NHL Hitz 2003

NHL Hitz 2003 is an ice hockey video game published by Midway Games. One version was developed by Black Box Games and released on the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube in 2002. The other was developed by Exient Entertainment and released on the Game Boy Advance. It is the second game of the NHL Hitz series. The Game Boy Advance version can be linked with up to three other systems for four-player play.

NHL Hitz 2003
North American cover art for Xbox
Pictured: Chris Pronger
Developer(s)Black Box Games
Exient Entertainment (GBA)
Publisher(s)Midway Games
Designer(s)Daniel Rosado (supervisor, PS2/XB/GC)
SeriesNHL Hitz
Platform(s)Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance
Release
  • NA: September 16, 2002
  • EU: November 1, 2002
Game Boy Advance
  • NA: October 31, 2002
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Gameplay

Players have the option of playing three periods in one, two, or three minutes in length. To begin the game, a center, a winger, a defenceman, and a goalie are picked for each team. Prior to each period, substituting the players or simply leaving them in the game is an option. There is an option for a mercy rule that will end the game as soon as the team reaches the limit of goal differential. As an example, if the mercy rule is set to five, as soon as a team leads the game by five goals, that team automatically wins. It can also be set to one goal, similar to overtime. Another nuance to the game is the option to make players who lose fights leave the game. The game is also meant to mainly be a hard-hitting, arcade-style game with wildly exaggerated player movements and actions. For example, players can check other players through the glass and into the stands, but won't stop play. Also, goalies can actually stick-handle the puck around, and take a shot on the other net, sometimes scoring. Also, the rosters are shortened to mainly starters and fan favorites (such as Tie Domi and Bob Probert), with far fewer free agents. There are also many mini-games to play.

Franchise mode

The tournament is to complete goals in the game to get experience points, which are like stat points. When players win more, they get better equipment, like sticks for accuracy and power, goalie pads for better rebound control, and more. They create a team with the goal of joining the NHL, and they start off picking the team, logo, etc., and then create seven players. As the player progresses, beating teams will result in the teams getting harder, but at the same time their team will improve too. When they start winning games, three more players will eventually ask to join the team, and the player can customize them. There are eight rounds with 5-6 teams in each one around the globe. In the last few rounds, the player will face NHL teams and players and be awarded with the trophy if they emerge victorious. They are faced with a worldwide quest, taking on teams internationally in places such as Brooklyn, Maui, Monte Carlo, Stockholm, and Montego Bay.

Season

A season mode is available. If the player-controlled team qualifies for them, a full playoff schedule will begin. This time, however, there are more individual awards made by the creators. There are also end-of-season awards created by the makers of the game, such as trophies for the player who wins the most fights or delivered the most hits.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms except the Game Boy Advance version, which received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1][2][3][4]

References
  1. "NHL Hitz 20-03 for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  2. "NHL Hitz 20-03 for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  3. "NHL Hitz 20-03 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  4. "NHL Hitz 20-03 for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  5. Grandstaff, Matt. "NHL Hitz 20-03 (GC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  6. Grandstaff, Matt. "NHL Hitz 20-03 (PS2) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  7. Grandstaff, Matt. "NHL Hitz 20-03 (Xbox) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  8. Bramwell, Tom (October 31, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 versus NHL 2003 (PS2)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 23, 2002. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  9. "NHL Hitz 2003 (GC)". Game Informer. No. 115. November 2002. p. 133.
  10. Reiner, Andrew (November 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 (PS2)". Game Informer. No. 115. p. 127. Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  11. Reiner, Andrew (November 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 115. p. 144. Archived from the original on November 17, 2004. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  12. Air Hendrix (September 16, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 (GC, PS2, Xbox)". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 7, 2004. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  13. Dr. Moo (October 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 Review (PS2)". Game Revolution. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  14. Gerstmann, Jeff (October 3, 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 Review (GC)". GameSpot. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  15. Gerstmann, Jeff (September 26, 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 Review (PS2, Xbox)". GameSpot. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  16. Parrotta, Dylan (October 15, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  17. Lafferty, Michael (October 8, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  18. Romano, Natalie (October 12, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  19. Harris, Craig (October 16, 2002). "NHL Hitz 2003 (GBA)". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  20. Carle, Chris (September 13, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 Review (GCN, Xbox)". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  21. Carle, Chris (September 13, 2002). "NHL Hitz 20-03 (PS2)". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  22. "NHL Hitz 20-03 (GBA)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 164. January 2003. p. 176.
  23. "NHL Hitz 20-03 (GC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 162. November 2002. p. 222.
  24. "NHL Hitz 2003". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. November 2002. p. 188.
  25. "NHL Hitz 20-03". Official Xbox Magazine. December 2002. p. 133.
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