Sega Sports NHL 2K3

Like most of Sega’s recent sports releases, NHL 2K3 hangs its hat on stellar gameplay and sweet graphics. Little, if anything, is overlooked: players move and react much like their real-life counterparts--goalies are especially acrobatic; the puck seamlessly glides, flips, and bounces around the rink and off the posts and goalie’s pads; players can be pinned to the boards during a scramble for the puck; missed shots are covered up by a diving goalie or slapped in off ensuing rebounds; arenas are painstakingly re-created and feature music and sounds specific to each. Off the ice, there’s plenty of strategy and options to tinker with. NHL 2K3 boasts over 30 sliders to alter effects ranging from ice friction to referee collisions. And, of course, there’s the franchise mode that allows up to 250 years of dynasty building. --Larry White

Amazon.com Product Description
Sega Sports NHL 2K3 delivers player realism down to size, skill, and behavior, resulting in individuals that exhibit lifelike styles of play. The all-new franchise mode lets you capitalize on player accuracy to develop a team that plays your brand of hockey: you can draft hotshot rookies, trade for players who complement your team, and compensate for injured players. You can also put that precision to work on the ice by anchoring lines with key players and rotating those lines to create the matchups you want. The game also features a new ESPN broadcast system, so scores and highlights are presented in the network's characteristic style.