Score: 88
Overall User Average: 8.79 / 10 (87.9%)
Gameplay User Average: 8.62 / 10
Graphics User Average: 7.14 / 10
Sound User Average: 7.52 / 10
Nutkicker
Date reviewed: December 15, 2003.
Overall: Pretty good game, plenty of options and good team control. The one thing I dont like is that the golies are soooo good. Most NHL superstars given a open slapshot from the bottom of the circles will score at least 75% of the time...not in this game. The publishers figured they would make the goalies super human to make up for the terrible play of the defensemen. that is not real hockey my friend. I played a whole season and only had one goal against my team(red wings rule) because my goalie would stop everything, forget playing defense just let the goalie stop everything and go for the counter attack...boring
Gameplay: Good controls, especially the advanced option with the modifier button, but the AI sucks. They intercept passes well and can put some passes together fairly well but if you just skate the puck in, you can usually get a scoring chance without being touched. And most of them would be goals in a real game without the SUPERGOALIES
Graphics: Sucks, player faces are terrible and most of the game left me uninspired, gameplay and customization are this games strong points
Sound: Where are the big hits, when you lay one down its like you gave the guy a love tap, lets hear it and feel it so we can get into the game. Best sound effect is the puck hitting the post...Ping
Suggestions: Get some real AI for the forwards and defense, dont let me skate the puck in unchallenged have the D man stand me up at the blue line, at lease make me have to pass to get into the offensive zone...get rid of super golie, its so unrealistic, also work on the slap shot, I couldnt tell the difference between the speed of the wrist and slap shots and the golie couldnt either
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 40 %
Sound: 50 %
quazibono
Date reviewed: December 15, 2003.
Overall: Hockey is a natural choice for a online game, and being a LIVE subscriber I was enticed by it's online prospects.
Gameplay: The gameplay options are of the regular variety, ie; Franchise, Quick Match etc.
The actual gameplay itself is so customizable that no two player settings are ever identicle. That is a good thing, the bad thing is that the interface used is atroshis. Over compartmentalized to say the least.
Graphics: All I can think of, in terms of graphics for this game is N64ish! Horrible, I faintly remember Commodore 64 games that had better visuals than this game. Very poor by XBox standards to say the least. Player models are horrendus, the on ice visuals are usually so dark you can't make out the team your controlling. It's sad when your best graphical feature is the fans, which are very nicely done, compared with those from NHL 2003.
Sound: Exceptable. Commentary is good, on ice sound is par for the course. Nothing to blow you away. Average at best.
Suggestions: Holy, this game looks rushed! The graphics need a major overhall, the customization is the best part. The rest needs work!
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 40 %
Graphics: 20 %
Sound: 50 %
JayMan36
Date reviewed: November 8, 2003.
Overall: Nhl 2k3 was a very solid game. Realistic gameplay. This is the best hockey game of this year and to top it off it has xbox live support. The first hokcey game for live. Still the game had a couple of things that I wasn't to crazy about. They should of called this game espn hockey then nhl 2k3. Everywhere it says espn, even the title screen. The commentary is the worst i probally ever heard in a hockey game. They say just a few things and you hear it over and over again through out the whole game. The game didn't feel totaly complete, there wasn't to many extras or things to unlock. The fights are pathetic, i usally look foward to getting in to fights in hockey games but 2k3 isn't one to look foward to get in. Everything else is great. Its a real challenge to score, i like that, the goalies don't give up goals without a fight, could get a little annoying a times but at other times the puck will find it's way in easily. Another succesful sega sport game. If your looking for a hockey game for the xbox nhl 2k3 blows everything else out of the water, definatly the hockey game to pick over all of the others.
Gameplay: The controls were real easy to get used to. Smooth and solid. The players move just right and get around as excactly as you want them
Graphics: Graphics are decent but not amazing. Every thing looks good and well detailed up close but from a distance it doesn't look that clear. At least the graphics look good up close it is good in that way.
