Let's start with control. NHL 2K3 provides three different control schemes - basic, intermediate and advanced. If you want to shoot in basic or intermediate mode, holding down one button will get the job done, but you can change the type of shot in advanced mode by using a modifier button. This also applies to sidesteps, deke, and the like, so no matter your skill level, the control is comfortable and easy to use. Of course, the higher up you go on the control schemes, the greater risk there is that a pass or shot can go awry. You're forced to really pay attention on advanced mode, to ensure that passes go exactly where you want them, or dumping the puck into the correct corner. Switching between players without the puck is easy enough, although for some reason NHL 2K3 always wants to give control of the defense to you, even if you have a forward closer to the puck-carrier. This is a little irritating, but once you know it's happening, you can work around it and adjust accordingly. I understand that Sega might think that control of the left or right defensive skater should be paramount, but I'd rather just take over the guy closest to the opposing player with the puck and go from there.

Artificial intelligence is another area where Sega has got it all over EA. Just like the others, Sega provides multiple offensive and defensive schemes to employ in game situations, whether it power play, the penalty kill, or even-man situations. Here, however, the plays actually make a serious difference with the chances you generate. In NHL 2003, you can run around with the puck willy-nilly in the offensive zone on the power play, since the defensive guys will just chase you around. Watch the same plays on Sega's game, and the PK unit will actually hold the box, or triangle, or whatever defensive scheme is employed. If the player with the puck gets too close to a defender, he'll press the puck-carrier depending on how aggressive the PK is set, but you won't be taking a single player around the offensive zone around and around without losing the puck or getting smeared. Or both. The realism extends to the goaltenders as well. There are new animations galore in NHL 2K3, and I derived great pleasure from watching my goaltender slide and stack the pads to stop a breakaway, or flash the glove to rob a surefire top shelf goal. New to this year's edition is the ability to make a save and immediately leap into another without standing up. Goaltenders will drop down, stop the puck, and leap forward to smother the rebound while still on their bellies. Oustanding to watch. The absolute greatest addition to the gameplay, however, is the ability to hold the man against the boards and fight for the puck. The first time you see this, you'll wonder why no other publisher ever included it in the game. Seeing an opposing forward pinned against the glass, fighting to move the puck with his feet while the defender is draped all over him is part of makes NHL 2K3 that much better than the competition.

NHL 2K3 delivers on the option front as well. The usual suspects are all here - exhibition, season, playoffs, tournament, etc. - but where the meat of the game can be found is in its franchise mode. You can negotiate contracts with your players - pretend you're Lou Lamoriello and use the CBA to browbeat your young stars into submission, or pretend you're Glen Sather and piss your money into the bushes on high-priced, over the hill free agents. It's all up to you. Trades, a full rookie draft - go nuts creating your own dynasty.

The presentation is the main area where NHL 2K3 comes up short. Yeah, sure, there's ESPN branding everywhere you look, but it's just not that exciting. The play by play announcing is as boring as watching paint dry, the on-ice music is recycled from last year, and the sound effects sound like they were recorded in someone's closet. Listen to EA's NHL 2003 or Midway's NHL Hitz 20-03 for an example of how hockey should sound - quick turns on the ice should be crisp and clear. Bodychecks should rattle and thump the speakers. Play by play should be exciting, drawing the player into the action and telling a story during the game, not like he's reading the newspaper. If Jim Hughson was performing the announcing duties on this title, I wouldn't turn off the play by play in the options menu. John Shorthouse or Paul Romanuk would also be good choices - Sega, do your due diligence and get it together for 2K4, because what you have here ain't worth squat.

Xbox owners have something extra to look forward to: support for Microsoft's Xbox Live online service. I have played several games against opponents from as far away as Toronto - living in the Vancouver area myself - and enjoyed a relatively-lag free experience. QuickMatch allows you to hop directly into an open online game, OptiMatch allows you to search for games based on certain parameters like difficulty, period length (not QUARTERS, Sega!), and game type. Like other Xbox Live titles, you can add players to your Friends list and offer feedback on people you've played against. During my time on Xbox Live, I have experienced some dropouts, and here's where my greatest beef with the game lies. The ranking system is absolutely useless. If you start a game against an opponent and synchronization is lost, the game switches to a single-player game, you against the computer. Quitting out should be a no-brainer, since you just want to play against a real person. Well, if you quit out of the game at that point, a loss is added to your record. While I understand Sega wanting to ensure that people don't nuke their connections on purpose, a dropout immediately after the puck is dropped shouldn't result in a black mark on your record upon quitting. Hopefully Microsoft can fix things on their end with the Live servers, because Sega really buggered the ranking design.

Graphics are great on both platforms, with the Xbox version ironing out some framerate issues that the PS2 suffers from occasionally. Player faces range from passable to laughable. With the obvious care taken on the Sega NBA series player mugs, however, I'm not laughing. The models themselves look good during the replays, and are very well animated. Crowds are the usual cardboard cutout sprites, something which only Midway's Hitz series has seen fit to improve upon. These are next-gen platforms people - I want some decent crowds in my games.

Ultimately, it's the rock-solid hockey experience that makes Sega's NHL 2K3 the seminal hockey game on consoles today. With AI that is light years ahead of EA Sports, a simulation experience that's second to none, and a fun - if somewhat fickle - online experience with Xbox, the serious hockey gamer should only look at one title this year. Presentation issues and occasional graphic glitches aside, there isn't a hockey game on the market fit to hold NHL 2K3's jockstrap.