Nov 26, 2007

College basketball is all about tradition and consistency. It's no surprise to see the same teams ranked in or around the Top 25 every season, whether it's 1997, 2007, or 2017. You can always bank on the Dukes, North Carolinas, UCLAs, and Kansases to be bouncing basketballs in the Big Dance come March. Truth be told, however, we've grown tired of the consistency shown by College Hoops 2K8 on the PS2. By this point, it's a wonder that they bothered to release a new version at all.

Above: All screens are from this year's 360 version

This season looks, plays, and feels a whole hell of a lot like last year (and, to be frank, the year before that too). It's one thing to rest on your laurels or not fix something that ain't broke - we've certainly been burned when desperate developers have reached in a maturing sports series (hello, Madden passing cone). On the other hand, so much of 2K8 borrows from its past that it borders on self-plagiarism. In-game animations, arena atmosphere, and overall gameplay are virtually unchanged, and there aren't even any new game modes to justify dropping the admittedly cheap 20 bones to pick it up.