Sega Sports(tm) NHL

With the release of some
pretty stellar sports titles recently, this has been an especially great year
for hockey gamers.  Both EA Sports (NHL 2003) and Midway (NHL Hitz 20-03) have
presented their own brand of awesome NHL action and thankfully Sega Sports has
stepped up with its own offering.  If you think a hockey game just can’t get any
better, think again sports fans.  NHL 2K3 has come to the PS2 and it comes on
stronger than ever.

Sports gamers everywhere
are thanking their lucky stars that Sega’s much loved sports franchise decided
to branch off to other consoles such as the PS2.  Its NHL series is arguably on
of the best hockey licenses produced and with each year the game just keeps on
getting better.  For starters, this one includes a much-desired Franchise mode
as well as introduces a new one–the Sega Sports Challenge (where you play an
exhibition-type game and receive a code to see how you rank online).

There are also the modes
we’ve already come to love such as Quick Game (play a quick exhibition game
between two NHL teams) and Exhibition (allows you to start a quick game with
your favorite NHL teams plus some International teams).  Back again is the
Season mode (guide your team through an entire NHL season to take them to the
Lord Stanley’s Cup).  Plus there’s the Franchise (play a few seasons and build
your team up by signing players and manage the budget), Playoffs (where you
forgo the entire season and just head straight to the playoffs) and Tournament
(set up a tournament to go up against friends if you wish).

The Franchise mode–a mode
that was overlooked in NHL 2K2–is in-depth and allows players to take their
team and customize them until they’re something of a dynasty.  You can sign,
trade or release players and look for the rookie that could take your team to
the very top.  It really doesn’t go any further than this but thinking about it,
this is perfect for those gamers new to the sport of hockey and franchise modes
in general.

Control-wise, NHL 2K3 is
sheer perfection.  It not only does it have the appeal of a hockey simulator but
it has the heart of an action-packed arcade-styled sports game.  Playing both
the defensive and offensive line are simplified, leaving the gamer to
concentrate on playing some great hockey without worrying about the technical
side.  On the offensive side you can Deke, Speed Burst and Sidestep to elude
defenders and put the shot in the net.  On the defensive you can use body
checks, speed-burst poke-check, board-pins and blocking. 

The player AI when you’re
playing a single player mode is a lot sharper this time around and has developed
something of a strategy (which you can easily change at any point in the game to
fit your playing style). Your opponents just react more quickly, especially the
goalies that are more ready to move side-to-side and make quick dives for the
puck.  You can pin players to the boards now and get pinned yourself by
aggressive players.

Not as visually stunning
as NBA 2K3 or a few of the other Sega Sports titles, the game is still decent
enough.  The stadiums are wonderfully rendered and nicely detailed to the point
that the Staples Center in the game looks exactly like the real Staples Center.
And the player models are excellent and look even better during close ups or
instant replays.  The only noticeable problem about the players is that their
faces can be rather plain looking.  Still there are plenty of wonderful effects
found in the game that draws away from the little visual imperfections such as
the manner in which the skates shave the ice with their blades.

Sound-wise the game has a
lot of things going for it, especially when it comes down to the detailed
stadium sounds that bring the game to life.  The crowds cheer their teams on and
chant along with the inspirational snippets of music that comes pouring out of
the PA system.  Down below on the ice, you can hear the blades cut through the
ice and the slamming of sticks–all of this sounds pretty good.  The cheery on
top is the play-by-play and color commentary that calls the game perfectly
although it does suffer from repetitive phrases and awkward pauses.

If you’re looking for a
spectacular hockey title that deliciously blends realism with intense
arcade-styled action, NHL 2K3 is the game to buy.  While it’s not as visually
pleasing as some of the other games available, this game hardly disappoints with
its fast and furious ice hockey action and excellent game modes.

#Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 9.3
You couldn’t ask for better controls
than this.   As mentioned above, the game feels like a true hockey simulator but
plays like an arcade-styled sports game.  The game moves along without any
hiccups, making for a fluid game where you can deke as easily as you can perform
a solid body check.  You can also rotate your lines your way or choose various
defensive and offensive strategies, but it’s all about the hockey action.

Graphics: 8.0
While the graphics are not gorgeous,
the game is not awful looking either.  There are plenty of eye-catching details
here such as the reflection of the scoreboard on the ice.  During close ups of
the players, you can see every detail placed on the fabric and crease of the
uniforms as well as the reflection of the lights on the shiny helmets.  The only
problem with the players is the faces that can look pretty plain–you won’t be
able to pick out your favorite players just by looking.

Presentation-wise, the
game puts on a great ESPN telecast-style appearance complete with player
introductions, some great replays and game wrap-ups with game highlights.  The
camera also does a stellar job of following the action–not bad at all.

Sound: 8.1
The sound is also done right in this
game with the commentary done by Michael A. Carlucci who does the play-by-play
and Danny Mann who does the color commentary.  They are great at calling the
plays or offering some insightful tidbits about certain players.  Still,
commentary is far from perfect.  Commentary can become overly repetitive.  There
are also times when the play-by-play commentator might ask the color commentator
a question and it never gets answered–all you hear is an awkward silence.

There’s also plenty of
stadium and crowd noises that will make gamers feel immersed in the sporting
event atmosphere.  You can hear the crowd boo the visiting team and go wild when
their team scores or comes close to scoring.  There’s even a shout or two from
an overly enthusiastic fan that calls out things like “Go get him!”  Suddenly
the PA announcer in the background reads off a seat number and congratulates the
fan in that particular seat and that his or her prize is waiting for them.  Talk
about detailed!

Difficulty: Medium
The opponent AI is a lot smarter
this time and they put up quite an offensive and defensive challenge.  There are
five difficulty settings (Amateur, Rookie, Pro, All Star and Hall of Famer) and
all of them provide their own challenge.  Part of the reason is that the
computer-controlled opponents have a working strategy and are able to implement
it.  The goalie is also able to position himself more realistically and isn’t
always limited to returning to the center position.  This gives players a chance
to try and catch the goalie off his guard like they do in the real thing.

The game also picks up the
pace in the appropriate moments.  For example, if one of your players is
penalized for hooking then that player is taken out of the game for two
minutes–thus the game going into Power Play.  Suddenly the other team really
comes to life and attempts to take advantage of this shortage of players and
tries harder to score.

Concept: 9.0
There’s a lot to love about a game
that piles on the works and this one is no exception.  With the inclusion of a
really great Franchise mode–as well as the usual lineup of game modes gamers
are use to seeing–and the fact that the series can now be found on different
consoles, there’s nothing a sports fans can really complain about.  Okay, the
might not be entirely true.  With NBA 2K3 offering online play, this is a great
game that would have really benefited from the same treatment.  Still, the
addition of the Sega Sports Challenge is a good way to compare your offline
stats with other players that post their stats on the Sega Sports website.

Multiplayer: 9.0
This is just one of those games
worthy of being considered a party game and, with the Multitap, up to eight
players can be hitting the ice in modes like Tournament.  Playing for the
Stanley Cup is just much more intense when you’re up against a group of friends
and with all your favorite NHL teams available–as well as some international
teams–you can’t go wrong. 

Overall: 8.8
NHL 2K3 is hockey goodness at its
most satisfying and it definitely gives the other hockey games available a run
for their money.  If you can buy just one hockey game then this one deserves a
place in your library, sports fans, it really is that good.