March Madness '99
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Frame rate and control hiccups aside, March Madness '99 is a fun college-hoops sim. The addition of the Dynasty mode, historical teams, and accurate conference tournaments gives MM99 impressive depth that's lacking in other collegiate hardwood titles.
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All Roads Lead to Rupp Arena
March Madness �99 features a sweet lineup of 107 Division 1 men�s teams and 16 Division 1 women�s teams. Old-schoolers will also find a collection of 20 all-time great men�s teams, such as the G-town Hoyas of �83 or the power-house Kentucky Wildcats of �96. In addition to MM99�s standard play, hoopsters can gun for glory behind the arc in Three-Point Shoot Out mode or in free-for-all Arcade mode.
March Madness 99�s best feature, however, is its Dynasty mode, which enables hardcore simsters to play multiple decades as their favorite school. Plus, as your seniors graduate, it�s up to you to fill their vacant roster spots by recruiting incoming freshmen.
Full-Court Pressure
MM99 sprints out of the locker room with better graphics than its predecessor, including more detailed player models and sweeter-looking arenas. EA Sports has also incorporated new animations, like leaners, fadeaways, and cross-over dribbles.
Yet, like a lot of EA Sports titles this year, the frame rate isn�t as smooth as it should be. The control could also use a little fine-tuning: Using the analog stick proves a bit sluggish (the directional pad works much better), and the juke moves should be more effective. More often than not, the cross-over dribble does nothing to improve your position or to help you blow by your opponent. To MM99�s credit, however, there are a wealth of offensive, defensive, and inbound plays to choose from, all of which can be programmed for on-the-fly use.
It Ain�t Over Yet
Even with its obvious frame rate and control flaws, there is some solid action to be had on MM99�s hardwood; and when the final buzzer sounds, March Madness �99 offers the most complete college-hoops sim experience. But with NCAA Final Four �99 in the works (see "Sports Pages Previews"), you�d do well to tip off with a rental while you wait for the verdict on Final Four. This year�s championship is still up for grabs.
