NHL 2K2

"Ever wanted to be in the NHL?"

Well, in this game, it's almost like being IN the NHL! NHL 2K2 for the SEGA Dreamcast is not only the last sports game on the Dreamcast, IT'S THE LAST DREAMCAST GAME! This is one of the most realistic games I have ever played, and I HAVE played EA NHL series!

Gameplay
There are the modes that are in every sports game: Exhibition, Season, Tournament, and Options (this is a mode, sort of). There is no Franchise mode, unfortunately, but you can put your name in so that the game will save any info about your games (win/loss records mainly).

The season mode let's you play a one year season, where you can switch players, and do all kinds of managing for a game year.

Tournament lets 8 to 16 teams battle it out. That's all. Exhibition has you go straight to the team selection, team siding, and jersey changing screens. 1-4 players.

The Quick Play mode puts you into the game right away with two random teams.

The AI is not easy to beat, even under the Rookie difficulty. Every person plays differently. Some may attack you if you get too close with puck, while others will wait until you decide to goof or get close to the goalie.

The Goalie AI is excellent, too. Some will make fast catches, others may make fast and spectacular saves.

Control
When you play, the controls can be simple or tricky, depending on how you want to play. To have the most fun, though, it's better to learn the advanced combinations. These are done with the L trigger and a face button. These let you do a slap shot, a flip shot, and a dump.

Graphics
One word: Amazing! The faces look great, almost everyone looks different one way or another. The helmets relfect nicely, you can see the lights on their helmets when the home team comes in for their intro! The skates leave scrapes that go away a little later. The audience looks good from far away, but close up, they're a little pixelated. No Hitz looking audience that goes away from the game!

Audio
The music is nice in the menu. During the game, you'll hear the music that's heard during almost every NHL game.
The commentary is varied enough, though you will hear some lines over and over. Oh well.

Buy or Rent
BUY! You will NEED this game! Even though I bought this for $45, it's worth it! This game will give the Dreamcast more life!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/02, Updated 02/18/02