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NCAA March Madness '08

(2007, Video Games - Sports, Rated E, Play it on: PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    College hoop madness returns, and its fun.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Teaches about college basketball and kids will also learn something about universities.
  • Messages:

    Emphasis is on teamwork, planning, and playing well. But also includes examples of unsportsmanlike behavior: excessive celebration upon scoring, taunting of other teams, and delivering rough fouls.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Rough fowls, but no more than you would see on TV.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Technically the universities are being advertised here and, like the real thing, there's a lot of product placement and branding.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of NCAA March Madness '08 was written by Andrew Bub

Parents need to know that this basketball game features scores of college teams from around the country in realistic action. Players will be exposed to some in-game ads, and examples of unsportsmanlike behavior in excessive celebration upon scoring, taunting of other teams, and delivering rough fouls. However, the game really focuses on the on-court play. While the difficulty levels are adjustable, some of the controls, menus, and modes are probably too complex for young players.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. What kinds of plays do you find appealing: showy breakaways and dunks or coordinated efforts involving the whole squad? Since this game is set in college, families can discuss the role of athletics in school. For online play, parents may also wish to discuss trash-talking, proper sportsmanship, and etiquette for video games.
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More on NCAA March Madness '08

What’s the Story?

March is the time of the year when hoops fans start going a little crazy. March Madness refers to the yearly college championship tournament that pits school against school and alumni against alumni. Boy, has EA got a game for them! Typical of an EA Sports title, MARCH MADNESS '08 shows off gorgeous graphics -- especially on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The gameplay is tight and the game mostly adheres to realistic play and real basketball strategy. A deep dynasty mode lets you take control of a College team and handle the schedule, recruitment, and more. You can then automatically simulate the season, play every game individually, or even try a combination of the two. Close

Is It Any Good?

The gameplay works well, but there are oddities on occasion. Some fans claim the computer starts cheating a bit if you get ahead on points, and fouls aren't nearly as frequent as the real thing. The announcing is only fair, because the commentators get an awful lot wrong and sometimes their commentary is a little late.

The controls work well, and it's easy to run plays, drive it to the hoop, perform an assist on offense, and steal the ball, jam, or block on defense. All the colleges, the colors, and even the mascots and fight songs are here. All told, more than 200 teams are represented. The game links to ESPN, so during the season, if your console is on the Internet, you'll get real-world scores via a ticker at the bottom of the screen. We can imagine players playing each match-up in the tournament -- while they have the actual game on a TV nearby. The overall feel of the game is true, the gameplay is deep, and the teams do play to their real-world strengths and weaknesses -- in short, this game does a good job of imitating college basketball. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 12/12/2007, price $33.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in Indiana
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Must PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Dude this game is sweeeeeeeeeeet if u like bball.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 2.0

    OMG

    ok ithink this was good for younger kides/people.....

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 0.0

    game is bad

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