The graphics in this franchise definitely looks better than they ever have before. With ten different player models (why not more?), and arenas that not only look like college stadiums, but also feel like college stadiums, NCAA Final Four 2002 gets you in the mood for a season of headache and heartache like never before.

Sound fx are equally well done, too. Unfortunately, even with Billy Packer and Eddie Doucette in the booth, the commentary is still pretty lacking. Quality while speaking is good, but there are too many long pauses and too much 'dead air' in the game.

By far, the greatest improvement over the years of the Final Four series is its gameplay. Everything about FF2002 is very smooth, from simply controlling your player's movement, to sticking the 'D' to your opponent. Considering that the game includes many new moves (like post moves and hook shots), controlling your player effectively is essential.

NCAA Final Four 2002 has 5 real modes of play. Of course there is the good old Exhibition (with Quick Start for random teams), Tournament, and Season modes. But also vying for the championship are the Dynasty and Career Modes. In Dynasty, you get to play through multiple seasons in a quest to build your franchise into a powerhouse. After each season, you will also be able to search around for new recruits that will help you gain your glory. Career Mode offers another twist on the Dynasty Mode. Instead of sticking with one team, you are the coach, and must decide which team you want to coach. You will be given offers, and it's your decision to stick with your school or move on to bigger and better opportunities.

NCAA Final Four 2002 also features a Create-A-Player, but not right from the title screen. Instead, you must be playing a Season. This is a disappointment, but not as much as not having real player names. This is no fault of 989 Sports, but I hope that game companies pursue the NCAA and fight for player names. Until then, at least you have the cheerleaders to look at. Yep. That's right. During timeouts, you can sneak a peak while they perform. But my favorite feature is that if you're the away team shooting free throws, you get the added distraction of foam wieners going back and forth in the crowd. I LOVE IT!

Don't worry too hard about the distractions, however. NCAA Final Four 2002 is actually a pretty easy game if you want it to be. For the first time that I have ever noticed, a shot meter in a basketball game actually makes it easier to sink the big ones. In fact, you can go on some serious shooting streaks if you just concentrate... making it next to impossible to get beat. Of course, you can change some of the options to control difficulty to balance things out a little.

FF2002's button layout is as perfect as it can be. The only exception is that when trying to throw an ally-oop, the button combinations can make it hard to time this perfectly choreographed feat very well. NCAA Final Four 2002 is a solid game and easily the best in the series, if not the best college basketball game period. Playing it definitely gears you up for March Madness.