Customer Reviews

ESPN National Hockey Night

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

...when i first played it, i thought it was going to be the worst out of the three games for ps2 so far (others are nhl 2001 and nhl faceoff 2001) but as i got used to it, i realized its the best hockey game on the market. I'll admit, when playing defense, the control with the little analog thing is hard because players dont turn fast enough, but once you have the puck its perfectly fine. Everything in the game reacts as it would in real life. For example, when a player passes it from the right wing to a left hander, the one timer usually is not where u try to aim it. Why? because a left hander couldnt take a forward one timer from that angle, so he takes an unnaccurate back hander. When passing to a right hander though, from the right wing, the shot can be aimed for anywhere in the net. On top of this, the goalie makes very realistic movements and stops the shots that deserve to be stopped. Unlike faceoff, players actually are better if their ratings are higher. In faceoff, all the people seem the same. And although the graphics are not just as good as EA's game, the gameplay is ten times better. The broadcast view( I used to be a person that used the view that goes up and down the rink) in this game is very good, like a game being broadcasted on tv. Another thing better about this than EA is that it has absolutely no slowdown, all the players skate very fluidly and the game never skips. Two more huge benefits i found(that i actually despise about the EA game) is 1)you can actually shoot while moving in this game and 2)you can fake out the goalie by moving the analog pad to make ur deke, and its very realistic. A good stickhandler like modano or bondra fakes the pants off the goalie if you move the analog stick enough. So in a summary, this game is very good ...just work with it(such as turning up the game speed). Im hoping more buy it so they make a new one next year and fix the small problems it actually has.

If you have played NHL 2001 on Playstation, or FaceOff, or the PowerPlay series on N64, you will notice that most console hockey games take a very kinetic, chaotic, speed-ridden approach to the game. Skaters slash & dash all over the ice, turning on a dime, and basically doing everything that you shouldn't be able to do on real ice with real skates. This game takes a complete 180 degree turn and slows down the gameplay, forcing you to really control your players well to win. It is absolutely refreshing, but might put off gamers who are used to the "mad hummingbird" approach to hockey games.

If you remember back to this series on Genesis/SNES you will actually get a good idea of how this one works. The perspective is side-to-side rather than top-to-bottom, while the camera will zoom a little closer to replicate the television camera angles used on ESPN. The graphics are hands down better than EA's NHL 2001, and even those professional reviewers that dislike this game will agree with that. The AI is adequate, no glaring missteps, though I have seen isolated cases of my players standing there as the puck lies motionless 3 feet in front of them.

The game features all the real players, all audibly name-checked in the game by the above-average announce team of Gary Thorne and Steve Levy. One interesting error: I played a game with the Pens & Mario Lemieux was incorrectly referred to as Hans Jonsson throughout the entire game (kinda humorous actually.) Scoring is far from automatic, and chances are you will be racking up 20+ shots per period but only scoring maybe once out of those 20 times, depending on the skill of your players of course. The previous reviewer that noted the accuracy of the one-timers is correct, they are among the best ways to score but need to be used correctly to work, otherwise you will witness many embarrassing whiffs.

Passing is adequate, with both a straight pass and an off-ice flip pass (for those hard to reach places) which is one better than most hockey games. There is no separate wrist-shot / slap-shot button, it all depends on how long you press the button. Checks are actually realistic, especially along the boards, which is a far cry from EA's triangle "mug-shot" button that causes opponents to get dropped as if by gunshot. Changing players is accomplished by the R1 button and turbo is the X button. This setup is fairly counter-intuitive to every other hockey game in existence, but you will get used to it. The sounds is fine, the crowd reactions are accurate, the use of many ESPN-style trademarks and visual cues (after the whistle, the camera might pan to 2 players talking on the bench, like an actual hockey broadcast) serve to heighten the realistic atmosphere.

I can see why people would be initially turned off by the game. It is not your average console hockey game. I enjoy the slower pace, and still find myself hurting my thumbs as I try in vain to press the directional buttons harder to get the guys to respond quicker. But you need to work with it, because the overall pace does work, and does hold its own as a realistic hockey game. It isn't perfect: because of the controls defense is harder than it should be, faceoffs are a mystery to win, there are entirely too many shots taken, the loading times to get to game-stats are ridiculously lengthy, there is no franchise mode.

So the game does under-achieve a bit, but on the whole ends up being a great game for those that don't require the overly quick approach of other console hockey titles. It's one you need to think about and really pay attention to excel at. It's a nice change.