Sound: Another decent aspect of the game, the sound wasn't that great. Sometimes choppy and not that clear. At times the sound can be enjoyable the sound isn't that most important aspect in a hockey game but it being just a little clear could of made the sound more enjoyable.
Suggestions: Make it more of a sega game and not espn, if there wasn't the sega symbol on the case i would have no idea that it was a sega sports game. Hopefully Nhl 2k4 will have extras and feel more like a sega sport game.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
Whisper
Date reviewed: October 31, 2003.
Overall: NHL 2k3 is a very good, almost flawless hockey game by Sega Sports. I have played through 5 full seasons in my time playing the game, and still find myself coming back for more. Where as other hockey games I can easily rack up 10 goals in a game, NHL 2k3 challenges the shooter, and when playing on the hardest skill level, you are lucky if you score 5 times. This game is one of, and will likely remain one of my favourite games of all time.
Gameplay: Being a simulation hockey fan, this game's gameplay amazed me. I have
already mentioned the skill it takes to score a goal, and haven't even
begun to mention all the neat controls. Being able to do your own deke is very fun, not to mention needed to score. Being able to pin a man
against the boards and play the puck with your foot is something new
and refreshing to hockey games. All the standard hockey stuff is there,
big hits, saucer passes, hooking, slashing etc etc.. it's hockey! And
I love it! The only gripe I had against it was it's fighting, very boring, no point
to it. No game on a next-gen console has gotten fights right yet.. the only
game I can remember that had it perfect was NHL 95 on Sega.. christ
that was a long time ago.
Graphics: The graphics aren't very good at all, they are top-level 64-bit graphics
at best, but as I have said before, graphics often mean not much to
me at all.. and they don't mean much here. If you are looking for graphics,
play NHL 2003 by EA Sports, but for good hockey action, play this game.
Sound: I have never liked commentary in sports games, it gets repetitive, but I
don't mind, usually I have it muted and listen to my own music or do
commentary by myself (yes I do that when no one is around). The commentators
in this game (from ESPN) are geeky, I hate them, don't bring them back please. The actual hockey sounds are fine.
Suggestions: Go back to NHL 95 on the Sega and copy their fighitng engine. Get
rid of the !&%$@#* commentators.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 70 %
Manwe17
Date reviewed: October 30, 2003.
Overall: This is by far the greatest hockey game ever,(except for maybe mutant league), Greatest gameplay and control, sound is not great, and visuals are fine for the game.
Gameplay: i loving whupin the crap out of people online, the greatest feeling is wristing a game winning goal in with 3 seconds left to play.
Graphics: Visuals are fine for my preferences, they aren't halo , but there is only one halo....for now.hopeing the next one has better graphics.
Sound: Commentary is so horrible its kinda funny! i love checking the hell out of people though! I WANT TO LISTEN TO MY CDS!!!
Suggestions: LET ME LISTEN TO MY CDS!!!!!!! MAKE 2K4 EVEN BETTER!!!!!!!!
Plus better Live feauters i hate it when ppl pause thae game for as long as they can then unpause then repause again, trying to get you to quit =[
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 80 %
Dukeofspades
Date reviewed: October 25, 2003.
Overall: By far the best hockey game I've played. I even like it more than 2K4.
And Xbox Live gives it an immediate edge over anything from EA.
Gameplay: Very realistic, much more so than EA's NHL series. It's not all about the one-timer, which is a good thing. The gameplay makes this game.
Graphics: Nothing that'll knock your socks off, but not terrible.
But what I want to know is why they made Iginla the blackest man in the world?
Sound: The sound effects are spot-on, but sometimes the commentary is way off. Like when it tells me that my goal on an open net was a "difficult shot". But most of the time, it works just fine.
Suggestions: Yeah, leave the speed boost as the B button. I like that a lot better than the R trigger.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 60 %
Sound: 90 %
flyxboxfly
Date reviewed: October 14, 2003.
Overall: pretty good, at first i didnt like it but it grew on me. ive been playing the ea version since the very first one so the controls where alittle different. but more relistic after you get used to it.
