NHL 2004 Preview
NHL 2004 is nearly here, and our full preview gives you an idea of what to expect from all three console versions.
EA's NHL series has been around longer than any other, dating back to the days of the SNES in the early '90s. Throughout the years, the franchise has seen its share of ups and downs--with some iterations of the game being praised as the best ever created and others being met with less-than-stellar reactions. Last year's NHL 2003 was a great game, by all accounts, but with Sega Sports' NHL franchise showing a vast improvement over all of its predecessors, hockey fans began to turn their attention away from EA's franchise. For NHL 2004, EA Sports has gone to great lengths to improve its game by adding lots of depth--both in gameplay and game modes--and much improved graphics. We recently spent some time playing near-complete builds of all three console versions of NHL 2004, and what we've seen thus far has been very impressive.
One of the biggest concerns about EA's NHL series is the arcade-inspired nature of its gameplay. In NHL 2004, you won't find many arcade elements at all--rather, everything about this year's game feels simulation-style through and through. The overall pacing of the game feels a bit slower by comparison, with less frenzied, exaggerated action. However, if you still want a faster, crazier game, the gameplay sliders will provide you with just that.
The game's controls have changed a bit this year, implementing two new functions: two-button passing and right-analog control. Two-button passing refers to the game's dual-button passing system: one for standard passing and the other for saucer passing. Saucer passes fly higher than normal passes and can be used to lift the puck off the ice and over an opponent's stick. Both buttons are pressure sensitive, so pressing them harder or softer will determine how far your pass goes. The right-analog control system can be used on either side of the puck. It controls deking, when on offense, and hitting, when on defense. Right-analog deking lets you move and dodge the puck around in a freestyle manner, and it comes in especially handy when trying to fake out a goalie. When checking, you can move in any direction. So if you've got two players next to you, and you want to get the guy on the left, just tap left and you'll shove him off the puck. Both of these functions are button-controlled as well, though the right analog stick definitely seems to give you a better sense of control.
NHL 2004 is far more hard-hitting and grittier than any previous entry in the series. Lots of effort has gone into emulating the tighter, more defensive style of playoff hockey, and it seems that the effort wasn't for naught. With the new right-analog-stick checking system, knocking your opponents silly has become easier and more satisfying than ever. Want to send an opposing player over the boards or crashing onto the ice? Just build up a head of steam, using the speed boost, and let him have it. As the game features a host of new checking, hitting, and collision animations, you'll get a pretty good variety of ways to take your opponents out of the game.
The hard-hitting nature of the game doesn't stop there, however, as NHL 2004's fighting system is easily shaping up to be the best of its kind. Fights are triggered by a player's level of agitation. A number of different things can agitate a player, including goals scored against that player's team, hits received by that player, and having a star player on his team. Once the agitation meter has reached its peak, a meter will appear in the bottom of the screen asking you if you want to activate a fight. When fighting, you have high punch, low punch, high block, and low block buttons to work with. The actual fighting looks very realistic. The two players are routinely grappling, punching, and blocking each other while trying to stay upright on the ice.
Adding even further to the game's inherent toughness is its tightened AI. A big complaint about last year's game was that the defenders weren't particularly smart, and they didn't make plays that were at all realistic. In NHL 2004, this issue appears to be a thing of the past, as we found the opposing AI to be very tough on the mid-level difficulty setting and higher. Defensemen and defensive-minded forwards will close in on you if you get too close to the net, rarely giving up breakaways. On the other side of the puck, offensive-minded opponents are much better at jumping on scoring chances and are especially more adept at putting together solid one-timer situations.
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