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...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.
If
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.
NHL
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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