Gameplay: very good, i still cant pin anyone on the boards yet. fun but slow, so i turned up the game playspeed, that fixed that.
Graphics: not great, not bad, the faces arent even close, but the ingame is ok. i would like to see what they have done with thier nfl graphics and make the nhl that pleasing to the eyes.
Sound: oh my, not even in DD. WHAT! come on, you have to do dolby digital. good grief. the sound was not that good. checks, shots, passes. where those made with a keyboard. i will give props for hitting the post, that sounded real.
Suggestions: lets do better guys, i know you can, the sound is horriable.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 60 %
Sound: 30 %
chpalatinus
Date reviewed: September 24, 2003.
Overall: One of the best hockey simulations ever, NHL 2K3 fascinated me from the beginning. I don't know if it was the nice gameplay, the cool graphics, the game modes or the endless possibilities of customization, but this is just overall good stuff. The only thing REALLY annoying is the goalies' strengths. If played in multiplayer mode, you will easily play to scoreless triple overtimes. Although you have the possibility to turn down the goalie's skill, it seems to have no effect whatsoever. But this is about the only glitch that prevents this game being a real fanatastic title.
Gameplay: The controls are fully customizable, with five (or four?) different difficulty settings. Skating is real smooth, although the passing is not quite perfect, and the goalies are way out of this world. Other than that, hats off to a real well done job.
Graphics: It's fun to look at the replays where you can zoom into the players' faces and get a real nice closeup of evry play. Also the reflection on the ice and the trails of the skates are well visible and nicely done.
Sound: The commentary is fun at the beginning but gets annoying with time. It's the same all over and all over again. On the other hand, the crowd is really into the game and fits the flow of the game.
Suggestions: Make the goalies more realistic. It's no fun when you play a two-on-two with your friends and the game remains scoreless for 1 hour. Games like this should be about scoring goals.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
Sam_Fisher*
Date reviewed: February 4, 2003.
Overall: I think this game was very well made. The gameplay is really good and its online capabilities are kick A$$! The graphics are very good for a hockey game and overall i think its one of, if not the best, hockey games i've ever played!
Gameplay: The gameplay is probably the best part of the game. Its quite hard to score on the goalies unlike some other games I've played and its just...well, fun to play!
Graphics: The graphics are a huge improvement from other hockey games I've played. If you look closely enough you can even see the reflection of the scoreboard on the ice!
Sound: The sound was well.. the usual. Almost all of the sports games I've played always have announcer's that get quite annoying after they say the same thing 3 times in one game. But i mean who cares its the announcer. It doesn't take a lot of effort to go to sound options and shut him up anyway.
Suggestions: Make more moves that the player can do when he has the puck and get a new announcer. Or at least give him some new quotes!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
RedWinGsRule91
Date reviewed: January 13, 2003.
Overall: OK, u got to set one thing straight before buying this game..... are u a hockey fan and how much of hockey fan are u? becouse if u dont like all the nooks and crany's of a hockey game then dont buy this one,but if u love and live for the sport GET IT, becouse u will be amazed at the acurate AI and the way u can battle out for the puck neat the boards while being not even close to the play, the computer playrs are so much smarter that i think u will injoy that the best, deep franchise mode keeps u in the game for ever..... and OVER ALL ITS A 5 big time , unless u want big hitz and lots of goals u should stick with HITZ
Gameplay: game play is so nice, its smooth and AI is just awesome, scoring is hard, but it comes with the game, i really love the aspect of the game having to play it near the boards and battle for every puck and every shot, becouse u just never know when it might go in, the golies are a little bit cruel 2 u, becouse for example brouder shut me out 3 games on all-star... i had my payback on rookie :), well its just awesome to have only 34 shots after a 60 minute game, i mean u should definatly make a powerplay count, and deflections are usefull 2, becouse computer actualy screens golies and doesnt go offside , but does take penalties. 1v1 with a golie now has been made not a 100% goal or even 10% lol, its all how good u are, golies are brakeable!!!!
