NCAA Gamebreaker 2000 (PlayStation)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Ryan Donald
• Reviewed on: 08/18/1999
• Updated on: 05/02/2000
• Released on: 07/31/1999
• Originally published on GameSpot: NCAA Gamebreaker 2000 (PlayStation) Review

At first glance, NCAA Gamebreaker 2000 might not look or sound too different from last year's game, but once you sit down and play the game for any length of time you'll realize that the design team beefed up the game's features and its authenticity.

This higher level of authenticity is demonstrated by the game's plays, which were designed by Bob Toledo, head coach of UCLA and Pac-10 coach of the year. The plays themselves are quite different from anything you'd find in a NFL licensed game, even Gameday 2000. The unique plays are a nice change of pace for anyone who has played countless NFL games with the usual plays and formations we've seen a hundred times.

Whether you like the plays or not, Gamebreaker 2000 has a play editor that among other things lets you assign routes to all your receivers. The play editor is fairly intuitive and comprehensive, although it's pretty structured, so it won't let you do anything too crazy.

If you enjoy making plays in the play editor, then the new career mode might be right up your alley. This feature lets you test your skills as a coach at a small school. You'll help build that team up and play the season. Also, depending on your team's accomplishments in the area you coach, you could get a promotion or a better job offer from another school. However, if your team falls short at the end of the season you could get fired. This new feature is interesting and in-depth, and it will surely hold the attention of hard-core simulation fans who enjoy added extras like this for quite some time. Casual fans who simply enjoy the game's fast-paced action will probably try this once and quickly dismiss it. Other GM-type options include creating players and a playbook. In addition, once you get through the season, you can transfer your graduating seniors via a memory card to your roster on NFL Gameday 2000.

The recruiting feature is also back and is very similar to the one in last year's title. You can pick through the list of players and select those who look as though they could be the best candidates for the position. It's not quite as in depth as the feature in Electronic Arts' NCAA Football 2000, but it gets the job done.

One of the most unnecessary new additions to Gamebreaker 2000 is the celebration and show-off animations. Right after a play is complete you can celebrate, show off, or hurry to the huddle. I can understand the option to celebrate after a good play, but to be able to do it after every play - even when you throw an incomplete pass - is kind of odd. Sure, the ability to do this doesn't detract from the game, but it does seem kind of silly. The one thing that I can't understand is why the game has the show-off button, the show-off animations aren't that different from the celebration animations, and the refs call unsportsman-like conduct on you every time, costing you fifteen yards.

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