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NCAA Football 09
View on Wikipedia| NCAA Football 09 | |
|---|---|
Darren McFadden on the Xbox 360 cover of the game. | |
| Developers | EA Tiburon, EA Canada |
| Publisher | EA Sports |
| Platforms | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Wii |
| Release | July 15, 2008[1] |
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player Multiplayer |
NCAA Football 09 is a college football video game created by EA Sports, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. It is the successor to NCAA Football 08 in the NCAA Football series. The game was announced on February 14, 2008 and was released on July 15, 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360.[1][2] The Wii version of the game is titled NCAA Football 09 All-Play and launched under EA Sports' new All-Play brand exclusive to the platform.[3]
New features
[edit]EA Tiburon made several additions and modifications to the game from previous editions.
- A new animation system has been put in place, whereby players are no longer locked into an animation. This allows players to chain together various moves, enabling a more fluid style of play.
- After throwing an interception, the player is allowed to answer a "Quarterback Quiz". The player is given several pictures – representing photos taken by the offensive coordinator – and is presented with three choices of defensive schemes to select. This new feature is solely for the controller/player to understand and read the defense.
- Quarterbacks playing on the road can be rattled by home crowds, forcing them to misread routes or completely forget plays. This effect is not amplified with an incorrect guess on the "Quarterback Quiz".
- Players can give coaching strategies, whereby the entire offense or defense will focus on a single action, such as forcing a turnover or ignoring the crowd noise.
- Players can call a timeout before a key field goal or extra point attempt to "ice" the kicker, which will overlay the kick meter with a sheet of ice, change the camera angle to a more dramatic view, cause the player's controller to shake violently, and give an audible heartbeat sound effect, which matches the pulse of the controller's rumble.
- There are new, school-specific celebrations, many of which involve the school's mascot.
- School-specific custom stadium sounds can be added from MP3s loaded on the gaming system's hard drive. Numerous user-created websites have popped up to facilitate this feature.
- The new "Coke Zero Mascot Mash Up" mode, where teams are made up entirely of the school's mascot. In this mode, ball-handling maneuvers are more fantasy-oriented, allowing the player to perform flips rather than typical jukes and spins.
- Mini-games allow for playing "H-O-R-S-E" with field goal kicks.
- Online Dynasty Mode with support for up to 12 players across Xbox Live or PlayStation Network.
- Ball trails and turbo trails for the Wii version.
- Freshman (PSP) and Family Play (PS2) modes simplify gameplay to single button presses, while also telling the novice player when to actually press the button to perform an action. The game will also suggest plays to run in specific situations.
Cover
[edit]In order to promote its new Wii version of NCAA Football, EA held a competition from February 14, 2008 until March 14, 2008, allowing for fans to vote on their favorite NCAA Division I FBS college team mascot (with the University of Montana's Monte the lone FCS representative).[1][2] The winner of the competition, Michigan State's mascot Sparty, is featured on the cover art for the Wii.[4]
Each of the other four versions of the game features a different athlete on the cover. All were former collegiate players, as the use of an active student athlete was against NCAA regulations at the time:
- Former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is the cover athlete for the Xbox 360.[5]
- Former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan is the cover athlete for the PS3.[6]
- Former California wide receiver DeSean Jackson is the cover athlete for the PS2.[7]
- Former West Virginia fullback Owen Schmitt is the cover athlete for the PSP.
Demo
[edit]A contest was released June 19 at the Xbox Live Marketplace (Xbox 360) and PlayStation Store (PlayStation 3). The teams are Ohio State Buckeyes and the LSU Tigers and with 2 minute quarters at varsity level. A mascot game is also available with the Florida Gators versus the Texas Longhorns.[citation needed]
Retired online play
[edit]On February 5, 2011, EA retired online play for several old games, including NCAA Football 09 for all platforms.
Reception
[edit]| Aggregator | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS2 | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| Metacritic | N/A | 81/100[9] | N/A | 49/100[8] | 83/100[10] |
| Publication | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS2 | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| GameSpot | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7.5[14] |
| IGN | 7.0[13] | 8.4[11] | 6.5[13] | 5.0[12] | 8.4[13] |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (May 2010) |
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of NCAA Football 09 were generally well received by critics, earning scores of 81/100[9] and 83/100,[10] respectively. However, the Wii versions received mixed to negative reactions.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "McFadden picked for NCAA Football 09 cover". ESPN. 2008-03-06. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ a b "EA SPORTS Announces NCAA FOOTBALL 09 for the Wii". Electronic Arts (Press release). 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ "EA SPORTS Unveils Wii-Specific "All-Play" Line of Games". 2008-06-27. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008.
