NHL Hitz: Pro

The burn barrels looks toasty warm compared to the white of the surrounding snow. Boards, where there are any, are broken down and look as though one good hit would disintegrate them. The players are wearing an assortment of pads, some decked out for a real game, some barely wearing any of the armor of their sport.

There are no cheering crowds, only the lonely sound of skates cutting the ice. A goal scored will have no siren, but a couple of pushes on a car horn.

Does all this really matter? Nope ...

"Put in your mouthguards, the puck is about to drop!"

Midway Sports and Next Level Sports are behind the latest title in the Midway Hitz lineup of National Hockey League titles. NHL Hitz Pro offers incredible advances to the Midway franchise in a number of areas. The scenario above is one of them. In a portion of the game known as Pick-up Hockey, gamers can take teams out on the local outdoor rink, the city park, or roller hockey in the parking lot.

Several things have changed this year in this title. Not only has the game gone to a 5-on-5 format, but motion capture has made player movement more realistic, and shots are more true-to-life, including the wrap-around shot from behind the net. The game features line changes and player fatigue with full 23-man NHL rosters, which were accurate as of July 21.

Of course, like any Midway title, the game has attitude and the announcers have flair. Load screens are often the place for jokes. Scotty Bowman, the winningest head coach in NHL history, is asked about the outrageously high player numbers. He remembers that "back in the day, no one’s number was higher than an 8. We had a 4 ½, a 6 ½, but no one was higher than an 8."

The jokes are great, but the hockey action is the real draw here and Midway has really upped the ante.

The game sports full-on NHL rules, which can be modified or turned off, depending on your style of play. Other features include offensive and defensive formations with more than 400 plays and variations, an upgraded franchise mode in which you can draft and trade players as well as special equipment gained with success on the ice, improved goalkeeper animations, logic and behavior, and a great musical score featuring bands such as Dry Kill Logic, Kazzer, Powerman 5000 and Diffuser.

Modes of play include Exhibition, Franchise mode, Season/Playoffs, Pick-up Hockey, and Hockey School. In the latter, Bowman, the long-time Detroit Red Wings coach, walks players through the basics of the game.

You can also tweak the AI to make the game as hard or easy as you wish. There are a number of slider bars to control body checks, poke checks and a host of other in-game abilities all of which enable the player to thoroughly customize the AI of the opponent and fine-tune the gaming experience.

Back to the audio portion for just a moment, simple because it really bears mentioning. The sound of NHL Hitz Pro is spot on. Midway has the music to fit the arenas, the roar of the crowds (which also have been changed and look much more realistic), and then there is the announcing by Tim Kitzrow and Harry Tienowitz. They call it like it is.

It’s an exhibition game between the Montreal Canadians and Detroit Red Wings. Opening period and the Canadians win the draw but a vicious check loosens the puck. The Red Wings pick it up at center ice. A sharp pass to the right wing, then crossing pass, one time shot into the upper corner and seven seconds into the period the Red Wings have a 1-0 lead.

"That was just weak defense," hollers color commentator Tienowitz. "Weak, weak, weak! Did I say weak? Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - weak!"

In expanding to the five-on-five format, it is great to see Midway has retained the attitude that has drawn gamers for years now.

Yes, players still light up when hot, and the fight outcomes are determined by watching the metered select which button to mash and then quickly mash it to fill the box before your opponent can.

While the PlayStation2 supports online play, the Xbox version does not. That doesn’t mean a couple of fans can’t get together and drop the puck on some pretty intensive head-to-head hockey action.

NHL Hitz Pro is a great looking hockey game that is rich with options, and maintains the attitude synonymous with Midway Sports titles. The development team, though, has gone the extra distance to listen to what hockey fans what and have put it into this game. The words amazing, entertaining come to mind when thinking of this game.

So strap down your chin guard, it’s time to play some hockey!

Gameplay: 9.5
The game flow is smooth and excellent. All the elements combine, from intuitive AI (that deflect or stop, unless covered by the netminder, will be slapped home even if you are not controlling that player) to great animation and sound. The game play is seamless from the drop of the puck until the final horn.

Graphics: 9.5
Reflections on the ice, smooth animations, independent crowd movement - Midway has done a remarkable job graphically with this game.

Sound: 9.5
You want attitude? You want announcers who don’t pull punches? You want a soundtrack that enlivens the game experience? This game has got it.

Difficulty: Medium
This game allows players to control almost every facet of the gameplay experience. You can make the game as hard or as easy as you wish it to be.

Concept: 9.3
Midway has really done a remarkable job of upgrading their title and make it a much better product with a wider and deeper options package.

Multiplayer: 8.5
If this game has one disappointing aspect it is that the Xbox version does not go online. It is a lot of fun against friends, but this could be a much richer game.

Overall: 9.2
The lack of online play on this console is disappointing, but this is still a terrific title. Midway has crafted a game that is a delight to play and to watch. Option rich, graphically wonderful and with a great audio track, this is a title video hockey fans should own.