NHL 2004

THE BAD:
Clunky Checking System
Dumb Goalies
Boring Commentary

SUMMARY:
NHL 2004 is better than the other games in the series and it's very addicting but, it's still got a lot of flaws that have been fixed in the past and brought back. Many things that were good in NHL 2002 like the ease of checking an opponent and the funny commentary have been replaced with crap. The checking system is clunky at best, you can line up a perfect check and unload on a guy and your player just bumps off the guy or makes him stumble while the comp can lay hits every 2 seconds. They also replaced Don Taylor with a guy who makes Pat Summeral sound exciting and he's supposed to be the color analyst! The worst thing has to be the goalies though, I've played around 50 games and in about 10 the comp scored on me because my goalie got the puck behind his leg and backed up till he knocked it in. WTF!

Enough of the bad there is some good, when you do eventually lay a good hit players fly through the air losing helmets and occasionally crashing through glass. The fighting is no longer flat handed jabs like in the other games now you can block hit stomach shots and use weak and strong head blows. The graphics and skating animations are stunning and they got rid of the jersey jiggle that was annoying in 2002 but, not bad in 03'. It's addicting and fun, yet far from a 5.

THE BAD:
No all Star game (booo), Early stages of Dynasty mode (older players are useless in dynasty mode), No indication injury length (vital information)

SUMMARY:
This is the most true to life hockey title ever released. Improvments can be made to certain areas of the game such as adding a playable allstar weekend in Dynasty mode. Other things of note are when starting a Dynasty you will be playing with a severe handicap until you earn sufficient GM experience points (which can take a couple of seasons to do). Because of this you may never use such older players as Sakic, Lemieux, etc.... to their full potetial in this game mode. There is also consistent way to check players injury progress. The injury length scrolls across the bottom of the screen briefly for acouple of days after the injury, this makes it difficult to check on a player several weeks ofter the injury. Still the best Hockey game EVER!

THE BAD:
-Gameplay
-AI
-Goalie animations
-Passing
-Inaccurate sliders
-Non-dynamic gameplay
-No non-NHL selectable custom team jerseys

SUMMARY:
EA NHL 2004 is easily the worst, most frustrating hockey game I have ever played. Its lack of realistic gameplay made me want to kill the people who dishonored hockey in this way. First of all, 99% percent of goals have to come in the following ways:

-Weak shot right as you're crossing the blue line
-One timer through the crease
-Skate parallel through the crease, watch the goalie do nothing, score

Goalie animations? What goalie animations? Apparently diving saves, stacking the pads, and other great gaves don't exist. Oh, and we wanted to mention that goalies never let goals in through the five hole. But let's not overlook the newest feature of the EA NHL games franchise--"Bruise Control". Bruise Control boils down to that you're going to encounter about forty open-ice hits per game, despite turning AI aggression and hitting power all the way down. Want to see one of the Sedin brothers level Hatcher? No problem. Dandenault stuffing Bertuzzi through the glass? Ain't no thang. Keep in mind though, any time you try to take a slapshot, players will rush you and attempt to throw a big hit, just like in real life.

But the part that takes the cake, (and I'm not sure if EA was trying to make a statement about the quality of hockey in the NHL today with this) is the ridiculous amount of hooking by the AI. Go ahead. Turn "puck control" and AI aggressiveness to their minimum. It won't save you. Every time you're on some kind of amazing, potentially game-winning breakaway, if a player is within fifteen feet of you, you can guarantee that they'll have their stick on you, preventing you from using that cool deking system. We're not just talking about a weak, ineffective hook. We're talking about hockey players being the strongest people in the world, being able to derive amazing leverage and power, despite being on skates, and despite "hooking effectiveness" being turned all the way down. Say goodbye to those dreams of making pretty, unique plays. Taking a slap-shot at an open net to seal the game? Sorry, the puck got stripped, too bad. Feel like unleashing one of Hull's patented one-timers past Osgood? Aw shucks...you got hooked just as you were about to receive the pass, and no penalty was called. Gee whiz.

Buy ESPN NHL Hockey by Sega. That is all.

THE BAD:
You can only use the analog (joystick) when playing, bad updates on injuries and for how long the injuries are. No All Star game!

SUMMARY:
At first I was skeptical about this game. I did not want to learn to play a new game with the analog stick that I have been playing with the D pad for such a long time, since 91. After a little getting used to this game has become addicting. All of the other games keep the player attributes the same, well in Dynasty mode you start at a lower level and have to work up to your potential. This makes this game more amazing than ever.

The gameplay is faster, the CPU is smarter, including the goalies, and the way the passes are made have improved drastically. Now you are able to pass up the boards, and saucer pass. If your rookie player is not doing so well, check your scouting report, then send him to the minors to gain experience and call him up when he's ready. You have access to the finances and every aspect of the game as real life, including ticket prices, and upgrades to your facilities. Now you can scout players in the draft during the season. Another new feature for NHL 2004.

Online play is also available for this game. Playing against other poeple is always better than playing against the computer.

Overall a must buy for any hockey fan!

THE BAD:
Dynasty Mode No blood, when you get a hit

SUMMARY:
This game is great but the real upst is the Dynasty mode, When you get a upgrade you get 1 1 1 1 1 point like thsts going to do something and you need like 50 wins to ge a upgrade I on average score 15 goals a game and i get 1 upgrade point that is a put down.In NHL 2005 I hope if ypu are a bad GM you get fired like madden 2004 but EA sports hockey is 100% better then 989 Sports hockey.I really do like this game for the graphics, hitting, Should be blood and injures for a big hit agaist the boards. Thtank you EA Sports for such a great game. :)

THE BAD:
Defence Think Their Offence
Offence Think Their Defence

SUMMARY:
Gameplay:7.8/10

the gameplay is much better than nhl 2003 with slower more realistic gameplay. The skating looks pretty realistic too. What doesn't impress me is that the computer isn't as good as should be. An example of this is when your defence pretend to be forwards and your forwards think their defence. The hitting makes up for this with the all new hitting and fighting engine.


Graphics:8.2/10

The graphics are majourly improved, atleast i think and with 3d players and better fan looks and arena looks the graphics are one of the best parts of this game.


Dynasty Mode:9.0/10

The dynasty mode is great but could be better-take madden 2004 for example. The players after a few years want unbeliveable contracts that are up to 45 million for 2 years!!! Best part of the game.



Value:6.7/10

This game is worth getting and is really fun but i wouldn't highly recommend it to anybody unless they really like hockey. If your a hockey fan like me this game is the one to go for!!!



My Rating:3.7/5-Almost Awesome!!!!

THE BAD:
Cheesy Off-sides
Analog Control Only

SUMMARY:
NHL 2004 is by far the best EA hockey game made. Every year they promise improvements and I get all excited only to have my hopes dashed when the improvements are minor. This year, the promised a better game and they delivered. Everything from the graphics/cutscenes to checking to realistic puck physics is improved over the previous versions of the game. They finally improved the goalie AI as well! No more diving across the screen on their heads to make saves even Brodeur or Roy could never make!

The game does take a while to get used to as the control scheme is completely different than the past games. If you feel comfortable with the analog sticks, you won't have a problem. For people who prefer the d-pad (like me), it will take some time to master.

Overall, this is the most detailed, deep, true-to-life hockey game EA has ever made. It isn't perfect, but it definitely shows EA is committed to provided a great gaming experience. The depth of this game will keep you coming back for more!