STL FANATIC Posted December 26, 2003 Share Posted December 26, 2003 Ok, guys, I'm pretty sure it's been discussed before, but I think I'm about to pick on of these up soon, and I'd like to know which is better. I'm getting it for PS2. Also, which one is easier to get roster updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted December 26, 2003 Author Share Posted December 26, 2003 Where can you download these rosters, and what are they options with jerseys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kj Posted December 26, 2003 Share Posted December 26, 2003 NHL Depot is a good spot to download stuff, I have the link at home.I just picked up NHL 2004 earlier this week. I know the stuff posted on here was leaning towards ESPN, but I've played the EA games for years, and know the brand so well.The visual presentation in EA is AMAZING. The game play, however, is much more complex. I'm used to being able to stick to mostly four-button play, with the extra buttons (L1, R1, etc) being used for special stuff. But now there's just too much available to do--poke checking and hooking being different buttons, etc. The first few times I played it on "Easy," I was just getting creamed. I downloaded an AI update that someone had put together for the Dynasty mode which made it much more fair, and the game play much more balanced and realistic.They seem to have made it a little more difficult to extract the images from the graphics files, though it can still be done. Unfortunately, I haven't found any templates for jerseys and equipment yet, or I'd've probably tried to put a few teams in there. It looks like they simplified the way that the jersey files are laid out, back closer to how it used to be in 2002 and earlier, rather than the more complicated 2003 version.Did I mention how visually stunning the game is? It's amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrim Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 ESPN, i'll tell ya, it's solid in the features department-good franchise mode, lots of historical uniforms, several historic teams including the 91 blues, the all star skills challenge, and just a plopload of stuff. I'd check Thunderpuck for info if i were you....matter of fact, i did. anyways, the gameplay got screwed up somewhere in the transition of changing developers, so teams will be taking like 90% one-timers, goalies are rated in a way that they are homogenized(basically, all goalies will more or less play the same way), and another thing about the netminders: the 'Super goalie' turned me off from EA's NHL series, haven't played that since the 2002 game. Supes arrives in ENH at the two hardest levels...just check a replay of a hard slapper (you don't see the puck going in the glove, it 'teleports' inside it). most of it can be edited, again refer to TP. If you ask my opinion...wait, you did, sort of...anyways, i'm gonna actually go out on a limb and suggest you consider Hitz Pro...no joke. I won't try to screw you over, a complete sim it's not, but the game itself plays a damn good game of hockey. plus, the sliders can be edited to either be the all out arcade game it started out as, or be as simlike as they could get it...and again, for more than i can throw your way, refer to TP. The goalies here...just beautiful! What i wanna know is how the keepers in an 'arcade' game are more realistic than their counterparts in the two 'sims.' it's not even funny...just rent and compare, is my final verdict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted December 27, 2003 Author Share Posted December 27, 2003 Thanks guys. From what I have read all over I'm leaning towards ESPN. I'm looking for a complete sim as possible, and what I read says that it is best at that. I do plan to rent before buying though.Again, thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 As far as graphics editing though, from what I can tell and know from personal experience, EA's NHL series is the way to go. The EA Graphics Editor from nba-live.com works for the NBA Live series as well as the NHL series (built for both), and the templates, tutorials, etc, and just the graphics modding community in general seems to be more established for EA.I'm an EA Sports guy. Never have bought another brand, except a couple of Nintendo 64 games like 1080, Griffey Slugfest, and Blitz 2001, and I never will (unless EA goes out of business or I have a seriously bad experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwertman Posted December 27, 2003 Share Posted December 27, 2003 We rented an X-Box and NHL Rivals 2004 a month ago,and it was quite choice.So we had to buy and X-box lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted December 27, 2003 Author Share Posted December 27, 2003 Now I'm back leaning towards EA because I seem to see more roster downloads maybe, I dunno... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-kj Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Can you do the editing for the PS2? I didn't notice the first time I read your post that you're getting the PS2 version; I'm using the PC version of EA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted December 28, 2003 Author Share Posted December 28, 2003 Yeah, as much as I'd love it, I don't think I'm gonna be able to edit graphics much either way. I can't do PC, cuz companies are too ignorant to try it on the Mac.Right now I seem to like everything ESPN offers best. I will apparently need to play with the settings a little, but it seems to me like I want ESPN. The only question is being able to get updated rosters, and for how long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrim Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 Right now I seem to like everything ESPN offers best. I will apparently need to play with the settings a little, but it seems to me like I want ESPN. The only question is being able to get updated rosters, and for how long.Well STL, i'll help you out a little, got some slider settings a couple weeks ago while trying to find settings that let me spend my hour playing instead of editing, so here we go:(edit-i forgot whose they are, but they're not mine, i'm not that patient with editing and such. these settings seem to work best on teh hardest level, idk why...anything not listed, i figure it's up to you)Game Speed - 1Period Length - 8 minsPenalties - 5Fighting - 3Puck Friction - 5Ice Friction - 5Freeze Puck time - 1Glass Breaking Frequency - 2Human goalie skill - 3 (although I've just lowered it to 2)CPU goalie skill - 0Human defense skill - 3CPU defense skill - 3Human offence skill - 10CPU offence skill - 9All speed burst sliders - 3Human/CPU fatigue effect - 10Human/CPU fatigue recovery - 2Human/CPU hitting power - 3Human shot accuracy - 10CPU shot accuracy - 7Human pass accuracy - 9CPU pass accuracy - 7Human/CPU pass speed - 8Human pass interception - 8CPU pass interception - 6Human rebounds - 6CPU rebounds - 8Human shot blocking - 9CPU shot blocking - 7Human puck retention - 4CPU puck retention - 2Human puck control - 5CPU puck control - 3now if i remembered what ratings to give M-A Fleury and the other rookies, i'd set ya. As i forget at the moment, just check the best hockey sites ya know and go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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