Hockey fans can practically taste the coming NHL season and those kings of the ice and dukes of the slap shot are preparing to clash hockey sticks once again.  Once again, the NHL season brings with it this year’s crop of games that offer their own brand of professional hockey to your Xbox system.  Among them is EA Sports NHL 2004 and knowing EA Sports reputation, you know this one has what it takes to bring realism to its game.  Yet how well does this game stack up against the titles that are out so far?  Sports fans please read on.

Last year’s game brought a number of very surprising new features that actually worked well enough to make for a more stylistic game of hockey.  This year, though, EA Sports brings even more new features and tweaks the ones found last year.  To top it all off, this year’s game is a lot more physical.  How physical you might ask?  Let’s just say that aside from slamming a player against the wall, you can knock him down like a raging bull.  Well, this is a contact sport, isn’t it?

All the usual game modes are back once again.  There’s Exhibition, Season, Playoffs, Tournament and Dynasty Mode.  Dynasty Mode, one of the game’s deepest and satisfying game modes, has you choosing every aspect of your team’s business.  It practically feels like an RPG since you can choose various different options including what your General Manager looks like and what fans should pay to see a live game.  Along the way you can restructure everything from your own staff to the budget that allows you to buy new equipment for your team as well as the roster.  While it might not seem very fun to some gamers that are just looking to go straight to the action, the handling of every aspect of your team is actually satisfyingly entertaining.  Add the fact that you can import your own created team complete with their own logo, detailed stadium (you can choose the color of the seats and team jerseys) and crowd chants and this makes the Dynasty Mode even more personalized.

As I stated earlier, last year’s game showcased a few new moves to the controls.  Passes and shots at the goal are more precise this time, making for a more realistic game.  While the realism factor is extremely high with this one, this does make the game a bit harder.  Still it is good to see that dekes, fake shots, spins and speed bursts are easy to execute.  And, as I have mentioned above, the game is a lot more physical this time around.  Body checks have become a bit more brutal, allowing you to really slam into your opponents.  The game’s “Bruise Control” lets you to charge up and then direct your slam with the right analog stick.  It wouldn’t be a hockey game without fighting and now you can actually start a fight yourself by pushing the appropriate button when the icon flashes on the screen.  The fighting itself has improved by leaps and bounds, making for a very satisfying fistfight.

The game also features new leagues, most particularly the thirty-nine international teams such as Germany’s DEL or Finland’s SM-Liiga.  Gamers can practically take their favorite team and play against the world’s best teams.  Yet one of the game’s best features just happens to be the new EA Sports Bio feature that allows your Xbox to recognize saved data from other EA Sports games (such as Madden NFL 2004) and reward gamers with extras.  The bonuses come in the form of extra money for Dynasty Mode or unlock interesting bonuses (e.g. commentators have chipmunk voices).  This sort of makes up for not including an Xbox Live online feature.

Graphically speaking, NHL 2004 is a visual improvement compared to last year’s game.  The arenas look amazing and the fans, all sporting their favorite team jerseys, look amazing as they cheer on their team.  The players themselves look realistic enough, especially up close during fights or animated cut scenes after a goal is made, but the faces of recognizable star players are nothing like the actual players themselves.   Yet when it comes to the player’s movements and players shaving the ice during a game, nothing beats this game.

I am very much in love with the game’s sound, which is detailed to the point that listening to the skates cut into the ice and the sharp smack of hockey sticks sounds like you’re actually sitting there with the rest of the fans.  You can actually hear the heavy puck slam against the wall and the fans in attendance stomp their feet and clap their hands in time with the inspirational music that pours out of the PA speakers.  The commentary by Craig Simpson and Jim Houston are also excellently done, especially the play-by-play and observational tidbits (they’ll actually drop hints as to when to make line changes).  The soundtrack, composed of hard hitting tunes by artists such as Adema, The Ataris or Alien Ant Farm, are actually okay but might not sit well with other gamers.

Leave it to EA Sports to bring us another solid and enjoyable NHL game.  NHL 2004 is fast, furious and realistic to the point that gamers will really have their work cut out for them if they want that coveted Stanley Cup.  Aside from a few letdowns--player faces could have been better and no Xbox Live support--this is one of those Must-Have hockey games . . . even for those who bought the  more superior ESPN NHL Hockey. 

Gameplay: 9.2
Thanks to the freestyle control, you can easily pull off your own deke moves anyway you want it.  The same can now be said about the new Bruise Control feature that allows you to direct a powerful body check in any direction you want.   If you didn’t like the way Niedermayer pinned you up against the wall, then get him back by skating up to him and instigate a fight yourself by sending a fist into his face.  The fights are handled so good in this game that it’s almost a game itself.

Graphics: 8.9
This year really outdoes itself in the visual department as well and you’ll see plenty of improvements in things such as player models, stadiums and detailed effects.  Each stadium is as close to the real thing and the fans look more realistic than ever (in fact, eerily so, which is a good thing).  The player models move naturally enough that it won’t fail to impress, but facially the star players likeness doesn’t come close to the level of authenticity as the faces seen in Sega Sports ESPN NHL Hockey. 

Sound: 9.0
NHL 2004 goes for a you-are-at-the-actual-game feel and pulls it off magnificently.  Gamers will be surrounded by a wall of sounds and they are wonderfully well detailed.  You’ll hear everything from the skates closely shaving the ice to the sound of a player’s fist making contact with somebody’s face.  On top of that there is the color and play-by-play commentary that calls the game extremely accurately and jokes at the opportune moment.  If you’re a fan of hard hitting alternative from bands such as the Deftones, Less Than Jake or Gob, then this soundtrack will be your favorite.

Difficulty: Hard
While the realism is the main feature of the EA Sports franchise, it comes with a price and that price is a difficulty level that is quite a challenge.  Many gamers will find that even the easiest difficulty setting will make you work defensively and offensively and dropping your guard will only mean getting scored on.  In this game, you won’t find many 10-2 scores.  For veterans, the challenge is indeed very welcome.  Yet for those who don’t know the sport very well, be prepared to be completely frustrated.

Concept: 9.5
There is just an overabundance of goodies to be found in this game and that’s just the way we love it.  With a deep and enjoyable Dynasty Mode that allows you to import your own created team, gamers will be too busy taking their team through NHL seasons RPG-style.  The EA Sports Bio feature is also a welcome addition and the rewards you get for playing other EA Sports titles are nothing to sneeze at.

Multiplayer: 7.8
With so many sports titles taking advantage of the Xbox Live service this year, it pains me to see that EA Sports has left out online features.  Still, even with the lack of some online game modes, the game still allows up to four players to take each another on in the ice.  Since the game features an abundance of new teams, the choices are thankfully plentiful.

Overall: 8.9
EA Sports NHL 2004 is proof that the franchise just keeps getting better and better.  This is a hockey game at its most realistic, therefore making for a game that’s both fast-paced and hard-hitting . . . just the way we hockey fans love our hockey.  The fact that there is no Xbox Live support might be a bit disappointing, but there is just no denying the fact that this is an excellent ice hockey game fans can really get into when they’ve had their fun with the NHL Hitz Pro or ESPN NHL Hockey.