ldwalker59's Full Review: NHL Hitz 2002 for PlayStation 2
Introduction
A buddy of mine recently let me borrow his Playstation 2 while he studied for his college finals. I gladly took up the offer to goof off on NHL Hitz 2002 and Grand Tourismo 3 (a later review). Quickly I became suckered into playing this game hours on end. If you know someone who is a hockey fan this is a must game for them.
The Game
The first time I played it with my buddy and we built a team naming it after ourselves and other friends and quickly grew found of these Underdogs since that is what you start out with. You can modify the stats and take off all the points from other players to make a superstar or leave it the way they have it at first with everything being a 5 out of 20 on all skaters.
Once you play in the Franchise part of the game you can get more points to improve your team and take it on the Championship run. Through the championship and exhibitions you can gain money to unlock stadiums and different heads. Examples are the Disco Stadium, a Shark Tank Stadium, a Circus Stadium, a Marine Head, an Alien Head, and a Pirate head. Once your team is developed enough to play with the "Big Dawgs" then you best watch out since the level of the Franchise game goes up fairly quickly and instead of being the instigator and the hunter you are now the hunted. Watch as your players fly through the air without the greatest of ease. See you helmets pop off from the ferociousness of that last hit. Watch your skaters get back at the opponent in a tough brawl knocking him down to the ice and send him to the bench for the rest of the game.
I also don't want to forget to mention when you play in regular stadiums that you can look in the stands and get misc codes. The codes can be entered before you start playing a game and do things that vary from making the puck a tennis ball to going to slow-mo on a one-timer and watching as your player smacks the opponent in midswing.
Another nice little side benefit is the soundtrack variation that you can do with a hip-hop, rock, or punk mix. Personally I am big on the rock tracks of Rollin' by Limp Bizkit, there is also Alice-in-Chains and another song although it tends to play Rollin' the most.
I have to admit that at the beginning I was used to playing NHL Faceoff 2000 which has the full 5 skaters with a goalie line-up. Gradually I became more used to the three player line so that doesn't bug me too much anymore.
The Sounds
Everything from the Lightning Bolt when your player goes on fire to the crunching hits that level the opponent and even the rattle of the goal post as a shot is barely off mark make the game more realistic than the sometimes slightly failing graphics.
The Graphics
As with all Playstation 2 games the graphics tend to at first be mind blowing, but it appears that the graphics designers got lazy with the special heads since everytime they get in a fight the head "magically" goes through the body of the other person and so on, but during the game when you get close to someone you cannot just go right through them. The nose of the shark head does go into the ice when he or she gets slammed via body check to it.
There is a small disclaimer before the game that things in this game are not real and won't happen in real life so don't try to imitate them. Obviously the graphics needed a little more work if they were to contain some kind of reality but they do more than adequate to get the feel for the game.
Conclusion
Hold on tight kiddies its gonna be a bumpy ride! I love the game of hockey and I love the hits of this game. It takes a little to get used to this, but once you do you will enjoy this game.
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