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About this product
Product Information
The longest-running hockey franchise in video games returns to the Xbox with a more robust Dynasty Mode, redesigned color commentary, a new fighting system, and full support of the right analog stick for both decking and checking. Budding General Managers can help upgrade their team's rink, practice facilities, coaching staff, and front office with experience points earned by winning games. As players spend more and more points on upgrades, the team will gradually increase its attributes and will be more likely to attract other free agents and draft picks to the city.
Another enhanced feature is the fighting engine, which is no longer a button-mashing substitute for boxing. Players will be able to chain moves from a grappling position, offering more strategic possibilities during encounters instead of rewarding those with quick reflexes. The collisions that often lead to fights have also been juiced up with more dramatic camera angles and new motion-captured animation. To help maintain its position as the best-selling hockey series, NHL 2004 fixes a number of presentation issues and promises a more realistic experience with computer players individually reacting to in-game situations rather than preset strategies.
Players who grimaced at NHL 2003's humorous approach to color commentary will be pleased to hear that Don Taylor has been replaced with ex-NHL player Craig Simpson, who offers a more traditional take on analysis. In addition to all 30 NHL teams from the 2003-2004 season, NHL 2004 offers 20 national teams as well as an international league composed of 39 teams from Germany, Sweden, and Finland.
If you like Defensive hockey this game is for you!!
NHL 2004
If you like Defensive hockey this game is for you!!
This game introduced the Dynasty mode to the EA Sports NHL series. NHL 2004 focused on a more defensive gameplay model. Scoring goals was pretty difficult at first but once you master the controls the game got pretty easy.
The game also included an updated fighting system and a manual deke control button. The figthing was great but the manual deke button made the game look very choppy and extremely amateur.
Final Verdict:
3/5
Rent or Buy?: If you're looking for a good hockey game from this era of EA Sports video games, pick up NHL 06 or even NHL 07. This game was good, but doesn't compare to those two.
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Fun; shows its age but there's enough here to make it an enjoyable change-of-pace not just a regression
A seminal game in the NHL franchise; the first time you could bank the puck off a goalie rather than it teleporting into his mitt the instant it touched any part of his body. The first time a goalie could make an impossible save and I was impressed by the save rather than feeling the game cheated.
I mean, it's from 2004; the graphics are good... for 2004. It's clearly aged in many ways, but it's still fun to play. And even some of the "problems" are interesting wrinkles, the downside of the less polished draft classes and players (no player types, relatively basic stats, uninteresting player potential), no AHL teams, at least make it *different* than the newer games in the series. If it was the same, just less polished in every area, then it wouldn't be worth playing. But the differences aren't simply a matter of caliber, NHL 2004 had a different approach to the series. The GM is as deep as its every been, and the gameplay is mostly realistic compared to, say, an arcade-style game like Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey, but there's enough of an arcade-feel to it that I'm less bothered by unrealistic moments.
Also, the other team commits penalties and gets called for it. Not enough, but much more frequently than in today's games; you're not going to have 1 PP per game.Read full review
some times u get a diamond in a ruff from EA games!!!
I not crazy about EA games as a software company!!! but some time even tho they are rare times!!! they put out a really great game & I have a hard time saying that about a EA games game but this one is one of those games that is a must have hockey game if u are a sports fan or a hockey fan it is loaded with everything u can imagine in a hockey I think EA games when releasing this game they must of had mind laps or fell on there heads what ever the case might be it's a really well made hockey game