Graphics: yea the overhead view i liked the most becouse it lets u see alot of ice, and u need to be able to see alot of ice, the hitz arnt all that WOW, but they arent all WOW in real life eather, this is a SIM u know, well everything looks alright, nothign 2 special, the puck doesnt stay on the stick at all the time eather but its only seen on replays, i had hard time knowing who has the puck when playing wiht friends, oh and u CAN check ur own teammate hehe, i love the replays and the game and golies look awesome, but the players look little bit tiny compared to the ice, but i dont think any game is perfect.
Sound: umm i didnt get to hear alot of sound so im not goign to say anything, but i did love the ESPN set up and its music 2, i have to give props for that , it brings warm and cosey feelings of watching a hockey game on TV, BUT i would love a ESPN comintator on the game DAM It, i dont understand how people who make these games not ever complete a game fully, somethign is always left out and i want to know why, dont u guys play the game before u send it into pro
Suggestions: ummmm MAKE GAMES COMPLETE, TEST IT TO REAL KIDS, and for GOD'S SAKE GIVE MORE OF WAHT WE LOVE, little rock music wouldnt hurt... little more detail to faces and players... LITTLE more detail to everything never hurts anyone, i rate this game wihtout seeing LIVE part of it, so it only must be better......
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
Ghoohie
Date reviewed: January 9, 2003.
Overall: def. the best hockey game ever. (and the only one w/ XBox Live)
Gameplay: Gameplay is the best. pinning people against the walls and doing stuff that none of the other hockey games have. There is a setting that you can change for every little part of this game so you can make it just how you like it
Graphics: Not great but not bad. Just good. EA def. has better visual but that is it
Sound: w/ dolby 5:1, every game gets a 5
Suggestions: visuals like in the other 2K games would make this amazing. everybody's favorite hockey game
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 100 %
RathitzTretz
Date reviewed: January 8, 2003.
Overall: Average game. Nothing special about it. I'm sick and !&%$@#* ing tired of all these ported games that look like they should be on the PS2!!!! For God's sake Sega!! Sega is the worst company in this department, every single one of their sports games have graphics that blow !&%$@#* !! EA is a little bit better, but they don't offer online play to Xbox!!
Gameplay: Again, nothing special. I never really got into it. When I make a big hit, I want to see it happen slower, not all of a sudden the guy you hit is on his back. The game clock is horrible, especially when you have a power play and the "2:00" goes by in about 20 seconds.
Graphics: Horrible. This is the one reason I hate all of Sega's games (hopefully Panzer Dragoon Orta won't disappoint us). There is absolutely no detail in anything. Especially the faces, they suck horribly. This looks just like 2k2 and it is obviously a port.
Sound: Why isn't there more of a sound when I make a big hit? Come on!! I want to hear some crashing!! Sometimes there isn't even a noise (actually, most of the time there isn't, and when there is it is too faint to hear). And the announcing SUCKS. Come on, I need to hear some jokes or something. These guys say the same exact thing over and over and over again and I'm getting sick and tired of it.
Suggestions: I need new announcers who actually get into the game and tell jokes!! This announcing is too repetetive!! Stop making this game look like a !&%$@#* ed port. Make it better for the Xbox, use it's power. I want better puck physics!! Make it so that the puck actually is in front of the stick rather than just randomly floating near it and when I pass it goes to the player without my player actually making contact, same with shooting. I need more sound, like when I hit, and especially I need more graphics. Sega should stop making sports games for the Xbox, they suck.
Overall: 60 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 50 %
Sound: 60 %
EvilTed
Date reviewed: January 7, 2003.
Overall: Best hockey game available for the XBox. I've played them all, and this one is the best. If you like hockey, and I mean real hockey, you will like this.
Gameplay: Superb player action and animations. The game is the closest thing to how hockey is really played that I've seen on the console. Players play in there positions, but will leave there positions if they see an opportunity.
The goalies are unscoreonable at first but after a few weeks of practice, I was scoring a reasonable amount of goals per game.
