NCAA College Hoops 2K7 Hands-on

via ign

The start of the college basketball season starts in early November, just as gridirons are starting to cool down and bowl futures are becoming clear. It picks up speed through Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, taking over campuses with buzzer beating shots and Cinderella story teams that upset nationally ranked squads on its way to the Big Dance. So why would 2K Sports decide to release their upcoming College Hoops 2K7 for the PS3 in February, at the tail end of the season, instead of in November for the launch of the system?

The answer is simple -- rather than rush a simple port, 2K Sports wanted to polish up the game, tweaking some elements and fixing issues that cropped up in the 360 version. As a result, players that picked up the 360 version will want to check out the PS3 title to check out the differences between the two games. For example, it's a tad bit easier to make layups now in the PS3 version of the game, even with a defender contesting you for the shot. Similarly, attention was paid to cleaning up the awkward animations that occurred during transition play or low post passes. Other features, such as the SIXAXIS controller support for free throw shooting (which made its debut in NBA 2K7) have been integrated into College Hoops 2K7.

These features join up with an already strong lineup of modes for College Hoops 2K7. Team Unity is the largest adjustment made this year, which tracks the up and down nature of the game itself. Just about every facet of the game has an impact on the Team Unity meter, such as ball distribution on the court, shot selection, and substitutions. Depending on just how well you happen to be managing the influence of these factors on your team, your Unity will rise or fall. When it's low, you'll see your players miss a lot more shots and make bad passes. When it's high, you'll notice your team play tighter defense and sink just about every shot they make. Just as the Team's Unity rises and falls, so will player's confidence meters, so if your team is starting to slump, you may need to call a timeout and get their heads back into the game.

Other features are definitely making their way into the PS3 version of the game. Players can design their own taunts, jeers and rallying cries with the Chant Creator. While it'll still outlaw you from outright telling an opponent that they suck, players that are creative with their spelling and word choice can express how horrible the other team is. You'll also have access to an expanded Legacy mode, which includes the new HoopCast simulator which lets you send in plays and manage the game from the sidelines. There's even a new weekly highlight show, College Hoops Tonight, which is hosted by Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg, which recaps the events that occur across the NCAA.

We'll have more on College Hoops 2K7 soon, but for now, check out the latest videos of the game in action.