The AI sliders are back and play a prominent role in getting the game to play a better brand of hockey. When you win 33 of 37 face-offs, you know there is a problem. It's still far too easy to win a face-off regardless of the skill levels of the players. and that just isn't hockey, no matter how you slice it.įinally, the way face-offs are handled needs to be reworked. Each team has a set strategy (such as "Behind the Net"), but you'll be hard-pressed to notice a difference in how a defensive team such as Carolina plays compared to an offensive-minded team such as the Red Wings.
The only time the CPU will change offensive tactics is when playing short-handed. The CPU will push the puck regardless of the circumstance and it doesn't care if it has the advantage or not. The basic tactic is the same: fast break hockey. It has no idea if it's up a goal in the 3rd period or if it's down two goals with a few minutes to play - it plays the exact same game regardless of the situation or the personnel involved. The offensive AI just flat out has no idea what it's doing. Unfortunately, those opportunities are few-and-far between. The AI does a good job of trying to center the puck when given the opportunity - it will even dump the puck from time to time. Thankfully, some of the basic AI holes from previous editions are fixed up so that it's not super easy to just race down the wing and rifle off an uncontested slapshot. If you judge the AI on how well it replicates real hockey, it fails miserably. The best part of all of this is that the goalies can just flat out miss the puck from time to time - something that almost never happened in previous versions. You can score in a myriad of ways from wrap-arounds and rebounds to blue line slapshots to goals that bounce in off a goalie's pad. No longer are you required to rifle off a perfectly timed one-timer. Breakaways are exciting - there's no question about that - but you lessen the thrill of the play when you see it seven or eight times a game.īy far the best new "feature" in NHL 2003 is the way goals are scored. The problem: there are a lot of breakaways.ĭefensive positioning continues to be a problem, and coupled with the pinpoint passing accuracy of nearly every player (including the goalie), it leads to a lot of two-on-one and lone breakaway chances every game. Good puck handlers (Jagr, Federov, etc.) are much better at this than lumbering enforcer on your checking line (think: Tie Domi), and it makes scoring on a breakaway a little bit easier than before. It's actually very easy to use you simply press and hold the deke button on your gamepad and move the player as normal.
NHL 2003 PATCH MANUAL
The new manual deke ability is a neat way to get past a defender or force the goalie to commit. But even so, a few AI problems keep it from reaching expectations.Īs with most EA Sports releases, NHL 2003 has received its share of tweaks and adjustments from previous versions. On the other hand, if you simply want to run-and-gun up and down the ice, focusing mainly on big hits, 100 MPH slapshots, loose defense, and one-on-one confrontations with the goalie, then NHL 2003 is the gold standard. What do you want out of a hockey game? If you're looking for a moderately realistic sports simulation, a la Madden NFL 2003, odds are you'll be disappointed in NHL 2003. Rounding out the list of features are improved goalie AI, a new graphics engine, and additional animation. "On the Ice" sound is designed to re-create the bench chatter, taunts, and atmosphere at a real hockey game, while "EA GameStory 2" documents individual achievements throughout the course of a season with special in-game overlays and highlights. Once completely filled, players will become "in the zone" as their surrounding elements slow down to create an advantage. The Game Breaker feature incorporates a meter that increases with every successful deke, one-timer, or other offensive move. Four different game modes include Franchise, Playoffs, International Tournament, and Play Now.
Up to eight different dekes can be initiated by a press of a button, and multiple slider options let players of varying abilities customize the game to their liking.
NHL 2003 PATCH HOW TO
New players can jump right into the action by setting the skill level to beginner and then listening as a series of audio cues teach them how to shoot, pass, and check. NHL 2003 continues EA SPORTS' ten-year hockey franchise with a variety of enhancements designed to improve key areas of gameplay.
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