- ^ "Sparty the Spartan from Michigan State University Selected as NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot for the Wii". Electronic Arts (Press release). 2008-03-18. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ^ "EA Selects Darren McFadden as the First of Four Cover Athletes for NCAA FOOTBALL 09". Electronic Arts (Press release). 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "EA Brings the Electricity of Big Play Saturday in NCAA Football 09". Electronic Arts (Press release). GameSpot.com. 2008-04-23. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^ "DeSean Jackson inadvertently revealed as PS2 NCAA Football 09 cover athlete". PastaPadre.com. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^ "NCAA Football 09 All-Play". Metacritic.
- ^ a b "NCAA Football 09". Metacritic.
- ^ a b "NCAA Football 09". Metacritic.
- ^ Haynes, Jeff (July 15, 2008). "NCAA Football 09 Review".
- ^ "NCAA Football 09 All-Play Review". July 23, 2008.
- ^ a b c "NCAA Football 09 - IGN.com" – via www.ign.com.
- ^ Thomas, Aaron (July 15, 2008). "NCAA Football 09 Review".
External links
[edit]NCAA Football 09
View on GrokipediaDevelopment
Announcement
EA Sports announced NCAA Football 09 on February 14, 2008, via an official press release that confirmed the game's upcoming development across multiple platforms, with a particular emphasis on a dedicated version for the Nintendo Wii.[8] The reveal coincided with the launch of an interactive fan contest, the NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot Challenge, where college enthusiasts could vote for their preferred school mascot to grace the Wii edition's cover, with voting opening immediately on the official website.[8] The announcement highlighted the game's commitment to capturing the excitement of college football, focusing on key themes such as enhanced realism in gameplay presentation and the immersive college atmosphere to differentiate it from professional football simulations.[9] This initial reveal positioned NCAA Football 09 as a continuation of the series' tradition, building directly upon the foundation established by NCAA Football 08 by refining core elements like team representation and event authenticity while introducing tailored adaptations for diverse hardware.[10] Development was led by EA Tiburon, the primary studio behind the NCAA Football series, with additional support from EA Canada, particularly for platform-specific versions including the Wii's All-Play edition designed to broaden accessibility through simplified controls and motion-based features.[9] This collaborative approach in the early planning stages ensured the title would leverage each platform's strengths, such as the Wii's motion controls for intuitive party play, while maintaining the series' emphasis on strategic depth and cultural elements unique to college sports.[8]Design and innovation
The development of NCAA Football 09 introduced the Break Away Animation Engine, a new system designed to enhance player fluidity by allowing seamless chaining of movements without locking into predefined animations. This innovation enabled more dynamic interactions, such as quicker cuts, spins, and jukes during runs, creating opportunities for breakaway plays that felt more realistic and responsive compared to prior entries. Developers at EA Tiburon created dozens of exclusive animations for tackling, catching, and evading defenders, emphasizing college-level athleticism and big-play potential.[11][12][13] To capture the unique atmosphere of college football, the game incorporated school-specific elements, including tailored celebrations featuring mascots—such as swordfighting with UCF's Knightro or interacting with Central Michigan's mascot—and customizable stadium sounds drawn from user-loaded MP3 files for chants, fight songs, and crowd effects. These audio enhancements extended to gameplay impacts via the new Composure system, where visiting quarterbacks on the road could experience reduced performance due to simulated crowd noise, leading to potential errors like inaccurate passes or fumbles without direct penalties. This approach aimed to replicate the home-field intensity of real NCAA games, with louder, more immersive stadium audio tied to specific institutions.[14][15][12] Unique mini-games were developed to add variety and fun, including H-O-R-S-E, a field-goal kicking challenge modeled after basketball's shooting game where players alternate setting kick locations to spell out "HORSE" and eliminate opponents. Another addition was the Coke Zero Mascot Mash Up mode, a promotional feature sponsored by the beverage brand, in which entire teams consisted of a school's mascot duplicated across positions, enabling exaggerated, fantasy-style ball-handling and movements for lighthearted, non-competitive play. These modes were crafted to appeal to casual users while highlighting the game's creative animations in unconventional scenarios.[16][17][18] In Dynasty mode, design choices focused on simulating real college football dynamics through an expanded coaching carousel, allowing users to switch teams mid-season based on performance and job offers, alongside deeper strategy customization via editable playbooks and strategy cards that adjusted offensive and defensive tendencies to match coaching philosophies. This system encouraged long-term progression, where coaches could build programs by balancing recruitment, depth chart management, and tactical shifts to emulate the transient nature of NCAA coaching.[19][15] Platform-specific innovations targeted accessibility, particularly in the Wii edition branded as NCAA Football 09 All-Play, which featured simplified Wii Remote controls for intuitive passing, running, and tackling motions to attract casual players unfamiliar with traditional button schemes. This All-Play system streamlined mechanics like pointer-based aiming for throws and motion gestures for blocks, reducing complexity while retaining core football simulation, in line with Nintendo's emphasis on family-friendly gaming.[20][21]Gameplay
