NHL 2003

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. GameSpot
    83
    There are only a few improvements to help distinguish it from NHL 2002, but these changes further increase the realism of what is considered the best hockey simulation on the market.
  2. PSM Magazine
    80
    Hockey fans looking for a major overhaul of this series won't find one, but that's not necessarily bad. [Dec 2002, p.46]
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  3. G4 TV
    80
    The latest version of EA's yearly hit isn't the quantum leap ahead of last year's, but it's improved enough to keep it at the top, drinking from the virtual Cup.
  5. Sports Gaming Network
    80
    The sound package continues to be exceptional in this series. But the camera work is atrocious. There's simply no good camera in the game.
  6. TotalGames.net
    87
    A slick hockey game that delivers all of the action, realism and play modes fans of the series and the sport could want. As ever though, this latest edition in the series plays, by and large, like the other nine.
  7. BBC Sport
    90
    True purists may prefer to look elsewhere for their hockey action, but those seeking a fast-paced, action-packed game are in for a real treat.
  8. Electric Playground
    75
    EA Sports continues to feel that this franchise mode is superfluous, and the ten-year franchise you can play in NHL 2003 is very rudimentary and poorly explained...[yet] you'll definitely have a lot of fun playing NHL 2003.
  9. XenGamers
    67
    Instead of going back and fine-tuning the game's fundamentals, the developers let the broken stuff stay broken and added in some cheap new bells and whistles.
  10. GameZone
    90
    The new features, especially the dynamic deke control are remarkable and may warrant an upgrade from a previous version for the true hockey fans.
  11. Play Magazine
    60
    As always, the graphics in NHL 2003 are exceptional... There were times when I thought I was watching an actual hockey game. [Nov 2002, p.88]
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  12. Eurogamer
    80
    There’s more fluency to the [Hitz] gameplay, and the “on fire” element is handier than EA’s aptly named “gamebreaker”.
  13. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    70
    The puck has strikingly solid physics...The trouble is, defense is a joke. [Dec 2002, p.164]
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  14. GameSpy
    84
    A solid game that improves only marginally -- if at all -- over last year's game.
  15. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    75
    A better-playing, all-around more realistic game than 2002 with a level of control that puts all past EA NHL games to shame. [Dec 2002, p.212]
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  16. Gaming Age
    67
    It’s not sim enough to match up with Sega’s offering, and Midway has a faster, more fun arcade hockey game in NHL Hitz.
  17. GameNow
    67
    All of the defensive techniques are a shambles. [Nov 2002, p.76]
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  18. Game Informer
    78
    It's a little different, but if you dissect every little detail, it's actually a step down from last year's release. [Nov 2002, p.120]
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  19. GamePro
    90
    You know this gameplay: There’s been a lot of excellent tuning but no mammoth overhauls.
  20. PSX Nation
    80
    If you liked “NHL 2002” then NHL 2003 is almost the exact same game.
  21. IGN
    86
    Those expecting a sim-style game, beware. NHL 2003, like last year's edition, slants more toward arcade-style hockey... Another good installment.

Awards & Rankings

57
#57 Best PS2 Game of 2002
97
#97 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2002

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 3 out of 18
  1. davey16
    Sep 1, 2021
    6
    I do miss the energy of these games. They leaning into the arcade feels fine. It also helped that they actually had competition in the hockeyI do miss the energy of these games. They leaning into the arcade feels fine. It also helped that they actually had competition in the hockey game market back then.… Full Review »
  2. Kyle_Katarn92
    Jul 9, 2016
    8
    Don't get me wrong, the game is a lot of fun. The engine underwent some changes. The players are able to stickhandle the puck using the rightDon't get me wrong, the game is a lot of fun. The engine underwent some changes. The players are able to stickhandle the puck using the right analog stick. My only gripe with this game is that it can be challenging to score goals at times. Still the game is well worth playing, not as good as 2002, but still fun… Full Review »
  3. JoshH.
    Jun 5, 2003
    0
    If anyone has played any of the previous NHL series games and liked them, DO NOT GET THIS GAME!!!!!! I got this the day it was released, and If anyone has played any of the previous NHL series games and liked them, DO NOT GET THIS GAME!!!!!! I got this the day it was released, and I was so excited, yet when I started to play, I had turned the game off within ten minutes, and put NHL 2001 in. The gameplay is horrendous compared to the previous NHL games, and the charecters and their respective animations look like puffy disney characters. The worst game I have bought in years, only surpassed by any of the WWF/WWE games.… Full Review »
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