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Platform:
GC, PS2, XB Genre:
Sports Publisher:
Midway Developer:
Next Level Games ETA: Fall 2003
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NHL Hitz Pro
Truth
be told, I screamed a loud, “NOOOOO!” when I found out NHL Hitz Pro
was shifting to 5-on-5 action. The
Hitz series was known for eschewing reality in terms of over-the-top
hockey – embracing the fact it’s a videogame and not a simulation of
the hockey experience. High
scores, flammable players, knocking players through the glass – it was
all in fun. Although it
certainly looks like Hitz Pro will sport “realistic” features, I’m
hopeful that there might be an option for 3-on-3 play but let’s get
the official line: Midway
Sports, the sports brand of leading software industry publisher and
developer Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), announced that it has refocused
its league-licensed sports products to appeal to a broader sports gaming
audience. NHL Hitz Pro, the reinvented version of the NHL Hitz
franchise, is in development and scheduled to ship in Fall 2003 for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube. Nationwide
focus testing of sports videogamers produced a clear message: gamers
applaud Midway Sports trademark arcade-style gameplay and intense action
but also want to experience their favorite teams, players, and stadiums
in an authentic professional sports context. Midway Sports answered the
call by taking NHL Hitz in a new direction. In
addition, Midway Sports has signed an exclusive deal with Nicklas
Lidstrom, star defenseman of the Detroit Red Wings. Lidstrom appears on
the packaging and cover art for the game and also brings his big hits to
NHL Hitz Pro’s DVD section. Viewed as one of the top defensemen in the
NHL, Lidstrom is a four-time finalist and recipient of the coveted
Norris Trophy and member of the 2003 Western Conference All-Star team,
having led all players in fan votes. Features: New
5-on-5 Gameplay – Just the way hockey is played in the NHL, 5-on-5.
Every team, every player, and every position. Full
NHL Penalties and Violations – From offsides and two-line passing to
interference and cross- checking, authentic NHL penalties will get
players time in the “sin bin” in NHL Hitz Pro. 23-Man
Player Rosters –100% legitimate NHL rosters. All players are available
and all authentic team lines – from the scoring to the checking lines
– are ready to hit the ice. Real
Stadiums –NHL arenas are accurately recreated in NHL Hitz Pro. Real
Offensive and Defensive Team Formations – Every team’s offensive and
defensive scheme in NHL Hitz Pro is in precise correlation with the
actual team in the NHL. Player
Fatigue System – Just as in a real NHL hockey game, when players dish
out the checks or as the player gets checked to the ice, they become
more tired. Line
Changes – See the line becoming tired or spot a mismatch in the
defensive team and switch up the line to have the freshest players on
the ice. Legitimate
Stick Handling – Just like the real players in the NHL, glide and move
the puck back and forth like a yo-yo near the net through the use of the
analog stick. NHL Hitz Pro offers the most realistic stick and puck
handling of any hockey game to date. Realistic
Crowd Reactions – For the first time, a sports videogame will
accurately recreate a realistic crowd and player emotion based on the
flow of the game. You might get a “ho-hum” reaction from the crowd
and your teammates by scoring a goal to go up 8-0 against your opponent,
but the crowd will flip out and your teammates will rush you when you
score the game-winning goal in overtime. New
Commentary –Tim Kitzrow and Harry Tienowitz will be commentating for
Midway Sports to give players their take on the game as well as the
lowdown on favorite NHL players. The commentators will say what you’re
thinking without the sugar coating. Upgraded
Franchise Mode – The GM Mode option lets you build a Dynasty and
manage every aspect of your team. Build your team from a bunch of
rookies into an NHL-caliber franchise. Unlock team and hero equipment
upgrades, which improve your team’s attributes. The ultimate goal:
entry into the National Hockey League. Retooled
Hockey School Mode – NHL Hitz Pro features an all-new and restructured
Hockey School where the game player is taught and the skills tested.
Your instructor will introduce an NHL All-Star to tell you a little more
about what is important in hockey, as well as provide an NHL Hitz Pro
game tip. Score
from Anywhere on the Ice – NHL Hitz Pro now has multiple new ways to
score, new context-sensitive plays like wraparounds, deflections and
flip passes from behind the net. Advanced Options – With different tunable settings and sliders, you can completely customize your gaming experience, from game speed right down to puck friction.
Enhanced
Fantasy Draft – Choose your favorite team and begin your NHL season
from the absolute beginning, when all players become free game and are
eligible for the draft. Feel like an NHL owner and all the pressures
that come when trying to construct a team from scratch. Improved
AI – Smarter players, realistic offensive and defensive behavior. NHL
Hitz Pro delivers such realistic AI, you’ll think you’re really
playing one of your friends. Improved
Goalie Animations – NHL Hitz Pro has gone to great lengths to ensure
the best and most realistic goalie animations ever. From stacking the
pads to smothering loose pucks and diving headfirst across the crease,
if a goalie can make the impossible save in the NHL, he can make it in
NHL Hitz Pro. Improved
Goalie Logic and Behavior – From slapping the ice with five seconds
left in a power play, to sprinting to the bench for the sixth attacker
with one minute left in the game to give your team the one-man
advantage. Goalies in NHL Hitz Pro behave and react like the real thing
in the NHL. Officially
Licensed Equipment – Through Franchise Mode, players will be able to
gain equipment to better suit their players. There will be five levels
of equipment, including many of the biggest brands in hockey: The Hockey
Company, Bauer Hockey, Itech and Easton. New
Motion Capture Animations – From new checks, slapshots and goalie
animations, NHL Hitz Pro improves on more than 1,500 motion-captured
animations in the game.
I’m
holding the line “you can completely customize your gaming experience,
from game speed right down to puck friction” as a ray of hope.
I’ve got my fingers crossed (and glued together) that Midway
Sports will include a Classic mode that gives us 3-on-3 play.
I’m not predicting that 5-on-5 will suck squid; I just fully
enjoy 3-on-3 and the whole unrealism of it.
Playing with buddies, stints of Hitz turn into more raucous
events than playing EA’s NHL Hockey or Sega’s 2K hockey (even though
a few purists would pick those two series over Hitz).
I like NHL Hockey and Sega’s 2K hockey games too – I just
like being able to jump out of the box with Hitz. But
we’ll know everything for sure when NHL Hitz Pro ships Fall 2003. - Omni (June 8, 2003) |
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