Video Game Review: NHL Hitz 2002

NHL Hitz 2002

Graphics:	7.5
Sound:	8
Story:	It's Hockey C'mon
Fun:	10
Controls:	9
Overall:	8

Run over everyone, break the glass, score some goals and kick some butte'. That is a basic description of this hard hitting sports game from Midway. Midway, the notorious creators of NFL Blitz, uses the same concept in this game. The fun in the game is...fun!(Huh?). While the object is to score, you have to take a few opponents out, in the worst way possible. That's what puts the Hitz in NHL Hitz 2002. It has several modes, including career, arcade, versus, create a player, etc. The create a player mode is unmatched, collecting different heads, courses, and attribute points for your customized player or team. You earn these by beating the opposing teams in career mode. Making the perfect team and playing another friend's team rocks, and never gets old. Graphics suddenly change from good to bad because of some of the bad face mapping for customized characters, and if make their head to big, it runs through players. The ice effects are standard, but still look well done and professional. It is all smooth animation, and the A. I. and puck movements need no improvement. The sound is nothing special, the usual groans and yells as you smack a opponent against the glass, but does well in the skating sounds and ricocheting of the puck sound awsome and fit for this game in particular. If you are used to one NHL controls scheme, you are used to them all, which is good since no one really wants to have to adapt to another sports game controls when they are the same sport. For extra strategy, each player has a hot spot. If you stand on it, your player delivers a powerful slapshot. Is it good? Heck, yeah. One of the best if not the best hockey game for the Gamecube, even if you are looking for realistic hockey. This game just adds a few more "hitz" to it. With the 2003 version coming out, I doubt that will be worse than this one. "The Game is exactly as the title describes." -Niloc

Archive note: The original publication day is unknown; this review existed by March 30, 2003.