NCAA Football 09

After years of online fumbles by developer EA Tiburon, our annual war cry for an online dynasty mode has been answered. Not only is NCAA Football 09's most impressive innovation brilliantly seamless, but it's full-featured as well (from recruiting and scheduling to talking sure-fire pros into staying on an extra season).

Great presentation.

When all's said and done, NCAA 09 may have some rough spots and bugs, there are ways around it that keep them from hampering the immense amount of enjoyment that the game offers.

A very good effort and is only a few problems away from becoming one of the best sport games on the market.

The improvement of jukes and ballcarrier moves adds depth to your offense, while the inclusion of features like the Quarterback Quiz and Icing the Kicker makes the overall gameplay stronger. The Online Dynasty is an excellent addition to this series, but the mistakes made with the Campus Legend mode keeps this year's title from being truly extraordinary.

Just the next game in a long line of great games. If you are content with the version you already have, then there isn't enough staggering new content to warrant an upgrade. However, this is the best game in the franchise to date, and I'm glad I made the switch.

Difficulties on defense and an overpowering “icing” technique aside, NCAA Football 09 has put itself in contention for a championship season. With the addition of the online dynasty and the always-outstanding college football atmosphere, all the talent is here to make this a memorable year.

This game is going places its predecessors never went, but it's also unwilling to ditch a past that is just slowing it down. [Aug 2008, p.80]

This year’s iteration feels a little more streamlined and designed to get you into the gaming experience faster.

In all, NCAA 09's sharp visuals, immediate sense of control, and its robust, fleshed-out modes make this year's version a winner. [Sept 2008, p.77]

This year, more than any other, it feels like NCAA won't be a stop gap until Madden hits the store shelves and can stand on its own by offering a different experience that the NFL can't match.

NCAA Football fans will love this, and if casual football fans can get past a few of the graphic issues then we may just have another wave of NCAA Football fans charging the field.

Unique, rewarding, and brilliantly conceived both on and off the pitch. [Christmas 2008, p.119]

In the end you can't go wrong if you are a fan of the game. Just don't expect to be wowed by any aspect except the online and offline dynasty modes as they have shown the most attention to features in the game. The rest is just window dressing.

The addition of the Online Dynasty mode will please many, but the lack of significant improvements to other key modes of NCAA Football 09 will disappoint many others.

An amazing improvement over NCAA 2008. As a sports gamer, that’s all I can truly ask for in a yearly edition.

It just about looks, sounds and plays as it did before, solidly but without anything "wow"-worthy to justify your $60 purchase.

It's a fun game. Just don’t be surprised when a Quarterback Quiz pops up, or some assh.le keeps hitting pause every five minutes while you’re playing online.