PlayStation 2
Released in 2002 by Sega
Grade: C+
This game has some good mechanics, like tenacious AI and easy controls, but its quirks spoil the fun and make games very repetitive.
Where it falls in the series
After Dreamcast’s exclusive NHL 2K debuted the 2K brand, the series branched out to other consoles. This is the first of eight installments on PS2. Despite a few good years, the series was always in the shadow of EA’s offering and called it quits after 2K11 on Nintendo Wii.
Praises and gripes
The game has a nice clean look, and the basic controls are smooth, responsive, and easy to learn. The default settings result in bland gameplay, but I adjusted the sliders (ice friction, puck friction, pass speed, and speed burst effectiveness) to get the game to feel a bit more like hockey.
Unfortunately, no matter what you do, only the most ideal one-timers can beat the machine-like goalies. Breakaways and other shots are practically useless, even with nifty sidesteps and dekes using the shoulder buttons.
I like how defenders block shots and poke the puck loose, but the puck doesn’t ever take a funny bounce. You can’t control the speed of passes nearly enough, and the action gets repetitive.
This game might be the first ever to include redirected shots in front of the net, which is cool, but this crafty technique is actually too reliable.
Penalties are called often even at their lowest setting. The puck can get stuck along the boards. Goalies loft weak passes. It’s a lot of little things that make the game feel like an unexciting chore.