We've been getting quite a bit of emails over the past few months asking about 989 Sports' NCAA GameBreaker 2001 for PlayStation 2 because of the fact that it's the only college football videogame on any of the next-generation gaming platforms (PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast). For the most part, the questions centered on when the title is expected to ship and how well it plays, especially in comparison to EA Sports' Madden NFL 2001 and 989 Sports' own NFL GameDay 2001. Until recently, we haven't been able to answer either of these two questions with much certainty.
To answer the question about when the game will ship, sports fans looking for some PS2 college football will be able to feed their hunger on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 as the game is currently scheduled to ship on the 19th of this month. And with regard to the questions about how well GameBreaker 2001 plays in comparison to Madden NFL 2001 and GameDay 2001 on PS2, it shouldn't surprise anyone that it pretty much plays exactly like GameDay 2001 with a NCAA touch and feel.
The developers have taken the extra month to remove some of the bigger bugs that were readily apparent in GameDay 2001, which is a HUGE plus in this game's favor, but potential buyers shouldn't expect any major enhancements in gameplay, as none have been really made. There are obviously some big differences between the two titles, but just about all of them are simply there because of the differences between the NFL and NCAA games, so gamers shouldn't expect something that plays a lot better than GameDay.
For instance, GameBreaker 2001 is loaded with 115 Division 1-A teams, more than 60 classic college teams from the past, and a playbook with more than 600 plays and 26 formations that are more geared towards the college game. The playbook includes some college classics such as Nebraska's option attack, the Fullhouse backfield, and the Wing T. College fanatics will also be pleased to know that the GameBreaker 2001 also features numerous authentic fight songs and awards such as the Heisman Trophy, Sears National Championship Trophy, All American Team, and Freshmen of the Year Award. More than 20 bowl games including the Rose, Cotton, and Gator Bowl will also be featured in the game.
The game also makes use of a new feature where some of the big-play players on each team is labeled a GameBreaker and is highlighted in yellow during gameplay. These GameBreakers are the players on each team that can instantly change the momentum of the game around in a single play and the game is setup so that users are rewarded for getting the ball in their hands as much as possible.
As far as play modes are concerned, players can expect everything that was in the PlayStation version of the game. There are a total of five gameplay modes including Scrimmage, Fantasy, Tournament, Bowl Season, and Career. The Career mode is fairly unique in that it allows the player to assume the duties of a head coach, coordinator or assistant in leading his team to the all-important National Championship.
In what should please diehard football fans who love both college and professional football with a burning passion, GameBreaker 2001 is compatible with NFL GameDay 2001 in that it'll allow users to save senior players from a GameBreaker season and import them into GameDay 2001.
There's also a Blue Chip Recruiting feature that helps bring some of the off-field excitement of college football to the user by allowing them to take part in the signing and recruiting of high-school talent in trying to build a college dynasty.
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