NHL 2001 first impressions
By Raul

So how did it play?

In a word, this game feels "different" from NHL 2000. That's putting it nicely. When increasing the amount of detail in a game, there is a fine line between increased immersiveness and compromised gameplay. It is very difficult to judge the gameplay of this demo due to the fact that so many of its customizable features are locked out. But suffice to say that as-is, I find 2000 to be more fun. It is very possible that this is because the 2001 demo is locked in "simulation" mode. One would guess that there is an "arcade" mode available in the full version, which may help smooth the gameplay somewhat.

The momentum meter in 2001 is now visible as a little bar beside the score box. 2000 had a momentum engine of its own, which I would surmise is similar in principle to the 2001 implementation. The difference is now you can see the effect certain play strategies have on momentum. Unfortunately, 2001 seems to be affected even more by momentum than 2000. I say unfortunately because IMHO the momentum model in 2000 was already unrealistic. In 2001 it is downright irritating. I have yet to play a game in the demo in which the winning team scored fewer than 5 goals. This is in contrast to 2000, in which, if you were using straightforward techniques, it was common to have games with less than 3 or 4 points total on the board.

• Any individual shot seems far more effective in 2001, due to the influence of the momentum model. One-time shots seem far more effective in general.
• EA spent a lot of time improving the range of goalie motions. You will see many actions not seen in 2000. When a goalie goes down on the ice, it takes a while for him to get back up, so you will see a lot more scores from behind a fallen goalie. The apparent effect is that the goalie seems to be more "human," that is, he won't be doing magical glovesaves pulling pucks out of the goal from across the net. But the engine makes up for this change by increasing overall goalie speed, so quite often, if you are down on momentum, you will still have that " just can't get a damn shot in" feeling.
• Skating in simulation mode is much less "smooth" than in 2000, and players don't carry as much momentum with them. As the skater pumps, he will speed up and slow down rhythmically, just like a real hockey player. It can be confusing for those used to 2000's "glide."
• Shooting works similarly to previous NHLs, as least in the area of high-powered wind-up shots. However, my impression was that quick reach-in wrist or backhand shots are less frequent.
• It seems easier to pass through crowds in 2001 and harder to knock players down. These could again be due to the fact that the demo is locked in simulation mode.
• The deke move is greatly reduced in effectiveness. The length of the sideways travel in a deke has been reduced to nearly nothing. The interface DOES, however, have new right- and left-spin commands.
• Similarly, the hook has been greatly crippled. Now you have to be very close to the person you are hooking, at which point you might as well just knock them over. Its 2000 usefulness has been lost somewhere along the way.
• Fighting sucks. In 2000, the situation was, you hit the buttons as fast as you could, regardless of what the "power meter" said. In 2001, if you do that you will lose in short order. Unfortunately, if you wait for the power meter to fill up, you will often lose also. Either the fights have been reduced to a simple "who has the higher toughness rating," or ... I don't know what else. It doesn't make any sense.
• The "ice" camera angle is now closer to the ice than before. This makes it harder to see the overall play progression, which in turn hinders formulation of effective offensive and defensive strategies. And to make matters worse, whereas in 2000 the "Autozoom" function never really worked even if it was turned on, in 2001 it always works even if it is turned off. Each of these is a debilitating flaw which, if not resolved, will really kill gameplay in the final version.
• The checking algorithm has changed. It is rare that you can "run over" someone and not have your own forward motion impeded as well.
• Overall, your team still feels a lot "dumber" than the computer, which was a problem in 2000 as well.