EA brings its first hockey game to a next-gen system, and to no one's surprise it's a success.
Since EA has brought hockey to a variety of platforms ranging from the Genesis to the PlayStation, PC and Game Boy, it's no surprise that its first effort for the PlayStation2 is a good game. Although NHL 2001 is by no means perfect -- it lacks drop passes and give-and-goes, and is mysteriously missing the icon-based passing found in the PS1 version -- it is so visually spectacular and sound in fundamentals that we don't hesitate to recommend it. Hardcore puckheads may bristle at the game's emphasis on speed, big hits and ridiculous spin-o-ramas, but with a little tinkering it can respectably approach the status of a sim. With the excellent Madden already in the game, the PS2 is off to a strong, sporting start.
Every year we think EA has just about exhausted the possibilities of presenting hockey with even more TV style. And every year it outdoes itself. This time, the game actually begins in the tunnel outside the locker room, where PS2 fans can get a close-up look at the excellent face mapping in this year's edition of NHL. Although EA has gone a little overboard with some features -- no hockey helmet is ever that shiny, ever -- it has also done a fine job of taking advantage of the power of the PlayStation2. Reflections in the ice look great, every goalie mask is spot-on and even the crowed textures look good from a distance.
The animation, fortunately, is just as smooth. This year, EA recruited NHLers like Markus Naslund and Ed Jovanovski to help with all the big hits, shots and saves. It all looks fluid and realistic, with none of the popping and slowdown that plagued some PSOne versions of NHL. Even the idle animations, where players check their sticks or jostle around the faceoff circle, are quite well done.
But once we got past the pretty surfaces, we found a respectable hockey engine. NHL 2001 is set up to play a fast, arcade-style game. With the "big hit," "deke" and "speed burst" buttons making their return this year, the emphasis is on quick games and speedy transitions. Passing is set to near flawless and fatigue is hardly an issue, so players who just want to sit down and jam on the buttons for a fast, furious game, will undoubtedly have a good time.
However, PS2 owners who want a slower, more deliberate style of hockey will have to do some minor surgery in the options settings.
Turning off the passing accuracy and slowing down the game's speed is the first thing to do, followed by turning off the awful fights and upping the referee's eyesight. With roughly the same coaching options as last year on the PC and PSOne, players should enjoy something a little more realistic. However, EA still seems oblivious to the fact that hockey teams mix and match forward and defensive lines, and instead forces gamers to rotate all five skaters at once. Hopefully, whoever at EA is in charge of making hockey look so gosh darn pretty will one day realise this and give players the ability to change the defensemen independently of the forwards.
Ultimately, the gameplay is never going to be as realistic as some fans would like. The absences of drop passes or give-and-goes aren�t fatal, but since they're in the game, we were hoping EA would live up to its motto and put them in the game. Icon-based passing should be mandatory in all hockey games, since most useful camera angles put teammates outside of the frame. And while the teammate AI is respectable -- your forwards won't put themselves offsides and the defensemen are usually where they should be -- the opponent AI is never as deadly as it should be.
Yet whatever the NHL series has lacked in realism, it has always made up for with a myriad of options. From simple preseason skirmishes to an 82-game season or a 20-team round-robin international tournament, everything hockey fans would expect is here. There are a few new additions, like a career mode that tracks user-created characters and a momentum meter that swings throughout the game, giving one team that slight edge over another. And we loved the addition of small details like vintage jerseys, which allowed us to play the original six in some of their earliest sweaters.
The Bottom Line: NHL 2001 is, as we expected, a respectable hockey game with outstanding production values. EA continues to lead the pack in the look and style of hockey games, and with a few minor additions, NHL 2001 could be peerless. |
