ESPN NHL hockey
Welcome to NHl hitz, err, uh, ESPN NHL hockey?
Tags: ESPN NHL Hockey Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews, Xbox Reviews
Posted by Andrew on Oct 15th, 2003
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN NHL Hockey (title page) | |||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
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The first thing that has to be said about this game, is that while it is a great simulation, and that it has all sorts of unlockable features, the same strategies that work in NHL Hitz 2002 work in this game. While others have commented on the overall quality of the game, I found this game to be extremely easy because if you know how to get open and score in that game, you will be unstoppable in this game.
Now back to your regularly scheduled review…
Sega brings back its NHL franchise with a revamp similar to its football and basketball franchises: the inclusion of the ESPN license and presentation in. From the opening title to the SportsCenter presentation and in game chatter, the game reeks of ESPN and is almost impossible to tell the difference between real TV and the game. The visuals in the game are intensive and life like, the game play crisp.
The controls in NHL Hockey are very easy to learn and manipulate. The different aspects of the game intermingle effortlessly, allowing crisp passing, dumping of the puck, hip checks and dekes. The different checks that you can perform in the game are realistic and leave you hoping to watch a bloke get slammed through the glass … oh wait, he does.
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Graphics are on par in both PS2 and Xbox versions. Ice reflections look good and background crowds have been revamped. Not always are they just raising up and down sometimes they lift there hands. Subtle ice shavings can been seen and menu’s and overall presentation is good. There are plenty of options to change based on what a particular player likes or dislikes. Anywhere from goalie control is automatic line adjusting.
Camera angles need a lot of work, while there are 5 to choose fron, none seemed to give an appropriate feel to the game.
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The Franchise Mode is similar in all the SEGA titles, featuring drafting, injuries and trades. There are in-game and in-season emails which inform of injuries, transactions and even encouragement from the team owner. While nothing too original, it does give the fantasy hockey fan enough to keep their stat lust in check.
There is a lack of non-user controlled trades or transactions, which is a bug that will hopefully be addressed in the future versions of this game. The layout associated with this section was definitely a bonus.
The online mode still falls way behind EA’s. Available in both XBOX and PS2, the online play is basic but entertaining. The system rates players on games played with points given for record and difficulty of opponents played.
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One of the other features in the game is the Skybox Mode, which similar to ESPN NFL’s Crib mode, is a visually pleasing way to view trophies or other secrets won throughout the game. From the mini-games to the different jersey’s or other secrets, the game features an immense amount of unlockables which give a long replay value. A definitely highlight is the air hockey table is, while almost impossible to beat the computer, a personal favorite.
When comparing the two systems, not that much is different. The gaphics run much smoother, and are slightly higher quality on the XBOX, but the texturing and the rink graphics are about the same on both platforms. The online play, going through Xbox LIVE is eaiser navigated on Xbox, but both games feature the ability to have up to 10 players at one time in a game. The controls are crisper on the PS2 and the overall game play seems to be a little easier on the PS2 version.
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Overall the ESPN franchise offers a lot to hockey fans, and the gameplay, while actually not all that different from last year’s version, is enjoyable and fast paced. However, if I were Midway, I would be extremely interested in why my game ended up with SEGA’s name on the license… Guess we’ll have to see if NHL Hitz Pro ends up looking like EA, oh wait, it did…
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
Visuals ESPN license Air hockey Team fire? |
6.5 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
Camera angles can't put big heads code in AI, especially goalie |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| simulation, err, arcade? simulation, arcade, decide damn it!!!! | |
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Tags: ESPN NHL Hockey
Posted by Andrew on Oct 15th, 2003 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews, Xbox Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
