Sports Reviews

This game is a blast but I must say its extremly shawdow. Fans of the old dodge ball game from an older nintendo system will probly love this game, I did but then I unlocked everything in a hour or so, sure there is more matches to play but its just a bunch of the same, I wore this game out in a day or two which is a shame because its a great game...just not enough substance. Get it if you pay $$$ or less definatly, think about it strongly otherwise.

Super Dodge Ball Advanced is a great game. In my opinion, its got lots of replay value. Sure, you can beat it in a half hour or less, but its a sports game, so you can keep playing. The graphics are average, but how good graphics do you need to play a dodge ball game anyway. The music is alright, but a little repetitive. The game can be either really hard or really easy and anything in between with the five difficulty settings and other settings too such as, how tough it is to throw a super throw. You can link up, but I never have so I couldn't tell you how fun that is. To sum it up here is a list of pros and cons.
PROS-
1. Good replay value
2. Multiple diffuclty settings
3. Average graphics
4. Appropriate for all ages, but then again, what isn't
5. Its dodgeball
6. Game Link compatible
7. You can name characters and teams even not your own
CONS-
1. Repetative music
2. Unlike the NES game, there isn't a bean ball mode(mode that pits you individually against your teammates on a field)
3. Also unlike the classic, there aren't any River City Ransom Graphics, instead people don't even have noses. If you never played River City Ransom, the old dodgeball game or World Cup just forget that con
4. There is no team creator, which really, really sucks. That also ruins the whole point of versus mode too because you both have the same premade teams with just possible name differences.
5. Too short of a game, needs more teams or something.

Of the five games i have bought for game boy advance, this has to be the most fun. The idea of playing dodge ball against other teams throughout the world is interesting, but it probably wont happen. One of my favorite parts about this game is that it is SO easy. It is also very fun and fast, with as many as 11 moving players on the screen at once without a slow down.

The game is set in the near future, where dodgeball is as popular as any other world sport, and each kid dreams of becoming part of the professional dodge ball league. You must guide a team of 8 players (seven on the field at a time) to the top of your league, and then unlock dream teams by beating them.

There are seven players on the field at the same time. There are 4 infielders, who cannot cross the center line on foot or the sideline at all, and 3 outfielders, who must stay out of bounds and cannot be hurt. Each player must throw the ball at the infielders on the other team, lower hit points and eventually knocking them out of the match. Once all the infielders on a team are gone, that team loses. Players have their own unique super throws, like the ultra fast mach shot or the underground mole shot, which can deal more damage.

The controls are very easy once you figure them out, but in the beginning it can be kind of hard to figure out all 10 or 15 moves that they throw at you. Basically, A is pass, B is attack, A+B is jump, and combinations of those moves can result in super throws or more damage.

The graphics are OK, as there is not much animation, but even with a low animation level, it is very impressive that you can see all players clearly when 11 are moving around along with a ball. The AI is impressive too, as all players are moving around to better spots constantly.

The Sound is Ok, different on each court. The bad part is it gets very annoying in long games, as it keeps repeating itself over and over again. The sound effects are OK, with different effects for running, jumping, and all the special throws.

Overall, this game would deserve a 4 star rating, but the original idea and style of play is unmatched in any game. It just feels fun to pelt other players with balls so they fly 100 feet into the air and get away with it.

Having just purchased my copy of Fifa2002 I eagerly placed it into my PS2 console. I was extremely excited to see how the graphics and gameplay would live up to all the hype. First things first, this game is way better than the PS2 version of Fifa2001, more features, more realism, gone are the stupid overhead kicks at the touch of the button and in is the playing ball into space feature. Fifa2002 is definitely worth the money your going to shell out for it, however there are two weaknesses that I've spotted to the game already that avid FIFA fans may want to take into account before buying. Firstly, its still isn't as realistic as ISS Pro, the swerve on the ball sometimes is outrageous, allowing players to make reverse angle passes from ridiculous positions (bad move EA). Also shooting! What does it take to get the ball in the air in this game, its virtually impossible and really hampers your enjoyment when you can't lash a 20 yard rocket against the bar because your best player always shoots on the ground. Apart from these points I think EA did ok. The menus are smooth, the graphics are great (with some new angles), the pitches are especially good and there is a lot to keep you occupied for a long time in this game.
I think the hype that proceeded this game may have served somewhat towards my own modicum of dissapointment but overall,

