Idea, good. Execution, bad.
PlayStation 1
Released in 1999 by EA Sports
Grade: C-
The focus of NHL 2000 was to speed up the somewhat sluggish gameplay of NHL 99. The problem: It seems like that’s all they did. It’s too fast for its own good.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the fourth of five NHL games on PS1. With NHL 99’s success at the time, you wonder why they felt they needed to go in such a different direction this time around. NHL 2001 is a much more balanced upgrade and the strongest of EA’s PS1 hockey games.
Gripes
This game is jumpy as all hell. The animations are jumpy, and even worse, the camera is jumpy. The framerate can’t keep up, and it’s often hard to tell what your player is doing.
The control is out of control. Whether you pick up the puck and you want to skate to safety, or you’re trying to weave through defenders to get close to the goal, or you’re loading up a big hit as you chase down your opponent, it’s a crapshoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re in open ice or tight spaces. Your guy is seemingly blown around by gusts of digital wind, erratically jolting around as he skates.
The strategies and hockey logic seem about the same as NHL 99, which isn’t terrible. The game is going for an arcade style, so there’s not a lot of time spent between the blue lines. You trade scoring chances with the other team. Problem is, the scoring itself isn’t balanced. The game heavily favors one-timers and rebounds, with other well set-up chances usually being gobbled up by the goalie.
It’s a mess. You can do so much better than this game. Don’t bother with it.