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The longest-running hockey franchise in video games returns to home computers with a more robust Dynasty Mode, redesigned color commentary, a new fighting system, and full support of the right analog stick for both deking and checking. Budding General Managers can help upgrade their team's rink, practice facilities, coaching staff, and front office with experience points earned by winning games. As players spend more and more points on upgrades, the team will gradually increase its attributes and will be more likely to attract other free agents and draft picks to the city.
Another enhanced feature is the fighting engine, which is no longer a button-mashing substitute for boxing. Players will be able to chain moves from a grappling position, offering more strategic possibilities during encounters instead of rewarding those with quick reflexes. The collisions that often lead to fights have also been juiced up with more dramatic camera angles and new motion-captured animation. To help maintain its position as the best-selling hockey series, NHL 2004 fixes a number of presentation issues and promises a more realistic experience with computer players individually reacting to in-game situations rather than preset strategies.
Players who grimaced at NHL 2003's humorous approach to color commentary will be pleased to hear that Don Taylor has been replaced with ex-NHL player Craig Simpson, who offers a more traditional take on analysis. In addition to all 30 NHL teams from the 2003-2004 season, NHL 2004 offers 20 national teams as well as an international league composed of 39 teams from Germany, Sweden, and Finland. As with other EA SPORTS releases for 2003, players will be able to track personal ratings and unlock special features using saved games from each of the publisher's sports titles. Both the PlayStation 2 and PC versions of NHL 2004 have the added benefit of online play for head-to-head competition along with chat support.
NHL 2004 is a must-have game for rookie hockey fans and purists alike. There are a number of reasons for this, but the key ones are pretty compelling. In addition to some welcome gameplay tweaks and AI improvements by new developer Black Box, NHL 2004 also ships with a beefy new dynasty mode where Glen Sather or Bobby Clarke wannabes can micromanage their favorite teams for a full twenty seasons. Throw in some impressive new player animations, graphic upgrades, multiplayer enhancements, and a retooled fighting system, and there are more than enough goodies here to justify the upgrade.
The gameplay improvements probably won't be popular with the arcade crowd or anyone else who actually preferred the slapstick commentary, dramatic camera work, and double-digit scores featured in NHL 2003. NHL 2004 delivers a much more authentic representation of the fastest game on ice and this is reflected in its tight checking action (low-scoring games are now the norm) and truer-to-life gameplay mechanics. Defenders clutch and grab at speedy forwards with the same brutal degree of effectiveness they employ in the real NHL, and as a consequence, it's no longer possible to run up the score on opponents by executing stock one-timers, play after repetitious play. True hockey fans have detested the 'trap' since Jacques Lemaire foisted it on us it with the New Jersey Devils in the mid-'90s, but like it or not, it's part of the game and Black Box has taken pains to model this in NHL 2004. Although this new close-checking AI is still several notches from perfect -- games can still be won with suspicious momentum shifts or goon factor defensive tactics -- it's nevertheless a significant improvement on past versions.
Also complimenting the game's new sim-like presentation are upgraded control options and an all-new fighting engine. If your gamepad is appropriately equipped, you can now direct two-button touch-sensitive passes and control the direction of your hits and bodychecks with the game's new 'Bruise Control' feature (the decision to fight is now left entirely up to the player). If you do decide to drop the gloves, however, the new fighting system offers an entertaining diversion that should appeal to enforcers and speedsters alike. As with past versions, the configurability of NHL 2004 is extensive and everything from the overall AI difficulty to puck elasticity and friction can be set with a series of easily adjustable sliders.
The graphic upgrades in NHL 2004 are subtle -- last year's game was one of singular beauty -- but the results are impressive nonetheless. Complementing the superb rink detail and authentic player representations are convincing new motion-capture animations (player's bodies now skate and maneuver much more realistically) and some terrific new 3D crowd renderings that react and celebrate just like their real-life counterparts.
The audio is also quite solid throughout, with completely overhauled and re-scripted commentary from perennial play-by-play man Jim Hughson and freshman color commentator Craig Simpson (thankfully, the cornball scripting that turned respected Canadian sportscaster Don Taylor into an embarrassment of Geraldo Rivera proportions last year has been dropped). This new broadcasting tandem adds energy to the proceedings, but on the downside, they also let erroneous calls slip out every so often that bear little relation to the on-ice action. The rest of the game's auditory environment -- from the ricochet of booming slapshots to the high-energy 'EA Sports Trax' background music -- is equally first-rate.
