Following in the steps of its NBA counterpart, College Hoops 2K8 remains the best college basketball title on the market, but the minute changes are not worth the upgrade. Technical fans, those who want control over the plays run, and coaching fanatics will gain the most if they pick up this yearly update. The barely noticeable on court changes will likely disappoint those looking for increased depth when controlling the players.

Legacy mode gains the most, from the inclusion of ABL players and nicely intertwined recruiting which places focus on winning to gain top prospects. A detailed play creator is incredibly well done, both for its ease of use and depth. If the pre-set plays are not working, this can radically alter your play style if you invest the time.

New mini-games called the All American Training Challenge mix in past college players such as J.J. Redick to test an array of skills. These are exceptionally hard, though with time, you’ll get through them. These can make for a nice replacement of any tutorial, and record-beating aspects means competitive types will lock down the controls before heading into an actual game.

Once onto the court, 2K Sports feel remains unmatched. The flow, pacing, and movements mimic the sports almost perfectly. The ridiculous amount of animation available makes every game feel fresh.

Passing has been improved, though steals are still too frequent. High, lazy lob passes don’t happen as often thanks to the Maximum Passing option, though casual fans will do fine without it. Play calls show a diagram on the court to let you know exactly how the set should work. This needed feature seems like an obvious inclusion, and it’s amazing to think it took until 2007 to implement it.

The 6th Man Advantage involves the crowd in a deeper level of gameplay. Making a run, dunking, flashy play, or performing well in general excites the home crowd. When a meter on the bottom of the screen turns red, your players gain an advantage. Being on the road has a definite disadvantage this year. The feature is well implemented, though the crowd dies awfully quick if the opponent makes even a minor play.