NHL 2004
 

Anyone got this game?

I've got it for PS2, This blows all the previous ones out of the water by far.

2004 is much more realistic on the ice and off.

Dynasty mode is amazing. I love having to negotiate contracts..Even adjusting ticket prices to have large crowds at home games, releasing players/Calling them up from the minors..There is more but you should get the idea.
I have been waiting for them to do this for atleast 3 years now. I was starting to get worried cause alot of the football games were like this..So it made me wonder why the hell aren't the hockey games like this.

The hitting, Shooting, The way the players move and deke, The saves the goalies make, Hitting and the biggest improvment of all...The fighting, It's hard as hell...But it's realistic.

So if you have been debating on whether to pick this game up cause last years sucked ass...Don't worry, You will not be dissapointed.

So anyone else playing?

I got 2002 and it was HORRID! I couldnt stand how bad the gameplay and graphics were ahhhh just thinking of it brings bad bad memories!

From what you say it sounds like they "maddenized" it and added the owner mode and stuff which sounds real cool IMO i think i'll go rent the game and check it out before i buy it though!

I'm tellin you man, This game is sweet:D...You will buy it for sure. Let me know what you think when you try it.

Dont get the computer version.

Console owns PC when it comes to sports games.


Art

Really? I figured PC would be pretty damn good too if you have the right hardware and controller...

but anyhow I agree with it in general as I've played nearly every version of NHL ever this is honestly the best of the series since probably NHL 94. Overall though there are still tweaks that can be done and honestly ESPN NHL Hockey in my opinion is better. After spending extensive time with both prodcts I really have to say that ESPN Hockey gives a lot more realistic version. Consider that in ESPN Hockey if you screen the goalie properly the goalie can actually lose track of the puck and can let an otherwise easy shot get by. That is realism folks, also Melrose and Clement are way better than their NHL EA counterparts.

PC version sucks, sucks, sucks, all eye candy and nothing else ala EA. Owner mode is fun, but its the same scripted AI, same lop sided penalty calls, I.E you get called way more than the computer everytime. Also you could have Lidstrom and Blake on your blueline, but they pretty much stand around so the AI gets around em everytime. If your lookin to buy the game, ill gladly sell mine for cheap.

I rented it it for my xbox and thought the controls were awful. I'll stich with 2002 and not waste my money. Although a friend told me it was better on gcn.

It's not bad, but one thing I'm not happy about is I made some of my own players and my own team that uses some of the self created players. I played dynasty mode and the self created players show up as free agents... so like the players have doubled up, and some free agents that come with the game are doubled up :/

What do you mean by doubled up?

I am currently playing dynasty mode. I created a player and i chose to have him assigned to the Montreal Canadians...But he never showed up on my roster. I didn't think you could create players in dynasty mode.

Gonna have to try it again.

You can also screen the goalies in NHL 2004, It has happened to me already. And as one of the hints the game gives you, Screening your goalie is one of them.

I have only ever played the NHL series of hockey games....Ever since sega genisis. I should try out some of these other hockey titles.

I'm still playing Sega's NHL 2K3 on my GameCube. I wonder how NHL 2004 compares in the realism department.

ive played. graphics are awesome. reactions are beast. and best....the Caps win! Goal!

I created some players.
Created my own team using the created players, and used that team in dynasty mode. But the created players also show up as free agents - e.g. I create a player called "ben", added "ben" to new team - Springfield... then i play as Springfield in dynasty mode... Springfield has "ben" but "ben" also shows up as a free agent.. and i can buy him there too, so I have two bens..

Sega's NHL2k3 was (is) my favourite game for XBOX. I can't wait to try out the latest round of NHL games.

This thread has gotten me all jonsed to go try them now. No fair, I'm a sucker for peer pressure :P

I think the EA NHL series went down hill when they quit using real footage in the opening movie.

I've had the doubling up problem too. What I did to avoid this is I made my custom player as a free agent and signed him after entering dynasty mode. This really is a fun game, however I don't like the powering up hits system. It's too complicated for what should be a fairly simple move - especially if you plan on actually hitting the guy.

I do not have it but I would love to, am really big on hockey games.

So far really like the game. Dynasty mode adds replay value to it. There are a couple of annoyances like SecretMethod70 mentioned, it is a pain to use the powering up hits system and I don't ever use it.

The whole game has a much more realistic feal to it than any other in the series so far. Overall a very fun game.

I have a few problems with the game:

1) You can't go below 0$ Profit [No debt] in dynasty, meaning that you can sign eveyr player for 5 years, at 50 million a year, and still be even.

2) Draft picks are WAY overvalued... I hate having to play fair. I have to keep myself from making the game unfair, seeing as you can simply just trade a 1st ruond for 4 98 potential players instead of just 1 player that you're not even sure of.

3) Goalies are idiots - they won't come out to play the puck at the right times or intercept the puck... When the puck is slowly moving towards them, and a player is coming from the red line to make it into a breakaway, the goalie should stop the puck. Also, they should dive on the puck when in a critical situation.

4) Passing across the net [Crash the net playing] will score almost everytime.

5) Players are extremely unreasonable in the salary department - I knw that you have to get upgrades to get better deals, but when Bertuzzi is asking for 16.9 million, it gets out of hand. Also, they should have 2-way contracts, sIgning bonuses [not the automatic 10%], and extra things liek that.

6) I never know the status of my players/goalie in Dynasty. They should have kept the season layout, or just the layout from 2003, which was much superior to 2004....

That's all For Now. [Doubling pisses me off too]

looked on google and got no hits for this question. For the PS2 version you can download roster updates off of the ea sports website, is there a way to load the roster updates from a cdr if i download it using my pc, as i don't have a network adapter for the ps2 as well i have no desire to play online. think its possible? anyone tried? the roster download is an excel file i believe.
cheers
b