| 100 |
Yahoo! Games
Treyarch has done a masterful job with this game, satisfying the needs of serious hockey fans without losing sight of the fact that a sports game has to be fun.
|
| 100 |
GamePro
If you’re looking to play hockey of the NHL variety, to tackle pro challenges and use real-life strategies, NHL 2K3 will thrill you as much as watching your team heroically survive a five-on-three penalty kill.
|
| 95 |
Operation Sports
It looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, and possesses unrivaled gameplay – online or off.
|
| 93 |
Game Informer
It's a brilliant design, and a generation ahead of where EA is today. [Dec 2002, p.142]
|
| 92 |
GameSpy
The biggest difference between 2K3 and its competition, though, is the game's physics. Players move like they're actually on ice.
|
| 91 |
Gaming Age
With AI that is light years ahead of EA Sports, a simulation experience that's second to none, and a fun - if somewhat fickle - online experience with Xbox, the serious hockey gamer should only look at one title this year.
|
| 90 |
Armchair Empire
It’s clear that Sega used the learning experience of the Dreamcast’s SegaNet online gaming to its utmost advantage, because the seamless and lag-free gameplay provided by NHL 2K3 is simply fire-on-ice marvelous.
|
| 90 |
All Game Guide
EA's "NHL 2003" is a solid game, but 2K3 is a gem. The intelligent play of the computer players in 2K3 -- unparalleled by any past or present -- makes NHL 2K3 the best hockey video game to date.
|
| 89 |
IGN
If you are a fan of hockey or if you want to try hockey on a level beyond Hitz and NHL 2003, then this is absolutely the way to go. And it doesn't hurt that it's online!
|
| 89 |
Official Xbox Magazine
Smooth framerates directly translate into smooth gameplay. [Jan 2003, p.65]
|
| 88 |
GameSpot
The new additions, excellent gameplay, and Xbox Live support make this the best hockey game of the year.
|
| 85 |
GamerWeb Xbox
The game is an amazing hockey simulation with great artificial intelligence and online play as well as an acceptable graphics and sound department make NHL 2K3 the absolute best hockey title available.
|
| 83 |
XenGamers
It still has some issues that need addressing for 2K4, but even a flawed NHL 2K3 is leagues better than EA Sports' latest.
|
| 80 |
Play Magazine
NHL 2K3's biggest accomplishment is without question the AI: it is absolutely brilliant - especially the goalie. [Jan 2003, p.84]
|
| 80 |
TotalGames.net
SEGA Sports certainly know how to make their titles as exciting as possible – the music plays, the lights flash, the audience is pumped up, all you’d need is a hotdog and you’d have the perfect hockey experience!
|
| 80 |
Cheat Code Central
This game is fantastic but it's buggy online play has really kicked the crap out of the overall value.
|
| 80 |
Total Video Games
An absolutely brilliant game to play – really enjoyable, really addictive and instantly playable.
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