NBA 2k6, i was expecting full use of the next-gen graphics. I was extremely disapointed.

Gameplay is pretty solid. This is where the game excells. It feels like a college basketball game. If you are playing BC you will see a slow pace and pound it in to craig smith, if you playing duke, you will deal with a more fast pace perimeter game and pass it to JJ redick. Each team plays differently. 2k sports did an excellent job researching their teams. The new shot stick is also comes in handy. It is fun to be able to control the type of shot you take using the right analog stick. On the other hand, the steal stick results in too many easy steals. This is also done by using the right analog stick. It results in my point guard (loius hinnat baby!) averages 6 steals a game. While im a big fan of the scrappy player, even i know that the stat is rediculous. One of my biggest pet-peeves in this game is the free-throw shooting and layups. For free throw shooting, there is no meter, bar or anything. Just pull back on the analog stick and release. It sometimes seems arbritrary (says perfect release and still misses). I find it very frustrating. Layups are also frustrating. I cant count how many times in a game a player would miss the put back after getting an offensive board. There are two types of players in 2k6, the players who alwyas make their layups (craig smith and Jared Dudley to continue with the BC analogies), and everyone always misses. No matter how easy and open they are. It is possible to change the sliders in the options pages, but it is still hard to get it right. This can be annoying when you keep having to pass up a layup and pass it out after a board.

Playcall is also limited. EA sports march madness playcalling has always proven that 2k sports needs to step it up. Plays are not a big part of the game. It is hard to understand what you players are doing. Most plays are stuff like pick and roll, or 2-3 break. In last years EA sports march madness, playcalling was taken to a new level. Plays were importnat and easy to pull off. College hoops drops the ball on this one.

Anouncers and sounds is okay. Nothing above and beyond what we have seen in the past. The game modes are very solid. Franchise modes allows you stay with a team for many years. Recruiting is fun, and playing through conference games and playoffs is a ball (pun intended). This game has a long lasting effect because of the fun of recruiting and building a program. Bryant Gumbel hosts Selection Sunday Shows and pregame ranking shows that are funny and entertaining.

All in all, College hoops 2k6 is okay. Being the only college game on 360 makes it hard to not buy. But i dont think the higher price tag for the 360 is justified. Buy the XBOX game.