Review: It's show time once again
The great thing with gaming sequels, unlike films, is that you can essentially deliver an identical product, add a few bits and pieces, and still sell millions of copies.
That is especially the case with the annual sports game juggernauts that tend to tweak, not reinvent the wheel, when they come out each year.
So it is with College Football 26, the first follow-up to last year's wildly successful re-entry of EA Sports into the fascinating, wonderful, colourful, crazy world of US college football.
That was a seismic release for the sports gaming world.
College football is a gigantic business and an insanely popular sport, but the action on the university gridiron had not been recreated for 11 long years due to the draconian restrictions of the NCAA, the governing body for all college sports.
Now the college footballers are no longer essentially slave labour — many of the top players can now earn millions while at school — the video game series is surely here to stay.
EA have poured an immense amount of resources into the first follow-up, and it shows. Which is the perfect word — because college football is a show. A big, colourful, noisy pageant that, honestly, is just as much about the spectacular scenes off the field as the action on it.
You are again spoilt for choice with hundreds of real-life universities, 10,000 players, 300 coaches, painstakingly recreated stadiums, mascots, marching bands, traditions and spectacles.
Add in a remarkably detailed set of plays and coaching plans, and you have a sports game offering a million ways to play.
And it plays well. The, and sister game, mechanics are built on 30-plus years of development and improvement, and everything on the controls is super smooth.
Different gamers always feel different things, but for me a highlight has been the work done on the defensive end. It's actually fun now, and no longer will I exclusively play as the handsome quarterback or the dynamic running back.
The in-game atmosphere is unrivalled — and yes, I include hearing the Anfield crowd chanting while playing as Liverpool in FC 25 — and whether the crowd and the music and the stadium buzz is for you or against you, it really does affect how you play. So does the weather, and the wonderful seasonal shifts, as well as the wear-and-tear system that forces you to keep an eye on the health of your players.
A very cool addition is a trophy room with no fewer than 85 coveted real-life trophies from rivalry games up for grabs, which encourages you to play as lots of different schools.
All the regular modes are back, but there has been clearly been most emphasis put on Dynasty and the in-depth process of recruiting future stars and navigating the transfer portal.
At times, it can be overwhelming, as there is so much information to access. Take your time and have a little luck, though, and the feeling you get when you build your college into a superpower is rather nice.
Road to Glory — create yourself, get some reps in a high school game to impress recruiters, and try to secure a scholarship to your favourite college — is a lot of fun, and Ultimate Team is ideal for dip in-dip out action.
I'm still of a mind that you need to have some interest in college football to be able to really enjoy a game like this. But if you know who Arch Manning plays for, and you can name the university where players run out to Enter Sandman, this will give you hundreds of hours of enjoyment.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL 26 From: EA Sports For: PS5, Xbox Series X/S ★★★★+ By Hayden Meikle
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Otago Daily Times
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Meads Cup or bust — that tends to be the attitude of North Otago rugby fans. Hayden Meikle looks ahead to the new Heartland Championship season. The only knowns are the unknowns. We do not know exactly what Luke Herden will bring to the table as he attempts to get the Old Golds back to the big dance in his first season as coach. We do not know how so many new North Otago players — including four from Japan, three from Dunedin clubs and one intriguing veteran with a swag of international experience — will combine in a relatively short period. We do not know how much time previous stars Kelepi Funaki, Junior Fakatoufifita and Hayden Tisdall are going to need to get back up to speed after missing last season. We do not really know whether playing at the A&P Showgrounds will provide significant home advantage or just be a reminder that the completion of the new stadium and ground layout at Centennial Park cannot come soon enough. So, if someone asks how North Otago are going to perform in the Heartland Championship this season, perhaps the easiest answer is: who knows? Herden replaces Jason Forrest, the popular and long-serving local whose time as head coach started with Meads Cup glory but ended with the Old Golds missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. "Spook" was an outstanding player in his time as a loanee to the north. He did it all from fullback in the great 2002 team that won the old NPC third division final. Then, when he had slowed up just a little, he was second five and captain when North Otago won the Meads Cup for the second time in 2010. The primary school deputy principal has had his thumb in plenty of coaching pies since he hung up the boots, including a year as Old Golds assistant, and certainly lacks for nothing in terms of excitement and ambition. But coaching in Heartland rugby is a tough gig. The season is both a grind — because of the travel demands — and over far too quickly, especially if you do not start well. You get relatively little time to work with your team, and it can be an immense challenge to find the right recipe when it comes to blending the aforementioned mix of cultures. When it all comes together, as it did so often for the Old Golds between 2000 and 2019, well, it can be a lot of fun. Herden's first squad is relatively light on Heartland experience, so success this season may be a measure of both his recruitment skills and his coaching staff's ability to turn talent into performance. Funaki is a 50-cap Old Golds prop and Tisdall a barrel of energy at hooker. Their return to the squad is most welcome, and when you add in Paea Palaa, Jake Greenslade and University prop Steve Salelea, you have a front row that should be just fine. Epineru Logavatu and Apenisa Tuiba have skill and grunt at lock, while Fakatoufifita, Savenaca Rabaka and newcomer Mitch Morton will hold up a loose trio missing stalwart Mat Duff. Jake Matthews, Greg Dyer and Hayden Todd were the most consistent members of the backline last season, and they are all gone. Second five Toni Feke and speedy utility Ben McCarthy provide spark, and there is excitement around the development of fullback Ben Paton. Danny Tusitala, the former Samoan test player who will be available from round two, is an intriguing prospect at halfback, as are new first five Kenta Iemura and Zingari-Richmond centre Ben Fakava. The Old Golds have struggled for consistency in recent seasons, and have also blown leads in games they might have won. Addressing both issues must be a priority for Herden. Two wins from eight games, and a lowly ninth placing, made 2024 a forgettable season for the Old Golds. In a couple of months, we will know if 2025 is destined to be remembered more fondly.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
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Are Zimbabwe just chance to pad stats?
