Last season with out an NBA game to release, 989 Sports decided to throw together a NCAA college basketball game together for last minute release titled Final Four 99. Surprisenly, it was a decent game. It showed some originality and was great fun. This year 989's back with NCAA Final Four 2000. Maybe its because there is a NBA game out this year, but Final4 2000 stinks.
Choppy animation combined with washed out colors equals poor graphics. There is no excuse for graphics like these. 989 Sports motion captured Duke alum Trsjan Langdon for more realism. I'm sure he didn't move like this. Time to update your software guys.
Sure, the backgrounds are full of life. With animated audiences, coaches, cheerleaders, and refs, yet still no detail was taken in the animation of these characters.
For the lack of animation in the graphics, there's plenty of animated commentary provided by ESPN's Quinn Buckner.
This year Final 4 has added a unique control style called "touch shooting." This adds more to shooting the ball to video games than just pressing a button. A meter on the screen shows you how much power your putting into your shot by how long you hold down the button. Simular to those found in NHL 2000. This feature is new and can be a good help, if the AI wasn't so stupid. Stealing the ball is as easy as a 9th grade bully stealing lunch money from a 1st grader.
PUBLISHER: 989 SPORTS
GRAPHICS: 4 MUSIC & SOUND: 7.5 CONTROL: 6
SECRETS: N/A ORIGINALITY: 3 FUN & REPLAY: 3
989 Sports put a lot of effort ito this game as they do all their titles, but somehow NCAA Final Four 2000 lost its concentration and flunked out of school. OVERALL: 4