The Video Game Reviews Community (HonestGamers)
Forums | Blogs | Register | Login | Users | Staff | Links

3DS
Dreamcast
DS
GameCube
iPad
iPhone/iPod
PC
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PSP
Vita
Wii
Wii U
Xbox
Xbox 360
All
Follow Us

NCAA Football 09 All-Play
NCAA Football 09 All-Play (WII) game cover art
Genre:
Sports (Football)

Developer:
EA Canada
Publisher
Region
Released
Electronic Arts
NA
07/15/2008
Your Account Options
You currently have no privileges related to this game profile because you are not signed into an HonestGamers account. Please log in, or click to register for a free user account.

More Reviews by randxian

Trog (NES)
Trog has been unfairly admonished as being a Pac-Man rip-off. Someone please explain how a game with a slew of power-ups, more enemy attack behav...

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (PSP)
Fan service games can easily be forgiven for being mediocre if they at least pull off their intended gimmick well enough. Unfortunately, Tales of the World:...

Dragon Warrior (NES)
While Dragon Warrior can at times be a slow grind fest, the game exudes an atmosphere that is charming, yet filled with hidden dangers and secrets at eve...

Legacy of the Wizard (NES)
Legacy of the Wizard has a lot going for it: colorful graphics, a rich soundtrack, diverse playable characters, a huge expansive world to explore, and ...

One Piece: Going Baseball (Import) (Game Boy Advance)
“This is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.” Those lines were spoken by the manager of the Durham Bulls in the movie <...

Best Wii Games
Okami (Wii) artwork
Okami
Average Rating: 9.5; Reviews: 2
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii) artwork
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
Average Rating: 9.3; Reviews: 3
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) artwork
Super Mario Galaxy
Average Rating: 9.1; Reviews: 9
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) artwork
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 3
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii) artwork
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 2
World of Goo (Wii) artwork
World of Goo
Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 2
No More Heroes (Wii) artwork
No More Heroes
Average Rating: 8.5; Reviews: 6
Sonic Colors (Wii) artwork
Sonic Colors
Average Rating: 8.5; Reviews: 4
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) artwork
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Average Rating: 8.5; Reviews: 2
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) artwork
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Average Rating: 8.5; Reviews: 2

Looking for a good read?
Check out a selection from our database of more than 8000 reviews! disco has weighed in on Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers for the Wii and figures it rates 6 out of 10. What do you think? Read the review, then be sure to leave feedback or chime in with one of your own!

Systems > Wii > N > NCAA Football 09 All-Play > User Review

Sign up for a free user account and you can leave feedback for this review or even submit a game review of your own!

Review by randxian
January 27, 2010

NCAA Football 09 for the Wii sports the All-Play gimmick that is supposed to help video game football newbies get acclimated to the game. However, the game is so poorly executed that it’s a bigger rip-off than the outrageous prices you pay for concessions and programs at sporting events. EA really fumbled the ball with the awkward controls and overall presentation, making the game virtually unplayable.

The Wii remote simply isn’t conducive to football simulation. Unfortunately, EA failed to allow compatibility with either the GameCube controller or the classic controller. Many actions such as snapping the ball, tossing the ball during option plays, and passing are executed via flicking the Wii remote, which wouldn’t be so bad if it had more than a 50% response rate. Be prepared to take lots of sacks while desperately flicking the remote like a manic fisherman. If by some miracle you manage to successfully launch a pass, there is only a 50% chance of it actually going to the correct receiver. Part of this is due to receivers being designated to the directional buttons on the remote, which is extremely awkward in pressure situations.

The aforementioned problems lead to too many turnovers that should never happen. What’s worse, the fumble rate is ridiculously high. It’s like all the players dunked their hands in a large vat of butter minutes prior to game-time.

Perhaps the biggest folly is the actually playbook. The boxes are too small, the font is hard to read, and the routes and assignments look like they were drawn by a kid with ADHD who was issued an orange crayon. For previous versions of NCAA football and even Madden, different routes and defensive assignments were color coded to help the player figure out the best play to call in any given situation. Now that the playbook is filled with more orange than a Vonage ad, it’s virtually impossible to tell what plays actually do. This game is supposed to be newbie friendly? How does EA expect new players to be successful if they can’t do something as pedestrian as figure out the playbook?

On a positive note, the game includes modes such as practice, exhibition, and dynasty. The real icing on the cake is the mascot game, which – you guessed it- allows you to play a full football game as the actual mascots. A tutorial mode that allows players to get accustomed to various formations, common plays, and other football jargon would have been nice, but thankfully you don’t need to be as knowledgeable as Kirk Herbstreit unless you play on the harder difficulty settings. Speaking of which, at least you get to listen to Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso's banter during an actual game.

It’s too bad something with as much innovation as the mascot game goes to waste given the shoddy controls and the slop-bucket playbook. Newcomers will find nothing helpful. On the contrary, the game is so poorly designed fundamentally that new recruits are more likely to get frustrated and quit than enjoy one of America’s favorite sports.


Rating: 2/10



You can click the tabs on the above bar to choose whether you wish to read comments from visitors who have posted on Facebook, or from registered site users who have left feedback on the forums. Please leave a comment of your own if you have anything to say!


Info | Help | Privacy Policy | Contact | Advertise

eXTReMe Tracker
© 1998-2012 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site--from reviews, guides, cheats and editorials to message board posts--may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. NCAA Football 09 All-Play is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to NCAA Football 09 All-Play, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.