Graphics: The ESPN presentation is nice. The player animations are outstanding. I love to watch some of the goalie saves in slow motion. They can be outrageous.
Sound: Its a hockey game for god's sake. Who cares about the sound. I did have to turn off the announcers, but I usually end up doing that with any sports game.
Suggestions: I would like to see the results for all league games in franchise or season mode. I would like to switch between season and playoff stats when the playoffs begin.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 60 %
kornavs19
Date reviewed: January 4, 2003.
Overall: Great game..If you like realistic hockey games this is it.This is as real as it can get.Its like your watching a game on espn.
Gameplay: Very realistic. Low scoring games just like the real NHL.Not like those arcade games when your getting 20 goals.The game may be slow, but you can adjust that in the options menu, also the camera zoom can be changed to your likeng there too.
Graphics: Looks descent.Very detailed.In create a player there are so many descriptive features that go into it.The players look pretty real, the arenas look great, the crowd may need a little work but its still good.
Sound: The sound is great.The sound of the crowd roars to pump you up to score that goal you want.The sound of the checks are awesome, sounds real.When the puck hits the post it sounds real,the commentry is great and knows whats going on in the game and not just saying anything.They can be a bit delayed on some plays but for the most part its great
Suggestions: Better and more camera angles and better fights.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 100 %
alien_69
Date reviewed: January 2, 2003.
Overall: This is a great hockey game. Sega's done a good job by adding stuff like pinning players to the boards. the best feature that my brother and i find invaluable is the ability to play on xbox LIVE. we both like to play hockey, but like to play on the same team against AI, and now, we can both play on the same team against other people which is great.
As a side note: i stopped buying EA's sports years ago, so this review doesn't compare this game to EA's but just rates Sega's NHL as an experience on its own.
Gameplay: you can choose to play with all the rules, or if you need to get a quick game in, you can disable some rules that slow the game down. a nice thing we've seen is the shots taken graph, which shows where your scores and shots are coming from and where your opponent is shooting and scoring on you.
my brother claims to get better checks from the defensemen than forwards but I need to put more time on defence to try that out.
Graphics: the arenas are superb. the lighting especially when they do intros is great. camera angles are all there for simlulating that broadcast feel. you also have several choices what view you play the game from.
i have to say that NHL HITZ has better faces on the players in that game tho.
Sound: if i had a good sound system i could rate this better.. to me most games reach a peak pretty fast on stereo speakers from the television.
i'd say the commentary is average to what i was expecting from a sports game.
Suggestions: Sega should keep supporting XBox LIVE in the future releases. it adds more value to your game.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 90 %
justinmorris4
Date reviewed: January 1, 2003.
Overall: this game is garbage i never really been a big fan of hocky and this game proves why. i liked some parts though like the fights and the graphics but everything else was sad.
Gameplay: the game was ok it had a nice opening and when u win the championship u really dont get anything like in other games
Graphics: the graphics were great i really like them u can see a lot of stuff that u usually cant see in other games
Sound: the sound sounded like a dead dog it was not good at all i hate the sound of ice and that not a bad thing cause u couldnt hear it anyway
Overall: 60 %
Gameplay: 40 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 60 %
icepik_69
Date reviewed: December 25, 2002.
Overall: incredible game, i've play 2K2 for dreamcast and it was STILL amazing, way to go Sega Sports! keep it up
Gameplay: realistic hockey is the way to appeal to all th fans ea sports has stolen because we had nothing better to play
Graphics: nice to have something different than EA Sports for a change, very nice graphics, menu's and i really like the goalies mask when selecting teams
Sound: great sound effects, commentating is a bit off, but the sound effects really do make up for it all .
Suggestions: keep thinking of new things that EA SPORTS hasn't and you will keep your reputation good. Just like how they stole ur diving on the ice move from NHL 2k2 and used it on NHL 2003.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
J Dub
Date reviewed: December 20, 2002.
