NHL 2K3 - PS2

Also known as: Sega Sports NHL 2K3

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Also for: Xbox, GameCube
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Sport: Ice Hockey
Media: DVD Arcade origin:No
Developer: SEGA Soft. Co.: SEGA
Publishers: Infogrames (GB)
Released: 28 Mar 2003 (GB)
Ratings: 3+, ESRB Everyone
Accessories: Memory Card
Features: Vibration Function Compatible, Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only

Summary

Sega Sports are the new owners of the ESPN license, and Konami's loss is their gain - NHL 2K3 is the latest in the ice hockey series, and it's all prettied up for PS2, thanks to Sega.

More than just familiar names on jerseys, NHL 2K3 offers a level of player realism including body shape, individual skill and behaviour, resulting in a collection of possibly toothless Canadian man-mountains and accurate styles of play. Now gamers can battle for pucks in the corners and fast skaters exploit their speed.

An all-new Franchise Mode lets you capitalise on player accuracy to develop a team that plays your brand of hockey. Now you can draft hot-shot rookies, trade for players who can improve the overall quality of your team, replace injured players and more. Then you can put that precision to work on the ice by anchoring lines with key players and rotating those lines to create the match-ups you want.

Tying it all together is the new ESPN broadcast system where scores and highlights are presented in the TV network's famous style, putting NHL 2K3 in prime position for a repeat season as the leader in hockey realism.

Unlike the Xbox version, the PS2 is not online-enabled - not yet, anyway - so those looking to go online with the help of the broadband adapter are going to have to wait a while. No matter, NHL 2K3 is a stylish addition to the Sega Sports canon.