Core mechanics
The core mechanics of NCAA Football 09 revolve around refined offensive and defensive controls that emphasize strategic play-calling and responsive player movements, powered by an updated animation system that allows for smoother transitions between actions without locking players into rigid sequences.[9] On offense, players select formations and plays from a simplified interface, with options to audible to alternative plays while retaining the original formation or use bluff plays to mislead the defense pre-snap.[6] Defensive controls enable quick adjustments to line, linebacker, and secondary assignments, promoting adaptive strategies during plays.[6] The passing system introduces pre-snap route checking, where quarterbacks can view receiver paths distorted by hostile crowd noise into squiggly lines or question marks, adding realism to high-pressure situations.[6] "Smart routes" permit receivers to adjust trajectories for first-down conversions, though they frequently fall short of the marker.[6] Interceptions are less frequent overall, with inaccurate throws resulting in incomplete passes rather than turnovers, but following an interception, the Quarterback Quiz activates as an educational mini-game: players view photos of potential receiving options and must select the correct one to potentially reverse the play into a completion, teaching decision-making based on defensive coverage.[14][22] Running mechanics benefit from the Break Away Animation Engine, enabling ball carriers to execute cutbacks, jukes, and spins mid-stride for breakaway potential, though elusive moves often trigger automatically and lead to extended, less controllable animations.[11][6] Defenders experience improved collision detection with varied tackling animations that incorporate momentum and positioning, allowing defensive backs to anticipate ball trajectories more realistically rather than relying on random swats.[23][9] However, frequent missed tackles occur due to players slipping or bouncing off during contact, contributing to explosive runs but sometimes resulting in unrealistic big plays.[6] Field goal and kicking utilize a meter-based system where players control power, accuracy, and trajectory via button timing and directional inputs.[24] The "Ice the Kicker" feature, activated by calling a timeout pre-kick, shifts the camera behind the kicker and introduces a shaking controller with added "ice" to the meter, significantly increasing difficulty and simulating pressure.[6][25] Missed field goals become live balls that the opposing team can return, potentially for touchdowns, adding strategic risk to special teams plays.[26] Environmental factors, such as weather, primarily manifest visually with frequent rain in Dynasty mode games, but exert minimal mechanical impact on ball handling, player speed, or performance, unlike more advanced simulations in contemporary titles.[27][28] Field conditions remain static, without notable effects on traction or footing during matches.[27]Game modes
NCAA Football 09 offers a variety of single-player and offline multiplayer modes that emphasize strategic depth, competitive play, and casual fun, allowing players to engage with college football in structured ways. Central to the experience is Dynasty Mode, a season-long simulation where users assume the role of a head coach for any NCAA Division I FBS team. This mode spans up to 60 seasons, enabling long-term progression through recruiting high school prospects via a detailed system that includes scouting, evaluations, and negotiations, as well as coaching decisions on playbooks, depth charts, and player development to build a competitive program and pursue national championships.[19][29][30] Rivalry Mode provides a focused experience on iconic head-to-head matchups between conference rivals, incorporating historical context such as past game outcomes and traditions to heighten the stakes, along with special challenges like bonus objectives for earning rivalry trophies or unlocking team-specific content. Available across platforms, this mode encourages players to relive or rewrite classic rivalries through a series of targeted games, emphasizing the emotional intensity of these annual clashes.[31][32] Exclusive to the Wii edition (titled NCAA Football 09 All-Play), Mascot Mode transforms school mascots into playable characters for lighthearted mini-game battles, where users compete in obstacle courses, evasion challenges, and scoring events using motion controls to perform actions like jumping, dodging, and celebrating. This mode supports up to four players offline, fostering casual multiplayer sessions centered on fun, arcade-style competitions rather than full simulations.[33][34] The game also supports offline co-op play for up to four players across platforms, enabling collaborative or competitive sessions in exhibition matches or extended season play, where participants can control individual players, positions, or entire teams against AI opponents. For quicker engagements, Play Now mode delivers instant pick-up games between any two teams, customizable with sliders for difficulty, weather, and rules to suit solo or group play. Complementing these are standalone mini-games, such as precision passing drills that test timing and accuracy by targeting receivers in dynamic scenarios, helping players hone core mechanics like ball control and defensive reactions without committing to a full match.[33][16]Marketing and release
Cover athletes
