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.
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The new dynasty mode lets you perform many tasks that a real-life NHL general manager would.Īnother aspect that EA greatly endeavored to upgrade in this year's title was the overall grittiness of the sport. Saucer passes still require pretty precise timing, but, directionally, you have a bit more freedom. 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. It's really a great addition, especially when you consider how hard standard passing can be. It's a little looser than a standard pass, but, ultimately, it should be. 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. 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. The other new addition to NHL 2004's control scheme is two-button passing. Of course, you still have the option of using button-based checking as well. 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. 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. When on defense, simply skate up to the player you wish to check, and then tap the stick in his direction. Now, you can use the right stick to check players as well. 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. Most of the basic controls are the same, but there are a couple of welcome additions. If you've ever played any of the EA NHL games, you'll feel pretty well at home with NHL 2004. NHL 2004 is an excellent follow-up to last year's NHL 2003, improving a number of key gameplay and graphics aspects. It's still a really great hockey game in its own right, though.
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. 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. This year, both companies have clearly worked hard at improving their respective games, each trying to get an edge over the other. 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.
One of the main causes for this increase in quality hockey titles is competition-or a sudden appearance thereof. 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. These days, if you're a fan of the sport of hockey and video games, you're living the good life.