Behind the glamour
and glitz and marketing blitz of NFL and NBA games, professional sports’ “other”
league, the NHL, has enjoyed a steady life on the home consoles. Back in the
early days of the Sega Genesis, EA’s NHL series was widely considered the best
game available. Times have changed since the days of the 16-bit machine, and
with the new ESPN brand attached to their most recent foray into the rink, Sega
looks to put the NHL back on top again with ESPN NHL Hockey on the Microsoft
Xbox.
A good hockey game
needs three things: crisp, fluid graphics, intense realism, and flawless
control. ESPN NHL Hockey nails all three of these like a slap shot from cover
boy Jeremy Roenick to produce the best NHL video game to date.
Hockey fans preach
hockey as the toughest professional sport (aside from mixed martial arts,
Ultimate Fighting, and possibly those wacky Japanese game shows) and it really
shows in the Franchise mode. Tensions run high throughout the NHL season as
each game can depend on just one mistake or one great play. Doctor bills run
even higher as players get bruised and battered on a daily basis. As in other
sports Franchise modes, owners of NHL teams will be in control of all the team’s
operations including trades, free agents, and player salaries. The menu is
nearly identical to ESPN NFL Football with a front desk and a handy e-mail
system that reports news from around the league, suggestions, and other helpful
information that any owner should know about. I was a bit skeptical about the
e-mail system, but after a few games with it, I instantly became a believer.
Also new to this
year’s game is the addition of the skills challenge. The skills challenge pits
members of two hockey teams against each other in a series of drills reminiscent
of the skills challenge in the NHL All-Star game. Among the competitions are
one-on-one breakaways, agility skating, accuracy shooting, and speed skating.
It’s a great diversion from the main game and an excellent way to determine who
has the best hockey skills between buddies. Other escapes from traditional
hockey include a surprisingly fun Air Hockey mini-game, fast-paced two-on-two
small rink hockey, and outdoor pond hockey just like the kids in Canada play.
ESPN NHL Hockey
has the same true-to-life realism found in Sega’s NBA 2K3. This realism is
vital to the game, as true fans of hockey will appreciate the authenticity and
respect that the sport of hockey deserves. Skaters can’t just motor down the
ice, throw a few fakes and score. Gamers will have to use their whole team and
some crafty strategy to squeak out that 1-0 victory. This game isn’t for the
impatient; it’s not uncommon for a multi-overtime game.
The controls in
the game are excellent, even though it may take a while to get used to. After a
few games, you’ll be floating around the ice like Brian Boitano. Passing is
pretty solid with the A button and the left thumbstick, but with all the action
on the ice, passes don’t always go where they should. Tapping X flips a quick
wrist shot, and holding X blasts a powerful wrist shot. Players can also
protect the puck, dump the puck, elbow each other while pinned against the
boards, or even check opponents over the boards. Three different control
schemes are available for different levels of involvement in the game, the most
advanced control scheme providing different options using the left trigger as a
modifier (for example B will perform a check and B + Left Trigger will perform a
hook).
Like ESPN NFL
Football’s The Crib, ESPN NHL Hockey has added a more creative way to display a
user’s records, accomplishments, and unlocked items. Because hockey players
prefer dating cute Russian tennis players instead of ‘representing’ with
non-stop blinging, ESPN NHL Hockey displays accomplishments back in the team’s
Skybox. With certain accomplishments such as hat tricks, shutouts, and Stanley
Cups, users collect trophies and unlock features in the game previously
inaccessible.
There really isn’t
much to complain about with the graphics. Even amidst this year’s crop of
graphically superior hockey titles, ESPN NHL Hockey still stands tall. The ice
looks incredibly realistic and each arena is meticulously detailed from logos to
luxury boxes. Hockey fans are notoriously devout to the sport, and the
developers at Kush Games got the player animations just right. The goalie saves
are absolutely incredible, the dekes fake players out of their skates, and the
checks are brutal. ESPN NHL Hockey also has the best-looking faces of any Sega
Sports title making this the standard for graphical realism. The only flaw
happens during replays when players occasionally ‘morph’ through each other.
ESPN NHL Hockey
does a fairly good job with sound. The rink noise is superb, but the commentary
falters from time to time. The fans and arena atmosphere are great. The
reactions from shots on goal are met with “Oooohs” and “Aaaahs”, and the Ping!
of a post shot resonates loudly, really creating a hockey-like atmosphere that
is unique to the sport. Couple that with stadium jams such as Queen’s “We Will
Rock You”, and you’ll feel like you’re right there with 20,000 other puckheads.
The commentary, from Bill Clement and Gary Thorne (ESPN’s most underrated
commentator), is 90% perfect. They call the game fantastically save for a few
glitches in tone and fluidity and some oft repeated lines.
ESPN NHL Hockey is
the most exciting hockey game I’ve ever played. Filled with action, strategy,
and some killer graphics, it’s the perfect game for hard-core hockey fans. It
may not be as arcade-y as EA’s NHL series, but real hockey fans don’t want
scores of 6 – 7. This title is a must have for anyone who likes hockey and is
even worth checking out for fans of other sports. This could easily be the best
Sega Sports title released this year.
ESPN NHL Hockey is
rated E for Everyone with elements of violence (it is hockey, after all).
Gameplay: 9.5
Fast and full of
action, the gameplay is what drives this game. Though the controls may take a
little while to get used to, the learning curve is fairly steep. After a few
games, the controls get much easier to handle.
Graphics: 9.8
Plain and simple,
the game looks gorgeous, even on older televisions. But with support on HDTV up
to 480p, who wants to play on an older TV?
Sound: 9.0
The sounds of the
stadium are done very well, particularly the crowd. Gary Thorne’s voice rarely
gets tiresome, and most of the play-by-play is incredible.
Difficulty: Hard
I won’t kid you,
the game is hard. But that’s how hockey should be, utter frustration mixed with
total elation… it’s a love-hate affair.
Concept: 8.5
The improvements
on the Franchise mode are noteworthy as are the mini-games.
Multiplayer: 9.0
With a 4-person
simultaneous option and Xbox Live support, the real element of competition is
fantastic.
Overall: 9.4
While hockey isn’t
a sport for everyone, fans of hockey while eat this title up. Even fans of
other sports will quickly acclimate themselves to hockey once they get a chance
to play this game. On the other hand, if you require a little more action and
satisfaction with some high scoring, this game probably isn’t for you.
