NHL 2001

by EA

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004UE0K
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 30, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,333 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #4 in Video Games > PC Games > Sports > Hockey
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC

Amazon.com Review

Everything a hockey fan could possibly want is packed into the triumphant NHL 2001. While 2001 isn't tremendously different from previous editions, the subtle improvements are welcome. You'll get 30 NHL teams, including the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild, plus 20 international teams. Of course, you'll also get all the current players and team uniforms. Desktop managers will have plenty of fun messing with player stats along with both fantasy and rookie drafts and player trades.

Old-school fans will like the ability to play their favorite squads in their colors, but also in their throwback uniforms from way back in the day. Even if this is your rookie hockey season, you'll find NHL 2001 surprisingly easy to get into. You'll quickly be able to smack the puck around the ice with ease, and performing painful-looking body checks is as simple as skating into a wall. The PC generally plays a very tough game, but thanks to adjustable difficulty, fast reflexes, and a little management magic, you will soon virtually hoist the Stanley Cup over your virtual head. And that virtual head may look familiar: with some work you can import an image of your face and put yourself in the game. Always wanted to check Lemieux into his bench? Now you can.

Of EA's famous sports titles this year, NHL 2001 has the most lifelike player renders and animations. Every single player is easily recognizable and shows a staggering amount of detail in both faces and gear. The on-ice action is both quick and smooth. You'll need a speedy machine with a decent video card to witness the high-quality visuals, but all hockey fans will think it's worth the investment.

The computer plays a very tough game, especially on defense. On higher-difficulty settings, it's extremely tough to penetrate the PC's reactions to your every move. You'll see the defense step up its efforts whenever you have a lead and time is running out. Yet somehow it seems fairly realistic to watch a team almost panic when there's only a few ticks left on the clock.

Casual and hard-core stat fanatics will find much to enjoy with NHL 2001. And even if you don't know a hockey puck from a basketball, you'll quickly learn why EA dominates PC hockey better than Hasek dominates the net. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Graphics so good, the uninitiated may confuse it for a televised game
• Simplistic yet functional controls
• Many, many customization and managerial options

Cons:

• Commentary quickly gets repetitive
• Not a huge gameplay leap over previous editions

Product Description

This software is BRAND NEW. Packaging may differ slightly from the stock photo above. Please click on our logo above to see over 15,000 titles in stock.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Game.. read on..., October 10, 2000

By 

JRK "jkunz" (N.H.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NHL 2001 (CD-ROM)

This review is divided in to two parts -- those new to the game and those who are questioning whether to upgrade from NHL 2000.

NEW: My recommendation is without a doubt to purchase this game. It has cutting-edge, realistic graphics (shapes are not perfect but players faces are), very advanced commentary (immediately after something happens), and every possible statistic is covered. All teams are included and rosters are current. Stadiums are exactly as they are in real life. You can create players, import faces from a picture on to hockey players, and also create game jerseys.

NHL 2000 USERS: I'm in this category, and I lived off NHL 2000 for a year. I bought 2001 and started on Pro level expecting to pick up where I left off. Not the case. The game plays more like NHL 1999 (harder to score). I was the master of the wrap-around the net and it is extremely hard in 2001. 2001 includes several more camera angles, similar commentary (Huson & Clement), improved player detail, improved face importing, jersey creation, and the "momentum shift" attribute where it's easier to score if you have the momentum (I like this addition). To me, it was worth the upgrade alone because of the two new expansion teams and to get the rosters current. It's frustrating to get beat 11-1 on Pro the first time I play this, expecting to cruise like I did in NHL 2000. But I figure my interest in the game will last longer if I have to learn how to win all over again. And it will keep my season record realistic.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner, October 12, 2000

By 

Citizen (North America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NHL 2001 (CD-ROM)

I didn't think EA could do much to improve on NHL 2000, but my recent purchase of NHL 2001 has shown me just how limited my thinking was. 2000's graphics were fantastic, but they pale beside 2001's, which are more fluid, more detailed, and sharper. I am amazed at how improved the graphics are over a game that blew my mind a year ago. The off play sequences (players chatting, coaches instructing their lines, etc.) are pretty cool, and they combine with great arena sounds and visuals to present ipmressive realism. So far, I have found the game more difficult than 2000 (players complained universally about how easy 2000 was), the AI seems improved, the computer players are more aggressive and smarter, and the goalies are good.

Also on the plus side, the game is MUCH more customizable than 2000. Virtually every game option (period length, skills, fighting, penalties, game speed, speed burst, etc.) works on a slider, so that should keep the game challenging. 'Face in the Game' is back, as well as some cool third jerseys and all of the GM options that were available on 2000. The online option has been given special attention, too, so that should be more stable than it was with 2000.

My major complaint (the reason why I only give it four stars) is the new 'create a jersey' option. I assumed, mistakenly, that I could invent a franchise and insert it into my league play. This doesn't appear to be the case. Unless you import a logo, you are limited to nine or ten default logos that you can place on jerseys that already exist for NHL teams. You can't insert these teams into your season. Very disappointing.

Anyway, this game is a genuine improvement on NHL 2000, and is certainly worth picking up if 2000 has become too easy or if you're interested in fast hockey action with beautiful graphics and loads of gameplay options. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Game, November 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: NHL 2001 (CD-ROM)

I never watch hockey and I never play hockey but this game is still appealing to me. The graphics are the best I have ever seen in any game ever made. You may think that this game only looks great on the PS2 but it actually looks better on my computer than on a PS2 (but then again my computer is much faster than the PS2). The graphics will make you start playing this game and the gameplay with keep you playing it.

2115|R2CA7V17YB6AT;2115|R293KSPBCDQQXY;2115|R1X7GF6NL825FH;