NHL Hitz Pro
Summary
NHL Hitz Pro is an ice hockey video game created by Next Level Games and released by Midway Games. It serves as the third and last entry in the NHL Hitz series. The game hit shelves on September 25, 2003, for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox. In contrast to earlier games in the series, NHL Hitz Pro features 5-on-5 gameplay rather than the traditional 3-on-3 format. However, it still lacks penalty shots and maintains the arcade-style hockey feel of its predecessors. As the title implies, the game is known for its aggressive, hard-hitting action, which tends to attract casual fans more than die-hard enthusiasts. The cover star is Nicklas Lidström, with in-game commentary provided by Tim Kitzrow and Harry Teinowitz. Unlike a number of other hockey games from the 2000s, NHL Hitz Pro secured the IIHF license, allowing it to feature the uniforms of Olympic hockey teams. The game offers a variety of play modes, with "Pick-Up Hockey" being one of the most well-liked. In this mode, players can choose to play a casual match of roller, street, or pond hockey between two amateur squads.
