NCAA March Madness 2005

GamePro

Maybe the option that tips the scales for you is Madness's all-mascot teams. [Jan 2005, p.106]

Next Level Gaming

And the gameplay is improved a good deal from last year, giving you more of a realistic feel while maintaining a fast-paced arcadey kind of feel.

TeamXbox

It is essentially the same game as last year operating with a few notable tweaks, but still delivers a rock-solid college basketball experience. Gamers who want to take their skills online will definitely need to snatch this one up.

IGN

It definitely feels more like a standalone college game now with more of the atmosphere, gameplay and extras that make NCAA hoops so endearing. The sticky dynasty mode is well on its way to becoming one of my favorite features too.

GameZone

This year’s March Madness keeps the series rolling by featuring the new NBA Live 2005 engine with its great new control scheme.

Game Informer

Off the court, March Madness' Dynasty mode is shallow and doesn't stack up well against "ESPN's" robust Legacy mode. In the end, March Madness performs admirably on the court, but ESPN is the complete package. [Dec 2004, p.168]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Lives up to the name with its spot-on portrayal - from gameplay to atmosphere - of the intercollegiate hardwood. [Jan 2005, p.128]

Official Xbox Magazine

The defensive side of EA Sports' game is like the St. John's men's team: weak and vulnerable. [Holiday 2004, p.82]

Xbox Nation Magazine

It's all about control, and Madness 2005 offers plenty of it. [Jan 2005, p.92]

GameSpy

The Dynasty Mode is one of the best you'll see in an EA game, mostly because of the addition of the discipline system, which forces you to walk a fine line between getting the best players and running a clean program.

Stuff

We're especially fond of the Homecourt Advantage meter, which fills up during games; the closer the score, the louder the fans get and the harder your controller shakes, making it tougher for the visiting team to hit jumpers and free throws.

G4 TV

Dick Vitale spits out more “babys” than the local maternity ward, but he brings an air of excitement to the game that few announcers can match.

Operation Sports

It is still overshadowed by “NBA Live” and ‘NCAA Football”, and still feels a bit like an amalgam of the two, but it’s starting to come into it’s own.

Gaming Age

Even in the wake of ESPN’s fierce competition and 20-dollar price tag, like Madden, March Madness is just a hint better than Sega’s College Hoops title.

Play Magazine

Although EA's game lacks the spark and depth that Sega's "College Hoops 2K5" provides, it's still a great game that deserves props for some pretty cool and innovative gameplay additions. [Jan 2005, p.81]

GameSpot

A pretender. While it borrows some new features from "NCAA Football 2005" and includes a revamped play-calling system that is actually fun to use, a broken dynasty mode and choppy online play mar an otherwise good basketball game.

Yahoo! Games

It shares too many of "NBA Live's" problems, but still has great depth and plays a decent game of basketball. One of these years, EA is going to properly fix Live, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Game Revolution

Small tweaks like the Floor General and Freestyle Air make it a smoother all-around product than March Madness 2004, but the margin is so slight that owners of last year’s game shouldn’t feel compelled to buy this one, too. The bubble is starting to break.