NHL 2002 for Windows

In the beginning, there was hockey, and it was good. Then, there were computers, and they were good as well. Then came along Electronic Arts, who paired the two, and all was well, year after year after year.

EA is known for the definitive sports titles for practically any video game system available, including PCs, and their NHL series is no exception. One thing you can consistently expect from NHL is quality and realism, and with their last installment (appropriately titled NHL 2001), it seemed that EA had reached their peak. The gameplay was tweaked to perfection, the graphics were realistic down to facial features, and the game was customizable down to the actual physics of the puck. So, the question remained, as the dawn of a new hockey season quickly approached, how was EA going to outdo themselves this year?

The answer, which is either good or bad, depending on your point of view, is not much. NHL 2002 is very similar to last year's model, which is excellent from a gameplay standpoint, but bad from a monetary one. It seems EA knew that they had a solid game on their hands and did their best to improve it in more subtle ways while leaving the core gameplay mainly untouched.

Just about everything that was available in NHL 2001 is still here, including detailed coaching strategies, total control over the gameplay, etc. (Feel free to visit my review of NHL 2001 for more information on that installment.) What's new is increased control over the way the computer players behave. There are default settings for each difficulty level (for example, the amount of player fatigue is much higher on Difficult than on Easy), but these can be tweaked, so you can play against a Difficult opponent with veritable supermen, or play an Easy game with the game speed cranked all the way up. This is a very nice touch, and addresses (at least partially) my complaint about last year's version not having enough variety in terms of difficulty settings.

Another feature new to NHL 2002 is the inclusion of NHL Cards, which is based on a similar feature that first appeared in Madden NFL 2001. Basically, whenever you achieve various goals ranging from mundane to spectacular (examples range from winning one face-off in a game to winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons), you earn a corresponding number of points, which can be cashed in for a "pack" of cards. These cards either give particular players as significant boost, or unlock cheats or extra modes in the game. It's an interesting system, which I must admit I haven't really explored much, as I prefer to keep my games natural, without any outside boosts to my playing ability. Of course, if you're down by one goal with 5 minutes left of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I could see where one of those cards could come in handy.

A final addition that I feel is worth mentioning is Beginner Mode, which may have appeared in a similar form in NHL 2001, but still is worth noting. Basically, Beginner Mode is designed specifically for people who have never played NHL before; the game is set to be as easy as possible, and the announcers actually talk the player through the game, offering tips first on simple shooting and passing, and later on more complicated moves, like one-timers and shot fakes. It's really very well done; my girlfriend tried it, having never touched a hockey game before, and was scoring like a pro by the end of her first game. (She won with an incredible 21-0; I'm quite proud of her.)

Speaking of maneuvering the players, the controls are set up much like any other hockey game, so anyone who has played NHL before will be able to jump right in. In order to make the player control more realistic, each player now has puck handling stats, which determine how likely they are to give up the puck, either when checked or just through sheer clumsiness. Players can also spin to avoid defenders, but this is really a minor addition. The bottom line for control is that it's basically the same as NHL 2001, which is definitely a good thing.

Graphics are also slightly better, but not enough to blow the player away. Players are still recognizable by face, sometimes almost eerily so. I'm consistently amazed by EA's ability to so accurately recreate the players' faces. Another nice touch is that the fans are now also animated, rather than a stiff 2D background; looking into the stands, you can often see fans wearing their team's jersey, which is a minor touch, but does add to the realism of the game. Other than that, though, everything old is new again; the same camera angles and wide angle shots are back, and the graphical performance is fairly similar as well.

The one new feature that NHL 2002 adds are specialty "cams," including the Hit Cam, Save Cam, and Breakaway Cam. The first two replay spectacular hits and saves, respectively, from several angles. The latter is sort of like "bullet time" in Max Payne; when your player is on a breakaway, play will slow down and focus on the shooter, emphasizing "The most dramatic play in hockey." The downside to all three cams is that they disrupt the flow of the game; after a spectacular hit or save is finished being displayed (which usually takes about 5 seconds), it's very hard to jump right back in and move toward the puck, since you've lost track of which way it went by then. As for the Breakaway Cam, it's obviously disorienting to have the view shift on you just as you're about to go for a shot. You can turn off all three, or simply adapt to them; a friend of mine with the game turned them off almost immediately; I left them on and found myself somewhat adjusting to them after a few games. They'll always be disorienting, though, at least in a small degree.

However, despite the minor inconvenience of the specialty cams, sound is really where the game takes a bad left turn. First, the good: They replaced the droning techno with high-energy rock by real bands such as Sum 41 and Barenaked Ladies. Plus, you can add in your own songs for in between plays. This feature was available with NHL 2001 as well, but only as a downloadable add-on; NHL 2002 comes with that utility standard.

Where the game really loses it is in the commentary. I commented in my review for NHL 2001 that the color commentator's stories grew a bit old after several repetitions, especially in a season. Apparently EA listened, as the color commentator has been replaced with a low-grade Dennis Miller wannabe. He adds no value to the commentary, but simply cracks jokes throughout. The overall feel is more You Don't Know Jack than a hockey game on TV. I'll admit that I actually liked the joking around at first, but it got really old, really quickly. Further, one would expect the color commentator to have some intelligent comments about the players or at least the teams, but this color commentator has nothing but bad jokes and awful puns ("Next stop: The Highlight Zone!"). EA, if you listened before, listen again; I'm sorry for complaining. Please bring the boring stories back. It's better than the bad joke purgatory you've plunged us into here.

All in all, NHL 2002 is another good effort from EA. It's really not different enough from NHL 2001 to warrant a $40 purchase, though, especially given the awful commentary that's thrust upon the player. If you can get a good deal, or can wait until the end of the season, when the price will inevitably drop to $20, then this will probably be worth picking up. Paying full price, however, will net you 2 minutes in the box.