Like most good sports game sequels, it improves upon the previous year's miscues and adds to what's already there. Hitz 20-03 does both, but also like some sports franchises, there are still some small quirks to what is overall another solid addition to the series of NHL. The gameplay is as straightforward as it gets. Your three guys (and goalie) are trying to get the puck past the other three guys and their goalie. You can use any means at your disposal à blistering slap shots, ice-shaking hits, and dekes that would make Wayne Gretzky blush. There isn't anything too fancy about the Hitz engine, and that's a good thing. For action-based, arcade-style hockey, gameplay needs to be easy to pick up and hard to put down. Hitz delivers on both counts.
On Fire


Luckily, the controls are tight, responsive and easy to learn. Within ten seconds of grabbing the controller, you've got the basic moves down, and it's all about testing skills against your foe.

One of the coolest additions to the control is the ability to go on fire at the touch of a button. As you perform moves, shots and lay down big hits, a meter fills up toward your fire. Actually, two meters fill up à one for you and one for your team. As long as your meter is full, you determine when you will use the juice. While the fire isn't as effective as it was last year, it's still nice to know you can turn it on when you need it.

Above all, Hitz is a better multiplayer game than anything; there is a full NHL Season mode, plus Mini-Games and Hockey School with Scotty Bowman, the NHL's winningest coach.
Kick Save


Hockey School is basically just a training mode, but it's useful to quickly learn all the controls in the game and, of course, participating in it unlocks something…

The mini-games are a lot of fun, and teach you the basic skills of the game in the process. There are games like Shooting tic-tac-toe, and keep away, and each of these serves as its own party game.

The Season Mode allows you to play one season with your favorite NHL team. Go through the entire regular season, the playoffs, and the Cup. The Season Mode is great for those seeking a simulation-style environment (in terms of season structure).

For those who like to build something from scratch, there's the Franchise Mode. This allows you to create a team from the ground up; you pick the jerseys, logos, city, and make all of the players. Sure, there's a way to automate the process, but why would you want to? When creating teams and players, there are tons and tons of customizable options to choose from. More objects and gear are unlocked as you progress as well, making your team a changing work of art. If you nickname your guy Jimmy, that's what the announcer will say when he shoots the puck. All of the customization makes the Franchise Mode a unique experience, indeed.

122 items are locked up when you first start playing, and there's a ton of stuff you'll need to do in order to get it. Heads for custom players, body models for teams, fantasy arenas, classic jerseys, and even dominate teams from the past are yours, but only if you do what it tells you. For instance, to earn New Jersey Devils sweaters and teams, you need to play 5, 10, or 20 games with them. It's good if you have a favorite team, because you can unlock all your favorite team's stuff much more quickly (since you'd play with them more). Other things that can be unlocked require you to set records, like most hits in a game, or longest winning (and losing) streaks. You'll also need to start a franchise team if you hope to unlock everything. There's tons of stuff to get here, and it'll keep you busy for a while.