Overall: This game is great for those of you who enjoy a realistic hockey game, and it is great for those of you who just want to play an online hockey game this year. If you do not have Xbox Live or you do not particularly enjoy the simulation aspect of this game, then this one may not be the choice for you. It is far from perfect and has some nagging features, but in my opinion is still the best hockey game of 2003.
Gameplay: The game plays very realistically, but it could be a problem for some people. Myself, I love it. But if you enjoy a more arcade experience, you should probably get EA's NHL 2003 instead. NHL 2K3 has a slower, more methodical feel to it. Some of the arcade aspects are still present, namely the hits. Although they still remain fairly realistic, they still happen more often than in real hockey and are really forceful. Another great aspect of this game is that it is the only hockey game this year that supports Xbox Live. Online is really fun with this game and it gives some constant competition when the computer doesn't offer it anymore. There are a few things that kind of anger me. It seems very difficult, actually impossible, to change your goalie in the middle of a game. You also can't change your strategies during in the middle of a game unless you cycle through them while in the middle of your plays. You can't even change them during a stoppage of play.
Graphics: The visual appeal is decent, but nothing spectacular. EA's NHL 2003 takes the cake in this department, but graphics do not make a game spectacular. Gameplay does. So please refer to my above comments.
Sound: The sound is another thing that could use some work. While everything sounds realistic and great, there are a few nagging issues. Mostly it is the music that plays during a stoppage. None of the music is a rock and roll sort of style that you usually hear at a hockey game. Instead it's techno-sounding. This gets under my nerves, especially when the same song plays 3 or 4 times every game. But despite this, the in-game sounds such as the skating, shooting, horns, etc. all sound incredibly realistic. Also, the commentating is great, except for the comments they make nearing the end of the game. At every face off they will say "winning face offs becomes even more important at the end of the game", and things like that. Seems kinda odd when they repeat it so often.
Suggestions: The graphics need to be much better. The Xbox is capable of so much more, but only if you take advantage of it. The music could also use a lot of work. You never hear techno music at hockey games. You hear rock and roll. Music that pumps you up! Also, fix the commentators. They tend to repeat themselves a lot. Finally, please make it easier to change options in the middle of a game such as changing your goalie or changing strategies.
Overall: 80 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 70 %
Haloandfevergod
Date reviewed: December 17, 2002.
Overall: Hockey is hockey but in this game there was no certain way you score (Hitz 1-timer, 2003 Slap) this was just toss and net and prey. i guess it was ok but hard to get into when you have Recon and Unreal Sitting next to you :-)
Gameplay: Xbox Live = Great this game would be nothing to me if it didn't have xbox live the trading modes are ok but not reasonable i traded Zigmund Palffy for Jagr ya proud of me i think i got a deal :-)
Graphics: Crap thats just what i thought when i played for the first time ..... is there a way to change the camra or something because for some reason it looks like Playstation 2 garbage
Sound: i played this with the sound off but i could imagin commentary since i was actually saying it so i give it a 5 just because i was so good at the commentary
Suggestions: GRAPHICS!!!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 80 %
Graphics: 60 %
Sound: 100 %
wweomaniac
Date reviewed: December 7, 2002.
Overall: Hehe... When I gave this game its excitement rating, it was way before they announced that this game would be Xbox Live Compatible. After I learned it was, I just lost interest in NHL 2003 and became interested in 2k3. This game is fairly good. I mean, its amazing! Sega has made major changes their sports games to improve them, and Live compatibility it just one of them.
Gameplay: This is the first NHL game I've ever owned for console. I'm so used to playing it on PC, but getting use to it has been so easy. Left and Right triggers are deek, and thats brilliant. Its cool how you can push a guy onto the boards, and the ability to kick the puck while you're on the boards. The controls are pretty well laid out. I haven't really ventured far into this game except for playign it online and "quick game" with friends, but its already really fun.
Graphics: The graphics are nice, but I don't think they're as nice as the NHL 200* graphics. The goalie pads look nicer in this game and so does the audience. I think they should use more real goalie masks though. I'm not sure if all of them are generic, but a few of them are.
