Fair
As an arctic arcade blast, NHL Hitz Pro can deliver the goods, but a new case of simulation envy causes it to slip on the ice. Read Review
Officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA and featuring real NHL teams and athletes, NHL Hitz Pro retains the well-known Midway Sports ?edge,? but with a new emphasis on realistic NHL features such as 5-on-5 gameplay, league rules and penalties.
NHL Hitz Pro includes authentic 23-man player rosters that bring together pro players and team lines with real offensive and defensive formations in precise correlation with each NHL team. Also featured in NHL Hitz Pro is an improved AI that is so authentic, gamers will think they are playing with the NHL pros.
Most of the digital hockey we know and love today has very strong roots to past consoles. EA's NHL has been defined by NHL 97 since that release, for example. Similarly, Midway's Hitz franchise grew out of the Nintendo 64 release of Gretzky's 3D Hockey. The first Hitz release in 2002 didn't win much favor, as the trademark big arcade style of Midway's games failed to really sail on the ice. In the two years since, the series has evolved, but it's still a continuing process, as reflected in the many changes made for NHL Hitz Pro. The company must be feeling the pressure exerted by successful sims, as this game displays a tendency to lean away from the violent arcade style of times past. NHL Hitz Pro is still fun to play, but can this GameCube release succeed on a deeper level? Read More »
Going with the extreme, over-the-top style of its hit NFL Blitz series of games, Midway has branched out into many other sports. Perhaps the most successful new sport for the company was NHL Hitz, an extreme, over-the-top hockey game. Like the Blitz franchise, this year's game is changing though. While all the hard-hitting, fast-and-furious gameplay will remain intact, the game is scalable for complete realism, including five-on-five authentic gameplay. Read More »
Also known as: NHL Hits Pro, NHL Hitz 2004 Hockey: Pro
Release Region: United States
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Publisher: Midway Games
E for Everyone ViolenceAlso available on: PlayStation 2, Xbox
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