ESPN NHL Hockey

List Price: $49.99 Discount Price: $4.99

Features:

• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Sports
• Mission: Lightening-fast hockey delivers a puck's-eye view of the action

Accessories:
PlayStation: The Official Magazine (1-year)	Electronic Gaming Monthly	Play	Tips & Tricks Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Stick with 2003 [Posted on 2004-02-25]
First off, let me start out by saying that the online aspect of this game is simply awful. Sega must fix it's network or else be laughed out of the online business. If you're used to the smooth play of Madden 2004 online, don't expect anything close to that w/ this game. The play runs very sluggish and freezes often in the middle of a game, it isn't my connection either because many people complain of the same problems.
Secondly, 2003's version had better game play. The checking was better last year, this year's players move very fast and are difficult to get a good hit on. It is very easy to score on one timers but nearly impossible to score w/ slap shots. They got rid of the slide move that you could do to block shots also for some odd reason.
All in all you're better off staying with 2003 and trying out NHL 2004 by EA Sports, they probably have a better online network.

Great fund, but has some problems [Posted on 2004-03-26]
Just like any game, this game has good points and bad points, but overall it is a fantastic game. One of the best parts of the game are the graphics. The close-ups of the players actually look like that player. Also, at the start of a period the ice is clear and shiny, but by the end it is milky and dull, just like an actual ice surface during an NHL game. Gameplay is great and there are sliders for just about everything, so you can adjust the gameplay to as easy or as difficult as you want. The puck movement and player movement is so life like, you would swear you were at the game. The crowd has team specific and player specific chants that it will use during the game, which gives the game more realism.
But now the bad points: Bad Point #1: INJURIES, INJURIES, $%@# INJURIES. Unlike last year's game, there is no slider for injuries, which is greatly needed due to the frequency and duration of the injuries in this game. I am a huge New York Rangers fan and I am currently playing in Franchise mode (which is awesome) and the injuries are ridiculous. At one point, my top four centers were injured (Lindros, Holik, Nedved and Messier) so I traded and got Marchant and Weight and lost both to injuries. Weight was only out 3 weeks, but 6 minutes into his first game back I lost him for 2-4 months with a knee injury. Come on, this is getting frustrating. These injuries were in addition to Bure, Kovalev, Lacatoure, Leetch, Kasparitis, Poti, Karpa, and a few others. All of them were on the DL at the same time. The only options for injuries are off and on. I like the realism that injuries bring to the game, but injuries happen way too often to be realistic.
Bad Point #2: Goalie passing. Can someone please teach my goalie how to pass the puck to his teammate that is only 5 feet away? The goalies only connect on about 10% of their passes, which leads to lots of turnovers in your defensive end and lots of excellent scoring chances for the other team.
Bad Point #3: While overall the commentary is very good, sometimes you wonder which game the commentators are watching. For example, several times I have heard the commentators say "the goalie's best friend the post bailed him out that time", but I scored on the play and the puck never hit the post. Also, they will say "lots of nice moves on that play, but he forgot to put the biscuit in the basket", this while they are announcing who scored the goal and assisted on it.
While there are some problems that I would like to see fixed, they don't detract greatly from the overall enjoyment of the game. I have played about 200 games already and still enjoy it as much as the first time I played the game. I would have given it 4.5 stars, but that was not an option. I say if you are a fan of the NHL, then go get this game.

Great!!! [Posted on 2004-04-14]
This is a great SIMULATION hockey game. If you want to knock people down and fight try NHL Hitz which is also great. NHL 2004 is also a good game but 2003's stupid comments during gameplay really nailed the coffin shut on that series for me. ESPN NHL Hockey is my game. It is a true to life thing. You can send players to the minors and change your line-ups, trade players, change your defensive and offensive strategy's during the game. It's a awesome SIMULATION I cant stress that enough. Pick this game up if you get the chance. GO NASHVILLE PREDATORS!

ESPN/Sega Hockey: Not This Season [Posted on 2004-05-06]
Sega's ESPN NHL Hockey (2K4) isn't the great hockey game that it was last year. Where it has some good options and unlockables (great teams from the past), the gameplay really hurts one's ability to fully enjoy the game.

Graphically, the game looks a tad bit better than EA's NHL 2004. The sounds in the game aren't that great as well as the horrible crowd chants and rink announcer. The only good sounds comes from the play-by-play/color commentating by Gary Thorne and Bill Clement--which is the best I have ever heard (they could mention the "shoulder" a bit less, though).

The gameplay is where this game falls behind EA's NHL 2004. The animation is smooth, but very slow. Trying to perform a hook, poke check, block shot, etc. are animated so slow, that by the time the move is done--it's too late. Minor things like fighting and watching the player skate around can look really bad and silly. Other than that, the action is fierce and quick--which can be good and bad.

Where this game has an advantage over EA's NHL 2004 is in it's roster updates via online. EA's NHL 2004 updates have trades, but never includes rookies or call-ups (I play as the New York Rangers and they have a rookie, Jed Ortmeyer, who has been with the team pretty much the entire season, and isn't on any EA updates. Granted, he isn't an impact player, but that is just an example of how poorly EA's roster updates are). Sega's ESPN Hockey updates are true to the game. Every player that has played on an NHL team this season, is in the roster updates--from one game call-ups, to rookie skaters.

So, if you want a hockey game to hold you over until the next hockey season or until the World Cup of Hockey this summer, I would recommend EA's NHL 2004 over Sega's ESPN NHL 2K4 Hockey if you want a more realistic game of hockey.

Greatest Hockey Game Ever [Posted on 2004-06-19]
The person below who gave the game a 2 out of 5 Star rating is an idiot. Mike Buck, let me tell you personally that you are by far the biggest moron to write a review. "If you want Realistic than choose NHL 2004 over ESPN." Are you stupid or are you always like that. EA Sports NHL 2004 is an arcadey game of all sorts. And the reason the game is too hard for you is because your an idiot who prefers 15 - 7 game scores. EA's announcers are pathetic, the graphics shine, has poor shadow effects, and very little replay value among other things. ESPN NHL Hockey is the greatest hockey game you can buy. It has a skills competition, a mini rink, unlockable classing teams, like the 1982 Islanders or the 1992 Penguins, and more. It has cut scenes, player infos and everything. I recommend this game if your a hockey fan. But if you enjoy games that take an idiot to play and master than I suggest EA Sport's NHL 2004, the dumbest game on earth.

Oh, and if anyone doubts me, go to IGN.com or Gamespot.com or any other major website that reviews games. They'll agree that ESPN is way better than EA Sports.

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