This year's edition features many different modes of gameplay for the NHL enthusiast. Players can start the game right away in play now mode, play an international game, play through a playoff series, or start a franchise. The franchise mode puts you in charge of a team for a 10-year legacy. You can either play every game during a season or simulate each game and take a manager role. After each season, you have the option to play around with the roster in anticipation of next season. You can draft new players, sign free agents, make trades with other teams, and retire old players. Statistics are kept throughout the life of a franchise in several categories.

Also new this year is the use of the right analog stick to execute manual dekes and slip the puck past the goalkeeper.

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Credits (Windows version)

197 People (170 developers, 27 thanks) · View all

Geometry & Collision Detection	Gari Biasillo
AI Lead	Chris Deas
Platform Lead & AI	Dave Forshaw
Front End	Kristopher Horton Derek Kube Jacob Tran Dee Jay Randall David Rossellat
AI	Alan Hughes
Rendering	Jesse Joudrey Kevin P. Pickell Sean Thompson Som Yau
Front End & Build Monkey	Marty Rampton
Audio & AI	James Laurenstin
Platform Lead & Coverage	Jonathan Lawlor
Tools & Technology Lead	Kevin Loken
Platform Lead & Online	Alan Price
Tools & Audio	Ryan T. Sammartino
Front End Lead	Bunka Sandhu
Platform Lead & Animation	Tedd Streibel
Animation & Choreography	Ian Yip
Scripting Support	Brian Ka Chun Yu
3D Character Modeler	Frank Belardo Arthur Na
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 81% (based on 35 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 17 ratings with 1 reviews)

Fantastic NHL action

The Good
The first aspect of NHL 2003 that hit me was the sheer emotion it drew out of me. The combination of the up-tempo rock soundtrack combined with the top-notch cut scenes really got my heat pumping. The gameplay in NHL 2003 is by far the best to date (considering I have yet to play NHL 2006) in an EA sports hockey title. The fluid realistic skating, and bone jarring hits were just the beginning. The game also offers a manual deke option when the right analog stick is utilized. This skill set of moves is really quite handy when trying to dodge a defender.
EA did an excellent job of tapping the emotion that a young Canadian boy has for the game of hockey. With it's all new break-away camera, and slow motion, rock music filled highlight replays, the game really is a work of art. The player animations are realistic, and the goaltenders actually have there specifically personalized goalie masks. This is a feature that no longer exists in NHL hockey videogames. EA did an excellent job by showing this authenticity. All in all, EA Sports NHL 2003 is an excellent hockey video game, and anyone who appreciates fast-paced authentic hockey should own this title!

The Bad
I liked absolutely everything about this game, great job EA Sports!

The Bottom Line
EA Sports NHL 2003 is the best hockey title available to date! If you love hockey, you will love this game!

Xbox · by John-Michael Matthews (2) · 2005

Trivia

EA cover curse

Curse or slump? You be the judge. Jarome Iginlia had 52 goals, 44 assists, was +27 and never missed a game in the 2001-02 season. He followed this up with his cover appearance and dropped to 35 goals, 32 assists and -10 with seven missed games in the 2002-03 season.

Analytics

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Related Sites +

NHL 2003
Official website

Identifiers +

MobyGames ID: 9662

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Charles Lippert.

Windows, Xbox, GameCube added by Corn Popper.

Additional contributors: ClydeFrog, Corn Popper, Alaka.

Game added July 28, 2003. Last modified August 14, 2024.