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Great Game - if you know what you're doing!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: July 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I finally got my long awaited game - EA Rugby - yesterday, and had a lot of fun last night. To cut to the chase, this is a GREAT game if you are familiar with and enjoy rugby.

Yeah, the graphics aren't amazing, but certainly passable. Some of the text is too small and/or moves too quickly (in the teaching mode). Also, the camera movement was driving me crazy until if found a fairly stationary angle that I like. ANY improvements on these in the future, and it'll be 5 stars for sure.

That said, if you don't need ALL of the bells and whistles (there are some in the game) and if you enjoy rugby and know the rules, get this game! I can't imagine trying to play this if I didn't know the game, but knowing rugby, this game plays like a real good game. After one night, I had most of the basics picked up. This game really requires you to be on top of the controls. But once you get them down, it is very fair (i.e., rucks, line outs, etc.) Anybody who says otherwise probably doesn't understand the intricacies of rugby (both on the field, and in this game). For example, it is hard to win the ball out of a ruck when the other team is attacking. All the button mashing you try is still not going to work usually.

Mostly, I am excited about this game because I really don't see getting bored with it any time soon. You can adjust your level and your opponents level so that I shouldn't be able to beat the game all of the time. Like I said, if you like rugby, don't need all of the bells and whistles, and have the patience to learn this version, pick up the game.

NOT FOR AMERICAN FOOTBALL FANS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 14, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is a very very good game. I got it a week ago, and I have been playing it since. It is easy for me to play because I am fammiliar with the sport, but if you are a American Foootball fan then this may appeal to you, but you will find it hard to get used to because you have to be fammilliar with the at first complicated rules. Also you will have to accept that these boys aren't wimps like American Football players. No pads or helmets etc. The only bad thing is that there is no season. You can only play 6 nations, tri nations and the world cup. It would be better if there where some more leagues etc.

not all I had hoped for

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was really hoping this would be a great game.

I played rugby, and love the game . . . considering it the most complete game I ever played (b-ball 2nd, baseball 3rd, football 4th).

I however found this game to be disappointing:

Controls -- no analog stick, and the D-pad is cumbersome . . . I had trouble executing up and under kicks with the spinning camera angle making it tough to run straight up the field. I also found the rucks / mauls difficult to master . . . I got tired of losing every one in a button mashing frenzy.

Graphics -- compare this to Madden 2001, then tell me you can be satisfied with the effort here.

Sound -- I liked the announcers . . . but didn't play long enough to get annoyed by repetition.

Bottom line - I found it hard to justify time spent playing this with GT3 sitting by idle. There are moments to this game (and if I invest more time to master the controls, and find a better camera angle, then I may have to give it another star). However, I recommend renting this game first, because it is clearly not for everybody, but does have some merit.

Not as good as the '95 version; rent first

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The three games I was most excited about when I purchased my PS2 were Madden 2001, Silent Hill 2 and Rugby. I owned the original '95 version on the Sega (before playstation). It was a great game. This games stats are unreadable. I'm 30 and have 20/20 vision and on a 35" tv I can't read the names to sub players in for. The scrum isn't as realistic as it once was either. The gameplay is average. Tourneys, league play and stats are disappointing. Maybe the next time out EA will get it right with Rugby. Off to sell this and get college football 2002 for ps2.

The Best Game Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: July 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I received my EA Rugby game yesterday. Well worth the wait. The graphics are great the play is continuous. I have been a rugger now for 10 years, I've played only 1 other rugby game (World Cup '95, Sega), and I thought it was great. No comparison here. It is a must have for every rugby house in America. It will also serve as a tool to teach rugby to those who are not familiar with it. With this game you can adjust the difficulty level of the teams so it never becomes "too easy or hard" depending on the gamer. Buy it, learn it, play it, live it. Rugby is a gentleman's sport played by Barbarians. EA does a great job! Thank you EA. Now if you can just get rugby matches on TV more often in America. Ruck On! Three Cheers for Rugby...(all you ruggers know how to finish that one).

Not great

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: July 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was pleased that Ea sports finally decided to release rugby in the USA. However if you are expecting the allround excellence of Madden 2001 you will be disappointed. it seems like they just chucked it together in a rush. The graphics are poor, every player is the same size,compare this to Madden where the players are indiduals and have a resemblance to the guy. There is no sidestep button, and the players do not have name/number icons, so you never know who has the ball. This is a major fault, would you want the hooker kicking the ball upfield? or a prop making a long pass from scrum half?? This is a major weakness. I'm just very disappointed that the guys that brought us an amazing comparable game like madden on PS2, could also bring us a game that looks like it shouls be a sega game from 1991!! oh dear.

Better looking hookers than on the corner

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is the game that every rugger needs. Its not as refined as Madden and some of the other big name games for PS2 but then again since when are ruggers that picky. It the graphics don't appeal to you drink a couple beers and then the graphics start looking better kind of like that lady you met at the bar and then woke up next to last weekend. The game isn't too hard to grasp if you know what your doing but to people that have no idea what rugby is all about they will have quite a long learning curve. The game is a blast especially after a few brews.

Rugger at its best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 15, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Great fun - Ok the training session takes a while to teach you the ropes but once you are up and running then to a rugger fan this is excellent. The graphics are OK, but given the complexity of the game you can live with the graphics for the game itself. If you are looking for a game that will lose you a weekend then this is it ....good luck

Not bad

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

As soon as this game came out it was a must add to my PS2 games.
Graphics are great, the gameplay is ok. Overall considering the lack of Rugby games around this is easily the best >
All the "best teams" are here. The fields look right. Some disceprancies on the surroundings around the fields. Refs are reasonably good and don't interfere with the game too much.
Person to Person this is a blast to play. For going all the way on your own it can get very annoying in some of its options..

Rucking is an all out thing which is not lifelike where only one body is on the floor and then the perfect scrum rucks over the top. And to win rucks you nearly have to put in the whole pack. Not very "Dynamic". The other down side is you can only play the big tourneys 6 nations, tri nations and the a world championship, no club ball available. Also when you select your ideal squad you have to repick it every time you play there is no way of saving your best team. They should have taken a leaf out of any other EA game where you select the squad and you change it, the game doesn't return to the default every time.
All in all I like the game I will play it a lot and all the rest boys come round to play. That said they can do a lot to improve it.

This Game Kicks [butt]

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Alright all you Rugby freaks, here is a game that can hold you over until the next world cup. Sure, Rugby 2004 is hitting stores pretty soon, but what the heck, this is one fun game.
They have 20 of the world's top national teams, like England, Australia, and South Africa. They also have teams from places like Italy, Fiji, and the United States. This game is non-stop action, unlike it's American-born cousin, the madness never ends. This means that you have to keep hitting the buttons on your controller, and by the end of a 6-minute half, your thumbs are dead.
They pack three of the world's best tournements in here, including the World Cup, the European Six-Nations, and the Southern Hemisphere Tri-Nations. I'm currently assalting the World Cup, heading up the USA Eagles. This game is tough if you play fair, but you can always boost your performance up to 150% to destroy your opposition.
Sure the graphics aren't anywhere near those like NFL2K3, but I can still make out whose my player and where the ball is. But the camera can be bothersome sometimes, especially during a ruck or scrum.
Other than these gripes, I totally reccomend Rugby 2002 for any Rugby nut (even if you're the only rugby fan in your county) and even some soccer and football game fans.

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