<s>
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
25	O
,	O
1998	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
Coach	B-Application
K	I-Application
College	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
98	I-Application
uses	O
the	O
crowds	O
as	O
a	O
gameplay	O
mechanic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
built	O
with	O
a	O
revamped	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
Live	I-Application
97	I-Application
game	O
engine	O
,	O
utilizing	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
animation	O
data	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
few	O
new	O
motion	O
captured	O
moves	O
from	O
Tim	O
Duncan	O
and	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
reviews	O
for	O
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
98	I-Application
were	O
mixed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
widely	O
agreed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
succeeded	O
in	O
capturing	O
the	O
fundamental	O
differences	O
of	O
college	O
basketball	B-Application
,	O
with	O
more	O
evenly-matched	O
players	O
than	O
standard	O
basketball	B-Application
video	O
games	O
and	O
all-around	O
more	O
team-oriented	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
lets	O
college	O
basketball	B-Application
fans	O
who	O
understand	O
the	O
college	O
game	O
apply	O
what	O
they	O
know	O
,	O
like	O
running	O
a	O
good	O
half-court	O
offense	O
and	O
changing	O
up	O
defenses	O
to	O
keep	O
teams	O
off	O
their	O
rhythm.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
applauded	O
,	O
"	O
March	O
Madness	O
is	O
built	O
on	O
the	O
premise	O
that	O
if	O
you	O
absolutely	O
love	O
the	O
crazy	O
high	O
created	O
in	O
the	O
post-season	O
games	O
of	O
college	O
basketball	B-Application
,	O
and	O
you	O
love	O
real	O
team	O
ball	O
and	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
strategies	O
that	O
come	O
with	O
it	O
,	O
you	O
should	O
go	O
head-over	O
heels	O
for	O
this	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
critics	O
also	O
concurred	O
that	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
Live	I-Application
97	I-Application
engine	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
game	O
which	O
is	O
graphically	O
outdated	O
,	O
particularly	O
against	O
its	O
contemporary	O
NBA	B-Application
Live	I-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
added	O
that	O
the	O
enhanced	O
animation	O
of	O
NCAA	B-Application
March	I-Application
Madness	I-Application
98	I-Application
,	O
when	O
run	O
through	O
the	O
aging	O
NBA	B-Application
Live	I-Application
97	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
results	O
in	O
a	O
lower	O
frame	O
rate	O
that	O
makes	O
the	O
game	O
feel	O
slow	O
and	O
choppy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
described	O
the	O
graphics	O
as	O
"	O
surprisingly	O
blurry	O
,	O
fuzzy	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
muddy	O
as	O
any	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
was	O
more	O
forgiving	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
though	O
the	O
graphics	O
are	O
not	O
as	O
polished	O
as	O
NBA	B-Application
Live	I-Application
98	I-Application
,	O
they	O
do	O
not	O
detract	O
from	O
the	O
excitement	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
as	O
being	O
challenging	O
and	O
in	O
particular	O
resistant	O
to	O
the	O
strategies	O
which	O
normally	O
work	O
in	O
pro	O
basketball	B-Application
video	O
games	O
,	O
but	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
(	O
EGM	O
)	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
both	O
found	O
the	O
defensive	O
A.I.	O
</s>
<s>
EGM	O
were	O
more	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
much	O
better	O
in	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
area	O
but	O
was	O
still	O
a	O
worthy	O
effort	O
at	O
recreating	O
college	O
basketball	B-Application
which	O
was	O
worth	O
buying	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
similarly	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
a	O
top	O
end	O
basketball	B-Application
game	O
but	O
would	O
satisfy	O
fans	O
of	O
college	O
basketball	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
held	O
a	O
76%	O
on	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
based	O
on	O
four	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
