NCAA Football 09
Encyclopedia
NCAA Football 09 is a college football
video game created by EA Sports
, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts
. The game was announced on February 14, and was released on July 15, . 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.
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). The winner of the competition, Michigan State's mascot Sparty
, is featured on the cover art for the Wii.
Each of the other four versions of the game features a different athlete on the cover. All are former collegiate players, as the use of an active student athlete is against NCAA regulations.
(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.
Retired Online Play
On February 5, 2011, EA retired online play for several old games, including NCAA Football 09 for all platforms.
gave the game a score of 8.4/10 for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
video game created by EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. The game was announced on February 14, and was released on July 15, . The Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
version of the game is titled NCAA Football 09 All-Play and launched under EA Sports' new All-Play brand exclusive to the platform.
New Features
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 your 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.
- New Name Brand Visors/Eye Shields Nike, Oakley, & Under Armour.
Team Rankings
| Rank | Team |
|---|
| > Oklahoma Sooners |
| > USC Trojans |
| > LSU Tigers |
| > West Virginia Mountaineers |
| > Texas Longhorns |
| > Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| > Arizona State Sun Devils |
| > Auburn Tigers |
| > Virginia Tech Hokies |
| > Tennessee Volunteers |
| > South Carolina Gamecocks |
| > Oregon Ducks |
| > Wake Forest Demon Deacons |
Cover
In order to promote its new WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
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). The winner of the competition, Michigan State's mascot Sparty
Sparty
Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations of a Spartan warrior with a prominent chin appeared at...
, is featured on the cover art for the Wii.
Each of the other four versions of the game features a different athlete on the cover. All are former collegiate players, as the use of an active student athlete is against NCAA regulations.
- Former ArkansasArkansas Razorbacks footballThe Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Darren McFaddenDarren McFaddenDarren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
is the cover athlete for the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. - Former Boston CollegeBoston College Eagles footballThe Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Matt RyanMatt Ryan (American football)Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
is the cover athlete for the PS3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. - Former CaliforniaCalifornia Golden Bears footballThe California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
DeSean JacksonDeSean JacksonGoing to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
is the cover athlete for the PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. - Former West VirginiaWest Virginia Mountaineers footballThe West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
fullbackFullback (American football)A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Owen SchmittOwen Schmitt-Seattle Seahawks:Schmitt was drafted in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was the second Mountaineer selected in the draft, behind Steve Slaton in the third round to the Houston Texans. Schmitt signed a four-year $1.87 million contract that included a $158,000...
is the cover athlete for the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
Demo
A contest was released June 19 at the Xbox Live MarketplaceXbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
(Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) and PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
(PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
). The teams are Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
and the LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
and with 2 minute quarters at varsity level. A mascot game is also available with the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
versus the Texas Longhorns.
Retired Online Play
On February 5, 2011, EA retired online play for several old games, including NCAA Football 09 for all platforms.
Reception
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of NCAA Football 09 were generally well received by critics, earning scores of 81/100 and 83/100, respectively. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a score of 8.4/10 for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.