Law one: An object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force. Newton's first law applies directly to the motion of the hockey puck on the ice. Once the puck begins to move it will be prone to remain in motion until it either strikes an immovable object (the goal uprights or the wall) or is struck by another force (a player's skate, stick, or head).

Law two: The relationship between an objects mass (m), its acceleration (a), and the force applied to it (F) is F = ma. In the case of NHL Hitz, the force applied to your player is controlled by how far you adjust the analog stick. Fortunately for us, the players, the controls of NHL Hitz 20-02 are intuitive and tight, making it possible for you to concentrate on taking down your opponent and putting the puck in the net.

Law three: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This manifestation of this law in NHL Hitz should, at this time, be fairly self explanatory. When skater "A" throws a nice solid body check into skater "B," skater "B" will then find himself traveling, usually in a prone position, in a direction consistent with the location of impact. The system of body checks employed in NHL Hitz is by far the most entertaining aspect of the game as every hit is designed to be larger than life. Everybody with a little bit of frustration or anger to vent will enjoy playing this game if for no reason other than getting to paste their opponent.

Amidst this minor lesson in basic physics is an enjoyable video game that has both its ups and downs. On the plus side of things are the graphics, gameplay, and soundtrack (which features Korn and Staind). Also, there are plenty of customizable options to sort through for your custom team to make this one of the most personal gaming experiences I've ever seen. On the downside is the fact that the gameplay tends to get repetitive after extended bouts of playing.