NHL 2003

GamePro (US) (4.5 out of 5)

The new features in NHL 2003 fall more in the category of under-the-hood tinkering than blockbuster developments. The momentum meter has been dropped in favor of a game-breaker meter, which lets you bust a cool slo-mo shot once it’s full. Deking and stickwork have received tons of attention, and you can now manually control your stick’s movement, which lets you try to strut your stuff and fake out goalies and defenders. Overall, the feel of the stick and puck working together has been greatly improved you’re not just steering a skater around, you’re controlling his skating and his stickwork.

4Players.de (88 out of 100)

Die GameCube-Premiere der NHL-Serie gestaltet sich als rundum gelungenes Erlebnis. Spielerisch und grafisch überzeugend, können Cube-Besitzer mit NHL 2003 eigentlich nicht falsch liegen. Es sei denn, sie haben auch eine Xbox oder PS2 und die Fassung des letzten Jahres. Denn obwohl sie spielerisch leicht schwächer ist, ist die Atmosphäre dank deutscher Kommentare und spektakulärer Spielsequenzen deutlich besser. Mangels Konkurrenz kann NHL 2003 auf dem Cube aber ungefährdet die Referenz-Position übernehmen. Allerdings ist für die nächste Auflage noch genügend Spielraum für Verbesserungen vorhanden.

64 Power / big.N / N Games (88 out of 100)

Wer auf dem GameCube realistisches Eishockey mit Arcade-Einschlag spielen möchte, kommt an NHL 2003 nicht vorbei, da die Kritikpunkte der Innovationslosigkeit auf dem GameCube erst für die 2004er Version zählen werden (... oder auch nicht! Anm. d. Chefmartins). Bis dahin kannst du ohne Bedenken zu NHL 2003 greifen.

IGN (8.7 out of 10)

There hasn't been a series I've logged more time on than Electronic Arts' NHL. In college, I played the Genesis versions until my eyes practically bled. One year, I won the Stanley Cup with every single franchise. I've been in line for every version since '94, and that continues to the present.

GameZone (8.5 out of 10)

Overall, NHL 2003 scores huge for hockey fans. But with only slight improvements over the 2002 version, the game isn’t begging to be purchased by owners of last year’s game.

Fragland.net (85 out of 100)

I have to add that the NHL series is a great multiplayer experience. The fun of slamming into your friends players and scoring in the last seconds is just unsurpassable. This should definitly be on your list of partygames if you ask me.

GameSpy (84 out of 100)

As the only pucks game available for the GameCube that even vaguely resembles a simulation, NHL 2003 is a no-brainer for hockey fans. The gameplay is completely customizable, the controls are tight, and the franchise mode is fairly deep. Those hoping for vast improvements over last year's game, however, will be sorely disappointed. New additions like the gamebreaker end up being more gimmicky than fun, and the graphics aren't that much more refined over the PS2 version, but NHL 2003 still contains the heart of a champion.

GameSpot (8.2 out of 10)

Ultimately, NHL 2003 is what you expect from EA Sports. It's a great simulation of hockey for all platforms. It looks good on all systems and controls just as well. Despite the AI issues that continue to plague the series, NHL 2003 is a fun and realistic hockey game that's easy for both newcomers and die-hard fans to pick up. Players on a budget may want to skip this year's version because it doesn't really add much to the series, but everyone else is encouraged to pick up NHL 2003.

Netjak (8.2 out of 10)

The only radically new features added to NHL 2003 are the ability to dynamically control your dekes and the Gamebreaker meter. Basically, either by holding down the R trigger or using the C-stick, you can, to a degree, manually control your puck-carrier’s stick, in an attempt to fake out defensemen and the goalie. While I’m sure some will appreciate that level of control, I found it gets in the way more than it helps; for those not adventurous enough to use dynamic dekes in game situations, you can also activate a number of automatic dekes by using the Y button.

Jeuxvideo.com (16 out of 20)

Si NHL 2003 conserve une grande partie de tout ce qui a fait le succès des éditions précédentes, ses nouvelles options de maniabilité sont difficiles à maîtriser et semblent plus accessoires qu'autre chose. A réserver aux inconditionnels du sport, même si les possesseurs de GameCube apprécieront d'autant plus cette version 2003 qu'il s'agit de la première de la série d'EA Sports à voir le jour sur cette console.

Cubed3 (8 out of 10)

This is a true hockey sim. You control every aspect of the game and to some this may seem a little too much detail. If you don't understand the draft system you may find yourself a little lost as there is no real explanation. It plays great though and multiplayer hockey games are always great fun. There is a real sense of control over the team in every respect not just on the ice but for non-hockey fans it may lose its appeal quickly.

Officiel Nintendo Magazine (7 out of 10)

Bien sous tous rapports, NHL 2003 se destine pourtant plutôt aux fans de hockey sur glace. Pour du fun entre potes, il y a mieux.

Gameplanet ( )

There are four different modes of play, the standard Play Now feature, Franchise, Playoffs and International. Play Now is exactly what it sounds like, pick two teams -- placing the team you want to control on the home side so the crowd actually cares when you score -- and go for gold. You still have full control of offensive and defensive strategies as well as full coaching strategies -- which comes with full FMV explaining what each strategy is -- so you don't just blindly choose with no knowledge of what does what and what is going to help out the way you play.

Factornews (6 out of 10)

NHL 2003 est un excellent jeu de hockey mais qui souffre de son manque d’innovation par rapport à la version 2002. Le jeu mérite un 17 si vous n’avez pas la version 2002 ou un 9 si vous la possedez. Le gamebreaker n’enrichit absolument pas le gameplay et n’apporte aucun plaisir de jeu supplémentaire. Raté, je vous dis !