Recommendation: Buy it.
Realism Addicts: Rent it first or wait for ISS 3

I should begin with what FIFA 2002 is not. It is not FIFA 2001 -- which was a mediocre game that played more like arcade soccer than the real thing. FIFA 2002 features vast improvements over its predecessor. The game has more real feel with a new passing control that allows for touch and finesse play just like the real thing. The graphics are also improved with beautiful player reactions and theatrics. The game also has the full range of licenses giving you the opportunity to play with all of the world's major teams and players.

But somehow FIFA 2002 fails by way of its own success. Its a cruel reality for sports simulation games, but the closer it gets to the real thing the more the little things jump out at you and say "nice try EA, but come on!"

The biggest downer that you will note in this game is how quickly you will master the game at the "Beginner" level. Fine you say. Give the next level of three a try. Sadly the "Professional" level may bring you to fits and tirades before you finally decide to get completely frustrated with the game. The "Professional" level plays like the "World Class" level, or the highest level of the game. In fact, after numerous games at both levels I can't tell a difference. And the problem is that they both are very, very hard. Suddenly, you will never (and I mean never) win a ball in the air on the offensive side of the field. I've score one volley goal (corners are the exception and produce goals too easily -- don't ever give your opponent one!) in months of play. Suddenly every pass is somehow intercepted by your opponents no matter how close they are to the ball. You will be forced to take the highest view possible in the game in order to see more of the field. Otherwise you wont have the ball for more than 30% of the game. At this camera level you will be hard pressed to see important details so you wont know when to time your tackles and you will miss a lot of the very few shots you get as you really aren't sure where you are aiming. Don't get me wrong. You can work through this and get better; but when you take a high-powered side like Roma or Manchester United and lose to a MLS team due to this crazy computer AI you will get more than a little upset. I finally came to the conclusion that I had to make a few shortcuts like turning off fatigue and offsides to give myself even a chance in this game. And this is after hours and hours and hours of gameplay. At this point I surely would have mastered the intermediate level of any other game.

Why can't EA ever set gameplay levels with a variable 1/2/3 or easy/medium/hard setting so that you can graduate levels in tiny increments and customize gameplay to your progress? With FIFA 2002 you would then have 9 levels of gameplay. It might be the easiest change in the world to make a game infinitely better for the consumer, accomplished in very few lines of extra code and therefore memory on the disk.

Another problem is the unexplainable way a selected player somehow just stops from time to time. You will definitely note this when you are chasing down a breakaway opponent. There is nothing like a complete defensive stop to let your opponent get an easy shot and goal. This problem gets worse at the higher levels of the game as you simply must play like a madman not to let in a goal to have a chance to win.

Finally there is the conspicuous absence of the World Cup in this game. You can qualify for the World Cup but if you want to play it, you must set it up for yourself. Just don't try to make it too real as you will be forced to play a group opponent in the second round of your created tournament -- a thing that never happens in any tournament in the world I know of. Somehow the randomize button which lets you shuffle your opponents is not available at this point. "Come on EA!" I assume all of this means we will get a World Cup title this summer. Let's hope someone at EA reads this review, gets some non hyper-caffeinated testers to help them level set the game and gets some of the obvious bugs out. Otherwise you will have a lot more fun yawning your way through easy wins at the Beginner level of FIFA 2002 then buying another version of the same game ...

All in all FIFA 2002 is a great game. Likely the best soccer simulation out there. But buyer beware; its not all you may think its cracked up to be.