The Black Caps posted the biggest test win in their history when they crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in Bulawayo last week. Reason to get excited or just a little embarrassing for the pure format of the game? Sports editor Hayden Meikle suggests this is further evidence the hapless Zimbabweans have no place in test cricket, while cricket writer Adrian Seconi argues there is no need to devalue an outstanding New Zealand performance. MEIKLE'S VIEW That blasted Jacob Duffy. If it was not for the Otago fast bowler, I would completely unleash and label what we have just seen in Zimbabwe as an outright farce. Duffy is such a nice story — a top bloke, who grafted away for years before deservedly making his test debut for the Black Caps, and claiming his first two wickets — that my fury is a little tempered, as I do not want to devalue the greatest achievement of his career. But let's get honest here. Zimbabwe should not be playing test cricket. They're a joke, and while it is perfectly fine to celebrate the New Zealand men marking their biggest test win, indeed the third-biggest win for ANY team in the ultimate format, it is also justifiable to question what it all means. The hapless Zimbos have played 128 tests. They have won 14 of those — a measly winning rate of 10.93% — and eight of those wins came when the Bangers were equally inept. They are basically a club team who, for some reason, are retaining test status. Can Zimbabwe get better without being allowed to stay in test cricket? Perhaps, perhaps not. But this isn't a support group. Test cricket is, and should be, the preserve of the very best. Only those nations who are equipped for the demands of five-day cricket should be allowed to play it. In Zimbabwe's case, they can barely survive five days over an entire series. A closer look reveals this is a Zimbabwe team clinging on to their international status but soon to face a reckoning. Their top six for the second test against New Zealand included 39-year-old Brendan Taylor, 38-year-old Sean Williams, and Craig Ervine, who turns 40 on Tuesday. The rest are unproven kids, and it is almost cruel to keep serving them up as test cricket cannon fodder. I know the Black Caps can "only play who is put in front of them", as they say. But the basic pointlessness of this test series was revealed when, with the Kiwis at 601 for three after day two, people were openly salivating about the Black Caps pushing on to become the first test team to score over 1000 runs in an innings, and were pondering if Rachin Ravindra or Henry Nicholls — Henry Nicholls! — could have a crack at Brian Lara's 400. That is not test cricket. That is playground challenge stuff. Another point is that, while the Black Caps have played plenty of good cricket in recent years, it is a stretch to say the XI for the second test was one that should be breaking all sorts of records. In fact, you could name a completely separate XI that would have won the test quite comfortably. Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Lochie Ferguson, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Ben Sears — you will never see that XI, but the fact it would likely beat a test nation by an innings speaks volumes. Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan have test status. And, to be blunt, they really should not. Test wins should be hard-earned, and they should be memorable. This one was utterly forgettable. Though not for our man Duffy, obviously. SECONI'S VIEW Hayden, Hayden, Hayden. Hopefully, that struck the right condescending tone. Just because you endured a joyless season with the Highlanders, and can't remember what winning feels like, that does not give you the right to dismiss the efforts of the mighty Black Caps or pile on the poor old Zimbabweans, who, in the words of every Highlanders coach ever, are doing their best. What your hot take is missing is some historical context and deep, thoughtful analysis, which you won't read here either. And before you say, 'hold on, you're playing the man, not the ball,' that is exactly what I'm doing. Zimbabwe were terrible. No. Zimbabwe are terrible. But listen up, my malcontent friend, now is not the time for snarky nitpicking or undermining opinions you fundamentally agree with. Now is the time to revel in the beauty of Rachin Ravindra padding his batting average the way Kane Williamson could have done if he hadn't opted to play in The Hundred instead. It is time to celebrate Otago seamer Jacob Duffy claiming his maiden test wickets, or complain that the Southland right-armer went wicketless in the first innings. Let us hold Zak Foulkes up to the light and prophesy the Second Coming. Loosen that jaw because Henry Nicholls is back, baby, whether your teeth are clenched or not. But every argument needs some structure and a coherent train of thought, so here is a list of the top four reasons Zimbabwe should retain their status as a test nation. 1. It gives former Otago coach Dion Ebrahim something to do. He is the Zimbabwe batting coach and, well, um ... yeah, it has not gone that well to be honest. They have lost nine, drawn one and won one of their last 11 tests. 