NCAA Championship Basketball Download (1996 Sports Game)

It's unfortunate, because this game could have actually been playable...but it's not.

It really doesn't look all THAT bad, although the graphics are nothing to write home about. The menu screens are intuitive, and they look pretty nice. The game graphics could be a lot better, though. The graphics are really, really grainy, and could use a lot more polish. The animations are pretty jerky, too-- players start and stop animations inexplicably. Fouls are an atrocious sight. The coach wanders aimlessly, and sometimes distractingly on the court. Why? Good question. But graphics really don't make the game.

The sound is okay, too. The non-game music isn't bad -- it actually brings out thoughts of school bands and college basketball. There really isn't any ingame music, and the sound effects aren't very good either. The whistle blowing will drive you nuts, because there's very little sound. The crowd adds nothing, and between the whistle blowing, the ball on the floor, and the feet sounds, the sound will make you crazy. But sounds don't make the game, right?

Then what does? The fun? If NCAA Championship Basketball is fun, then it should be a good game, right? Right. But the problem doesn't lie in fun -- it is fun, at times. The problem lies in the "challenge". It's hard to keep the scores close in basketball games, and therefore most players miss more shots than the computer. But this is ridiculous! The game won't let you win.

Why? WHY? It's not really that bad. It's fun to run around and shoot and stuff, and the recruiting is fantastic -- so good that it inspired the recruiting now seen in NCAA Football 2000, and NCAA March Madness 2000. But if you can't win, no matter who you pick, then why play it? Good question.

The answer is simple -- don't. Stay away from this game at all costs.

Graphics: Almost horrific in-game graphics, although the menus aren't bad...

Sound: STOP THE WHISTLE BLOWING, IT IS MAKING ME CRAZY. Thank you.

Enjoyment: It's just too hard to be fun.

Replay Value: I can't get through one game.. let alone a season. If anyone can do it, prove it and you earn ten dollars.

NCAA-based basketball game. Includes 64 licensed teams (with fake players according to NCAA regulations) and several game modes like exhibition, tournament, and season play. Games can be played in either arcade or coach mode where you call the plays and make substitutions. You can also select the option to fully simulate games based on statistics.

Graphics are vga and consist of 2d sprites over several pre-rendered courts for different viewing angles.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded NCAA Championship Basketball have also downloaded:
NCAA Basketball Final Four 97, World League Basketball, NCAA Football 98, NCAA: Road to The Final Four 2, All-American College Football, Hardball V Enhanced (a.k.a. Hardball 5 Enhanced), Micro League Football Deluxe Edition (a.k.a. Micro League Football: The Coach's Challenge), Wayne Gretzky Hockey 3