This game has tons of action. Anyone who likes playing soccer should buy this game. All my soccer friends and I play this terrific game.

I recently bought an Xbox and am slowly building up my game collection. I had a demo of "Amped2" and loved it. However I found "Amped" for a good price and thought I would try it. I must say that it is fantastic and very addictive. There are quite a lot of controls to learn to really do well on high scores but it is a lot of fun learning to play. The hardest part for me is the rails. With a limited budget, I have to start with some of the older games, and this one is well worth the money. It is hilarious to try a front flip and end up landing on your head. Great game.

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding is a Valium-fueled take on snowboarding. You're free to do what you want, when you feel like it, and while you're under stress in the middle of a mission. The overall experience is oddly relaxing, especially early in the game when there's no real pressure to beat every goal in order to unlock new levels. Just as in games like Tony Hawk, the only frustration comes in the repeating levels to get a specific medal - but even then, you can always restart in a flash.

Match that with the open air feel of the levels, the breathtaking coolness of sliding through powder, and the breezy sound effects and in-game chatter, and you've got yourself the gaming equivalent of sitting in the hot tub after a long day on the slopes. Amped is a new way to look at snowboarding, and it's fun and large enough to keep you interested for hours and hours. Sure, there are some problems with the way the game controls, but the overall package is well designed, and most of all, totally charming. Amped manages to be simultaneously epic and down-home at the same time, thanks to the mixture of cool presentation, easy to navigate goal structure, and time-free boarding on giant mountains. You won't sweat while playing a game of Amped - but then again, we're talking about snow, aren't we?

I don't know what the editor was talking about when he said SSX tricky had better graphics. Amped is about one hundred times more realistic. Also, having snowboarded in real life at both Brighton and Stratton, I can tell you that besides some embellishments to enhance gameplay (towering rails and some jumps) these levels follow very faithfully to their real life counterparts.
The one thing I have noticed is that this game plays MUCH better on a big TV. I've played on our 60 inch rear projection (mitsubishi diamond line) and our 36 inch sony wega and also a smaller 27 inch tv and I must say that the big screen makes a hugh difference. It's strange because the Wega is technically the sharpest picture, although I wasn't using the high definiton pack (like i'm gonna drop 20 extra bones to play on a SMALLER tv) Also, I must give props to X-box for the sound. I plugged it in to the home theatre and it blows PS2 outta the water. Much nicer sounding. Also, I like how microsoft included the fat "monstercable" composites. Sweet move.

For a start, it seems that the Dreamcast is totally starting to get outdated but with so many games and outstanding graphics you can't expect it to lag behind the PS2 for long! For example, NBA 2K2, a game already becoming one of the most anticipated Dreamcast games in its year, is starting to beat other basketball sims to hell. But when it came to the PS2 now, it's starting to increase its success!

It's rarely unbelievable for a game to increase its success that long BUT when it is that good, YOU WILL have to expect a month or two in order to hit the gamestore shelves!

Really the time is fast, but that's the reason with NBA 2K2, with fast-paced gameplay and easy-to-grasp controls where can you find a game this good in any other store? None.

I like the graphics, despite the gameplay becoming very easy to learn from and to play; they look so cool, and everything seems realistic, even the player models and faces, it really makes me feel like I'm in heaven!

The sound is also amazing, with exciting crowds and slick shoes, and also high flying rim-rattling dunks, it's all inside, so what are you waiting for, go get your copy now!!

Overall I like this game, it is simply the best basketball game to date; a lot of people hate these types of games just because they have no gaming taste, but me as a gamer, I love it and it is highly recommended to one of my best friends, Yusef, I give this great game five stars!

