Anyone who has every experienced college football can tell you that the college game is a completely different experience from the NFL. Though both revolve around the same basic principal, college football has a certain feeling that makes the experience like none other. Atmosphere is 90 percent of the college game. The fight songs, the mascots, the cheerleaders, the drunk students heckling Tommy Tubberville (we miss you Steve!) -- all of which have been faithfully translated into this year's version of NCAA 2004.

When compared to last year's game, the visuals have only been slightly improved. Stadium details are improved and now feature more true to life details -- such as rival bands finally sitting in the endzone at LSU's Death Valley (sorry Clemson -- we've had the name longer). Even if there are a few minor quibbles that fans are likely to find with their favorite team's stadium (for example, numbers are painted every 5 yards at Death Valley, not every 10), the overall look is very, very good. As mundane a detail as it may seem, the grass textures used in the game really impressed me. I've been playing the NCAA games from the start and I can honestly say I've never even noticed that there was a grass texture in the game. It wasn't until this year, after taking my customary virtual gaze around Death Valley that I noticed just how detailed the grass was. As is usually the case -- it's always the small details that reel me in. The sidelines are also greatly improved and feature fully animated coaches, players, cheerleaders and mascots on the sidelines to help build on the atmosphere. Some sharp-eyed fans will even notice the stands beginning to empty out if the home team isn't doing to well. Player models look about the same, but have undergone a serious animation overhaul. All of the original animations from last year have returned along with several new ones, such as players bobbling balls and making sliding catches, which really adds to the excitement level of the game. Other improvements to the game include new team introductions and a 'swing' to the camera while passing that helps you to see the entire field.

The audio aspect of NCAA can make or break the college experience. The ESPN Gameday team of Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstriet and Lee Corso returns to the booth in what is probably the best play-by-play team in any sports game to date. The greatly expanded dialog between the three is excellent. It's especially fun to hear Herbstriet and Corso take cheap shots at each other throughout the game, which helps give the commentary a fun aspect. Most of the division 1-A team fight songs are included in the game, as are some from lesser-known schools. The best improvement to the entire package, in my opinion, are the various crowd chants. Normally, crowd noise is limited to a static white noise. A number of crowd chants have been included to help round out the experience. I always got a kick out of the crowd urging me to go for it on a fourth-and-one situation, only to boo me when I punted. Throw in a few of the more colorful chants, and EA would have the experience nailed.

Once you really start to get under the hood of this year's game, you begin to realize it's the same great engine, only tweaked to near perfection. Whether because of the greatly improved AI or that the games are simply more exciting, NCAA 2004 feels like a much more realistic game this year. Yes, the trademark EA arcade/sim-style is still around, but if its not broke, why fix it?

The ground attack has gone through the least number of changes, but has been slightly downgraded from last year's model. Last year it wasn't uncommon to end the game with 200 plus yards on the ground. This year, I was lucky to get 100 - which says a lot for the game's improved AI. Inside running has been improved a little since your backs now lunge forward a bit and try to get every yard possible. The improved defense can really be seen when trying to run to the outside since holes will close up very quickly.

Last year's passing game was plagued with dropped passes, missed interceptions and overall clumsy ball handling. Though the game still has its fair share of dropped passes, things have been improved greatly, thanks in part to the improved route-based passing. However, things aren't quite perfect since there are still some problems to iron out, such as QBs throwing the ball to the left sideline while his receiver is cutting to the right. This turns out to be more of a problem while going for deep balls, since passes in the interior (slants, quick-routes) are usually spot-on. Screen passes and play-action plays still don't work as well as they should. Even after laying down a pounding with the passing game, I still found my QB getting completely crushed while trying to run play-action plays. Another fun option is the inclusion of user controlled touchdown celebrations, such as throwing the ball over the goalpost - but these will usually lead to penalties, so use at your own risk.

I've already touched upon the improved defensive AI, so I won't bore you with more of the same. One of the more noticeable aspects with this year's defense is the improved DB AI. Swats and tips are much more common, as are interceptions. This is both a blessing and a curse, depending one what side of the ball you're playing. Bobbles and deflections are also more common this time around, which lead to some really interesting and exciting moments in the game. For example, during my game against Auburn, Kevin Hobbs went for an easy pick from a Matt Mauck pass to Micheal Clayton. However, instead of making the pick, Hobbs deflected the ball right into the hands of Skylar Green, who then ran it in for a 10-yard gain. These are the moments that just make you smile in the game.

As usual, NCAA 2004 offers nearly every option a fan could want. In addition to the standard Dynasty (which replaces the Season mode) and Exhibition modes, the game also offers a plethora of new features. These include the Rivals mode and the College Classics mode, which is similar to the Challenge mode found in EA's NASCAR Thunder series of games. This gives gamers the chance to relive classic moments in NCAA history like Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass.

In what seems to be an almost yearly complaint, as with last year, NCAA 2004 seems to have a bit of a cheating problem. While certainly not as bad as in previous years, it's still noticeable that things always seem to slide the AI's way when it counts. I also felt that, at times, teams were a little too balanced. Though I completely understand that it's all in the spirit of keeping the game fun and interesting, it gets a tad annoying when an unnamed bottom rung team gives your top-ten rated team a hard time when, in all reality, you should blow them out of the water.

The customary AI sliders are also back, which will allow you to try and balance the game just right, making up for most of the AI problems that still exist (such as some blown, easy receptions). NCAA also contains four play modes, all of which are much more balanced out than last season.

The one area where the most improvement can be seen in NCAA 2004 is the new, easier to use interface. Not that the menus were ever a headache, but things just felt a little more user friendly this time around. Game recaps have made a return, along with player stats and team comparisons during load screens. I found these much more useful than the controller layout that has been featured in previous years. NCAA also offers a new Sports Illustrated feature that reports the 'big happenings' around the league. After every game, a new Sports Illustrated will come out showcasing players to watch for the Heisman, that week's big games and upsets, as well as helping to illustrate the National Championship picture. Besides, it's always cool when your team is able to get a cover. There are even a few niceties thrown in such as your team's colors and watermarked logos on play select screens.

For those who really get into the game, the Recruiting mode has also been revamped slightly. Now, when pitching new players, you can choose to have your presentation hinge on either school location, playing time, coaching style or program prestige. There's even a gauge that lets you know if a player is thinking of going pro or not, which alleviates the surprise of your star player just deciding to leave your program and leaving you to scramble for a new recruit. Admittedly, I haven't played with this option too much - but what I've seen looks very well done.

NCAA 2004 also features the debut of the new EA Sports Bio feature. >From now on, whenever you play an EA sports game (Madden, NBA Live, etc.) the game will keep track of how long you've been playing. As you spend more time playing EA sports games, you'll gain more Bio-points, which will unlock new stadiums, teams, Madden cards and other features. Basically, this is the one thing you don't want to brag about to your friends.

It should come as not surprise that once again GameCube owners get hosed when it comes to memory card usage. Weighing in at a hefty 208 blocks (the standard card holds 59, while the more 'advanced' holds 259) the GameCube card is not roster friendly. I had to use two 259 block cards just to have enough room for one roster and a Dynasty (in addition to any options I set) as well as saves for any of my other game saves. Consider yourself warned.

Overall NCAA 2004 is a great improvement to an already excellent series. The game provides enough depth to keep you busy well into and beyond the college football season and manages to capture the unique atmosphere of a game day.