There is plenty to love about March Madness 08 on the visual side and presentation. Not only does the game use a form of the already polished NBA Live engine, including practice menu screen, replay cut scenes, and ESPN Sports live updates, but they have found a way to give a bunch of no name players a look that isn't so generic. The player models, like Live, are very well detailed, and thanks to the expansive create a player option, each player looks quite unique. This is impressive when considering you have 326 teams to deal with. The college scene is alive whether you are playing in a small school or at a large collegiate facility. You have mascots, band members, cheerleaders, and tons of rabid fans rooting you on to victory. EA has managed to even bring back the impact moment option where you will pump up the crowd, yourself, or team mates in order to gain momentum in crucial situations.

Audio is as alive and vibrant as any you'll find on any broadcast. The crowd will go from silence to a frenzy in a moments notice if the game's momentum dictates. This dynamic crowd response feels authentic and not scripted in any way, which gives you a feeling of reward when bringing your team back from behind. Commentary is informative and humorous and features NCAA's favorite Dick Vitale. With so many teams and situations it is amazing to ponder on how many hours these guys had to do voice work to keep the game from being repetitive.

Of course looks and sound are all for naught if you don't get the game play right and thankfully NCAA March Madness 08 plays a solid game of round ball. While the game uses a similar engine from the Live series, it is nice to see the attention to detail when it comes to game play and animations to make these players look less effective than the pros. You'll see off balance fade aways, missed passes, air balls and bricks, and many rookie mistakes that show the inexperience at this level of hoops. This also means you have to plan your strategies a little differently not only from team to team but depending on your team composure for that game. College kids seem to lose their cool quicker than in the pros, so you must bench cold or frustrated players to hope to keep team morale at an all time high. The A.I. is very smart, yet versatile so you don't have to worry about the old "rubber band" A.I. showing its face in this game. Of course what EA hoops title wouldn't be complete without a few gimmicky "stick" modes. Well EA now allows you to call plays, change impact, and even choose defensive blocking with the flick of a stick. Of course you still have your crossovers and dekes as well allowing for a slick playing basketball title.

There are plenty of hoops to be played in this year's game as you get a wealth of options to enjoy. Among a few are dynasty mode, mini games, NIT Seasons, NCAA Tourneys, McDonald's All American High School Game, and of course online play.

NCAA March Madness 08 has a few flaws such as some transitions of animations, easy fast break opportunities, and a few game play quirks, but nothing will distract any college fan from getting excited about the team they love. If you love college hoops, then NCAA March Madness 08 may be the game for you. While EA still has a long way to go to regain the love they found from fans of the Coach K series, they are taking the right steps to win fans over each year.