If you previously own NBA Live, All i gotta say is stick to that game. I'll admit, NBA 2k2 has really good graphics, but the one thing I do not like are the controls. Unlike NBA live, the controls are wierd. With that, it is merely impossible to make a free throw. But hey, one could get use to the controls. Fine, that's okay, but to throw out other negative things about the game:

1) the players do not jump high
2)its really hard to steal because you can't move the players arms like in NBA live
3)the game is slow
4)pressing the turbo button doesn't really help, since the players don't move any faster
5)when you try to do the crossover, the players go out of control and end up stepping out of bounce
6)controls are wierd

Well, to look at the positive things, the graphics are great and thats about it.

Overall, i think that this game is over rated. I suggest that before you spend your money and buy this game, rent it first. Decide for yourself and get your on opinion, since that is what counts the most. Read all of these reviews on Amazon, but don't judge the game based on it. Judge it based on what you think once you haved played it.

For those of you who are real NBA fans but have been disappointed in the lack of realistic basketball games on the market, never fear! Sega's NBA 2K2 is for you! As we all know, NBA Live's popularity has been fading for the last few years because of its overall poor quality. NBA 2K2 delivers everywhere NBA Live 2002 doesn't. The graphics are stunning, the player movements are amazing, and the gameplay is the most realistic I've ever seen! It is truly the only game worthy of calling itself a "simulation". In some of the other reviews, I noticed a few people criticizing the game speed. HELLO!!! Watch a real NBA game and you'll see that the speed in NBA 2K2 is nearly perfect. The problem is that the speed of other games (NBA Live included) is entirely too fast which further takes away from the realism.

NBA 2K2 is the best basketball simulation on the market! This game is not for people who are simply looking for a new video game. This game is for REAL BASKETBALL FANS who want a game that captures the true feeling of playing in the NBA! But don't take my word for it. Go read the critics' reviews in the magazines. I have yet to see a critic give this game bad reviews! These guys play video games for a living! If anyone knows what's good, it's them! NBA 2K2 is the new king of virtual hoops!!! BUY THIS GAME!!!

I have always been a big fan of the series and I love the mini camp drills, i think thats a brilliant idea. The ability to set concession prices, hats, etc. is also a clever addition. The graphics are solid, though still need tweaking but I feel as if I am playing Madden 2004 Blitz. I am sick and tired of the computers magical ability to erase any deficit in the 4th quarter. Mind you, I have been playing football games, including Madden, for years.

I have had the Cardinals come back to beat me in the 4th quarter, erasing a 24 point lead. This quarter from hell included, 1. a blocked punt, 2. a punt returned for a td, 3. 2 fumbles by my rb (Ahman green) who was running great until this dreadful quarter. 4. a td return for a td 5. and a game winning 90 yard drive by the cardinals.

Sure this can happen once, twice, whatever. But when I constantly lose 4th quarter leads over and over again, it annoys me. I love games that are hard but this computer assistance borders on the surreal and it is enough for me to spoil an otherwise terrific game.

One last gripe, too much room for the QB to run. This is not NCAA. I think this was done to appease Mike Vick fans and I guess I can understand and live with that.

I have been loyal to the Madden football franchise for many years, because it has consistently failed to disappoint. The 2004 version is no different. As always there is tremendous game play. If you have played one version of Madden, you can play this one. The reason I say that it just keeps getting better is the feature of Owner mode. IN this you are the OWNER of the team, not just the head coach. Some may call it micromanagement, but I love it. You get to hire a Head Coach, Offensive and Defensive Coordinators and a Special teams coach. These coaches have an effect on the intangibles of your players, especially intelligence. Another great bonus how you sign players for your teams. The signing bonus is spread out over the course of the contract and the salary escalates yearly. This makes it more challenging to hold onto your star players. Other nice new options in owner mode are, the ability to create/renovate your stadium and the ability to create/relocate a team. It is also fun to watch NFL players become NFL coaches. All in all, as I said the game play is terrific, and the additions of owner mode have made this the only console game I play.

