ESPN NHL Hockey

Behind the glamour and glitz and marketing blitz of NFL and NBA games, professional sports’ “other” league, the NHL, has enjoyed a steady life on the home consoles.  Back in the early days of the Sega Genesis, EA’s NHL series was widely considered the best game available.  Times have changed since the days of the 16-bit machine, and with the new ESPN brand attached to their most recent foray into the rink, Sega looks to put the NHL back on top again with ESPN NHL Hockey on the Microsoft Xbox. 

A good hockey game needs three things: crisp, fluid graphics, intense realism, and flawless control.  ESPN NHL Hockey nails all three of these like a slap shot from cover boy Jeremy Roenick to produce the best NHL video game to date. 

Hockey fans preach hockey as the toughest professional sport (aside from mixed martial arts, Ultimate Fighting, and possibly those wacky Japanese game shows) and it really shows in the Franchise mode.  Tensions run high throughout the NHL season as each game can depend on just one mistake or one great play.  Doctor bills run even higher as players get bruised and battered on a daily basis.  As in other sports Franchise modes, owners of NHL teams will be in control of all the team’s operations including trades, free agents, and player salaries.  The menu is nearly identical to ESPN NFL Football with a front desk and a handy e-mail system that reports news from around the league, suggestions, and other helpful information that any owner should know about.  I was a bit skeptical about the e-mail system, but after a few games with it, I instantly became a believer. 

Also new to this year’s game is the addition of the skills challenge.  The skills challenge pits members of two hockey teams against each other in a series of drills reminiscent of the skills challenge in the NHL All-Star game.  Among the competitions are one-on-one breakaways, agility skating, accuracy shooting, and speed skating.  It’s a great diversion from the main game and an excellent way to determine who has the best hockey skills between buddies.  Other escapes from traditional hockey include a surprisingly fun Air Hockey mini-game, fast-paced two-on-two small rink hockey, and outdoor pond hockey just like the kids in Canada play.

ESPN NHL Hockey has the same true-to-life realism found in Sega’s NBA 2K3.  This realism is vital to the game, as true fans of hockey will appreciate the authenticity and respect that the sport of hockey deserves.  Skaters can’t just motor down the ice, throw a few fakes and score.  Gamers will have to use their whole team and some crafty strategy to squeak out that 1-0 victory.  This game isn’t for the impatient; it’s not uncommon for a multi-overtime game. 

The controls in the game are excellent, even though it may take a while to get used to.  After a few games, you’ll be floating around the ice like Brian Boitano.  Passing is pretty solid with the A button and the left thumbstick, but with all the action on the ice, passes don’t always go where they should.  Tapping X flips a quick wrist shot, and holding X blasts a powerful wrist shot.  Players can also protect the puck, dump the puck, elbow each other while pinned against the boards, or even check opponents over the boards.  Three different control schemes are available for different levels of involvement in the game, the most advanced control scheme providing different options using the left trigger as a modifier (for example B will perform a check and B + Left Trigger will perform a hook). 

Like ESPN NFL Football’s The Crib, ESPN NHL Hockey has added a more creative way to display a user’s records, accomplishments, and unlocked items.  Because hockey players prefer dating cute Russian tennis players instead of ‘representing’ with non-stop blinging, ESPN NHL Hockey displays accomplishments back in the team’s Skybox.  With certain accomplishments such as hat tricks, shutouts, and Stanley Cups, users collect trophies and unlock features in the game previously inaccessible. 

There really isn’t much to complain about with the graphics.  Even amidst this year’s crop of graphically superior hockey titles, ESPN NHL Hockey still stands tall.  The ice looks incredibly realistic and each arena is meticulously detailed from logos to luxury boxes.  Hockey fans are notoriously devout to the sport, and the developers at Kush Games got the player animations just right.  The goalie saves are absolutely incredible, the dekes fake players out of their skates, and the checks are brutal. ESPN NHL Hockey also has the best-looking faces of any Sega Sports title making this the standard for graphical realism.  The only flaw happens during replays when players occasionally ‘morph’ through each other.

ESPN NHL Hockey does a fairly good job with sound.  The rink noise is superb, but the commentary falters from time to time.  The fans and arena atmosphere are great.  The reactions from shots on goal are met with “Oooohs” and “Aaaahs”, and the Ping! of a post shot resonates loudly, really creating a hockey-like atmosphere that is unique to the sport.  Couple that with stadium jams such as Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, and you’ll feel like you’re right there with 20,000 other puckheads.  The commentary, from Bill Clement and Gary Thorne (ESPN’s most underrated commentator), is 90% perfect.  They call the game fantastically save for a few glitches in tone and fluidity and some oft repeated lines. 

ESPN NHL Hockey is the most exciting hockey game I’ve ever played.  Filled with action, strategy, and some killer graphics, it’s the perfect game for hard-core hockey fans.  It may not be as arcade-y as EA’s NHL series, but real hockey fans don’t want scores of 6 – 7.  This title is a must have for anyone who likes hockey and is even worth checking out for fans of other sports.  This could easily be the best Sega Sports title released this year.

ESPN NHL Hockey is rated E for Everyone with elements of violence (it is hockey, after all).   

Gameplay: 9.5

Fast and full of action, the gameplay is what drives this game.  Though the controls may take a little while to get used to, the learning curve is fairly steep.  After a few games, the controls get much easier to handle.   

Graphics: 9.8

Plain and simple, the game looks gorgeous, even on older televisions.  But with support on HDTV up to 480p, who wants to play on an older TV?

Sound: 9.0

The sounds of the stadium are done very well, particularly the crowd.  Gary Thorne’s voice rarely gets tiresome, and most of the play-by-play is incredible.

Difficulty: Hard

I won’t kid you, the game is hard.  But that’s how hockey should be, utter frustration mixed with total elation… it’s a love-hate affair.  

Concept: 8.5

The improvements on the Franchise mode are noteworthy as are the mini-games. 

Multiplayer: 9.0

With a 4-person simultaneous option and Xbox Live support, the real element of competition is fantastic. 

Overall: 9.4

While hockey isn’t a sport for everyone, fans of hockey while eat this title up.  Even fans of other sports will quickly acclimate themselves to hockey once they get a chance to play this game.  On the other hand, if you require a little more action and satisfaction with some high scoring, this game probably isn’t for you.