NHL 2K3
- November 06, 2002 17:09 PM PST
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If realistic, authentic hockey sounds like music to your ears, NHL 2K3 will have you humming that classic rink tune, "Do you play hockey?"
A few seasons ago, Sega"s NBA 2K series snuck up on NBA Live and plucked the ball from EA Sports' grasp. A similar changing of the guard looks like it may be in the works this year on the hockey rink-unless you prefer EA's brand of high-scoring action and fun gimmicks, which plenty of gamers do. But if you're a hockey fan looking for a game that duplicates what happens in the real-life NHL with a reasonable degree of accuracy, NHL 2K3 should inspire you to sign up for a season ticket.The feel of the gameplay was already very authentic in a preview version, and that was backed by a wealth of true-to-hockey details and controls that were already tight and crisp. The early build played a lot like NHL 2K2 for the Dreamcast, but fortunately, the presentation is being dramatically improved, though the graphics and sounds probably still won't hang with NHL 2003. One of the cool new touches will include fighting along the boards for control of the puck, and you'll be able to pin the puck against the board, kick it away, or use your stick. Playing along the board really opens up the dump-n-chase as a viable strategy and also allows much more play in the corners. You'll be able to change your offensive lines separately from the D, and you'll even be able to set separate strategies, including how your team breaks out with the puck, for each line. Only the Xbox version will offer online play, which is a good incentive to choose that version if you own more than one platform. With a fully featured Franchise mode that lets you play a crazy 250 seasons, NHL 2K3 should deliver all the hockey you can handle.
