Well it’s finally come. Ever since I played NFL Blitz when it first came out on the N64, I have loved the Extreme Sports genre. Now I’m not talking about the Inline Skating and BMX Biking extreme sports, I’m talking about taking a sport, and adding some intense action into it to keep up the replay value and overall fun factor.
When Blitz hit the N64 in like 1997 or 98’ I think, Midway(the developers) took the football franchise and gave a TWIST to it. Adding the ability to cause bone crunching tackles and a chance to body slam a player after they’ve already been tackled was what sent Blitz into an upward spiral.
When I first heard about a game that was like the NFL Blitz, only called NHL Hitz, I was excited to see how much more fun an extreme hockey game would be than football. When it came out for the PS2, I heard some good things about it and from screenshots from over the web, I knew I’d have to get it for Game Cube when the Cube hit stores.
I just wish other games like Hitz or Blitz would be made. Like MLB Slamz, NBA Jamz, Tennis Scorez, or something like that.
Exhibition
Like almost every sports game, Exhibition mode is where you can play a single player game, and is also where you can play two player action. Luckily I rented this the night before Thanksgiving and I brought the Cube and games over to my cousin’s house where we first checked the crap out of each other, then went into championship mode to check the crap out of the other teams.
You see, when the only hockey game worth playing by me and my cousin was Wayne Gretsky 3-D Hockey on the N64, we would stay up late nights, not focusing on winning the game necessarily, but checking the crap out of the other players. Now with Hitz, we can actually smash players through the glass, which dragged me and Dustin to play more.
Championship
Here you or another player may pick a team and compete in a 30 team tourney for the Stanley Cup. After you’ve played all thirty teams and have the best record, you’ll win the Stanley Cup.
Franchise
In Franchise, you take your custom team through 50 games to be first place.
Ahh...Now I gotta Start from scratch!
One of the better parts of Hitz is the ability to make a custom team. You can design anything from what the team logo is to the size and width of a players legs. You can create your players own name, and then give him a nickname which the announcers will use as they’re broadcasting the game.
After choosing that stuff, you can choose dimensions and width of your players thighs, legs, feet, stomach, chest, shoulders, and head. You can choose how wide their nose, mouth, and head are, and even the height of his head.
Last but not least, you can improve your team stats by earning attribute points in Franchise mode. The more attribute points you have, the more you can upgrade your team to be a power house.
I Want More Power
Unlike most sim hockey games where checks are just regular checks, Hitz is made for the hard-blowing knock-outs that send players through the glass. No trips or other of those tricks where you go for the feet, it’s just an upper body war that includes my stick in your face.
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Graphics
Between the PS2 and Game Cube version, the Game Cube version has a lot smoother textures and the frame rate’s a little bit better. When I played NHL Hitz on one of my friend’s PS2 and I brought my Game Cube over to compare, he was shocked at how fast the Game Play and frame rate was. All this from a PS2 fan boy.
The players look real and have distinct features on each player. They move realistically and makes it look like you’re watching a hockey game on TV, only non-boring (sorry NHL fans, there’s just no enough fighting on TV) Midway decided to go with a 3-D realistic crowd this time around, because it’s just so fun to see the people scram when someone is checked through the glass.
Each rink is detailed to each teams liking. As you skate around the ice, little lines will form from your skates cutting the ice like your skates would if you actually went ice skating. If you think the regular rinks are graphical, just wait until you unlock some of the fantasy rinks like the Shark Tank, Pirate’s Ship, the coast, and a disco floor.
Aside from opening fantasy rinks with points that you earn from Exhibition and Championship mode, you can unlock old jerseys, player heads, and different teams like the All-Stars or the Undead.
Control
When I played the PS2 version of Hitz, control felt kind of jerky and didn’t quite fit the PS2 controller layout, but played a lot better on the Game Cube. Once you start playing a couple games, the controller will feel like it’s connected to you. You can change the controls to your liking, but this is how I have my controls set up.
The “A” button is used for shooting, “B” is used for Passing on offense and used to switch players nearest the puck on defense, “X” is used to check people on defense, and to do a little fancy move with the puck through the legs on offense. The “Y” button is used as a deke on offense, which is a little spin move to prevent from someone checking you.
Controls are pretty tight and are pretty responsive to your actions on the controller. The only bad controls in the game are the slow tight turns. Don’t try to take a sharp turn and try to check at the same time, you’ll most likely miss the person.
Sound
This is a big plus in the game. Right from the start in the opening movie, Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’” is the theme song and fits NHL Hitz perfectly. The hard rock, heavy bass music by Limp Bizkit fits the bone-crunching adrenaline paced style of Hitz like peas in a pod.
During Game Play, music ceases, and the sounds of hockey come alive. Ice skates, slap shots, the crowd, and the announcers all bring out the hockey feel. The announcers keep up with everything going on on the ice and keeps the adrenaline pumping inside you. Sound effects from people getting checked are realistic, but the sound of a guy getting smashed through the glass is ear-pleasing.
Overall
NHL Hitz 20-02 isn’t necessarily a must have title since SSX Tricky and Super Smash Bros Melee are soon to be released come December 3rd. And with all the titles out so far like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, and Super Monkey Ball, Hitz is probably at most good for a 5-day rental at Blockbuster or something. But for you hard core NHL fans, you’ll want this title.
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