T

So awesome. If you dont have it, its a MUST have. Out of all the other football games on XBOX, this game really shows em up. I love the mini-camp at the beginning of every franchise year. You can excell your players in every category. The Owner Mode lets you get a small feeling for leading your team to a super bowl. I have played NFL 2k3 and that game is no good. The players have frekin square helmets. Like i said, if you dont have madden 2004...GET IT. and get MADDEN 2005! o thats gonna be soooo awesome. later

After playing yet another dissapointing Smackdown, I thought I must review WMXIX, and give my thoughts on what needs to be done to make WMXX the true successor to No Mercy. While THQ didn't listen to fans and bring AKI back. I commend Yukes for bringing back the weak and strong grapples. This alone made the game 10 times better than 18. It ain't No Mercy, but it's close. Decent graphics and an improved Create-a-wrestler with a great new feature to create your entrance. Lighting, fireworks everything. The only thing that keeps it down is the Revenge mode. a failed experiment in a new style of story mode. Saying this, I will now list what improvements I'd like to see in WX XX.
1. Regular story mode. Revenge didn't work, and the fans have to much of a negative opinion to try it again.
2 Gameplay- The game play was great, only a few gripes. Like having to hold the run button down. That's gotta go. Just tap it. And not slide out of the ring automatically. And afew of the little things from No Mercy, like throwing a guy out of the ring. It looks akward and unnatural in all Yukes games. I'd like to see the grab the guy behind the head and throw him through the ropes. And grabing him and banging his head against the steel cage. The L, R, and Z buttons are not used while in a tie-up and could be utilized in this way.
3.Create-a-wrestler. Again, a big improvement. Much better layout than Smackdown. And the No Mercy colored squares a better than that sliding color bar. I'd like to see more. More facepaint, masks, jackets, taunts, entrances, and moves that were missing. I'm not saying 25 different DDTs, but there were some noticable moves missing. Classic wrestler music and taughts. A few mouths that show teeth. A few head shapes where the ears stick out. And last but not least, entrance attire and be able to cary weapons to the ring.
3. graphics- I don't play for the graphics. The wrestlers and arenas looked fine, but the annimation was to robotic when walking. And Running and jumping has never looked right on Yukes games.
4. Have the belts mean something. Be able to wear them to the ring.
Thats about it. Hopefully THQ did a great job fixing many of the problems of 18. Hopefully they will fix the rest and make WMXX the top notch game Nintendo fans have been waiting for.

I rented this game at Blockbuster a couple weeks ago and brought this game home and within about three days, I was hooked. I think this game is the best wrestling game yet. The graphics are phenomenal, the gameplay is excellent and the action and fighting is outstanding. This game contains the best fighting arenas and best wrestling moves you have ever seen. The game's "Create a Superstar" mode is undoubtably phenomenal. That right there is the best feature in the game.

In this game, you have a numerous amount of different exhibiton matches such as: Normal, Hardcore, Table match, TLC, Cage match, Ironman and HELL in a CELL. These different match types are also available for a tag-team match. You can also choose to play a Fatal 4-Way or Royal Rumble. Then there is the King of the Ring features which determines who is the champion. That's an excellent tournament to play in this game. Other numerous features include the WWE Shopzone, Tutorial (you enroll in training with Al Snow), and the very best Create a Wrestler mode.

The all new and improved "Create a Wrestler" mode is great. You can do everything with this superstar. You can change his body size in the chest, arms, legs, thighs, waist, head to make him as big and muscular as you want. Then there is an excellent selection of different ring apparel for pants, shirts, hats, bracelets, glasses, masks, and also the "Paint" feature. The Paint features is where you can create your own mask to put onto your superstar. For example, I created Paul Stanley of KISS. I drew the STAR on his right eye and he has a face full of make-up and everything. It's really fun and cool. Then you can choose your wrestler's moves, taunts, and entrances. There is an Encyclopedia of wrestling moves to choose from in this game which is wonderful to make your wrestler have the best moves in the games. The best thing to remember to do is in one of the sections of the moves, you should choose "Chokeslam" when throwing oppenent off a cliff or off the top of the Hell In A Cell. You have your weak and strong grapple which enables your new wrestler to more moves. Then the taunts, there is over dozens and dozens of different taunts that reflect your character's personality. Then the entrance mode. This you can get create with your wrestler's entrance with the different fireworks to choose from, his entrance taunt, the camera angles, the ring entrance and the ring fireworks. Then if you want you can have your wrestler ride a motorcyle down the ramp like the Undertaker. Thank GOD for "Create A Wrestler."

