My Long-Awaited Review Of NHL Rivals 2004
I’ve spent the past few days playing NHL Rivals 2004 (http://www.xbox.com/en-us/nhlrivals2004). There are a lot of things I like about the game, and a few things I'm hoping to see improved in v2 :-)
I'm still getting used to the controls, but I like the way that every button seems to do something, and combinations make useful things happen instead of gratuitous spinoramas that just get you knocked down. I really like the “open ice“ mode that allows you to practice with 5 guys shooting on a goalie without defenders. It makes it much easier than trying to learn how to play in an active game. It has the expected customization, leagues, playoffs, etc, but I'm really looking forward to playing on XBox Live (once I get around to getting a subscription). It's great to get beaten repeatedly by twelve year olds from around the globe.
One of the most impressive aspects of this game is definitely its graphics. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a way to get screenshots from my TV. Anyway, here are some artist renderings:
Stunning Saves!
Exciting Goals!
Hard Hitting Action!
