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NHL 2000
...continued

Interface: Thank goodness EA Sports took the time to craft an easy-to-use interface for the front end of NHL 2000. Whereas its contemporary, Madden 2000 struggles with a clunky system of key presses and mouse clicks, NHL 2000 puts everything within one or two steps. The menus necessary for conducting drafts, making trades, setting lines, and viewing stats are all well designed, and make exploring the many options and features available to you prior to hitting the ice a breeze. Obviously, it makes sense to create a decent interface for dealing with a grab-bag of managerial and coaching screens, but you'd be surprised how many products get this wrong. The fact that NHL 2000 doesn't is testament to the polish EA Sports has put on the ol' apple. One interesting new feature that deserves mention is the pair of "boost bars" that can be adjusted prior to the start of a game to handicap or strengthen the artificial intelligence. In theory, this is a great thing; if you think opposing goalies are too strong, just lower their boost bar. And it works, too. The problem is that the bars can only be individually tweaked in exhibition mode. During a season, adjustment of one team's abilities creates a similar adjustment on the other's, which really doesn't make sense. What's the point of making the other team's AI less potent if your team is going to suffer the same fate?

On-ice control, on the other hand, is very intuitive, especially if you have a gamepad. I liked having the ability to re-map the functions of buttons within the options menu, but didn't really find it that necessary. Basically, if you've played any NHL title in the past few years, you should be able to pick this one up and start playing right away. For those who haven't, EA Sports has included an excellent set of tutorials that will take you through the basic functions of skating, passing, and shooting. I didn't spend much time on them myself -- the appeal of skating around in an empty rink a la The Mighty Ducks was overcome by the fact that I'd done all this before -- but I can see how it would be immensely helpful to someone who had never touched any of NHL 2000's predecessors. Why most sports offerings don't include something like this, I'll never know.

Gameplay: To me, all the bells and whistles in the world don't amount to anything if a PC sports sim does not provide either an accurate representation of its real-life counterpart or at least an enjoyable facsimile thereof. NHL 2000 scores on one of these points, but falls hard on the other, if not for lack of trying. I would definitely say I enjoyed myself playing this game, thrilling at a lot of the fast action and exploring the many new features that have been added to make the simulation elements of the series stand out more strongly. I was a particular fan of the fantasy draft and franchise mode, as the entry of young talent and the maturation and development of stars has always been, for me, a big part of the lure of professional sports. On the ice, there are plenty of exciting moments to be had, and it's always neat to be able to step into the skates of your favorite NHL personalities and make that big save or score the game-winning goal. Both of these will come fast and furious, which should be enough to satisfy the twitch-conscious crowd.

The problem is that, as amusing as this high-speed contest can be, it's not even close to real hockey, which is a real shame considering the steps EA Sports took to make NHL 2000 more realistic than its predecessors. There are so many decisions to be made, ranging from pre-game line changes, to the alteration of coaching strategy mid-period, to a new method of adjusting period length, that one almost feels guilty not appreciating this title's gameplay. But if you're a hockey fan, you won't be able to help but notice the many incongruities that end up making NHL 2000 more arcade hockey than simulation. If that's what you're looking for, great. You'll have no problem going end-to-end without much thought to actually setting up an offense or defense. But EA Sports has been making a big push for its titles lately as something deeper than the average action-oriented sports game, as evidenced by their inclusion of a franchise mode replete with general manager options. If they can transfer that depth to the ice, then they'd have something truly special. As it is, NHL 2000 plays a lot like its predecessors, which isn't a terrible thing. It's just not quite where it should be at this stage of the game.

I'd also like to say that I had some fun with NHL 2000's Internet play. I'd like to say that, but I can't, because I could never actually get a match going. The matchmaking service provided by EA Sports is currently non-functional, and I was unable to even connect at times. A patch has been promised, but since it's not here yet, you really can't consider Internet gaming a part of NHL 2000's package.

Sound FX: NHL 2000's suite of sound effects is just as good, if not better than, its visual package. In terms of establishing atmosphere, it's about as good as I've ever heard in a sports title. There is a tendency for the actual game effects -- the schuss of skates on ice, the crack of stick against puck -- to be somewhat exaggerated, and that can take some of the edge off the overall impression of realism. Al McInnis may have one hell of a slapshot, but it doesn't make the kind of boom heard here. Luckily, this hyperbolic noise tends to get lost amid the complete package.

I would be horribly remiss if I didn't also mention the voice work. Unlike that of most sports offerings, the play-by-play is actually a strength instead of a liability. Jim Hughson and ESPN's Bill Clement have contributed a good deal of recorded banter, and most of it is appropriate. It also seems that they've recorded a special, player-specific comment for everyone in the league, which is a nice touch despite the potential for repetitiveness. In addition, the mixing of different phrases is executed very well, so that you don't get the kind of jarring changes in tone and emotion that plague many titles in this genre. The really cool touches, however, are not part of the play-by-play, but of the chatter that occurs between the occupants of the ice. You'll know what I'm talking about the first time one of your players gets called for a penalty, turns to the referee, and begins to argue his case. What's even niftier is that the ref will then talk back, telling your goon to "Get off my ice." Stuff like this, taken individually, is not that significant. As a whole, however, it's phenomenal.