The cover art for NCAA Football 09 featured platform-specific athletes and a mascot, highlighting prominent college football figures to appeal to fans and emphasize the game's focus on authentic NCAA representation. For the Xbox 360 version, Arkansas Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden was selected as the cover athlete, recognized for his standout 2007 season where he rushed for 1,830 yards and 16 touchdowns while finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Florida's Tim Tebow.[9][35][36] The PlayStation 3 edition showcased Boston College Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan, who led the Eagles to an 11-3 record in 2007, threw for 4,507 yards and 31 touchdowns, and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Manning Award as one of the nation's top quarterbacks.[9][37] On the PlayStation 2 cover, California Golden Bears wide receiver DeSean Jackson appeared, noted for his explosive play with 65 receptions for 762 yards and six touchdowns that season, earning All-Pac-10 honors.[9][37] The PlayStation Portable version featured West Virginia Mountaineers fullback Owen Schmitt, a two-time All-Big East selection who rushed for 272 yards and four touchdowns in 2007 (plus 121 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown) while also excelling as a blocker.[9] In a departure from player-focused designs, the Wii edition of NCAA Football 09 All-Play featured Michigan State Spartans mascot Sparty, chosen through a fan-voted "Cover Mascot Challenge" that ran from February 14 to March 14, 2008, and garnered over 700,000 votes across 64 mascots.[38][39] This interactive selection process tied into the game's motion-controlled, family-friendly features and marked the first time a non-athlete mascot appeared on an NCAA Football cover.[9] These cover choices played a key role in marketing by leveraging the athletes' and mascot's popularity to drive pre-order interest and media coverage, with EA announcing selections progressively from March to May 2008 to build anticipation.[35][37] McFadden's Heisman contention, for instance, amplified promotional tie-ins, positioning the game as a showcase for elite college talent.[36] Within the broader NCAA Football series, which began featuring individual cover athletes in 1998 with Marshall Faulk, the 2009 edition continued the tradition of selecting recent standouts—often from non-traditional powerhouses like Arkansas and Boston College—to diversify appeal beyond dominant programs like USC or Michigan.[40]Demo
The pre-release demo for NCAA Football 09 was made available on June 19, 2008, for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360 users and the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 users.[41][42] The demo featured a single exhibition matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the LSU Tigers, allowing players to experience a full game without access to other modes such as Dynasty.[17] It showcased core gameplay elements, including passing mechanics and player animations powered by the new engine, providing a preview of the title's on-field action and visual improvements.[43] As a marketing tool, the demo served to generate anticipation for the full game's launch on July 15, 2008, and was noted for its popularity among fans eager for early access to the series' updates.[44]Platforms and release dates
NCAA Football 09 was released simultaneously across multiple platforms on July 15, 2008, by EA Sports, targeting a wide range of hardware to maximize accessibility for college football fans. The supported platforms included the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable (PSP), Wii, and Xbox 360, allowing players on both current-generation and previous-generation consoles to experience the game.[45][3] The Wii edition was uniquely subtitled NCAA Football 09 All-Play, developed under EA Sports' All-Play branding to emphasize family-friendly and accessible gameplay. It incorporated motion controls via the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, simplifying actions like passing and tackling to appeal to casual players and those less familiar with traditional button-based schemes, while maintaining core football mechanics.[33][20] All versions launched as standard editions without notable bundles or special packaging variations, priced typically at $59.99 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 copies, and $49.99 for PlayStation 2, PSP, and Wii versions, reflecting industry norms for sports titles at the time. The game focused primarily on the North American market due to its NCAA licensing, with limited international releases in regions like Australia under the EA Sports label, but no widespread European or Asian distribution.[15][46] At launch, no day-one patches were issued, but various platforms encountered immediate issues, including inaccurate initial rosters on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that required manual updates, and simulation glitches affecting Dynasty mode across all versions. These were mitigated by a major patch in August 2008, which fixed slider functionality, stat tracking errors, and ball carrier animations, improving stability particularly on next-generation consoles. The PSP and PlayStation 2 versions reported fewer connectivity-related problems, though portable play on PSP faced occasional loading delays specific to handheld hardware.[47][48]| Platform | Release Date | Notable Launch Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 | July 15, 2008 | Standard controls; minimal reported issues |
| PlayStation 3 | July 15, 2008 | Roster update needed; patch addressed simulation bugs |
| PSP | July 15, 2008 | Portable version; loading delays on some units |
| Wii | July 15, 2008 | All-Play subtitle with motion controls; accessible design |
| Xbox 360 | July 15, 2008 | Similar to PS3; early online matchmaking glitches fixed post-launch |
