Xbox

ESPN NHL Hockey

If you are a fan of hockey or even a sports fan in general, you owe it to yourself to pick up this game. It is by far, the best hockey game to date. Not only does the game excel in overall presentation, but it shines in each individual aspect of the game. Once you start playing, you will not want to put the game down. I had to force myself to quit playing just to write this review.

I can't claim to have played all the hockey games that have ever been made but after playing virtually all the EA NHL games, last years NHL 2K3 and this years NHL Rivals 2004, ESPN NHL Hockey stands head and shoulders above the lot. I'm not claiming the game's perfect but it's certainly not that far away and I certainly don't have any problem playing the game for hours on end. The game is so addictive that I'm becoming a nuisance hogging the TV when others in the house want to watch the TV. Essentially SEGA are set to have total domination when it comes to hockey games because not only are they shortly to release Eastside Hockey Manager (current working title) which has been developed by Sports Interactive, they now also have an equally stunning game in the shape of ESPN NHL Hockey. Hockey fans have never had it so good.

If you can look past the lesser Franchise mode options, you will find a better NHL home with Sega's offering this year...and probably next year.

While hockey isn’t a sport for everyone, fans of hockey while eat this title up. Even fans of other sports will quickly acclimate themselves to hockey once they get a chance to play this game. On the other hand, if you require a little more action and satisfaction with some high scoring, this game probably isn’t for you.

If you're reading this review, it's fairly likely that you're into hockey video games. Suffice it to say that you'll be plenty into this one. It's got everything a marquee sports title needs... except a more fleshed-out Franchise Mode. But we'll cut it some slack. After all, you'll be too busy making your own fun playing head-to-head, online and off. Again, SEGA's game delivers excitement, intensity and realism to the rink. Again, it's worthy of your well-earned dollars.

After all is said and done, ESPN NHL Hockey looks like another winner. The series continues to make improvements year after year to the delight of hockey fans everywhere. If they can just clean up the fighting and add some extra fire to the Franchise, we’ll definitely be seeing this series' A game.

ESPN NHL Hockey is packed full of depth, but is not too difficult to get used to, and is certainly worth investing the time getting involved in. It's the best hockey game around, and if you're the slightest interested in the sport, you should consider picking it up now.

Though it's not impossible to find fault in ESPN NHL Hockey, you'd be hard-pressed to find enough faults to call this game anything but excellent. Its extremely well-crafted gameplay, host of new modes and unlockables, upgraded presentational aspects, and truly amazing commentary easily outdo any issues the game might suffer from. The sum of its parts add up to one of, if not, the finest hockey games ever created. If you're a fan of the sport of hockey, you owe it to yourself to add ESPN NHL Hockey to your collection, as it's simply too good to pass up.

Saluons la performance de Sega qui nous surprend chaque fois un peu plus avec la série des NHL 2K, renommée pour l'occasion en ESPN NHL Hockey. Sega nous offre ici une véritable simulation qui étonne par sa richesse de jeu et sa marge de progression. Les parties sont réalistes et gagnent en intérêt au fil du temps et de la pratique, là où certains concurrents donnent tout d'entrée de jeu et s'essoufflent très rapidement.

When the whistle blows, the rink has three solid teams from which to choose. ESPN NHL will score biggest with hardcore fans who dig its technical feel and realism, even though EA’s new passing and skating schemes are one of the year’s coolest innovations. Hitz is its polar opposite, focusing on the joy of hockey’s rougher side and scoring goals hand over fist, while EA’s game nicely occupies the middle ground. But if you’re passionate and knowledgeable about the sport, ESPN NHL is a first-round pick you won’t regret making.

Overall the ESPN franchise offers a lot to hockey fans, and the gameplay, while actually not all that different from last year's version, is enjoyable and fast paced. However, if I were Midway, I would be extremely interested in why my game ended up with SEGA’s name on the license... Guess we’ll have to see if NHL Hitz Pro ends up looking like EA, oh wait, it did…

Tänk att en enda miss från utvecklarna kan sänka vad som annars hade varit ett riktigt mästerverk. Det gör ont i mig, för jag hade också gärna sett att Electronic Arts hade fått lite sund konkurrens.