Sound: Announcers sound cool. But sometimes they can say the wrong things at the wrong time, but that can be expected of any sports game. Normal arena sounds... ESPN music in the background...
Suggestions: I heard NHL 2003 had "matrix-like" slow motion replays... think n2k3 should add some of that. The faces could also be worked on a bit.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
larry_chimp_man
Date reviewed: December 7, 2002.
Overall: A great hockey sim that really demonstrates the player attributes and personality well. Great puck physiscs also.
Gameplay: Great. Goalies are a bit too good but other than that this gameplay is awesome. Also pinning is a good addition over NHL 2003.
Graphics:
The graphics seem sub-par. The players have good builds, but their faces just look horrible. Also the movement can be choppy at times.
Sound:
Commentary is pretty good. Sometimes they really describe the play well and inform the player of career highlights.
Suggestions:
Better Commentary and Graphics. And a total re-haul on the XBOX LIVE area of the game.
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 80 %
John Obie
Date reviewed: December 6, 2002.
Overall: This is the best game out right if you like to play hockey. What can I say this game is a Xbox Live game, that says it all.
Gameplay: Very easy to get used to the controls, and when you do start playing it on Live. What are you waiting for go get this game now,your missing out on all the bragging rights.
Graphics: The graphics are ok but then again I'm looking for better gameplay and this game has it all. So go get it now.
Sound: The sound is great. Just crank up the surround sound system and raise some hell with the neighbors, They'll love you for it.
Suggestions: Sega your doing a Great job with all your LIVE sports games.You switched me over to your side . Electronics Arts is history, won't buy another game from them untill they get with some Live game support. In the meantime there losing money from me.Keep up the good work
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 100 %
Sound: 100 %
icepick11
Date reviewed: December 6, 2002.
Overall: The reviewers before me have pretty much summed it up. The menus suck but once you are on the ice...you forget all about the menus.
Gameplay: The gameplay itself is amazing with the exception of the menus and the friggin line changing. This game is so much better than EA. With EA any jerkoff with a stick can make a goal. NHL 2K3 makes you work for it.
Graphics: The graphics are par. Nothing spectacular. The camera angle is very anoying. There is no middle camera angle it is either really high or really low.
Sound: The sound is also par. This game didn't fully use the XBOX but it does finally bring a good hockey game to the XBOX.
Suggestions: FIX THE CAMERA ANGLES!!!!!
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 90 %
Graphics: 80 %
Sound: 90 %
elderbroom
Date reviewed: December 6, 2002.
Overall: Overall, this shows to be a serious contender for Electronic Arts NHL 200x Series. The hockey is better and more realistic, that is without a doubt. But this game (not hockey, but the actual game) is not near as polished as the EA version. The menus and setup interface to trade, edit lines, and sign players is horrible. Everything here that surrounds the actual hockey game is pretty bad .. however the hockey game itself is leaps and bounds beyond the EA version. And since I was not looking for a Roster Manager .. I am willing to overlook it (this year), and just enjoy the game over LIVE! But many areas for improvement ... I see EA's ship sinking.
Gameplay: Well this is the Perfect 5.0, the gameplay handles very well. The game is close enough to a simulation to give me the hockey I want, with the video game enjoyment. It's far enough from the crap that EA has been reselling us every year .. to have earned my $70 CDN. The game has lots of appeal, and playing LIVE! just tops it all off.
Graphics: The game looks good, there are room for improvements on the equipment detail and stadium detail .. however on-ice this game looks great. The 0.5 was taken off this score for the horrible menus and interface to the off-ice portion. Edit Line, Roster Manager, Trades, Create Player .. are all just horrible. They look bad, and don't navigate well either.
Sound: The sounds in the game are great. The announcers need to be more interactive .. Take a note from EA on this .. it was something they got right .. just don't use their colour commentary .. because it's not funny there, and won't be funny here either ... However the puck on the post and boards, makes me feel like I'm at the game.
