Tie up your boots, slip on your gloves and pick up your stick. It’s Hockey Time !! That’s right, it’s the game where several grown men chase after a puck along the ice and hope to hit it into their opponents goal. As the title states, this is the NHL with all the thrills, spills and stats galore, to keep any wannabe Gretsky happy.

So what has this game got to offer ? For starters, there are several different modes of play, such as ‘Open Ice’, where you can hone your skills in a practice environment to a full blown season including play-offs and if that wasn’t enough, the game is also supported by the XSN sports network and Xbox Live.

So, you ask yourself, is the game any good ? One simple answer is ‘Yes’. Most sports games of the past and even some that are around now, don’t make you feel like you are playing with a team as your so called team mates seem to have nothing for brains and do nothing when you need them the most, NHL Rivals is different. Your team mates move wisely on the ice, avoiding offsides and generally try to play the position they are assigned too. In fact, the teams you play against feel like you are playing real people instead of a xbox opponent. Of course you can do that on Live but not everyone has that yet. Another feature that I have never seen before in any other hockey game are Player Roles. What is that ? Well, in hockey, certain players fit into certain roles and these roles have been given special moves in this game. You have an Enforcer, Agitator, Sniper & Balanced. Plus, if that wasn’t enough you can become the team manager and choose your own strategy and tactics for any kind of situation found on the ice.

Graphics:

Hockey is not a very demanding game for graphics as ice is ice and an arena is more or less static but Microcsoft Game Studios have managed to capture the atmosphere with the look and feel that has you believing that you are there on the ice. The players move around like you expect to see in a real game and controlling your man is simple and does what it is told to do without delay. (which is important when you are trying to shoot for goal) The kits are well represented and as it being an official NHL title, you have real names and up to date rosters for all the teams. The camera angle can be changed to suit your style with plenty of action replays to see your finest moment or even your biggest foul.

Sound:

If you have ever been to an Ice Hockey game you will recognise the usual tunes that get played whilst the players are on the ice plus "NHL Rivals 2004" includes more than 20,000 lines of dialogue, play-by-play, stories, insight and analysis from the broadcast team of Sam Rosen and John Davidson along with rink-side reporter Dick Fain. Of course to a Brit, these names mean nothing but they do sound good when you are playing frantically on the ice.

Longevity:

NHL will last you as long as you want it to last offline as well as online. Offline you have all the modes to play with and a chance to hook up with another xbox using the system link. Online, well…with constant rooster updates, this game will last you until next year when they might bring out Rivals 2005.

Round Up:

Overall, you are paying for one top notch ice hockey game with plenty to do offline and online. If you like hockey, than you will want this one in your collection, and if you don’t….well, go hire it out and see what all the fuss is about.

Pros:

• Player Roles and Special Moves
  
• Xbox Live
  
• On the fly coaching
  

  Cons:
  

  • Only if you are not a ice hockey fan.