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> Results: NHL Rivals 2004
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Scroll down for our Kid Factor. 
Whether itﾒs the Boston Red Sox versus the Yankees, the Packers versus the Bears, the Lakers vs. Celtics, or the --insert your own British Football rivalry here--sports have long been about long standing hate fests, rivalries, mud and bloodbaths and the insane fans who carry the battle off the playing field and into the stands or streets. Like any long-lived and passionate sport, the National (shouldnﾒt that be multi-national?) Hockey League has its share of bitter rivalries. Of course a sport that has players wielding long sticks, traveling on centimeters of metal at breakneck speeds, and firing a tiny piece of bone shattering plastic at high speeds, and has fans that actually bring binoculars to the games just to see if blood really does bounce on the ice during a good fight, is bound to have some pretty seated hatreds in the ranks. Thatﾒs what Microsoft has based its premiere Hockey simulation on. The sometimes good natured, sometimes bad natured, but always entertaining competitive spirit in rivalries take center ice, while embraced in hockey realism you canﾒt find in other games. Ever since EA dominated the Sega Genesis their hockey sim has been the top, but itﾒs never really simulated hockey. It comes close but it takes the fastest game on ice and speeds it up into something thrilling, but disappointing to true fans. The first thing youﾒll notice about Rivals is that its pace much more closely resembles the real NHL product. Players are slower, passing is far less accurate, and momentum is key. You canﾒt stop on a dime, you canﾒt corner as effectively, and the difference between a ﾓGreat Oneﾔ and just another on-ice thug is far more severe. The second thing youﾒll notice is that itﾒs gorgeous. The uniforms look like cloth, meaning they arenﾒt shiny, while the ice and the plastic visors shine like the real thing. The physics are exciting and the, because of the realism, the hits feel more devastating. They donﾒt happen as often. This isnﾒt bumper hockey. If a player collides with another after a short difference, he doesnﾒt send him sprawling a la NHL 2004, he pins him to the wall as they fight for the puck. Just like on TV. The presentation is equally thrilling. Lots of TV angles, great replays, and information appears in a timely manner and the camera moves smoothly to follow the action as it unfolds. Even the crowd is meticulous modeled. Some stand and cheer, some clap, and some react to their favorite player (usually the team star). All the usual gameplay modes are here, including a deep franchise mode. But Microsoft has added a couple interesting new ideas. One is the name of the game, literally. In rivalry mode you can instantly pit two teams that hate each other. Like Montreal versus Toronto. Both teams play more aggressively than normal and fights break out more often. The fight system isnﾒt Street Fighter deep, but itﾒs an improvement over the ﾓplease, just turn it offﾔ system EAﾒs been recycling year after year. You can block and throw a variety of punches. The other new idea is the ﾓPickup Game,ﾔ which drafts a handful of players and lets you fight on a rink in Red Square or Central Park. Itﾒs a less rule-oriented more physical kind of hockey, like the street basketball options weﾒre seeing in the NBA games. While the crowd noise is good, it synchs to the action on the ice really well, the commentary is lifeless and uninspired. Commentary is provided by Sam Rosen And John ﾓJDﾔ Davidson and they get the names right, but they add nothing to the ambiance. It reads like a broadcast, but fails to inspire. One funny thing they added is the announcer dead panning ﾓWeﾒll have more after this break!ﾔ when you pause the game. Why didnﾒt anyone think of that before? The music is good but, as always, you can load your own MP3 playlists if youﾒd prefer. The multiplayer is where Rivals will really thrive, I think. XSN lets you set up leagues easily, and soon youﾒll develop your own online rivalries and you can even provide your own ﾓoff-colorﾔ commentary. Since this is the series debut (yeah, itﾒs amazingly good for a debut title in a series) itﾒs unknown at this time if crowds will gather. Online play might be sparse if players gravitate to more familiar series like EA Sportsﾒs NHL or ESPNﾒs model. Fever may have stumbled slightly, but games like Top Spin, Links 2004, and now NHL Rivals proves that Microsoft doesnﾒt care if EA Sports supports Xbox Live and the Xbox Sports Network or not. It proves Microsoft isnﾒt afraid. It proves Microsoft is serious --dead serious-- about making the Xbox the premiere console for the sports enthusiast. But then again, thatﾒs what rivalries are all about. Kid Factor ﾓSports games are among the best you can buy for kids.ﾔ Hockey can be a violent sport and NHL 2004 does have violent elements like fighting and checking in the game. The fights are very bland with punching and blocking, but no blood is spilled on the virtual ice. If you let your kids watch a real hockey game, then this title will pass the parental mustard. Kid Factor by Doug Hanna Reviewerﾒs Recommended Ages: 7+ ESRB: E-Everyone Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Reviewer: Andrew S. Bub Score: 4 of 5 Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: NHL Rivals 2004 |
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