NHL Hitz 20-02: Is this Midway's return to arcade sports glory?
Written: Sep 28 '01 (Updated Sep 28 '01)
Product Rating:
Pros: Easy to play; lots to unlock; great sound effects; impressive graphics; BIG hits!
Cons: Some frame rate problems; cheap AI at times
The Bottom Line: NHL Hitz 20-02 is the best arcade sports title to come out in some time and, in my opinion, is the best arcade hockey title available.
offspringer's Full Review: NHL Hitz 2002 for PlayStation 2
Midway has not had much success with their arcade sports titles recently. NFL Blitz 2001 and NBA Hoopz each had their respective problems; Blitz tried too hard to be more of a sim than an arcade game, and Hoopz unsuccessfully tried to change Midway's traditional formula of 2-on-2 basketball which has been popular for nearly 10 years. My excitement over Midway finally producing another arcade hockey title-- NHL Open Ice and Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey were the other two-- was tempered because of this fact. Could Midway finally break the jinx and get back to their arcade roots, or would NHL Hitz just be another in a growing lineup of disappointments? Let's lace up our skates and get right into the game review to see how Hitz fared.
Graphically, Hitz is quite impressive, but not without its problems. The arenas are fairly detailed, complete with visually interactive crowds and ice surfaces that deteriorate as time goes on. The players, although a little bit blocky-looking, are accurate representations of their real-life NHLPA counterparts. Little things like the mesh on the players' sweaters and brand names on the players' hockey sticks are nice touches. When you first start a game, you'll notice some pre-game animations that are rather choppy, but look pretty good. Player introduction sequences can occasionally be funny, with players each shoving or pushing others out of the way to get the spotlight at times. Other cinemas shown during stoppages of play can also be somewhat choppy, but don't let that fool you-- the in-game animation is smoother. While playing, there are plenty of nice effects to notice, like ice sprays, puck trails, and other lighting effects that look excellent. Player helmets can get knocked off during play, and you'll see them gliding along the ice if a player runs into it while skating. There are great replays, too, which generally follow the action and show you just how a goal was set up and scored. Hitz isn't the fastest game around, but maintains its own sense of speed thanks to smaller ice rinks, which encourage more action... and more scoring.
NHL Hitz has some great sound to complement the game's strong graphics. Midway's veteran arcade announcer Tim Kitzrow, with credits such as NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and NBA Showtime under his belt, returns to provide that familiar, over-the-top commentary that arcade sports fans have come to know and love. Kitzrow's commentary is all-original this year; most of it accurately follows the action, and a lot of it is pretty funny. Coming from the perspective of a long-time Midway fan, it's good to hear some original stuff from Kitzrow for a change. The game's sound effects are excellent, including a raucous crowd with ringing cowbells (just like real hockey-- where are those, EA?), bone-crushing hits, and shattering glass after checking an unfortunate player right though a pane. While the sound effects aren't quite as numerous as in EA Sports' NHL titles, they do a great job of enhancing the hockey experience. Midway has also done a decent job with music this time around, securing "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit and "Scar" by Fuel for play during intermissions and menus. There are a few other minor music tracks that play, but there's just something about hearing "Rollin'" that really pumps up the adrenaline. Future versions of Hitz for GAMECUBE and XBox will also have "Mudshovel" by Staind, which is a nice addition.
At this point, Hitz has cleared the aesthetic hurdles for graphics and sound, but the real question here is whether it plays at least as good as it looks and sounds... and the answer to that question is yes. The game controls are simple to learn and very responsive, with buttons for passing, shooting, hitting, and (of course) Turbo. Holding down the Turbo button not only gives your player a speed boost, but also powers up any other action... such as harder slapshots, faster passes, and vicious hits. One-timers are as satisfying as they've ever been in a hockey game, and wrap-around scoring chances and deke scoring are also very nice. Expect a fair amount of scoring in Hitz-- double-digit tallies are commonplace. As for hitting, there's a lot of it here... after all, the name of the game is Hitz. The hits range from simple checks to jarring hits the knock off player helmets to vicious charges that can knock players through glass or into the stands. Each hit is satisfying and will easily incite some trash talk if you're playing against friends. As with Midway's other arcade sports titles, Hitz also has some cheap AI which tends to keep scores close in the end; however, this problem is not as acute in Hitz as it's been in past titles.
Hitz has plenty of game modes and options. Aside from a quick-play exhibition mode, Hitz has a championship mode that challenges players to beat all of the NHL teams in order to win the Stanley Cup and also has a Franchise mode that enables players to build a custom team from scratch and take them through all 50 of the teams in Hitz-- including hidden and all-star teams. Hitz also has a "Skills" mode, which tests players' skills at shooting, hitting, winning faceoffs, and more. These minigames not only helps players to hone their Hitz skills, but are also fun diversions on their own. Players can create their own players, adjust those players' appearances, and set their skills via attribute points, which can be earned by winning games in Franchise mode. Hitz also has a hockey shop in which hidden teams, player features, and hockey rinks can be unlocked via points won through Exhibition and Championship games. Needless to say, Hitz packs a lot of features into a little package, and it's quite enjoyable.
Midway has surprised me with NHL Hitz 20-02. I had my doubts about the game initially, but I'm having a blast with it. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with an arcade sports title in a long time. The game is fast, the action is intense, the game modes are entertaining, and that's what arcade sports titles are all about. If you like arcade sports, this title should be a no-brainer. Hockey fans should also give Hitz a test run. After a string of disappointments in this area, Midway has come through with a great title that is finally deserving of some attention. I wholeheartedly recommend this title, and will even go so far as to say that NHL Hitz is the best arcade hockey title ever.
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