NHL 2K2
Score: 100% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Sega Developer: Visual Concepts Media: GC/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Well, this is it folks. It's a pretty sure bet that NHL 2K2 is the last Dreamcast game. Although many staunch, Sega-ites would have wanted something a little more as their system's final farewell;NHL 2K2 does an excellent job of capping off the Dreamcast's lifespan. NHL 2K2 blew me away in both presentation and graphical glitz. The arenas, players and...well everything looks spectacular! This is without a doubt the smoothest and best looking sports game I have played on any system to date. One of the most common things you'll hear about a sports game is 'that it looks like a real game'. While this has been said about just about every 'next gen' sports game, very few seemed to live up to the hype. The difference with NHL 2K2 is that it completely lives up to the hype. Players, especially goalies, move with such fluidity and finesse (well, about as much finesse as a hockey player can have) that they really DO look real. Sound is probably the only part of the game that disappointed me. It is not bad by any means, but I would have liked a little more shine. The two areas that I saw the most need for improvements were the crowd noises and commentary. NHL's commentary keeps up the high standards expected from a SEGA Sports game, only I would have liked to have seen, well heard, some more context sensitive commentary. It also would have been great if the crowd got a little more 'into' the game.
Gameplay: NHL 2K2 is pure simulation. Although hearing that probably scares the hell out of some hockey fans, it is not a bad thing. This is, hands down, the best hockey game ever. Let me say that again for effect. Best. Hockey Game. Ever. NHL 2K2 builds off an already great engine from last year and makes it even better. The most notable aspect is the improved player AI. Again, it seems as though the goalies received the most attention. The goalies will now do anything short of clubbing you over the head with a stick to keep you from scoring. Long story short - do not expect unrealistically high scoring games. I'm by no means the most hardcore of hockey fans, something that can probably be attributed to my favorite team being pretty bad. As a result, I am also not the most knowledgeable of all the ins and outs of the game - but even I had a blast with the game. The entire game is very adaptable to your playing style. Whether you are looking for a total hockey experience, or you are like me and just enjoy checking the hell out of people - it's all there. As far as game modes go, you have your sports game standards: Quick Play, Exhibition, Tournament, Season and Playoffs. The only noticeable oversight is a franchise mode, but it's a forgivable offense.
Difficulty: Since this is a sports game, much of the difficulty goes hand-in-hand with the gameplay and fun factor. No one wants to play a game that the computer scores all over you and shuts you out. NHL 2K2 does a great job in balancing out the difficulty levels. This is also one of the first games that I really felt the team stats were really working in the background. It's fun, and gives you a challenge without being cheap - what more could you want?
Game Mechanics: One glance at the instruction book and things look pretty bleak. On paper, the game looks like a complicated mess - but once you play around and learn the controls, it is amazing to see how natural they feel. Most of the difficulty comes from having to use combinations of buttons to perform certain moves - something not seen in many sports games. It looks intimidating, but again, it has an amazingly fluid feel and really works with the game. Like the rest of the game, the controls are what you make of it. I tended to stick with the basic controls, only dabbling a little with some of the more complicated features (such as using the D-pad to call plays and formations), but if you want a complicated game the controls are deep enough to give you exactly what you want. Whoever worked on the game manual should also get some credit for putting together an easy to use and follow book. Just one more plus to an already amazing game. Getting NHL 2K2 into my hands was quite an adventure, and while I won't bore you with the details, and since there's no where else to stick this, I'd like to thank SEGA and everyone else involved for all their help along the way. Well, as Porky Pig used to say...blee-ble-blee...That's all folks!
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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