Nhl 2004 Rebuilt Download
With close to 90 updated and licensed team rosters to select from -- 20 international teams and 39 new elite European squads supplement the game's 30 NHL franchises -- there's no shortage of player personnel in NHL 2004. What really adds to the game's depth, however, is its new dynasty mode. Assuming the role of GM, you can now draft or scout player prospects and negotiate contracts with your team's veteran and rookie talent while simultaneously adjusting ticket prices, upgrading team facilities, negotiating TV contracts, and even furnishing your office. It's a remarkably immersive experience that can be played either as a standalone RPG exercise or as an absorbing compliment to the core game.
Factor in NHL 2004's noticeably improved multiplayer environment -- where refreshingly lag-free Internet matchups can now be played on the EA Sports online pay service or alternatively through a peer-to-peer, LAN, or conventional multiple gamepad connection -- and the decision to trade up becomes even more clear.
But then again, if you're a PC hockey game fan, you've already gone out and downloaded the damned thing, haven't you?
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Description of NHL 2004 Windows
Read Full ReviewConsider this a new beginning for the NHL hockey series. The venerable EA Sports franchise has practically been reborn after more than a decade of wowing shinny fans each autumn, with an all-new development team and a sharpened focus that brings realism to the fore. All the graphical glitz and 'in the game' glam is still present in NHL 2004, although there is also a refreshing dedication to providing more than good-looking, rock-em-sock-em sound and fury.
Of course, EA Sports has made those promises before. Almost every September, a new edition of NHL arrives along with lip service about how the developers toned down the arcade emphasis to give us a game that Bobby Orr would recognize. This year, however, the company has followed through. Most of the improvements are, no doubt, due to the new development team at Black Box. The recently purchased design house has done yeoman work revamping the series, using the lessons learned while making the highly acclaimed NHL 2K for the late, great Sega Dreamcast to fashion the most authentic version of hockey to ever bear the EA label.
As you probably expect, enhanced artificial intelligence is the biggest factor in the dramatic improvement between NHL 2003 and NHL 2004. You see this in every corner of the ice. For starters, the computer now gives you more to think about offensively. Last year, the offensive AI was simply atrocious, seemingly limited to just one or two attack strategies. Limits like this have been removed for 2004; now the computer presents different offenses, depending on the team and coaching style, and will throw the puck around with abandon in an attempt to generate scoring opportunities.
But don't mistake this for the usual pell-mell arcade action that makes no real sense to hockey fans - there is method in this madness. Positional play is much stronger this time around. Centers get down and dirty behind the net, wingers fly down their sides and let shots fly from any and all angles, and offensive-minded defensemen have no qualms about moving in off the points if the situation is right. Computer players will both dump the puck in and rag it across the lines. Because of all this, you've got to have a good idea of where you are at all times. Get into a run-and-gun affair and you'll almost certainly be gunned down... unless you're playing with a goal-scoring powerhouse like the 2003-4 Colorado Avalanche.
And the computer's defensive game has been beefed up as well. While opponents in the NHL series have always gotten in your face, now they play smart. They'll cover the open man, take away passing lanes, go after loose pucks, and of course deliver some really bone-crushing checks if you cross the blueline with your head down or get too cute along the boards. Pressure like this even helps to keep the statistics and shot clock close to reality, as long as you don't go over 10-minute periods.
The other major change to NHL 2004 is its revamped control system. One of the biggest complaints about the series has always been the helter skelter play. Players seemed to slide a little too much and pucks were often hard to corral. Much of this has been improved this year. Skates now seem to really dig into the ice and the puck has more than a passing acquaintance with friction. Also, just as with Madden NFL 2004, EA Sports is taking advantage of the right analog sticks on all console and some PC gamepads.
Other aspects of play are also more precise. Passing is reminiscent of recent editions of the sister EA Sports FIFA soccer series, in that you can't play tic-tac-toe with the puck any longer. Now you have to be cautious about the amount of power you put into each pass, and gauge whether or not you need to saucer-float the puck to get it past enemy sticks. On the whole, though, passing is a lot less accurate than it has been in previous years. It presents a fairly steep learning curve to series veterans used to the one-touch pinball passing. And saucer passes can turn into a real adventure, as they're very hard to properly direct.
Perhaps the best change with the control scheme comes with fighting. Previously, if one of your heavyweights wanted to go, there was no way of avoiding the scrap. That annoyance has been removed now, with the addition of an option to ignore an opportunity to fight. Of course, there are times when you'll want to let 'er rip. And this year you really can, thanks to an all-new fighting engine that emphasizes grappling and blocking.
