Although on the surface, this is just another year of hockey within the realm of video games,
NHL 2004 does offer even more in terms of gameplay. Sure, you have your standard smash-mouth antics of toothless athletes, but now you can compete against even more teams, in another mode of play, and also take to the ice in cyberspace.
While it's true that North America may (generally) have the best professional football and basketball players in the world, they don't necessarily have the best hockey players. So why not take the challenge of competing around the world. Well, now you can in NHL 2004's new Elite Leagues. Challenge or play as any of 39 international teams in different leagues, including Finland's SM-Liiga, Germany's DEL, or Sweden's Elitserien.
Since you're now on pace to compete around the world, the next step is to take NHL away from your cozy living room. That's right. You can finally challenge your buddy across the street or a random player from across the country, thanks to the PS2's online Network Adapter. You'll have the option of playing with either a dial-up or broadband connection, but I would recommend the latter in order to help with Internet lag time.
The heart of the new NHL game from EA Sports, however, lies in the new Dynasty Mode. Have your ever wondered about the decision-making of your favorite sports team? Well now's your chance to show the world you mean business. In the Dynasty Mode, you become the General Manager of your team over 20 seasons. As the GM, you have total control over your team. You'll be in charge of everything from managing your rosters to setting your ticket prices. Don't worry, though, you do still get to play the games.
