Fun but too buggy
I'll start with the positives though. Graphically this is solid, without being as spectacular as it is billed to be. The players are lifelike, but lack the detail levels you'd expect from a game released in the back end of 2003. Their movements are fluid and highly realistic (which you'd expect considering that they were motion-captured), however facial expressions are poor and just seem very generic. The arena's are represented in great detail, and the crowd (a traditional flaw in all sports sims) are well done. Gone are the 2D crowds that are nothing more that a coloured line when seen side on, to be replaced by individually modelled people. Obviously, there are not many of these models, with stadiums being filled with a couple of hundred doppelgangers of each model, however this isn't a problem, as it is simply refreshing to see a change from the lame 2D crowds.
The sound is good, however the commentary becomes irritating after a while. As picked up in the Gamespot review, the announcers make multiple errors in matches, which is unexpected and frankly substandard from an EA Sports game. The phrases that they use tend to become irritating after a while too, as there is not nearly enough variety in the script. Saying this though, both announcers do a solid job and seem believable. The soundtrack may well be the games strongest point, being a good selection of pop-punk tunes featuring standout tracks from Gob and The Atari's.
It is possible to play in one off game, league, or career mode. While the first two are excellent, the final mode leaves a lot to be desired. One off matches can feature any NHL team, many international teams, or teams from Finland, Sweden and Germany. This range is excellent, and with players being individually modelled the amount of effort EA Sports has gone to is highly commendable. Playing in leagues is also a lot of fun, as you can set the length of the season, and can continue through several seasons, creating a squad of your own choosing.
The career or "Dynasty" mode is rather less successful though. The concept is good, but it is poorly documented and implemented. The interface for it is clumsy; creating a good training balance is nigh on impossible - with all players seeming to suffer from fatigue or skill loss no matter what system is implemented. The financial side of it doesn't seem to work. I was paying players super high salaries, varying ticket prices and still no change in my balance sheet was apparent. The upgrade points were hard to come by, and no noticeable difference was found when I implemented them. The one major plus was the realistic AI of the other managers, who would only make decent trades involving players or draft selections. The draft isn't particularly well implemented, with not enough information being supplied on the possible players. The whole concept of it is good, but it seems to have been poorly executed, which is a shame as it could have been the major selling point of the game.
It is possible to create your own players and teams in NHL 2004. They can be added to existing sides or can even replace current teams, though I found there to be flaws with the kit, especially in the goalkeepers, who's helmets were always white, no matter what kit their side was wearing. It is also impossible to delete players once you have created them, which seems a little bit strange. Bugs like this are frustrating, but do not cause a dislike of the game though.
There are several more severe bugs in the game though, the most alarming being the consistent crashes if certain menu options are selected. While it is difficult to get any game to be entirely bug free, such blatant problems are frankly unacceptable.
So on the whole this is an enjoyable experience, however it lacks the professionalism you'd expect from an EA Sports game. They are the market leaders in terms of sports sims, and thus a lot is expected from their products. While NHL 2004 is a good game on face value, too many aspects of it seem poorly executed and badly documented, meaning that I've never been able to get the most out of this game. It should have been the defining hockey sim, but sadly in my eyes it falls a long way short.