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NHL 2005 and NHL Hitz 2003 were made by the same developers (Black Box, now Black Box EA). I didn't like NHL 2003 and EN:2K3 much. SO, I rented then bought NHL Hitz 2003. It was all arcade hockey, but the skating and goalie animations were awesome. The gameplay was real fun and exciting due to the fast pace, hard hits, and player skating animations. I also played in close with the action camera angle in Hitz 2003. The whole excitement of playing the game made me feel like I was playing real hockey even if it was an arcade game. Hockey is supposed to be an exciting game to play. Hitz 2003 was very fun but quite shallow due to no line changes, no full teams, 3 on 3 hockey, no official rules, no numbers on the sleeves of the jerseys, and no authentic look to the arenas. So, I remember thinking back then, "I would like to see Black Box make an official authentic hockey game but with all the fun hits and fast pace gameplay. And that is what I got this year with NHL 2005. Its got the authentic look, rules, teams, line changes of an EA Sports game and fast pace, hard hitting hockey that I really liked in the Hitz game. I also play with the Action cam this year for that close up hockey feel. The Presentation: The graphics are very good. So good and packed with so much that we can see some slow down during the cut scenes. At least there are cut scenes that are not cut out due to glitches like another hockey game I know. The lower crowds are all 3D, the coaches have real faces, the players faces are very detailed and mouths move. The arenas are pretty authentic and detailed. The gameplay action is fast pace, intense and hard hitting fun. You cannot just skate in and deke around defense. With so much hitting, you are forced to make plays. But -- to me -- that is a good thing. The defense are easy to control this year compared to last year. The open ice control is a cool feature, but I haven't used it much yet. The setting up of different strategies for plays and face offs is fun to use and the AI on your team respond well to it. The only problem that bothers me at rare times is when a player stops responding to the controls and he remains in one spot until he is knocked off the puck. The menus are easy to follow and nice looking this year. Unfortunately, there is no league leaders menus or create a player features this year. EA did make a create a player feature that was not working well, so they pulled the plug on it all together. I miss it, but I am having so much fun with NHL 2005, it just does really matter. The Dynasty mode is deep, but easier to use then I expected. The trading is very easy this year. Other teams are not to hard to trade with. The Bottom Line: Because NHL 2005 has an awesome presentation, great graphical authentic look, fast pace, hard hitting and exciting hockey that I really like, NHL 2005 has become my favorite PS2 hockey game. Because NHL 2005 is so fun and exciting, I would have given it a 10 out of 10. But I give it a 9 out of 10 because it was missing some features such as create a player and league leader menu. I prefer a hitfest over a glitchfest any day.Read full review
Having bought ea’s version of nhl and the 2k series, i was quickly reminded of the competition between the two. Imho, 2k played more closely to actual hockey, while ea’s offering looked prettier. Either way, you cannot go wrong with ps2 hockey. They may have actually been the last gasps of “in the game”, before side games, card collecting, and shiny coats of paint became the norm.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
NHL 2004 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. IF YOU FIND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE. Thank you.
These days, if you're a fan of the sport of hockey and video games, you're living the good life. Developers have been upping the ante on their hockey titles far more substantially in the last few years and are really working hard to make their NHL titles better so they can compete with the NFL, NBA, and MLB offerings. One of the main causes for this increase in quality hockey titles is competition--or a sudden appearance thereof. EA's long-running NHL franchise has always been successful, but last year, Sega finally brought out an NHL title worthy of competing with EA's in NHL 2K3. This year, both companies have clearly worked hard at improving their respective games, each trying to get an edge over the other. ESPN NHL Hockey is the latest in Sega's series, and, for all intents and purposes, it is simply one of the best hockey games ever designed. EA's answer to ESPN is NHL 2004, and, in a few fundamental ways, the game actually does manage to beat out the opposition, though ultimately it falls a bit short of being the best overall package. It's still a really great hockey game in its own right, though. If you've ever played any of the EA NHL games, you'll feel pretty well at home with NHL 2004. Most of the basic controls are the same, but there are a couple of welcome additions. Last year's game introduced the concept of right-analog deking, which lets you dodge and weave between defenders by moving the stick however you may need to. Now, you can use the right stick to check players as well. When on defense, simply skate up to the player you wish to check, and then tap the stick in his direction. Depending on how much momentum you've built up, you can either shove the opposing player off the puck, or you can absolutely crush him into the boards. This checking system does take a bit of getting used to, as you have to be pretty precise in picking your directions for a hit. Overall it works very nicely. Of course, you still have the option of using button-based checking as well. The other new addition to NHL 2004's control scheme is two-button passing. With two-button passing, you can either use a standard pass, or you can use a saucer pass to get the puck to one of your teammates. Saucer passing is useful for getting the puck past defenders, as you can lift the puck off the ice and over an opponent's stick. It's a little looser than a standard pass, but, ultimately, it should be. It's really a great addition, especially when you consider how hard standard passing can be. You have to be very precise in your choice of directions and in the level of power you put behind passes, as defenders are very quick to intercept even slightly mistimed or misdirected passes. Saucer passes still require pretty precise timing, but, directionally, you have a bit more freedom. Another aspect that EA greatly endeavored to upgrade in this year's title was the overall grittiness of the sport. They have done just that! NHL 2004 is a brutal game of hockey, through and through, with bone crunching checks and a greatly improved fighting system. The right analog checking really helps in terms of making it a little more free-form and not restricting you to hitting whoever happens to be right next to you. There's more to it than this system, however, as the game features a gaggle of new hitting and checking animations that are superbly realistic. In fact, every time you send a player crashing to the ice or when you get sent there yourself, you definitely feel it.Read full review
Its a couple years old now so its a great value if you don't need up to date team rosters. I mostly play multiplayer and gameplay hasn't changed much over the years so NHL 04 is perfect for me.
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