The atmosphere is definitely in effect with great court designs, plenty of cheerleaders, mascots, and band members rooting you on, and flashy moves with just a touch of innocence that makes college hoops so riveting. The graphics engine is just as solid as NBA Live’s with better camera options, yet the unforgivable and unsteady frame rate still rears its ugly head even one year into the system’s lifespan. Even the presentation takes a shot, but puts up a brick. Yes, ESPN supplies a bit of life here and there, but there are very little in the way of informative overlays, the replays are weak, and the broadcast feeling just isn’t sparked in EA’s offering. I do, however, like how the presentation differs from a normal home game to a televised event. Home games are just ho-hum exciting with the arena announcer giving scoring updates and the crowd backing their alumni, but the televised games has Dick Vitale BABY…and Brad Nessler calling the shots, instant replays showing highlighted moments, and more of a ‘broadcast’ feeling. I hope that next year even more bells and whistles are given in the form of overall presentation to involve the gamer without having to press start to find out certain game stats.

The game play, much like Live is passable, but for the hardcore coach and strategy buff, the options are there, but unnecessary as the CPU is a pushover no matter what degree of difficulty you set it on. Making a repeat performance is EA’s classic two shot button and analog crossover stick which allows gamers to really change plays and shot calling on the fly, but when you can go to the hole 90% of the time, why mix it up? I was impressed with the impact moments of the game, which allows you to get involved with the crowd, players, and the team to provide a big boost at a much-needed time. It will be interesting to see how this plays out when you get an opponent that isn’t human that merits the necessity of such a feature.

For a first year offering, there are still plenty of bells and whistles that will keep fans entertained. School Pride allows you to take a mid major team and make them a powerhouse. A deep Dynasty mode allows you to recruit, participate in alumni challenges, track progress and achievements, and enter a vast amount of tournaments including the NIT and even the McDonald’s High School All American game aside from the final four extravaganza. Toss in online play to get the most out of the game.

If you are a die-hard College Hoops fan, then you will find NCAA March Madness 07 fun enough to forgive its flaws and less than aggressive A.I. The game is much better with friends and over Xbox Live, which is where this game will find most of its players. The decent array of options will supply single player games with depth, but just don’t expect to find much of a fight against the computer. EA definitely brings the College game to life and for a first outing on Next Gen it is very good. But they should have had enough time with the system and engine to have ironed out the visual discomforts and flaws it presents. Maybe next season?