Underplayed Gems

NHL Hitz Pro (2003)

NHL Hitz Pro cover
Developer
Next Level Games
Publisher
Midway Games
Platforms
Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2
Genres
Sport
Rating
2.9 of 5, 1 player ratings

How it feels

A loose and punchy arcade hockey experience that prioritizes big hits and quick fun over simulation realism.

arcadefast-pacedcasualenergeticaccessiblecompetitivephysicalfun

About

NHL Hitz Pro is an ice hockey video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Midway Games. It's the third and final game of the NHL Hitz series. It was released on September 25, 2003, for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox. Unlike the previous titles in the series, this game has 5-on-5 gameplay instead of the usual 3-on-3 gameplay with the earlier titles. Despite that fact, however, the game does not include penalty shots, and it is still an arcade-type hockey game like its predecessors. It also has, as the name suggests, a lot of hard hitting, appealing more often to casual hockey fans than hardcore ones. The cover athlete of the game is Nicklas Lidström, and features commentary from Tim Kitzrow[1] and Harry Teinowitz. Unlike many other hockey video games of the 21st century, NHL Hitz Pro had the IIHF license, enabling it to use the jerseys of the Olympic hockey teams. The game also has many game modes, one of the most popular being the "Pick-Up Hockey" game mode, where the game would turn into either a roller, street, or pond hockey match-up between two amateur teams.

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