NCAA March Madness 07 is the latest edition in the long standing - and often beleaguered - series from EA Sports. Personally, I am a pretty big college basketball fan, often getting into the season late because of the extended college football and NFL seasons, but just in time for the frenzy of March. Does EA come with a stronger game this year? Let’s find out...

Graphically, this title looks pretty good. Players are animated well enough, with some decent facial mapping and body contours and so forth. Many dunks are also pretty awesome looking, with some wicked two-handed slams and behind the back jams. Jerseys, stadium decals, and mascots look downright authentic as well - nothing like seeing the Blue Crazies in Cameron Indoor Stadium, going hogwild for their Demon Deacons. Speaking of the fans, EA did a really good job bringing home their overall raucousness, and spirit - more on that in a bit. However, the textures do look a tad blocky at times. No doubt the franchise has perhaps seen its last installment on this venerable system.

On the sound side, things are also pretty solid. As I just mentioned, the crowd absolutely goes nuts whenever their respective team hits a big basket, or some poor sap on the opposing roster air-balls it. It is also responsive to a blow out or a tightly contested match-up, rising and falling with the ensuing action. Brad Nessler and the undisputed king of college announcing, Dick “Dickie V” Vitale, also returns. I just can’t get enough of the latter’s euphemisms, like “Diaper Dandy” (denoting an outstanding underclassmen) a “PTPer” (prime time player) or his most well known saying, "It's awesome baby!" Occasionally the two will lag behind the action, but they present a really nice pairing, one that is only rivaled by perhaps Madden and Micheals in sports today. Lastly, all the fight songs, stadium pageantry and more, are recreated here in blissful glory - over 320 in all!

The Dynasty mode in NCAA March Madness 07 once again engrosses you in all manner of activities, from the administrative duties of budget and finance, but also the juggling act of coaching, from focusing on man-to-man, or a more flexible zone D, as well as a host of other categories. Along with this, you have to divy up time for offense, defense, shooting and more, honing your players' skills for the next big game. The recruiting alone can take up a ton of time along, scrolling through a plethora of high-school Blue Chippers, trying to decide who would fit best in your system. Do you go for the lumbering 7-footer? Or the nimble, assist-dishing point guard? Personally, I am a little biased to a run-and-gun style of fast break action, so speed is key, often involving 3-4 guard line-ups to push the tempo. But if you like to slug it out in a deliberate, half-court tempo a la Washington State, then getting a pair of big men is more important. Along with this, you can check out the campus bookstore, where you can pick-up all kinds of cool gear, like jerseys, shoes, athletic bands and more. After you get done with that, you can stroll over to the Hall of Fame, where you can check out some legendary accolades from players gone by. Maybe you will end up there one day too...

One of the new features this year is the Sideline General Mode, where you can input a few plays now and again, as well as sub players in and out, but you don’t have total control over the players themselves. This is a pretty nifty mode for those looking to be the next Coach K or Bob Knight (sans the choking/chair throwing hijinks) - not the next Christian Laetner.

The on the court gameplay is pretty interesting to dive into, and warrants quite a bit of attention, so tune in folks. Your Lockdown Stick is back again, providing an excellent feedback system for laying on some suffocating defense. One of the cooler new features is the Go-To-Guy, who can absolutely take over games when needed, not unlike the person who graces this year’s cover, the sloppy-haired-sharp-shooter Adam Morrison. Momentum also plays an important role as your star player - by going on huge runs, your meter will build and build, allowing for more to be gained. Just watch out if you find yourself on the other end of this, as it could be tough to dig yourself out. One comment about this whole momentum thing - I truly wish the professional counterparts used this to some degree. So far it has been a college staple, for no particular reason. Are we supposed to believe that college sports is more exciting, enthralling and passionate than the NBA, NHL, NFL etc.?

With the new conventions aside, the actually gameplay is rather well done, but the A.I. does leave something to be desired. Running some plays is a cumbersome process, waiting for your players to switch into position, as you struggle to hit the next man in the rotation. Worse yet, the opposing A.I. has even more moronic moments, allowing for some easy turnovers, and poor decision late in games. Still, despite these minor hiccups, this title comes through with some dynamic on-court action.

Lastly, there is offline multi-tap with up to 8 players, as well as online mode. The latter offers both ranked and unranked options, with slick ESPN menu integration - ESPN Radio and SportsCenter, ESPN Motion media and your standard sports ticker all make an appearance. Very cool.

NCAA March Madness 07 can be a bit of a challenge for those not used to basketball games, but the extra 9 second shot clock, 2 simple halves, and a shorter range of 3-point shooting allow even the smallest of schools to adapt, and compete, unlike their NBA brethren. Some of the play-calling options may be a little much for the beginner. Those folks may want to just look for the open man, or lean on your Go-To-Guy most of the game. Considering the Lockdown Stick is pretty easy to use too, you can make up for your lack of offensive prowess on the other end too.

Overall, NCAA March Madness 07 should feel right at home for most vets, and will take a little time to learn for the newbies, but in the end, with a full range of customizable settings and options, you will find your comfort level sooner than later.

NCAA March Madness 07 offers a wide array of camera angles to choose from, and rarely does it even feel cumbersome or out of place as a result. The menus and other presentation values are also spot on, complete with the top-notch ESPN license. Lastly, the controls are responsive, and with the utilization of analog stick in defensive situations, offers some true control over your players.

This title, while not being the success story that its professional counterparts have been, is still a pretty solid entry into the basketball arena this year. With decent graphics, authentic sounds (with Dickie V!) and a deep gameplay mode offering some great moments, no fan of college hoops should do without this sucker during this coming Spring. Best of all, for only $30, this game is really a steal, so go out and snag it today.