NHL 2003 vs NHL 2004

[PB12]

2 great games which are highly thought of, but at the same time 2 different games. I own both and love them both, however i wanted to get your thoughts on which was the better game.

NHL 2003
NBA Live 2003 is one of top 10 Basketball games ever due to its arcade like style. NHL 03 did the same and was a fun game.

NHL 2004
The more realistic of the 2 games, but also a lot harder.

So which one did you prefer

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[BJNT]

NHL 04 because it had the better franchise mode.

 

[NYR94]

Definitely 2004.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think NHL 2003 is what drove so many people to the 2K series of games. NHL 2K3 felt more like a hockey sim, whereas EA's game, as you put it, geared more towards arcade style gameplay with a bunch of silly gimmicks tacked on to it.

I actually still play NHL 2002 to this day and prefer it over 2003 and 2004. But between the two choices, 2004 was the better game.

 

[Leafs87]

It’s weird how 02,03,04 all were completely different games. 16,17,18 after the initial update all feel exactly the same

 

[islesfan186]

Still think 2004 is THE best NHL game they've ever made. The amount of time I dumped into that game was incredible. The only other game I played that much was 09.

 

[Ratboy]

2004 no question about it. It did a great job of depicting the rougher, clutch and grab gameplay of the era, had a deeper dynasty mode, added the European Elite leagues, and that fight engine! To this day I don't think they've surpassed that fight engine.

Plus the CPU put up a great fight nearly every game you had to bust your ass for a win.

 

[Nalens Oga]

There's a reason why NHL 2004 has pretty much the only active modding community left in a hockey PC game.

 

[MasterMatt25]

There's a reason why NHL 2004 has pretty much the only active modding community left in a hockey PC game.

There's a modding community for NHL2004??
Damn I'm out of the loop

 

[Nalens Oga]

There's a modding community for NHL2004??
Damn I'm out of the loop

NHL04 Rebuilt 2018 - NHL 2004 Official Downloads

 

[TimeZone]

NHL 2004 was the best NHL ever released, imo.

 

[Elvs]

NHL 2004 was the first game with lots of logos to choose from when creating a custom team. I had a lot of fun with that as a kid. Made my own leauge of custom teams. Oh the memories..

 

[Ratboy]

There's a modding community for NHL2004??
Damn I'm out of the loop

Yeah its good. They've improved everything including the A.I.

 

[Spectra]

04 is the best NHL game yet. The dynasty mode from that game still hasn't been surpassed. How difficult is it, for example, to have box scores for all games? Apparently, still too difficult, 14 years later...

 

[Matty Sundin]

I believe 2004 was the first one to have online play for consoles and a dynsaty mode that hasnt been matched yet which is honestly quite sad. Like someone said earlier,this was when every game every year was different compared to the patch up same engines like what we have now.

 

[The Professional]

NHL 2004 is easily the best NHL game ever. The jump between 2003 and 2004 is the greatest improvement in the series history, bar none. Today's games are literally clones of each other with a roster update and a few minor superficial tweaks that they charge you 70 or 80 bucks for. Back then you got your money's worth buying the new game. To be fair though, video game technology has kind of reached a peak when it comes to the NHL series, it's not like there's a lot of groundbreaking new stuff they can really offer every year. 2004 was such a vast improvement in every aspect over 2003 and that's why it takes the cake to me. Physics, graphics, gameplay, new leagues, dynasty mode, new fighting engine etc. It was worth every penny to buy that game.

 

[Ratboy]

It’s weird how 02,03,04 all were completely different games. 16,17,18 after the initial update all feel exactly the same

2002 was hilarious to me.. with a big hit being shown three times in a row. Pure arcade but major Lulz

 

[Leafs87]

2002 was hilarious to me.. with a big hit being shown three times in a row. Pure arcade but major Lulz

And when you go on the break away it was all slow montion and different camera angle. If you played two player the one not on a breakaway couldn’t do anything lol

 

[Skin Tape Session]

NHL 2004 was the best NHL ever released, imo.

I really loved it!! I played it on my pc while watching leafs games back in 03 04. I had heatly on mine.

I also enjoyed nhl 05 as i went to real wcoh games and to be able to play that was dope.

06 was good as well, different, ot always amzed me how they could change so much in so little time then but cant now. 06 was a drasticly different game than 05.

I think the pinicles of NHL are 94-96
2004
2009
2011
2013



Those are the best in the series imo

 

[NYR94]

Gotta love a game where time slows down, a spotlight shines on you and Queens of the Stone Age plays when you get a breakaway. Hockey realism right there.

Remember the "Hero Line"?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Gotta love a game where time slows down, a spotlight shines on you and Queens of the Stone Age plays when you get a breakaway. Hockey realism right there.

Remember the "Hero Line"?

Thanks for reminding me of why I quit playing EA’s NHL games, lol.

After playing NHL 2K3, I stopped playing EA NHL games until NHL ‘10.

 

[HarryLime]

2004 and 2005 were my favorites. Had amazing soundtracks too

 

[MO!]

NHL 2004. Soundtrack was awesome at the time, too.

 

[Boeser Fan]

2004 AINEC. 2003 was a slowed down worse version of 2002.

 

[Apex Predator]

2004 was amazing. As said earlier that soundtrack was amazing. When I play NHL now sometimes I will use the NHL 2004 soundtrack on Spotify.