*** Note: This review mirrors my review of NHL 2002 for the PC except for minor issues unique to the PC version. ***
I've purchased every EA Sports NHL game since it was first released for Super Nintendo in 1993. Every year EA somehow manages to improve upon its previous incarnation either graphically, or gameplay wise. NHL 2002 is no different, with minor tweaks and improvements to an already stellar game (NHL 2001).
Graphically, NHL 2002 is superior to NHL 2001 although the changes are not nearly as noticeable as they were in previous "upgrades" to the series. Player faces are now more detailed and offer a wider range of expressions but generally look the same as NHL 2001. Little tweaks such as a player getting up and moving over to let another player in the penalty box has been improved, and it looks like a lot of the problems with players being seen through the boards when on the bench have been fixed. NHL 2001 already looked incredible so these little tweaks are a welcome change. However, the Playstation 2 version is graphically inferior to the PC version. Everything has a very "dithered" look to it as though EA couldn't fit all the textures on a CD and so they dithered it down to get it to fit. When the game moves quickly the dithering is most noticeable something not apparent on the PC version. Perhaps I'm just being picky, but Playstation 2 is supposed to be a powerful video game system.
When it comes to sound effects, EA Sports has always gotten it right. From bone-crunching checks to slap-shots, everything sounds authentic. The sound effects don't really differ from the previous games, in fact I think some of the sound effects are the same as the SNES game :) ... Musically, EA Sports added a lot of "popular" music to the game. While I don't care for some of it, you might like it... It does add a sense of realism to have real songs being played during stoppages of play. One of the most amazing features I have found in NHL 2002 is the ability to have "3D" sound by way of DTS Interactive. (Maybe this is why they had no space on the CD) ;) I have a DTS compatible receiver and I enabled this feature. You truly do get a surround sound experience from the DTS although it is not as clear or apparent as you would get from DirectSound 3D and 4 speakers on the PC. It is a welcome addition to the game however.
The NHL 2002 interface is completely changed as they always do for each new NHL game. The interface is straightforward, clean, and easy to use. No complaints here.
One of the problems I had with NHL 2002 is the fact that the rosters are already out of date! Rosters are only accurate up to the NHL draft which occured in July. As far as I can tell, none of the rookies from the draft were added, only trades like the Jagr trade were made. Newer major trades like the Lindros trade were not added. This isn't such a big deal for the PC version because roster updates are readily available from fans, and official roster updates from EA Sports will be available as well. The Playstation 2 version however does not have the luxury of updates like this although EA claims that updates will be available through their web site when the hard drive / broadband adapter comes out for Playstation 2, but unless you purchase the upgrade you wont get roster updates.
Another problem is some of the "new" features they added to the game ... I absolutely despise the new color commentator and the new "jokes" they had the PA announcer say. Instead of being true color commentary all that the color commentator does is make stupid jokes which usually have little or nothing to do with the actual gameplay. Thankfully you can turn off the color commentator and for the most part you wont hear him speak at all. Other extras which I found useless are the new break-away cam... Which is useful when you're skating "up", but is almost useless when you're skating "down" since you can't even see where you are in relationship to the goalie since his back is facing you. Thankfully you can turn off this feature. The "replay" cam which plays an event 3 times in a row from different angles for big saves and bone crunching hits takes away from the flow of the game and disorients a player. I found it to be annoying but again you can turn it off. Some of the nice additions to the game are the "Game Story" which during stoppages will go back to different events that occured in the game like big saves or big goals. Unfortunately this feature will sometimes come on much too often and/or repeat itself showing the same goal 3 times. It does add a sense of realism to the game since the replays for Game Story did not necessarily JUST occur, and could be from 10 minutes ago ... NHL 2001 didn't have anything like that.
There are a few other new little features in the game such as saucer passes (passes in the air), and a "control" indicator to show how much control you have of the puck that add to the realism of playing the game. For the most part however, gameplay is unchanged and previous players of the NHL series should be able to pick up and play NHL 2002 with little or no difficulty. The "control" indicator can get annoying at times however since the color is lightest and hardest to see when you have the least amount of control. One can easily get "doesnt have the puck" confused with "has the puck with little control" .. So sometimes you'll skate away thinking you have the puck while the opposing team is rushing towards your goal with the puck.
The AI in the game seems to be improved for the opposing team at least. The computer plays a pretty good game that you may have difficulty beating at first. AI for your own team seems to be extremely stupid. I have experienced the puck being right in front of the goal tender but outside of the crease and he does absolutely nothing. I've had defensiveman stare at a puck that is sitting right in front of them.
Skating for some reason seems more difficult too. I have found myself skating "around" the puck in circles while the puck lays still in the middle of my circle. Perhaps this is a change in gameplay requiring you to stop and then move to get the puck but it seems rather annoying. Checking is also a problem since when you check someone you completely stop moving for a split second. This usually allows another opposing team member to step up and grab the puck and get a clean shot off before you can even start moving again. This does try to make you concentrate more on poke checking the puck away from players rather than checking them though.
Player celebrations is a fun new addition to the game. Instead of giving you the option to make fun of the opposing player with sound clips (like in NHL 2001) you get player celebrations where you can assign the pass, shoot, and special move button to perform different celebrations when you score a goal. From having your player do a "slide" on the ice, to making him shoot a pretend bow and arrow, the celebrations are a fun way of saying "I scored!"
NHL Cards is another new feature of the game. By completing various tasks in the game at different difficulty levels you earn points which will let you purchase "packs" of NHL Cards. The card game is interesting but other than unlocking new player celebrations is relatively useless unless you like an arcade kindof feel to the game. Player cards give the player the ability to be a "Hero" for X amount of periods, (Bronze = 1 period, Silver = 2 periods, Gold = 3 periods). Making them a hero improves their stats for that time. Being a person who prefers a more "realistic" hockey experience I have not used any of these features.
Since I have tried both the Playstation 2 and PC version I can make some comparisons here. The Playstation 2 version does not look as good as the PC version. However, it plays silky smooth at 60fps. No slowdowns are apparent AT ALL with the PS2 version. This is unlike NHL 2001 for PS2 which had significant slowdowns. The PS2 version also does not offer as many configuration options as the PC version. For example, the famed sliders which let you adjust gameplay are not as detailed in the PS2 version. You don't get options like "Fatigue Recovery" or "Speed Burst %" you just get "Game Speed" and "Fatigue". Might not seem like a big deal, but it is missing some configuration options.
Overall NHL 2002 offers minor tweaks and improvements to the NHL series that will make most people want to go out and buy NHL 2002, especially if you are a big fan. Its ability to let the user choose between simulation hockey and arcade hockey make it a great game for hockey lovers, and video game lovers alike. The Playstation 2 version has its drawbacks but it still overall a fun game. And playing it on a 32" TV versus a 19" monitor can make all the difference! :)
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