NHL Championship 2000

****

Fox Sports

PC $99.95

G8+

Review: Peter Eley

It's hard to compete with EA's slick sports titles, but Fox Sports' NHL Championship 2000 manages to do so. Ice hockey, like pro wrestling, is an easy game to caricature because of all the extra-curricular stuff that happens on the ice. And EA's NHL 2000 can't resist the temptation to poke a bit of fun at the game.

Nothing wrong with that, but serious ice hockey fans have been wishing for a more realistic simulation, and Fox Sports' effort is just that. It's not quite as sharp graphically as NHL 2000, and it lacks a few of its rival's features, but has an edge in realism.

The puck behaves like a disc on ice rather than zinging around like a pinball and AI-generated opposition formations make you work hard to get a shot on target.

NHL Championship 2000 also features all 28 American pro teams, 18 international teams, player profiles and 1999/2000 stats, rosters and player ratings.

Cynics may suspect that hockey fans enjoy the fights more than the game, and there is no denying that violence has become part and parcel of the spectacle. NHL Championship 2000 recognises that, but treats fights in a less than realistic fashion. If you are a serious hockey fan who wants only to play the game, there is a "Fights Off" option.

Comments: peter_eley@herald.co.nz