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NHL 2001
...continued

It has been ten years since EA Sports' NHL series first graced us with its presence on the Sega Genesis. The use of real players and teams was unmatched back then, and this feature was only somewhat eclipsed by the popular pastime of attempting to make the players' heads bleed (c.f. Swingers). From those early days of 2D players with just a few frames of animation and rudimentary sound effects, the series has evolved to one of the most consistently visually and aurally stunning games on the shelf. This year's edition, NHL 2001, adds a number of improvements and new options to the venerable series, attempting to provide something for hardcore hockey fans.

click to enlargeIf you've played earlier NHL products from EA Sports, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from NHL 2001 as far as gameplay is concerned: a blend of arcade action with a large dash of realism. The most obvious addition is the Momentum Meter, which tracks team morale. The team that possesses momentum enjoys bonuses to their abilities, but the favor can be fickle. Just like in real hockey, a number of factors contribute to the momentum of a game. For example, a three-goal scoring streak contributes just as a particularly tenacious shutdown by a goalie does. The Momentum Meter is a valuable addition, as with its inclusion, NHL 2001 is one of the first sports titles to attempt to depict the important effects of team morale.

With the exception of the Momentum Meter, the biggest change to NHL 2001 is the updating of its teams, as would be expected. It contains all thirty of the National Hockey League teams, including the new expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. Twenty international teams are also featured, from Finland to the Ukraine and Latvia. All of the rosters are up to date, and the expansion team rosters can be filled with old or new players. In addition to these, the new Create-a-Team option allows players to add another expansion to the NHL by importing or customizing logos, jerseys, the name of the organization, and their home city. These custom teams can be filled with multiple copies of the same player, or a combination of players from other teams; doubles of these players remain on their original team to maintain the integrity of the rosters.

Once players select or create a team, they have a number of general options, which also remain relatively unchanged from NHL 2001's predecessor. Players can start a quick matchup between any two teams, play through a tournament, engage in a high-pressure shootout, manage a team during one or more seasons, or simply skip to the only really important time of year, the playoffs. All of these play options are available as single player or as multiplayer games.

click to enlargeNHL 2001's wide variety of coaching options allows aspiring skippers to hone their skills. Lines can be completely reorganized and refined manually, or the CPU can automatically fill them with the best players from your active roster. Only eighteen players and two goalies can be dressed for the game, but it's a simple matter to dress or scratch members of your team. In addition to choosing who plays and at what time, you can also decide how they play by defining your coaching strategies. In order to map out your battle plan, you can adjust areas such as offensive and defensive pressure, as well as strategies when your team is on offense, defense, a power play, or attempting to kill a penalty. While you cannot make your own plays, there are a number to choose from, including Crash the Net, Funnel on offense, Tight Point High or Collapsing Low on defense. All of these coaching options allow players to set up a fairly comprehensive plan that their team will follow on the ice.

Even more strategic aspects of NHL 2001 are found in the ability to play from one to ten seasons acting as general manager. The first season begins with a draft, either with all teams starting from scratch, or solely drafting players for the new expansion teams. Over the course of your stint as GM, you can offer trades with other teams, draft rookies at the beginning of the season, and pick up free agents. Negotiating with free agents is a bit more detailed than it has been in the past, with the inclusion of "happy face" and "angry face" icons that denote how willing a free agent is to sign with your franchise. Taking full advantage of the fresh talent in the NHL also requires that you utilize the option to retire some of your older players. By playing the full ten year career of a GM, players are given the opportunity to build a new hockey dynasty.

For gamers who really want to get into NHL 2001, the title contains a player creation feature that can be used to define a skilled alter ego, or simply to make new stars to place on your team. You have the option of naming the custom player, as well as choosing his position, team, birth date, nationality, and jersey number. A number of templates that describes strengths and weaknesses can be applied to your all-star, such as Playmaker, Sniper, or Defensive Enforcer. The game recognizes many first names, so the play-by-play announcer can talk about your successes and failures. Your custom player can be finalized by choosing from a series of faces and hairstyles, in order to give him the perfect look. For the most egotistical (or madly creative) of us, the Face in the Game feature returns with added flexibility. This allows players to map their faces onto their avatar, as I did with this picture of my unassuming friend. As in the previous title, getting this to work is more difficult than it seems, but if done right, you can play alongside the pros.

Once again, EA Sports delivers an extremely polished, impressive title. Though it may not contain enough hardcore realism for hockey purists, it definitely offers some options that cater to them. Veterans of the NHL series may also note that there is no real quantum leap forward here, merely the inclusion of several new options and minor adjustments. Regardless, NHL 2001 shines with its fast-paced, customizable portrayal of professional hockey, making it a worthy addition to the ten-year-old series.

 

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