DESCRIPTION

NHL 2K is the inaugural hockey game for the Sega Dreamcast from the folks at Black Box and Sega Sports. It delivers all the players and teams (28) representing the six divisions and two conferences from the 1999-2000 NHL season. The game is complete with authentic jerseys, equipment, 29 3D arenas and over 800 unique player faces.

The players are composed of 1500 polygons each and there are over 700 different motion-captured moves (including over 100 for goalies alone) to convey the action to gamers. Also included are little touches such as sprays of ice every time a skater comes to a stop and animated fans and coaches when the action moves to the sideboards. Users can customize plays and players as well. Professional commentators Bob Cole and Harry Neal, both formerly of the television show Hockey Night in Canada, top everything off with over 12,000 play-by-play and color commentary.

Hockey fans can take over as the coach of their favorite team and devise playcalling strategies and engage in exhibition matches before embarking on a season or playoff tournament. They can even use the eight different types of skates, nine glove types, four stick styles, four variations on helmets (with customized goalie masks, of course), and team-specific pucks and alternate jerseys to create their own players. Everything they customize can be saved to a Visual Memory Unit.

Black Box also made the decision to include fighting in this title. Two players who go at it are zoomed in on and each player is then given their own energy meter. Whoever's energy runs out first loses the fight, and, of course, both of them go to their penalty boxes to sit out for a while once they're done.

So what are you waiting for? Head out on the ice for some action in NHL 2K. ~ Brad Cook, All Game Guide