EA Sports has also loaded up NHL 2004 with lots of game options. League and dynasty play have been greatly improved. Around 40 teams have been added representing the European elite leagues in Sweden, Finland, and Germany, freshening things up for those a little tired of the NHL game. Dynasty mode has received a total facelift on par with that given the franchise mode in Madden NFL 2004, so running an NHL franchise has never been depicted so completely. It isn't perfect, largely due to players demanding absurdly high salaries at times, a preponderance of goofy trade offers from the computer, and a 20-year cap per career. But it's a lot better than anything that this series has presented before.
EA Sports never lets you forget that this is a big-budget production. Graphics are phenomenal in every way, though particular attention has to be paid to the outstanding animations. Skaters now look like they're actually pumping their legs, not whirring on an invisible treadmill. Hits are powerful and impressive without going over the top into wrestling land. Goalies are acrobatic and turtle-like by turns. The only somewhat sore point is the interface, which remains a little too console for the PC edition and a little too PC for the console editions.
Audio quality has been boosted with a lot of new lines for play-by-play man Jim Hughson and a greater sense of situational awareness. His new color commentator, former Oilers sniper Craig Simpson, also does a good job of weighing in with some key observations, and is a huge improvement over the stand-up comedy stylings of his predecessor, Don Taylor.
Last but not least, multiplayer modes haven't been forgotten - unless you're stuck on Xbox or GameCube, that is. PC and PS2 owners are pretty well set up with a variety of options that run the gamut from quick single-game matchups to fullblown tournaments. EA is running the same subscription angle with the EA Sports Online service for PC as it did last year, although you receive a card worth an entire season of free online play in each box. So online play with the official EA servers is essentially free of charge. You can still, of course, dodge the servers altogether on PC and link up directly with your friends and enemies.
Few new beginnings in games go as right as this one for NHL 2004. EA Sports made a brilliant decision to shake up the franchise last year and turn it over to a new design team with no vested interest in the mistakes of the past few seasons. This is almost certainly the best release in the history of the NHL series and one of the most authentic action-oriented sports games currently on the market.
Review By GamesDomain
External links
How to play NHL 2004 Windows
NHL 2004 is the arguably best NHL simulation on PC and is maintained by the community ever since its release. Go get the NHL 04 Rebuilt mod here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/nhl04rebuilt/nhl04-rebuilt-2018-2019-links-installation-info-t13.html
You may simply use the Interface mod to get the game running smoothly.
Captures and Snapshots
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Comments and reviews
Insiles2020-11-280 point
'A problem occurred when trying to transfer the file 'K:requiredcrowds.ast' from the media.' Somebody knows how l can fix?
Adam Orlowski2020-10-21-2 points
I downloaded it but it says I need a key to run it?
Mogilny892020-05-241 point
Those script errors some posters are talking about are goes of Windows 10. I had this game installed with no problems and got it running, but when I got to the game main menu, I could not press any of those buttons with the mouse or with the keyboard and therefore I have a completely new type of problem here for wich there is no solution basically.
um2020-05-240 point
I don't know what I'm doing wrong
eric2020-05-100 point
the install went smooth but when i open the game i get script errors and then a white screen
Nick (from the 04 Forum)2020-04-301 point
To everyone trying to install the Mod, please visit the official web site. It has all the important info on getting it to run properly.
TML_fan_4_life2020-04-283 points
Rest assured everyone, that this download is 100% virus free. This game works perfectly for me. I installed everything as followed on the NHL 04 Rebuilt site. If you get virus warnings (either with the game itself from here or from the files on the rebuilt site) rest assured it's not a virus.
As others have stated you have to allow it as an exception in your Anti-virus program if it complains about it. Just look up how to add an exception in your Anti-virus settings of whatever virus protection you have, if your not sure and you should be fine. This may be long but hopefully it helps someone. :)
Jlnhlfan2019-12-181 point
Nhl 2004 Rebuilt Downloads
Eidzei, you just need to disable your antivirus. It's a false positive.
eidzei2019-12-080 point
Nhl 2004 Rebuilt Download
Mod was detected as malware by Virustotal.
Joshi44862019-09-010 point
I Can't get this working at all. Just keeps crashing.
Dave333332019-08-110 point
I've tried to install the interface mod again and again, I keep getting errors saying it can't find the oath. I even dumped it in the game folder only to get the same error.
jlnhlfan2019-07-22-3 points
Not only was my antivirus panicking about some of the files, but I was also getting script errors galore.
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