2. One of the stats that got trundled out after the second test was that it was only the third time in history three players had scored 150 or more in an innings. Meikle will point to a stat like that as a reason to jettison Zimbabwe's test status. Would he also have booted Don Bradman's 1938 Australian team? They were pummelled by England by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval. Len Hutton (364), Maurice Leyland (187) and Joe Hardstaff (169) provided the backbone for England's colossal first innings total of 903/7. Bradman got injured while bowling and Jack Fingleton did not bat either. But Australia were routed for 201 and 123. Actually, maybe Meikle is right. They should have booted Australia. 3. So what if Zimbabwe have a winning percentage of a shade under 11%? A lack of success has not thwarted Meikle's beloved Highlanders nor put the Black Caps off. It took New Zealand 26 years and 45 tests to post their first win in the format. New Zealand's overall winning percentage is just 25.20 — only Bangladesh (14.93%) and Zimbabwe have a worse record. 4. Computer says no. "Zimbabwe should keep its test status, but the ICC should push for stronger development pathways and better governance to improve competitiveness." (Thanks, ChatGPT.) — sport@
Otago Daily Times
08-08-2025
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Review: It's show time once again
All of the US university sport scene's pageantry — and deep stats nerdiness — is on show in College Football 26, writes Hayden Meikle. IMAGES: SUPPLIED The great thing with gaming sequels, unlike films, is that you can essentially deliver an identical product, add a few bits and pieces, and still sell millions of copies. That is especially the case with the annual sports game juggernauts that tend to tweak, not reinvent the wheel, when they come out each year. So it is with College Football 26, the first follow-up to last year's wildly successful re-entry of EA Sports into the fascinating, wonderful, colourful, crazy world of US college football. That was a seismic release for the sports gaming world. College football is a gigantic business and an insanely popular sport, but the action on the university gridiron had not been recreated for 11 long years due to the draconian restrictions of the NCAA, the governing body for all college sports. Now the college footballers are no longer essentially slave labour — many of the top players can now earn millions while at school — the video game series is surely here to stay. EA have poured an immense amount of resources into the first follow-up, and it shows. Which is the perfect word — because college football is a show. A big, colourful, noisy pageant that, honestly, is just as much about the spectacular scenes off the field as the action on it. You are again spoilt for choice with hundreds of real-life universities, 10,000 players, 300 coaches, painstakingly recreated stadiums, mascots, marching bands, traditions and spectacles. Add in a remarkably detailed set of plays and coaching plans, and you have a sports game offering a million ways to play. And it plays well. The, and sister game, mechanics are built on 30-plus years of development and improvement, and everything on the controls is super smooth. Different gamers always feel different things, but for me a highlight has been the work done on the defensive end. It's actually fun now, and no longer will I exclusively play as the handsome quarterback or the dynamic running back. The in-game atmosphere is unrivalled — and yes, I include hearing the Anfield crowd chanting while playing as Liverpool in FC 25 — and whether the crowd and the music and the stadium buzz is for you or against you, it really does affect how you play. So does the weather, and the wonderful seasonal shifts, as well as the wear-and-tear system that forces you to keep an eye on the health of your players. A very cool addition is a trophy room with no fewer than 85 coveted real-life trophies from rivalry games up for grabs, which encourages you to play as lots of different schools. All the regular modes are back, but there has been clearly been most emphasis put on Dynasty and the in-depth process of recruiting future stars and navigating the transfer portal. At times, it can be overwhelming, as there is so much information to access. Take your time and have a little luck, though, and the feeling you get when you build your college into a superpower is rather nice. Road to Glory — create yourself, get some reps in a high school game to impress recruiters, and try to secure a scholarship to your favourite college — is a lot of fun, and Ultimate Team is ideal for dip in-dip out action. I'm still of a mind that you need to have some interest in college football to be able to really enjoy a game like this. But if you know who Arch Manning plays for, and you can name the university where players run out to Enter Sandman, this will give you hundreds of hours of enjoyment. COLLEGE FOOTBALL 26 From: EA Sports For: PS5, Xbox Series X/S ★★★★+ By Hayden Meikle
