NCAA Final Four Basketball
{{Short description|1995 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = NCAA Final Four Basketball
| image = NCAA Final Four Basketball cover.jpg
| caption =
| developer = Bitmasters
| publisher = Mindscape
| designer = Bob Bayse
| producer = Jim Molitor
| programmer = Franz Lanzinger
David O'Riva
Eric Ginner
Matthew Hamre
Jim Stevens
| artist = Greg Hancock
| composer = Jerry Gerber
| platforms = Sega Genesis, SNES
| released = March 1995
| genre = Sports (basketball)
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
}}
NCAA Final Four Basketball is a sports video game developed by Bitmasters and published by Mindscape for the Sega Genesis and SNES.
Gameplay
Development and release
NCAA Final Four Basketball was developed by Bitmasters for the SNES and Sega Genesis for publisher Mindscape. Some of the game's graphics were pre-rendered using Silicon Graphics workstations running Alias software.{{cite magazine | author=Nintendo Power staff | date=November 1994 | title=Back to School: By Mindscape | url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-066-november-1994/page/40/mode/1up | magazine=Nintendo Power | publisher=Nintendo of America | issue=66 | issn=1041-9551 | page=40}}{{cite magazine | author=Nintendo Power staff | date=February 1995 | title=Pak Watch: NCAA Final Four Basketball | url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-069-february-1995/page/11/mode/1up | magazine=Nintendo Power | publisher=Nintendo of America | issue=69 | issn=1041-9551 | page=111}} One of its programmers, Franz Lanzinger, was a former Atari employee who co-founded Bitmasters in 1990 and served as its president until 1995.{{cite book | author=Saltzman, Marc | date=1999 | title=Game Design: Secrets of the Sages | url=https://archive.org/details/gamedesignsecret0000unse_b7m5/page/445/mode/1up | publisher=Macmillan Publishers | page=445 | isbn=1-57595-257-2}} The company was best known for producing the SNES port of Primal Rage. Another NCAA programmer, Eric Ginner, had learned to code on the SNES after quickly completing a version of the classic Atari title Pong.{{cite magazine | author=Drury, Paul | date=July 2005 | title=Desert Island Disks | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20015/page/40/mode/1up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Live Publishing | issue=15 | issn=1742-3155 | page=40}} NCAA was released in North America in March 1995.{{cite magazine | author=Team EGM | date=March 1995 | title=NCAA Final Four Basketball | url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-068-march-1995_202301/page/12/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly | publisher=Sendai Publishing | issue=68 | issn=1058-918X | page=97}}
Reception
{{VG Reviews
| GamePro = {{rating|4.125|5}} (SNES){{cite magazine | author=Slo Mo | date=June 1995 | title=Final Four Enters The Tournament Of Champions | url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_071_June_1995/page/n90/mode/1up | magazine=GamePro | publisher=IDG | issue=71 | issn=1042-8658 | page=89}}
| NGen = {{rating|2|5}} (SNES){{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=7|publisher=Imagine Media|date=July 1995|pages=78–9|author=Next Generation staff|issn=1078-9693|url=https://archive.org/details/next-generation-24-dec-1996/NEXT%20Generation%2007%20Jul%201995/page/n62/mode/1up}}
| NP = 2.95/5 (SNES){{cite magazine | author=Nintendo Power staff | date=April 1995 | title=Now Playing: NCAA Final Four Basketball | url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-071-april-1995/page/103/mode/1up | magazine=Nintendo Power | publisher=Nintendo of America | issue=71 | issn=1041-9551 | pages=103, 105}}
| rev1 = Super GamePower
| rev1Score = 3.8/5 (SNES){{cite magazine | author=Super GamePower staff | date=June 1995 | title=NCAA Final Four Basketball: Até falta de propósito você pode fazer neste novo basquete | trans-title=NCAA Final Four Basketball:Even lack of purpose can be done in this new basketball | url=https://archive.org/details/sgp_124/sgp_15/page/55/mode/1up | magazine=Super GamePower | publisher=Editora Nova Cultural | page=55 | language=pt}}
| rev2 = VideoGames
| rev2Score = 4/10 (SNES){{cite magazine | author=Tschiltsch, Jeffrey | date=March 1995 | title=Super NES: NCAA Final Four Basketball | url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_74_March_1995/page/n93/mode/1up | magazine=VideoGames | publisher=Larry Flynt Publications | issn=1059-2938 | page=90}}
}}
Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "It's pretty looking, but dull."
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.mobygames.com/game/39904/ncaa-final-four-basketball/ NCAA Final Four Basketball] at MobyGames
Category:College basketball video games in the United States
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:North America-exclusive video games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games