This season, the madness that comes with the month of March will hit Playstation 2 owners early. NCAA March Madness 2002 brought to you by the fine folks at EA Sports Canada, is the fourth installment of the series, but the first outing on the PS2. The college game is basketball at its purist. There are no endorsements, no big commercials, no out landish contracts, just young college guys that love the game and play with heart and soul. Playstation 2 owners will be able to experience that within this game and compete with one of the 138 NCAA teams available. If you were upset with the bet that you lost voting for you favorite school, then here is a chance for you to take your teams' destiny into your own hands and seek redemption.

Fans of the NBA Live series will be happy to see that this year graphic improvement was very important to EA Sports. Like its cousin NBA 2002, NCAA MM 2002 maintains the same level of graphic quality. The player animation and ball movement on the court are very smooth. Games will also marvel at the player and ball reflections that are cast on the hardwood floor of each college stadium. The lighting as well can be seen from the reflection on the floor which adds to the realism of the game. Player uniforms are an accurate reflection of the college game, shirts under the jerseys and baggy shorts are included. Even when you take a huge All American center or power forward to the hoop strong, you just may shatter a few backboards across the country. What I found to be interesting were the player reactions to this, as the glass particles fall, players take cover or run to avoid injury. Neat indeed. The players are also full attitude, its all about the heart, there are no million dollar contracts here. Players dispute calls and celebrate great plays and monster dunks. So if you want great looks and attitude the you may stop here and enjoy until you hearts content. The sound is great as there are over 90 team specific chants and fight songs to give you the feeling your entire school is behind you. There is nothing like hearing your school get behind your drive as the game draws close to the final buzzer. There are great

The gameplay is nothing new. EA Sports has kept the same formula of circle to shoot, x to pass, R1 turbo and so forth. Therefore if you have played EA hoops games in the past, then the play mechanics will be very familiar. The ball physics have improved somewhat over previous incarnations of the game. If a shot is taken at a certain angle, then you can expect the ball to bounce off and hit the floor where it should physically. However the player rebounding may frustrate some. I found at times when my center was supposed to have the rebound, some smaller power forward or small forward may come out with the rock! How does this happen? One item that I found to be a great implementation is the inclusion of a momentum meter. This is a brilliant addition. As your team makes more great plays both offensively and defensively the higher the meter rises. The higher the meter goes, the more momentum your team has, and rightfully so, the team with more heart wins in college. Isn't that true? There are great game options to play an exhibition game or feel the crunch of the tournament. The option is also there to create your own school and players to introduce a new powerhouse to the NCAA.

For fans of the college basketball genre and the madness that surrounds it, this game is a perfect purchase. For those who want to see the big names, do not bother to look here because players are recognized only by a number. So know your team. Fans who do make this purchase will be able to celebrate the madness early right until the month of March when the live action takes place. If you love and embrace the college hoop experience, then NCAA March Madness 2002 has your name on it.