ESPN NHL 2K5 [PS2]

The World Cup of Hockey aside, this is proving to be a cruel year for puck players. So thank whomever you'd like to thank for video games, where hockey isn't just alive, it's better than ever. And especially thank Sega, who've taken this year to tweak ESPN NHL 2K5 into the sweet spot, making their solid game more powerful and just as fun to play.

Anyone who played ESPN NHL last year will hit the ice like a veteran in 2K5. The base mechanics are unchanged, and with a few notable exceptions, there are very few large tweaks and additions. But the AI feels much more intelligent, on either side of the blue line. As a result, the game is more balanced, with scoring opportunities coming in smaller bursts, though we still nailed a few impossible slaps that shouldn't have been. Nevertheless, this is a smart, fast game of hockey.

More importantly, this is a fun game. It's got a flow that makes the time between zamboni visits fly by. Some of that has to do with the streamlined presentation and use of cutscenes, but mostly it's that the game behaves as you'd expect it to. The default settings are well-tuned, and a plethora of sliders allows each player to fully tweak speed settings, the frequency of actions like slashing and fighting, and nearly anything else that comes to mind. It's a "pick up and play" game with a compulsive quality that eliminates any feeling of disposability.

Two new features are notable. One is the addition of defensive right stick moves, mirroring EA's functionality. These aren't as strong, but the game still benefits from the addition. Tapping the right stick while chasing the puck controller will set in motion a light move, either to shoulder the guy away from the puck, or to hook the puck out of possession. Pressing in on the stick at the same time makes the move hit harder and look a lot dirtier to the refs. The nastier moves are obviously more penalty prone, but when well-timed, they can instantly turn the tide of possession.

Fighting has also been overhauled this year. Players can move freely on the ice and skate around or away from one another. That alone keeps each fight from becoming another match between punching heads. Players can grab opponents, jab and uppercut, and duck out of the way. This doesn't make fighting a grand experience, but it's still a big improvement. The only drawbacks are the very ugly stat bars for each player.

There are still a couple things EA's franchise has that ESPN can't match. For one, their control setup is deeper, though not as versatile. Commanding a goal wrap or puck dive just doesn't work out in NHL 2K5, unless the AI is holding the reins. That's a disappointment, but things would be worse if the AI wasn't so good.

Second, the hits in this game don't feel as hard as they do in EA's title. There are some incredible bonesnappers, to be sure, but ESPN has just a hint of that arcade feel that kept us from really feeling like we needed to visit the chiropractor after a game.

There's an upside to both complaints, though. Simply put, ESPN NHL 2K5 is more fun to play. The straightforward controls are very easy for players of any skill level, yet intermediate and advanced settings offer modifiers to give skilled players more versatility. And though the hits aren't quite as hard, you won't spend as much time getting up off the ice, which means more time skating and playing.

Since the actual gameplay is much the same as last year, we have to go deeper into the menus to find the game's major changes. Franchise has been overhauled, letting players hire a coaching and scouting staff (the CPU can also handle the hiring). The contract and draft system has been revamped, and there's now a full-on minor-league system, which allows the attentive manager to watch and pick players based on real performance, rather than meaningless number rankings.

Unfortunately, there's not much to help beginners find their feet (a flaw in many games of this ilk). ESPN NHL 2K5 makes a stab at instructing new players in their first franchise experience, but between the daunting amount of detail and occasionally poor menus, non-pros might be a bit put off.

Some of the problems are the result of lackluster menus and interface presentation. Whether you're talking about basic feature menus, option lists, or the multi-level aspects of franchise mode, ESPN NHL 2K5 has some pug-ugly interfaces. All the data is there; it's just presented in a slapdash way.

Visually, ESPN looks as good as last year, but it would be nice to see more differentiation in the player models. They all look too much alike, and feature animations, while realistic, don't have the incredible variety seen in a game like NFL 2K5. Still, the ice looks incredible, and the game moves at a solid clip. The difference between Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions isn't particularly pronounced, either.

In the audio department, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement once again provide solid voiceover, even if their comments have a tendency to fall behind the action. Elsewhere, the game has fantastic effects, with superlative sounds of the puck hitting ice, stick, and pipe. Crunches are meaty, and in general the actual game sounds can't be beat. Players can also customize their arena soundtracks, but the functionality is harder to use and slightly more limited than in NFL 2K5.

Most issues we have with ESPN NHL 2K5 are cosmetic or comparative quibbles that have little effect once players are on the ice. EA's game may be slightly deeper from a control perspective, but it's not as much of a blast to play. Between the classic ice and addictive battle mode games, we're more than willing to substitute this game for the real thing, if need be.