A fun mode to play is Revenge. There are four different areas you fight and complete missions in where you earn money to shop at the Shopzone. The areas are: Mall, Warehouse, Harbor, and Parking Lot. There are six differnt missions for each place and when you get towards the end it gets challenging. The only negative about this is there are too many oppenents you have to fight at one time which is literally impossible with 3 on 1. On some mission you have to throw workers off of balconies and watch them fall. The main thing I love is the Harbor where you are in a shipping cell and must throw the workers off into the ocean. There are a couple sections of the cell where the floor can be broken and then what I do is Chokeslam them through it into the ocean. That's great. The mall is pretty cool. The parking lot missions are good for the first few until the 3rd and 4th because then there is traffic going through everywhere and you need to pass traffic and if you get hit you fail. That's where it gets tough.

Overall, I love this game and play it all the time. I have never seen a better wrestling game than this one right here. The graphics, gameplay, and create a wrestler mode and all the different match types and the different fighting arenas make the game the best in the industry. Buy this game and you will not be dissapointed. Long live...WWE Wrestlemania XIX!

I loved this game. It was truely amazing. The gameplay was at its best, of any other game. The characters very very well done, alot of wrestlers really looked like them.
The story line (revenge) took some skill to beat. Of course the first couple of levels were easy. But after a few levels it got really challenging. They were fun, to play each level and to watch me go through the scenario.
By far the best part of this game was the create-a-superstar. I've probably spent more time making various characters, then actually playing. With so much unique attairs, hair styles, etc., it made it almost endless for creating anyone you wanted.
This game is always fun and exciting to play, even after beating the revenge mode and buying out everything in the shop, down to the last ability points (out of 999), I still play this game, over and over again.

Great graphics and some very realistic features but I am furious over the number of holding plays I keep getting especially when I use a superior team over another i.e. the all madden team vs. a regular team. The regular team rarely gets called for holding while I get called nearly a third of the time and on running downs. THAT IS BULL PLOP.

The commentary also needs a lot of work on better coordinating and adding many more so we don't hear the same thing over and over.

Also there are waaaay to many receivers dropping the ball on well thrown passes.

Madden 2002 is a solid football game, but there's no hiding from the fact that it wasn't specifically built to take advantage of the Xbox's capabilities. Because of this, I can't shake the feeling that this game isn't all that it could've been. The improvements in graphics are definitely noticable but not on par with what we expect from the Xbox.

But the 64 dollar question is which game is the best out of NFL 2K2, Madden 2002 and NFL Fever 2002. Fever and NFL 2K2 are in more direct competition with each other than with Madden 2002. There's an obvious arcade-leaning gameplay mechanic in Fever and 2K2 that Madden just does not have. The EA game requires a play style that's been refined, learned and accepted over the years that can be pretty unforgiving to the uninitiated, but that is its charm. When I look at Madden objectively, which we try to do here, it plays a lot slower than either of the other two games, but I also see that it's intentional. Madden 2002 isn't going to wow you with its speed --even if you're running the ball with Edgerrin James-- because you're supposed to be awed by its authentic blocking and defensive AI.

It's NFL substance over style that we've come to expect from Madden games and that's what Madden NFL 2002 gives us.

My appologies to the creative people at EA Sports, who make this game, after my previous review. I had only one major criticism, but after doing some checking, I found I was wrong.

I initially thought that I could only play in Pro mode (invariably winning every game by 5-10 touchdowns), or lose every time in any higher mode than Pro.