This game has gotten a bum rap over the years. The controls are not complicated and you don't have a franchise mode but some of the newer games left that option out. One season and you get to play with the real rules before they were sissified and watered down with the last change where some idiots thought attempting to make hockey a non contact sport would help the game. NOT.

also National Hockey Night has a create a player option that is as good or better than any I've seen in any sports sim. The equal of the very best in any of the Madden Games and probably better because you can make 30 players of any type to add throughout the NHL. If you like the real oldies you can make guys like Cyclone Taylor or Frank McGee who played before the NHL days. I added my personal faves Tim Horton, Red Horner, Bobby Orr, Ted Kennedy. I could have made twice 30 easy.

the controls have been called simplistic but once you get the hang of them they really are all you need for a game - some games have overly complex controls and are hard to keep track of everything they try to add as possiblities.

it is not the hardest game - but it is fun and a good way to kill some time during the NHL/ECHL season and Cup playoffs.

especially nice to have the teams loaded with players I remember fondly from the 2000 season.

I play a lot of video games and I never cared if a game had a rating as the most complex i just want it to be fun and National Hockey Night is good fun for a fan of the game

Amazing, a video hockey game where you can actually affectively set up plays! Most hockey game franchises, like EA's NHL series, though very great in themselves, have an issue....speed. And too much of it at times. ESPN National Hockey Night, has great physics aspect to the control of the players, you don't just rocket off to break-neck speeds, all while getting off a 200+ MPH slapshot...it just doesn't happen. The great thing about this game, is the options, you can turn up the speed if the realistic pace isn't your flavor, and you can actually play a real twenty minute period! You have full control over plays, and stratagies...wanna forecheck on the penalty kill? Well go ahead! Wanna overload the leftwing while setting up the right point? It's all possible. The graphics are fair by PS2 standards, but the animations of the players are top notch. The sound is awesome, organ music, sampled songs, crowd yells! And the sound of dumping the puck off the end boards is just, cool! The play by play is also very well done, and since this is ESPN National Hockey Night, it sounds just like the broadcast! All it's missing is a period intermission analysis by Barry Melrose. Hockey purists may notice some small details missing, no zamboni resurfacing the ice during intermissions, and no time out option to rest give your lines a rest. Another great option is the CREATE PLAYER, and TRADE PLAYER, enabling this game to stay current all the time!

The game has a more realistic feel, but the graphics (are not as good as) the other ps2 games available. If your going to spend ($) on a hockey game for PS2, then wait, don't buy this (...)

When was the last time you couldn't deak a goalie out? When was the last time that you couldn't fake a shot? When was the last time you played a realistic game? Up untill now, it's all been in the hands of EA. I'm a high school hockey player, and i own all three games. Each game has it's flaws, they always do, and each game rocks it's own rink. But what sets this one aside from the rest? When you play the sport yourself, you're able to take what the average gamer calls [no good], and turn it into gold. Tough control! Hell, tough is better...in nhl 2001 I scored 3 goals in 15 seconds on allstar mode with full attributes. That aint fun! I have a hard time scoring in this game, and that's the way it should be. It's not easy to lace up your skates and get out there. Especially hitting! hitting is not a skill you can control with a button. You should have to accurately time it. In nhl 2000, you can hit a guy that's standing 10 feet away from you. In this game, the hits are real, no bone breaking incidents, just bumps against hte boards, and head on head chicken. One guy falls over, but it doesn't look like a bloody mess like in nhl2001. This is the game to get! It's real, and in the long run, you can get more hours out of it by trying new stuff. If you're the avid gamer, stick with the arcade games, but if you're up for toughness just like hockey is itself, than be a man and take your skirt off.

I play hockey and have been playing for the past 9 years so i think I would know what a good game is and which game [stinks]. I go for the realistic though challeging hockey game which is exactly what this game includes. I don't want a game that allows you to score a goal in less than 10 seconds into the game. This game is tough! I can say that but just like the real game of hockey, it takes skill and patience!... This game puts you in the skates of every NHL player and lets you feel the pain of getting nailed into the boards from some inbred defensemen. This game rocks and so do all you other hockey players. Stay strong!

I love hockey and have owned every EA hockey game available all with satisfaction. Yes this game is more like real life than others, but if i wanted real life i would strap on my pads and go play. The players are slow and hard to move, and the button combo's are difficult to learn. I thought ESPN of all people could do better.

This game is not good. I agree with the earlier reviews which say that when they first started playing they thought this was one of the worst games they played. Unfortunately for me, I didn't think that game was any better after I played it a while. I really wish that it was...

This game is not fun to play, the camera angles are bad and the graphics are worse. The gameplay is also very poor. The players are very difficult to control.

The best thing about this game is the opening intro which looks and sounds like ESPN's TV Broadcast. Everything after the game begins is downhill.

Buy something else!!!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS. THE ONLY HOCKEY GAME THAT EXIST FOR ME IS EA NHL 2001. IT HAS EVERYTHING THAT ESPN DOES NOT HAVE,GRAPHICS,CONTROLS,GREAT GAME PLAY.IF YOU EVER PLAYED EA'S NHL 2001 THEN YOU HAVE PLAYED THE BEST.ESPN'S IS THE WORST.DON'T BOTHER WITH IT.