Musical Score: First of all, I'd like to personally commend whoever it was that put together NHL 2000's introductory video. The use of Push It by Garbage is very appropriate, as the driving techno-rock beats jibe very well with the big checks, shots, and saves being played across the screen. Sadly, this trend of excellence isn't continued with what's presented as a musical score over the many menus and screens that make up NHL 2000's off-ice features. It's the same kind of industrial tune as the one in the opening, only with a lot less personality and direction. Frankly, I had to turn it off after a short time. When I'm trying to ponder whether to trade away a promising young winger for some defensive help, the last thing I need is an overly repetitive bunch of electronic noise in my ear. But the good news is that the use of music during actual games is spot-on. During breaks in the action, you'll hear the kind of "jock jams" that are piped in to stadiums the world over, and which ESPN has managed to parlay into successful record sales. When the puck is dropped, however, the music ceases. Which is exactly as it should be.

Intelligence & Difficulty: Truth be told, EA Sports has made several improvements in the artificial intelligence and behavior of the computer-controlled players. The "super goalies" of NHL 99 are now a thing of the past, meaning that it's now possible to score in ways other than off the rebound. You'll find yourself putting in slapshots from the circle, and possibly even a one-timer from the point, if you're skillful and lucky enough. This alone does a lot to make NHL 2000 more enjoyable than its predecessor. What's more, the computer player also seems a lot more aggressive, and it wasn't unusual for me to find myself out-shot severely on the upper difficulty levels. It's good to see a designer pay attention to these kinds of problems, as it would seem to indicate a desire for the betterment of the series.

Unfortunately, there are more than a few very large AI issues that severely taint this progress. To start, there seems to be very little in the way of diversity in style of play between different teams. The Red Wings will rush the goal, using their speed to create scoring opportunities. That's fine. But so will the Florida Panthers, known for their slow, smothering defensive game. And so will every other team in the league, regardless of whatever other strategies their roster makeup might suggest. Of course, this may be a sound way to go considering the fact that defensemen on both teams still get caught up-ice with frightening regularity. Whether this happens because they're just out of position or because they've been called to the bench at precisely the wrong time by some pretty poor coaching AI is anyone's guess, but both will definitely happen if you let the computer control your line changes.

Other anomalies pop up from time to time, such as my own netminder's inability to get off his knees when an errant pass was floated into the air, resulting in a goal. Or, even worse, the fact that computer-controlled goalies cannot stop a wraparound, no matter how many times you do it. I discovered this fact when I was down 4-0 in the third period of a season game. I ended up winning 6-4, because all I had to do was keep plugging at that wraparound, and I was guaranteed to light up any team. While one could easily hamstring one's self by refusing to perform such moves, it's not really right to have to do so. The same thing can be said for the general manager AI that will always allow you to trade for a player whose overall rating is two or three points higher than that of the one you're offering. By exploiting this loophole through a series of deals, it's possible to turn a scrub into a superstar. What's more, my enjoyment of the Fantasy Draft feature was tainted somewhat by the fact that AI GMs apparently don't want to build a strong team. When I can select Dominik Hasek in the first round and Paul Kariya in the second -- and this is with middle-of-the-round picks -- you know something's out of whack. If EA Sports ever wants this franchise to be taken seriously as a hockey simulation, they've got some work cut out for them in terms of AI both on and off the ice.

Overall: NHL 2000 is alternately fun and frustrating. To be sure, it brings across the atmosphere of NHL hockey superbly through the use of some eye-popping graphics and stellar use of sound. The continuous pushing of this envelope, despite the steep system requirements it demands, really makes this title stand out over any competition. If player facial reactions and this mapping thing go any farther, I've no doubt that, before too long, what you see on your computer screen will soon rival what you can see on television every night from October to June. I was very pleased with the "Face in the Game" feature, despite the fact that it somehow constantly made me look like even more of a freak than I normally do. And every part of the visual presentation, from a split-screen goalie comparison that prefaces each opening face-off to the yawning of players sitting on the bench, is so well put-together that I found myself continuously impressed.

I also appreciated the fact that EA Sports is taking steps to make NHL 2000 a more complete hockey simulation. The franchise mode is a huge addition, adding a great deal of the replayability that eluded previous NHL titles. I also liked the Fantasy Draft, a bonus that too many sports games ignore. On the ice, the reduction of the "Super Goalie" to a mere annoyance is a very welcome change, as is the improvement in the scoring model. Control is smooth and, with a gamepad, almost too accessible. It's also nice that the designers of NHL 2000 have avoided the front-end pitfalls that befell their counterparts on the Madden 2000 team. On the whole, this game is a very polished, well put-together product.

Ah, but then reality kicks in -- or, to be more accurate, a serious lack of it. Let's put it this way: NHL 2000 may look like real hockey, and sound like real hockey, but it sure doesn't play like real hockey, at least not the way I've seen it played. These discrepancies can mainly be traced to the suspect AI that will plague you both on and off the ice. Don't get me wrong, the computer still puts up a good fight, and it can be fun getting into a sprinting/breakaway contest from time to time. But there are just far too many holes, gaffes, and unrealistic reactions to overlook. There's plenty of action, big hitting, and puck-handling to go around, but it's tainted by gaffes like the horrible positioning of defensemen and the inability of computer-controlled teams to clear the area in front of their own net. The general manager AI could also use a whole lot of tweaking. Does all of this slippage ruin things completely? No, because NHL 2000, with its fast-paced on-ice action and bevy of features, can still be a pretty cool game. It's just not a proper simulation yet.

 

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