College Football USA 96

Last updated
College Football USA 96
College Football USA 96 Cover.jpg
Developer(s) High Score Productions
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NCAA Football
Platform(s) Sega Genesis
ReleaseJuly 15, 1995
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

College Football USA 96 is a sports game released in 1995 by EA Sports. It is the follow-up to Bill Walsh College Football '95 and part of EA's NCAA Football series of games. College Football USA 96 is the first game in the series that included all of the Division l-A teams (there were 108 teams at the time) and was also the first to include actual bowl games (the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Rose Bowl). With Bill Walsh's retirement from coaching after the 1994 season, the game no longer carried an endorsement.

Contents

The game received praise for the large number of available teams and for being an accurate simulation of the sport.

Gameplay

Players had the option to play through a full 11-game season (or less as desired) as any of the 108 selectable Division I-A teams before the team advances to one of the college bowl games. College Football USA 96 would mark the first and the only time that the Southwest Conference would appear in a video game because it would merge with the Big 8 to form the Big 12 the following year. [1] It also marked the only time that the University of Pacific Tigers football team would appear in a video game, as they dropped their football program after the 1995 season to save money.

Players could select from 400 plays, and could choose one of five receivers on each play using the new passing mode. The game added other features and options such as: four-player mode, three possible lengths for a game, substitutions, injuries, fake snaps, spins, audibles, interceptions, hurdles, dives, blocked kicks, and laterals.

Reception

The game was well received by critics. GamePro called it "the most authentic and in-depth Genesis college football cart yet", citing the challenging A.I., the huge selection of teams, and the many new features and gameplay elements brought to the series. [2] The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it scores of 8.5 and 8 out of 10. They likewise praised the selection of teams and the new gameplay elements, and remarked that the game "brings another level in football gaming." [3]

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "College football fans will love the complete teams and playbooks, but we're still waiting to see the new version of College Football National Championship from Sega before we pick a national champion." [4]

Namio Noma for The Folsom Telegraph praised the game, saying that "overall, College Football USA '96 is yet another strong game from the sports experts at EA Sports. [5]

Reviews

Related Research Articles

<i>NBA Jam</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

NBA Jam is a basketball video game developed and published by Midway for arcades in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series. The project leader for this game was Mark Turmell.

Madden NFL is an American football sports video game series developed by EA Orlando for EA Sports. The franchise, named after Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and commentator John Madden, has sold more than 130 million copies as of 2018. From 2004 until 2022, it was the only officially licensed National Football League (NFL) video game series, and has influenced many players and coaches of the physical sport. Among the series' features are detailed playbooks and player statistics and voice commentary in the style of a real NFL television broadcast. As of 2013 the franchise has generated over $4 billion in sales, making it one of the most profitable video game franchises on the market.

<i>FIFA International Soccer</i> 1993 video game

FIFA International Soccer is a 1993 association football video game developed by EA Canada's Extended Play Productions team and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console in December 1993 and ported to numerous other systems in 1994. It is the first game in the FIFA series.

<i>Madden NFL 98</i> 1997 American football video game

Madden NFL 98 is a 1997 football video game. It was the last edition of the Madden series to be released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega Saturn platforms, as well as the last Madden game to utilize 2D sprites for the players and referee, on 3D playing fields.

<i>Madden NFL 96</i> 1995 American football video game

Madden NFL '96 is a football video game designed for the 1995 NFL season, licensed by the NFL. Publisher Electronic Arts intended for it to be the first licensed NFL game for the PlayStation, but the PlayStation version was delayed and ultimately cancelled, with the game being published only for previous-generation consoles, PCs, and handhelds. Compared to previous Madden NFL games, the AI has been boosted and can now hurry in two-minute drill situations, spike the ball, and cover the receivers with better efficiency. In addition to the 16-bit console and portable versions, a DOS version was also released under the title of Madden NFL Football: Limited Edition in 1996.

EA Sports College Football is an American football video game series developed by EA Sports in which players control and compete against current Division I FBS college teams. It served as a college football counterpart to the Madden NFL series. The series began in 1993 with the release of Bill Walsh College Football. EA eventually acquired the licensing rights to the NCAA name and officially rechristened the series with the release of NCAA Football 98.

<i>Bill Walsh College Football</i> 1993 video game

Bill Walsh College Football is an American football video game released for the Super NES, Genesis, and Sega CD. It is one of the earliest video games to deal with the sport at a college level and is built around the fame of coach Bill Walsh. The game was followed by a sequel, Bill Walsh College Football '95.

