"I was hoping that this game was going to appeal to the mass of hockey fans out there who have been voicing their displeasure with EA's recent releases of the NHL series. I seriously thought that EA would come out with a solid title this year, but once again they have failed miserably. Let me just say that this game has already been traded back to EB Games."
Overall: EA sticks a new number on their sports hockey game and charges full money once more.....
Unlike the football franchise which has moved on quite a bit (and indeed their soccer game), this hockey update is very lazy.
Very little new to report and blighted by one of the worst conversion jobs ever ruin any possibility of making it a game to keep, let alone buy.
Rent this game and be glad you didn't waste a load of money on it. Gameplay: The gameplay is just the same compared to 2002. After playing the PS2 version I found the X-Box pad a bit unwieldy when it came to dekes and defence.
However none of this really matters as the game suffers the worst slow down I've ever seen in a console game! The screen crawls at some points making any attempt at playing the game totally pointless and very, very frustating!
The X-Box is a powerfull machine but if you were to show your non-wised up relative this game, they would wonder why. Graphics: The grahpics are of good quality, notably in the cut-scene parts(close ups).
The animation is fluid but could be improved - for instance the non agressive checks/stick pokes.
All teams look the part with some players looking more like their realselves than others.
Very little has changed since 2002 though. Sound: I enjoyed the commentary from 2002, even when it got to the point where I heard the same samples time and time again - it made me chuckle for a while.
Commentary is pretty much the same so shame on you EA.
Sound is fairly uninspriring. Suggestions: Rebuild the game engine and sack the convertion team.
Overall: Game sux!!! i can't even describe how much it sux. u want a good hockey game get nhl 2k3 it rules. 2k3 has all the realism, hitz is an arcade type checking game. this just blows!! don't buy it. Gameplay: gameplay sux. the A.I. is awful and that ruins everything. all the goals just bounce off the goalie and trickle in. the glass breaks about 4 times a game. the manual deke button is a very cool idea, but its hard to do and just messed up. don't buy this game. get nhl 2k3. Graphics: graphics are pretty good. the goalies don't look that good in net and the players skate like they're takin a crap. Sound: music sux. commentary is annoying but not toooo repetitive
Suggestions: keep the manual deke button. change the whole gameplay to excatly like nhl 2k3.
Overall: The graphics are better than Sega's NHL 2K3 and that's the only positive aspect of the game. The graphics are good but the A.I. in this game will make you wish you held on to Kabuki Warriors. Gameplay: The horrible A.I. really takes away from the gameplay. Players just circle the puck. It's frustrating to watch. Like I mentioned the graphics are good but it's not enough to make this game worth renting let alone buying. Graphics: Looks good but so does Shrek. It ends up being eye candy that's frustrating to play. EA has to put more effort into other areas of the game as well. Sound: Can't I give this game a 0.0 in sound. They put Don Taylor in again. Did EA sign him to a 20 year contract? If I want a comedy I'll rent one. Suggestions: Why make suggestions? EA doesn't listen. They have become lazy. The NHL series was heading in the right direction and they put Don Taylor and NHL Cards in the game. Doesn't it matter than the A.I. is as bad in this game as last years NBA 2002. I have no suggestions to EA Sports because they treat their customers like fools.
Overall: Great game play, easy to learn fun to play with lots of friends. Great game to share with those who dont game often. Yet Don taylor is horrid. I live in Vancouver and really enjoy his nightly sports program. But his comments during the game are pathetic. So turn down the volume and enjoy this game. Gameplay: Quick, fun and easy to learn. Good for non-gamers. four man play is the best, we usually play a quick game during intermission of the Canucks Game. I also like the fact that the local EA have made the Canucks a great team to play. Graphics: Everything look good. Graphics are fluid and very enjoyable. little highlight movies a little too much at time. Sound: Don Taylor Sucks. Shut up no colour man in the business sounds as dumb as this. You are better than this. The occasional upstairs where norman keeps his mother is okay. Suggestions: Fire Don Taylor.
