I've been looking forward to EA's NHL 2002 for quite some time. Many game review sites have been stating that all of the "problems" from last year's game have been fixed, plus many new features have been added. Although I've been fairly pleased with EA's recent offerings, I must admit that NHL 2002 is a big letdown.

First things first. I believe this is the first game to be released that supports realtime Dolby DTS (Digital Theater Sound). If you've watched movies with a DD/DTS sound system, then you'll appreciate the immediate boost in sound quality you'll get with this title. Music sounds fuller and crisper, and the sound effects are much more full and alive. The directional sound is used sparingly; for instance when a puck wraps around the boards behind the goalie, you can follow the sound effects from the front speakers to the rear ones. This isn't as noticeable as the stereo panning that usually occurs in the game, so it's a bit disappointing. But still, having real-time DTS in a game is a super-cool thing, and I hope more companies start doing it. I'm looking forward to hearing it in SSX Tricky this November.

Graphically, NHL 2002 is a mixed bag. The inconsistent frame rates from last year's effort have vanished, but so has the fluidity. The game now appears to be locked at 30fps, whereas 2001 ran at 60fps with an occasional hiccup. Cut scenes, such as a panning shot of the bench, display even choppier animation. Perhaps the 2 rows of 3D patrons are gumming up the works. Player models are exactly the same as last year, as are the somewhat smeary textures. The "jiggling belly" of the goaltenders is back, as well as the coaches with square hands and immovable fingers. This kind of stuff was acceptable last year at the PS2 launch, but I'm disappointed the title hasn't progressed further than this. On top of all that, there seems to be a permanent dither pattern present over the entire screen, even in menus. This wasn't noticeable on my brothers' 19" RCA with RF input, but it was very distracting on my 27" Wega with component. And when a game looks better on shitty TV than a good one, you know a game has problems.

Of course, NHL 2002 still plays a mean game of hockey. Right? Well, yes and no. Control is still spot on, that's a given. Shooting has been improved: you can now continue to skate as you wind up for a slapper, a big step forward over last year's inexplicable stop-and-shoot gameplay. An improved shot meter lets you see visually how hard you're going to shoot the puck. You can flip your teammate a saucer pass by holding down the pass button. Your players no longer leap headfirst through the air during a bodycheck. And players now have a second possession ring that visually reflects their level of puck control. This lets you judge what type of moves to make, and when to dump the puck to a teammate. The momentum meter from last years title has returned, and it does a pretty good job of recreating the feeling of on-ice momentum. All of these refinements are a welcome sight.

EA has also incorporated the successful Madden Cards feature into NHL 2002, though it's not as cool as it seems. You earn points for completing certain tasks during games, like saving 30 shots or scoring a hat trick. Now, the Madden challenge worked very well in Madden 2001, as football is a stop-and-go type of game that welcome statistical bombardment between plays. Hockey is a much more fluid affair, so statistical interruptions just server to distract the player. And that's the case here; when completing a task you're treated to huge, cheesy, carnival-style graphics notifying you of your accomplishment. The system is well-done and addicting in Madden, but it feels wholly out of place in NHL 2002.

The card system can be ignored, though, and the game might be passable if not for one crucial omission: NHL 2002 features fewer camera angles than 2001, and the most familiar angle from NHL 2001 has been removed. My brother and I noticed this immediately, and it took us quite a while to acclimate to another one. EA added more options to most of the game, but left us with fewer viewing choices. Each option I picked seemed either too close to the action or too far away. Why EA decided to remove the default camera angle (the one that's been the default for at least the last 3 games) is beyond comprehension.

But my bitch-fest doesn't end there. The absolute worst aspect of the game is the commentary. This year, EA has opted for an ABC-style experiment by replacing Darryl Reaugh with "comedy" color commentator, Don Taylor. I don't know what these assholes were smoking when they decided that Dennis Miller-style one-liners would be more entertaining than actual hockey talk. This is an example of the banter that started off the second period of one game I played (paraphrase):

Don Taylor: Hi Jim!
Jim Hughson: No, Don, you're supposed to say hello to the people.
Don Taylor: Hi people!
Jim Hughson: *grumbles* I don't know why I bother...
*pause*
Don Taylor: Hi Jim!

Now, I have a very good sense of humor, and I try not to take things like video games too seriously. But the game is filled with stupid, non-sensical tripe like this. Jim Hughson is good as always, but Don Taylor is a fucking jackass, and should be shot out of a cannon into the sun. And, truth be told, this crap almost completely ruins the experience for me. Even the rink announcer has been dragged into the circus. Whereas last year he would inform the crowd of arena-related matters, this year he too is spouting drivel. It makes me feel like they're not taking the game seriously. Hockey already gets bottom billing in the US, and this does nothing to help that.

I had huge expectations for this game, primarily due to the positive previews the game was getting in the press. But after some play time, I can honestly say I'm very disappointed. NHL 2002 is essentially last year's game with half the frame rate and a host of annoying features. If you've gotta have your hockey fix on PS2, break out NHL 2001, as that's a much better product, all things considered. Shame on you, EA.