This game is so sophisticated, I found I was able to change the game play to all-pro, and turn up the overall performance of my own players a notch, and turn down the CPU's performance a notch. In doing this, I finally am playing like I have in all previous versions of Madden: I have a pretty descent chance of winning any individual game, but it is always a dog-fight, and usually, if I win, it is by using alot of strategy. This is again the great football game (much better now on the x-box) I am used to.

This game is so sophisticated it blows my mind. With the franchise mode, I can be general manager as well as any player and coach on the team. Game play is realistic- on the TV it looks and plays very much like watching a real broadcast of an NFL game.

John Madden is always fun to hear. No one can question he is the best commentator in video games (as well as real NFL games). Pat Summerall is a very good play by play addition.

Strong points:

1. Great, and exciting game play. Very realistic. Keeps you at the edge of your seat all game (and every game).

2. Great commentary (John Madden- what else has to be said).

3. Many diverse modes to play in: Franchise, quick games, you can even simply choose to play in the play-offs.

4. Great practice mode for learning how to run specific routes and plays. John Madden walks you through it while you practice.

5. Great tips by John Madden anytime during a game- though it does not automatically mean you will score by using a recommended strategy.

6. I have heard that the upcoming release Madden 2003 will be even better- but if you can get this game at amazon or wherever for [price], new or used, for the x-box, I would not wait for the 2003 edition. It is a true bargain. You will never tire of this game.

Cons:

1. I miss being able to play historically great teams of the past (as in Madden 1999- which I still keep on windows 98)- like the 1981 49ers against Dallas in the NFC Finals, or the Great Raider teams of the past against Pittsburg.

2. The commentary is helpful and fun to listen to, as well as being very comprehensive, but once in a while the commentary has nothing to do with a play that just occured. For example, "If he keeps playing this well, he will have a career day", right after gaining 1 yard on 4th and goal on the 10 yard line. I admit I have never played any sports game where the commentary is 100% accurate to what is going on currently in the game, but sometimes the misplaced commentary in Madden 2002 makes me laugh.

3. Music? The only song played is this omnipresent rap song called "Pharaoh Madden", and goes something like "Puttin a woopin on your naural"........

Besides these trivial Cons, this game loads the most bang for your buck than any of its genre. I would buy it all over again, even for [price].

NHL '98 was the first sports game I ever bought. I had never been interested in sports games before, but the speed and brutal checking had me hooked. Me and my friends would play '98 for hours! Then NHL 99 came out - what a dud! What a disappointment!

Enter NHL 2001. The graphics are great and the commentary by Clement and Thorne sounds just like they do when I am watching an Avs game. At first, I thought 2001 was too slow, but then I found the control to up the speed - just one notch does it for me. I tried it all the way up and it is WAY to fast. But I love the fact that you can change the speed. Default speed is good if you are trying to teach your wife or newbie, but bump it up just one when you are playing your experienced friends.

I still have a hard time playing defense, but that is just me, not any fault of the controls... though it seems to me that bodycheck was X in '98, now it is O. Maybe I'm wrong and getting to old to remember. Oh well...

NHL 2001 was the only game I actually bought with my PS2 - all the rest I am just renting. All in all, this game seems to be a worthy successor to the now classic NHL '98

Since I am old and married now, I don't play video games like I did when I was single and living in a loft downtown. That being the case, I am giving it 4 stars. But if I was livin' the single life again where every day was a party, NHL 2001 would defintely get 5 stars for the "hangin' with the guys" fun factor!

I thought this was the best hockey playwise nhl.i havent played 2002,but play wise it is much more like the real nhl! especially the saves the goalies make,they literally steal the game or leave it tied at times! the defense is much more like real nhl,but 03',and 04' did have better graphics thats why i give it 4 stars! i highly recommend it!