Overall: This game is very fun and very addicting. Its great to play with friends and no matter what some people say it is realistic. Gameplay: Gameplay is nice, some times it will glitch a bit like have u take a slap shot on net and it go into the side boards but what can ya do. Graphics: Visuals are very nice, u can actually tell who some of the players are just by looking at their faces. Glass shattering is cool but happens to often Sound: sound is good. Announcers are good even though they repeat lines way to much. Hitting sounds good and so do shots. Gotta love the sirens that happen in some arenas when the home team scores. Suggestions: not much
Overall: This game should not be in the worst 25 games, its should be in the best 25 games. This game brought out the best in hockey since NHL 95. Gameplay: The new Franchise mode is not really new, just an advanced version of the previous season mode. However i is still addictive to play and create a team to try and win back to back to back cups. Graphics: The best Graphics for a hockey game compared to segas nhl 2k3. It is also a big improvement from nhl 2002. Sound: The on-ice sounds are absolutely amazing, the commentators are amazing everything is amazing. Overall everything is amazing. Suggestions: Improve the sign the free agent part
Overall: The realism in hockey is recorded in this game. But a lot of the movies are played over and over again. Gameplay: The controls are fairly simple, and their are a fair amount of modes to choose from. But a bad thing is that you can only use most NHL cards only once! And holding on to these type of cards is useless. But when creating a custom team you can change the name or the logo! Theres only 2 custom teams. Graphics: The gfx are really good, accept the movies are played over and over again which get annoying. You cant skip them. A lot of the players look the same. Sound: There are a lot of phrases and stuff coming out of the announcers! A lot of them are funny. The sound in the rink are very life like. It would be nice to hear some talking from the players though... Suggestions: Make more cards and make them not once use. Also make the players look different, and more custom teams. Unlockables would be appreciated too. Also maybe a all mascot team.
Overall: overall this game was crap i hated it was the worst nhl game i have ever played they didnt do a good job on this years maybe they will look at other nhl games like nhl hits or the 2k series and learn from them how to make a good game. Gameplay: the game play sucked it was too hard to put a good hit in i didnt like it at all to hard to move the people. Graphics: the graphics were great in the video but otherwise i didnt like it the people didnt look that good to small. Sound: the sound was the best part of the game i loved the tracks for example sweetness it was all good hockey music. Suggestions: make the game better like nhl hitz the views they have when your playing the game are good they had sweet graphics i loved that game.
Overall: This is a great game. I dont see why everyone thinks that it sucks. Not everything is perfect but there is nothing that makes the game not worth playing. Overall, I think that its great. The menus are great and there are a lot of options too. If you are a hockey fan and dont own a hockey game, then it is definatly worth buying. Gameplay: The gameplay of this game is great. I dont know what else to say. There is nothing wrong with it. Its fun all the way around. The manual dekes are awesome and easy to do too. I will never get bored of this game. There is so much to do. Graphics: This game has great graphics except for all the flat fans. That is the only weak part of the game. Everything else looks good. Its also cool when the glass breaks. There is nothing else that stands out as bad graphics. I guess if you're some really picky kid, then you may notice other small, insignificant details. You can't compare anything to Halo, so don't try. Sound: The sound is good, or at least as good as you would expect from a sports game. The commentary is sort of cheesy but its good enough. At least its not repetitive. Suggestions: Make 3d fans in the stands. Also put in an option to save replays.