<i>Wayne Gretzky and the NHLPA All-Stars</i> 1995 video game

Wayne Gretzky Hockey NHLPA All-Stars is a Super NES and Genesis/Mega Drive hockey video game that features Wayne Gretzky and other NHLPA players.

<i>NFL 95</i> 1994 video game

NFL '95 is the sixth video game in the Joe Montana Football/NFL series. It is the last Sega football game to feature Joe Montana. Its sequel, Prime Time NFL Football, featured Deion Sanders.

<i>NHL 96</i> 1995 ice hockey video game

NHL 96 is a 1995 sports video game developed by EA Tiburon for the SNES, High Score Productions for the Sega Genesis, EA Canada for DOS, and Probe Entertainment for the Game Boy. EA Sports published all versions of the game except the Game Boy version, which was published by THQ. The game is based on the sport of ice hockey and puts the player in control of a hockey team in modes of play such as exhibitions, seasons and playoffs. It is the fifth installment in the NHL game series.

<i>PGA Tour 96</i> 1995 video game

PGA Tour 96 is a sports video game developed by Hitmen Productions for the PlayStation, MS-DOS, and Windows versions, Unexpected Development for the Game Boy version, NuFX for the Sega Genesis and 3DO versions, Ceris Software for the Game Gear version, and Polygames for the SNES version and published by EA Sports for PlayStation, MS-DOS, Windows, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, 3DO, Game Gear and SNES.

<i>NFL Quarterback Club</i> (video game) 1993 video game

NFL Quarterback Club is an American football video game for multiple platforms that features quarterbacks from the NFL. It is the first game in Acclaim Entertainment's NFL Quarterback Club series.

<i>NBA Live 96</i> 1995 basketball video game

NBA Live 96 is the second installment of the NBA Live video game series published by EA Sports and released on November 30, 1995. The PC and PlayStation covers feature Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic, while the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis and European PlayStation box covers feature a photo of the tip-off to Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals. PlayStation and PC versions are the first games in the series to feature 3D-rendered courts, allowing for multiple camera angles using EA's "Virtual Stadium" technology, which is also used for FIFA Soccer 96. On-court player graphics remain 2D sprites. It is also the first NBA Live game released for the PlayStation and the only game for the Game Boy. NBA Live 96 is followed by NBA Live 97.

<i>College Football USA 97</i> 1996 sports video game

College Football USA 97 is a video game of the sports genre released in 1996 by EA Sports. Its cover athlete is former University of Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier.

<i>Coach K College Basketball</i> 1995 video game

Coach K College Basketball is the first college basketball video game developed by EA Sports spun off from their NBA Live engine. Coach K College Basketball was released in 1995 for Sega Genesis.

<i>FIFA Soccer 96</i> 1995 video game

FIFA Soccer 96 is a football simulation video game developed by Extended Play Productions and released by Electronic Arts in 1995. It was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, Game Gear, PlayStation, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.

NCAA Football '98 is a video game of the sports genre released in 1997 by Electronic Arts. The game featured University of Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel on the cover.

<i>College Footballs National Championship II</i> 1995 video game

College Football's National Championship II is a video game developed by Sega Sports and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis.

<i>Pelé!</i> 1993 video game

Pelé! is a 1993 sports video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Accolade for the Sega Genesis. The game is based on the sport of association football and puts the player in control of a football team in modes of play such as exhibitions, tournaments, and seasons. It is named after and endorsed by former Brazilian footballer Pelé, who also provided input on the game's design.

<i>EA Sports College Football 25</i> 2024 video game

EA Sports College Football 25 is a video game based on college football, developed by EA Orlando and published by EA Sports. It is a part of the EA Sports College Football game series and the first such game in eleven years since NCAA Football 14 in 2013.

References

  1. "EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo, and Maybe It Didn't Want It". Kotaku. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  2. "College Football USA '96 Earns High Honors". GamePro . No. 85. IDG. October 1995. p. 90.
  3. "College Football USA '96 (Genesis) by Electronic Arts". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 74. Ziff Davis. September 1995. p. 114.
  4. "Finals". Next Generation . No. 9. Imagine Media. September 1995. p. 102.
  5. "Article clipped from the Folsom Telegraph". The Folsom Telegraph. 29 November 1995. p. 23.
  6. "Gamefan Volume 3 Issue 09 September 1995". September 1995.
  7. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11900&tab=review [ bare URL ]