Dick Vitale’s “Awesome, Baby!” College Hoops is a college basketball sports game developed and published by Time Warner Interactive for the Sega Genesis in 1994. Directed by Richard Seaborne, the game features the voice and likeness of the basketball sportscaster Dick Vitale and prominently features his quotes and catchphrases.[1] Players play as multiple college basketball teams from the United States[2] in a 3D court that automatically rotates to fit to the player’s position, which was a major selling point for the game.[3]
Dick Vitale’s “Awesome, Baby!” College Hoops received generally positive reviews from critics. The game’s graphics and self-rotating court was praised, with GameFan calling the game a “technical marvel”.[4] Critics were more negative towards the game’s soundtrack and sound effects; GamePro called the soundtrack “terrible” and stated that players would either “love” or “hate” Vitale’s commentary.[2]
Gameplay
A match in the game showing California going against Tennessee.
Dick Vitale’s “Awesome, Baby!” College Hoops is a basketball sports game and sees players playing as different college basketball teams from the United States.[a] The game is similar to the basketball sport and is played in a self-rotating 3D court and is divided into three main modes: Tournament, 2-on-2, and Single.[5] In the tournament mode, the player goes against other teams in a tournament; in the 2-on-2 mode, players compete in a basketball 2-on-2; in the single mode, the player competes in a single game of basketball. Players can get coached by Vitale if they select the “View Plays” option. A time-out can be called by pressing the start, A, and B buttons simultaneously. Players can also force a foul play by mashing the A and C buttons. The game also has a practice mode, where players can “learn the ropes” of the game.[3]
Gameplay will be altered depending on the player’s settings; the game has six speed and three difficulty settings.[5] Matches will speed-up if the graphic detail is set to low.[3] In the options menu, players can also turn off Vitale’s commentary.[2]
Reception
Dick Vitale’s “Awesome, Baby!” College Hoops was generally received positively by critics; the game’s graphics and self-rotating court was described as “colorful, high-res, and smooth”. GameFan called the game a “technical marvel in more ways than one” and called the basketball players in the game “well-animated”.[4] Critics criticized the game’s soundtrack, with Sega Visions rating it 2/5. Critics compared the game to the NCAA Football series and NCAA Basketball for the Super NES.[4][2] AllGame compared the game to College Slam and Coach K College Basketball,[12] two other college basketball games for the Sega Genesis.
References
- ^ Jump up to:a b Marchiafava, Jeff (August 17, 2011). “The Weirdest Celebrity-Based Video Games”. Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j Athletic Supporter (October 1994). “Dick Vitale’s Almost-Awesome Hoops” (PDF). GamePro. No. 63. International Data Group. p. 112.
Although it isn’t awesome, baby, Vitale’s game is a PTPer (Prime Time Player). The strong graphics and Dicky V’s jokes make it a Final Four contender.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f “Dick Vitale’s Awesome Baby!”. Sega Visions. No. 20. International Data Group. August 1994. p. 95.
This college-hoops cart is the first to feature a 3-D rotating court – we only wish the graphics were a little sharper.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Talko (September 1994). “Awesome Baby!”. GameFan. No. 10. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 149.
Dick Vitale’s Awesome Baby College Hoops is not the best game of Sega Genesis basketball, but it is a fun game that shows a lot of creativity and care in its design.