Overall: Well I guess I'm in the minority on this one. I absolutely loved this game. I like everything about it, the gameplay/graphics/easy to navigate etc. Gameplay: Whether you're playing International or NHL style, the gameplay is the best I've seen/played in all my video hockey years. I literally can play for hours. It must be played on the difficult level to take full advantage of the hockey playing. EA put the sliders almost perfectly, so the game is low scoring and loads of fun to win (many close games). Graphics: The graphics are stunning. I wish I had a HDTV cause just with the s-video cable the graphics are amazing. The players skate/check/shoot very accurately, the goalies react well and look natural. Overall one great lookin' Hockey game. Sound: The crowd sounds great, the on ice sounds are accurate. When announcers first came on the scene yrs ago in video hockey I loved it, but now I just turn them off and listen to the hockey in game sounds thru surround (that or my own music). I also turn the music off that's in the gaming system. Overall a very good job on sound. Suggestions: You guys make a super/very realistic hockey game that's by far the best in every category. But, if you can't rescind your decision on BF1942 for the 'box, I'll be hard pressed to buy another EA product.
Overall: This game is great! I started out buying NHL2K3 but I actually didn't like it at all. EA Sports has done a great job with this game. Don't listen to the hype of NHL2K3 like I did; it's nothing to write home about (NHL2K3). Gameplay: The gameplay is solid. Goalie make stunningly realistic saves; even better than NHL2K3, IMO. The players skate very smoothly and all shots look like the real shot. Graphics: Here is where EA takes over. The graphics in this game are unreal. The pads and mask of the goalies are awesome. Ed Belfour's mask looks super cool; the eagles are drawn perfectly and there is a little depth perception betwen his face and the actual mask. All the players look great too. The rinks look like the real thing and the ice reflects better than NHL2K3. Sound: The sound is fine in this game. Nothing that makes you notice it but noting so bad you thing it sucks. The music is pretty good for a sports game; everytime a new song comes on the title, artis, and soundtrack pop up in a little box in the corner. Suggestions: ONLINE!
Overall: I would think this was a good game when i was in first grade and didnt know anything abot hockey. This is the game for you if you dont know much about hockey. but if you play hockey and no alot abouut it i would go for the realistic game of NHL 2K3. Gameplay: Gameplay sucks!! It is nothing like real hockey. its fast action bull !&%$@#* !!! This is the worst part of the game. Graphics: The viual aspect of the game are awsome!! This is the best game as in visualls i have seen!! I only hope everything else gets better soon. i have alwayes liked EA's hockey til 200x started comming out. Sound: Sound sucks. it sounds like a gun going off when you hit the puck. And the comentary(sp) sucks!!! EA's needs to try to make a rteal hockey game with Good commentary. All it is is a buch of jokes. Suggestions: Go for NHL2k3 for reallisticness(sp)!!
Go for hitz for arcade fun!!!
Go for NHL 2003 for a if you dont know anything about hockey!!!
Overall: I love hockey. I like this game. Its not hockey, but its close. Overall this is a solid game. EA Sports has done a decent job making an entertaining hockey game. Gameplay: Its hockey, and that should be appealing enough. But if it isn't let me tell you a few thing about this game: As far as player positioning, this game is great. Break out patterns look kind of like break out patterns, player try to park in front of the net, defensemen try to move them away from the front of the net. The game has slowed down some from the 2002 version, and so the stats are a little more reasonable. Player "miss" passes. It seems EA Sports is starting to add some of the detail they've been missing in the pass. Graphics: This game does not look as nice as many other sports titles for XBOX. When I buy an XBOX game I expect alot, and this games graphics are not its strong point. Once you've played 5 games, you've seen everything your ever going to see in the game. This is not bad though. The play gets a little choppy at times, and this annoys me. This game is an obvious port, but it should perform better. Sound: Sounds are great. I don't like announcers so I turn them off in all sports games I play, so I won't comment on whether they are good or bad. I don't care about them. The on-ice sounds are superb. I mean they are very cool. The music is not bad either, in fact I really enjoy the rink music. It even puts up a little bubble to say give the name of the song and the band which is neat. I never give a high rating in sound for a sports game, but this one deserves it. Suggestions: Where is the XBOX Live support? Come on you meatheads!