Suggestions: Hmm .. MENUS, navigational interface during off-ice portion of the game. The menus are horrible. Editing Line, Roster Management, Creating Players is really bad. And what's with only being able to Create Players (or save anything) with only using 9 characters .. I have 10 characters in my lastname 'ELDERBROOM', therefore have to result to 'ELDRBROOM' as my players lastname ... Same for saved Franchises, User Options .... This makes no sense. There really needs to be a Create Team option ... Overall great game .. but please note, Hockey Fans .. are REALLY REALLY detail oriented. Give us the PERFECT HOCKEY GAME, that EA has not been able to deliver us .. and we are ALSO LOYAL ... Can't wait for NHL 2K4 ...
Overall: 90 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 90 %
Sound: 80 %
ARONO129
Date reviewed: November 24, 2002.
Overall: The AI is bang on. The way the players and puck move is the best I've seen in any hockey game.There is a deep franchise mode and best of all it's not an arcade game like EA's NHL 2003.
Gameplay: The AI is incredable and makes up for the games faults. You can even pin the puck and players on the boards. Puck physics are excellent as well. The way the players move,check an fall is very realistic.
Graphics: The graphics are good but don't match the effort put in to the rest of the game. This game does not take advantage of the Xbox's superior graphics. Skin tones are a bit of and there is no expression in the players faces. Camera angles need to be lower and closer. As I mentioned the AI and physics make up for this.
Sound: If if just can't stand the horrid Don Taylor jokes in EA's version then this games is a welcome treat. The play by play announcer will ask the color commentary announcer a question and then nothing. No answer. This has to be fixed. Music and organ sounds are fine. Crowd sounds good too.
Suggestions: Lower the camera angles with closer views. Put effort into the graphics next year. Don't become another EA. If you put the same effort into the graphics in this game that you did in NFL or NBA 2K3 then this game would be perfect. Fix the commentary. When one announcer asks the other a question, it should be answered. I like the game but Sega you can do better. Especially since this game came out a month after EA's version.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 40 %
Sound: 70 %
Pipetender
Date reviewed: November 23, 2002.
Overall: First off I returned this game because it stunk. NHL2003 is a lot better. Pretty good game, not great. Poor graphics but solid gameplay. Can play franchise mode or Sega Sports Challenge.
Gameplay: Very smooth, goalies have awesome saves. Intro is very cool but they don't play the whole anthem. The pinning option works very well, too. A little hard to score, but what you gonna do?
Graphics: Graphics are just plain bad. :( Goalie leg pads look very bad and the sides are jagged. Ice looks nice when you skate on it. GRAPHICS STINK!
Sound: Nothing special. Basic sound, goal horns are sweet. Skating sounds are extremely repetitive (sp?) But thats about it; taking a slap shot sounds kinda like a gun shot. :(
Suggestions: Improve graphics and make the players bigger.
Overall: 70 %
Gameplay: 70 %
Graphics: 50 %
Sound: 60 %
CrazyKane
Date reviewed: November 23, 2002.
Overall: This is by far the best hockey game out there. It take a different approach than EA does and proves that Sega is better than EA. The thing that makes this game a must pick ist the XBOX live feature.
Gameplay: Game play is very smooth and the tempo of the game is great. The controls are not that tough to get used to if you have played hockey games in the past.
Graphics: This game is not the best looking game at all, not even close. But ask yourself a question, do you want a game that is just pretty to look at and sucks to play, or a game that look ok but plays great. This game is about hockey, not looks.
Sound: The sound is ok, but not great. The checks would have felt better if the sound thumped a little more, and the post shot are not that breathtaking. But again the gameplay makes up for all that.
Suggestions: Work on the graphics engine and the sound and fine tune the online mode. Make ranked games with fixed options like NFL 2K3, and work on the voice chat. The game played great online, but the Voice can be choppy at times. Here is some advice for online players, turn you voice mask off, it will help the communication.
Overall: 100 %
Gameplay: 100 %
Graphics: 70 %
Sound: 80 %
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