I've had my PS2 for over a year now, and NHL 2001 was the game that I bought when I got the system. After adding substantially to my PS2 game library, I find myself always going back to NHL 2001. The graphics are great, the color commentary is good (it's downright awful in NHL 2002), and the game play is phenomenal. This is easily the best game I've played for PS2, and if you're thinking about buying NHL 2002 but don't have 2001, I'd recommend picking up a used copy of 2001 for 12 bucks and saving the 40 bones that would go toward extra cut scenes (that you just end up skipping all the time after playing about a period of the game) and slightly better player faces.

this is not worth 10.00 price the graphic stink and a waste of talent to be make
its a waste of time to play dont buy me instad bu madden 2004 better graphics this game sucks

first of all, let me say that the ESPN license is awesome. It bring the true to imagine of a company that lives and die for sports. The gameplay are awesome, especially the amination. It is one of the top noche that I have ever seen, and trust me, I seen it all. The sounds are great, much bette than Madden 2003, I know b/c I bought both games, and in my opinion I think that NFL 2k3 is way better than Madden 2003. The gameplay,and sounds are better than madden. Unlike Madde, 2k3 does not get to boring after you have payed it for two weeks or so. The learning curve for this gameis about threee to four weeks, and it never really boring, b/c the commentary never repeat itself again and again like maddendoes. But, after you play one season, then the game will get boring, as all games do. The players model are in depth and true to life, and is way better than madden.

But,as all games, NFL 2k3 does have it's flaws. First, the players lunge to far, it look like Nfl Blitz. Sometime the linebacker lunge about 5 to 6 yards to tackle a RB, and that is not realistic in the real NFL. They should only about two to maybe four yards only. Then the frames, the frames rate sometime seen to drop from 60 to 30, and it happen many time when there are 11 or more payers standing around all together. But, if you can live with that then go buy the game.

Final thought, 2k is way better than madden. Sorry madden fans, but 2k3 is better. madden 2003 doesn't is tohave much improvement from 2002. come to thin about it, all their series, all looks the same, no BIG improvements.

The only thing I can fault about this game is the inability to challenge, but in the game I have never found a situation where the ref. is wrong. It's a great game, and the animations and graphics easily surpass those of Madden. A very good game especially for the price which is very cheap.

Come on this game didn't go big dawg. Do not by this game cause its a fool. First all the lacrosse sticks don't look real. I mean look at the cover who would be able to cradle a ball in taht small of pocket. Also, they should have college teams to cause they are the shizzle. Also, I think they should have made real lax pads made my real companies. Like the shaft saying stx kind of like how they have in tony hawk 3. Take advise from me and stick with nhl 99 or 98 for sega saturn cause this game remind isn't even close to those games

this game is like a 1990 arcade game pretty much. its fun too play with friends and to laugh at, but it [is really bad]. The reason i give it 3 stars is cause its the first lax game, and everyone knew it was gonna [be bad]. so get it for the winter when you cant actually play lax, and just have some fun with it.

If you are a PS2/EA Sports player - the graphic quality of the game initially will be disappointing, but don't get discouraged by this. The game actually has a SNES feel to it more than anything, but it's still a lot of fun to play. The more you play it and the better you get at it, the more the subtlties of the game start to resemble real lacrosse (i swear I saw a behind the back move a few times). The two keys to having a ton of fun with this game are to learn how to pass, especially using the lob pass. More imprtantly realize how fast they have tried to make the game play - initially this speed is extremely frustrating because it's hard to make any progress before getting decked by the CPU controlled players, but once your brain sort of gets used to the intense quickness which is required to connect a few moves together - the game starts to get really fun, and a lot more similiar to the real game...and although the commentary can get annoying it's actually pretty funny if you don't take yourself and your video games too seriously...

If you're a pure photo realism die-hard, you'll hate this game. If you like the old gameplay style of early versions of EA hockey games and such, you should have a blast with this game...bottom line, it's fun enough for version 1.0 - future versions and a field game will be the real test...