Overall: Overall this is a good hockey game. For us EA hockey fans, same ol'. Fun play, fast pace, just about the same as 02'. First off, the computer oponent AI is better, but your computer team mates AI is horrible! Probably the worst yet. Pretty much everytime, on the hardest level, if the computer is coming down on a 2 on 2, you can play perfect defence, buy your computer controlled defender, will peel and leave a man wide open in front. EVERY TIME! So pretty much the game is fun, but frustrating, since the game still doesn't play like a true hockey game. Playing on 10 minuted periods, shots are finally coming out closer to real shot totals. I haven't had one game in the 40's and shot totals are more like 28, 29. Graphics are better, play seems better, puck is blocked or misses target more now, which helps make games a little more realistic. Not much more then 2002. I'm a little disapointed, since there are plenty of things that don't make this a better game then 2002. Glass breaks all the time! It's really stupid. There is no game story! This is a bug, or what ever you want to call it, but it's not working. You can see where it should be, the screen looks like it tries to go to a replay, but then just skips by it. That was one of the best things last year. Too many crowd shots, same guy, dancing, eating popcorn. Overall, I like 2002 better. Gameplay: Good action, as realistic as you can find from a hockey game. The computer AI is very good and the game on the difficult level is hard. Beatable, but still hard, probably as hard as it's ever been. Goalies look better and make more realistic saves. Goals are harder to come by, and if you leave the default SHOOTING ACCURACY alone, shots will miss the net more, leaving the shot totals pretty realistic, along with scores of games. The player animations look a little better. A few too many injuries so far, at least 1 a game. Fights are just plain stupid, same look every time, with the same cut scene. I don't know, this is the first hockey game where I was satisfied after a few games. It's just not much different then 2002, without the game story, and too many shots of the crowd. Graphics: To look at the game, you can tell, it's better then 2002. You can see the mesh on players jerseys, the first 3 rows of the crowd all look better. The netting on the goals move better, the puck hitting things looks better. I haven't noticed sticks sticking through boards or players skating right through each other. The players faces look a touch better, not much. And still, EA has left all players, fans, ref's hands stright out. All their fingers are straight, what's up with that? Can't make a fist?
Visually, it's better then last year. Sound: Same stuff as the previous 2 games. A few more things are said on the ice, but same hockey sounds. Same stupid PA announcer, same stupid comentary crew. Outside of a few things, they all pretty much same the same things as last year. Suggestions: The game is probably as good as it's going to get game play wise. But EA has to stop adding stupid replay cams, game breaker meters and wory about making the whole thing more like a real game of hockey. If someone wants over the top junk, go get NHL Hitz, EA NHL games are supposed to be more real, if it's in the game. The lack of story line alone makes this a rent not a buy. And it should make the developers hide their head in shame. How can you let a game hit the shelves and have a game for Xbox, PS2 and PC all have the same problem? It's a slight upgrade over 2002, but not worth $50.
Overall: Really cool game. Deking is so awesome and the goalies AI is 1000 times better than before. I'm very excited about it. So far the NHL cards are really nice, the speed is good too. Gameplay: The Goalies are really good. The puck movement is so much better. Its incredibly realistic, a ton more fun than the first one. Graphics: Great Graphics. The pictures are very good. On ice is really realistic and it seemd like you are actually there. Sound: Good on ice sounds. The music in this years version is unbelieveable. I love how it carries over when your selecting the game and in the menus. Suggestions: Where is the GameStory's? I havent seen them at all yet.
Overall: This game is EXACTLY the same as 2002 , which is not a bad thing (because 2k2 was awesome).This is the only reason why i have rated everything at 4.5 . Gameplay: The same as 2K2. Really enjoyable , a huge lifespan , but you've seen it all before.The only real change is that you have more control of the puck (which makes it harder to control). Graphics: Graphically , i suppose it is a little bit sharper than 2k2 . Still ,nothing to write home about though...... Sound: Some new phrases from the same guys who did 2K2 , some new jokes in there too . The sound effects still the same . You MUST play this game with Dolby 5.1 surround , it is awesome ! Suggestions: think of a way to make 2k4 a bit different.
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