Lets get one thing strait, I’m not the biggest fan of college basketball, or just basketball in general; but I love a good challenge. Luckily, this game is just that, a challenge. In this review, I’ll be breaking this game down piece-by-piece, and give my take on it.

NCAA College Basketball 2k3 has exhibition, quick play, season, etc. But it also includes modes like “Legacy” and “Gym Rat”, which are pretty interesting modes of play. You can also manage the roster and even create players! One cool thing that Sega included is a mode called the “Sega Sports Challenge”. In this mode, you create a user, and play games. It keeps track of your records, and even presents averages. The game itself is no walk in the park though. This isn’t the typical “strait up the middle” basketball game, it’s a thinking man’s basketball game. I assumed it would play similar to “NBA Street”, where it is quite easy to score a dunk. Dunks in NCAA College Basketball 2k3 are pretty difficult to pull off, which makes completing a dunk just a little more satisfying. The game has the ESPN license to it, so you see all of the ESPN style replays, menus, etc. Speaking of the replays, I must mention how they capture the ESPN feel. Overall, the gameplay can be quite difficult, but it is still a fun game.

The graphics here are pretty standard for a basketball game, nothing really stands out from other games, except maybe for the detail in player faces. The faces are not spectacular, but they look better than some other basketball games out there. The team’s uniforms look pretty well done, especially when you notice that some players wear t-shirts under their jerseys. The stadiums vary in style in accordance to the home team, which may not seem like a big deal to some, but to hardcore fans of their team, it does. The frame rate doesn’t dip at all; this could be because it doesn’t run at a very high frame rate in the first place. Overall though, NCAA College Basketball 2k3 is a pretty standard looking game, nothing that GameCube hasn’t seen before.

The sound in NCAA College Basketball 2k3 is pretty standard. You’ll hear the crowd chant for the home team, or even chant against the away team. The sound effects on the court sound pretty generic, but the crowd itself is what makes the sound stand out. There is a play-by-play commentary featured in NCAA College Basketball 2k3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stack up to commentaries featured in other games. There are two color commentators that sometimes can’t keep up with what is happening on screen, a deadly thing for a commentary in any game. Not enough time was spent on the commentary, and it is evident.

Due to all of the features and modes, hardcore fans of college basketball will be coming back for more and more. Even basketball fans in general will find enjoyment out of the “Sega Sports Challenge” mode and the create a player option. Season mode can take up quite a bit of your time if you play through all of the games. You can even create 30 team tournament brackets and compete in those. You can also play with 3 other friends in NCAA’s multiplayer mode. If you are a basketball enthusiast then you will be popping this disc in for many hours.

NCAA College Basketball 2k3 truly is a thinking man’s basketball game. It’s a simulation basketball experience, not an arcade style experience. It will take you awhile to be able to master this difficult basketball title. The sheer depth of this game is enough to captivate college basketball fans. With the amount of players and teams, fans can’t go wrong with a purchase. Overall, if you are a fan of college basketball then this game is a must have. But, for those of you who aren’t into basketball (like me) should probably stay away from this one.