This product is like new. At NexWave Games, like new means:
Additionally, all discs at NexWave Games are carefully inspected and assessed for quality. When discs arrive, we do not accept any that are so badly damaged that they are unlikely to work. We only accept discs with light scratches at most. Discs with scratches are then treated in our professional disc repair machine. By warming the disc and polishing it with soft brushes, these machines can remove a very thin layer from the disc. This removes the layer containing surface scratches and improves the disc’s readability. This ensures the disc works properly, even on consoles with ageing lasers that have difficulty reading games! Great news for the player.
NHL 2003 for PlayStation 2
NHL 2003 for PlayStation 2 centres on fast ice hockey with room for your own dekes. Dynamic Deke Control lets you move the puck around a defender or choose a preset action. You still need to find the right moment to shoot afterwards: a pass across the ice can force the goalie to move. When you lose the puck, you switch players, close off a route and try to win the puck back with a check or interception.
Good actions and goals fill the Game Breaker meter. A full meter changes an important moment with slow-motion surroundings and extra emphasis on the duel towards goal. Play Now gives you a single match, while Franchise follows a club over several seasons. You trade players, sign free agents and select new talent through the draft. Playoffs and International offer shorter tournament routes. NHL Cards also let you unlock additional content and temporary advantages by completing tasks.
The match settings let you adjust the pace, rules and difficulty, among other things. You play alone against the computer or locally with up to eight simultaneous participants. Everyone needs a separate controller. Three to five players need one PS2 Multitap; six to eight require two PS2 Multitaps. With several people on the same team, finding space and providing cover become shared tasks. The PS2 release of NHL 2003 has no online matches.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
NHL 2003 for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of NHL 2003
NHL 2003 arrived on the European PlayStation 2 in 2002. Electronic Arts Canada developed it for EA Sports, which had already been expanding its ice hockey series annually. The PS2 had received earlier NHL instalments by then, so this release could build on an established console foundation. The game appeared on other systems too. Its familiar name and players made the sport immediately recognisable, but the controls and local multiplayer options still needed to be considered separately for each platform.
A key aim was to give you greater influence over the puck during an individual action. Dynamic Deke Control let you choose between preset moves and your own stick movements. Game Breaker added a meter linking good actions to a standout moment during a match. EA also worked on sounds from ice level, goalie reactions and EA GameStory 2. That last system followed events involving players and teams throughout the season and brought them back into the match presentation.
The longer competition took shape in Franchise, where you could play up to ten consecutive seasons. Trades, free agents and the draft meant a team did not have to retain only its starting roster. Separate playoffs and international competition offered a shorter route to a final. NHL Cards gave achievements another purpose by unlocking extras. This instalment therefore combined building a club with direct hockey actions and small objectives during matches.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
NHL 2001 for PS2 shares direct ice hockey, NHL teams and an interest in a longer season with NHL 2003. The older game also has a separate Shootout for taking penalty shots. NHL 2003 adds Dynamic Deke Control, Game Breaker and a Franchise spanning several seasons. Both demand good passing and shot selection, but the sequel gives individual puck actions and the development of a roster a larger role.
NHL 06 for PS2 also builds on fast matches and running a club. The right stick controls special shots and actions there, whereas NHL 2003 bases its individual puck handling on Dynamic Deke Control. Staff and finances play a prominent part in NHL 06's Dynasty. NHL 2003 uses Franchise and NHL Cards for longer and shorter objectives. You therefore get related ice hockey with different control choices and a different division of work off the ice.
Like NHL 2003, NHL 07 for PS2 lets you control a team and guide it over several seasons. The later game uses the right stick for directional passing and develops club management through features such as scouting and a salary cap. With Dynamic Deke Control and Game Breaker, NHL 2003 puts more emphasis on your own deke and a standout attacking moment. Both connect matches to roster building, but shape the on-ice actions and decisions between games differently.
ESPN NHL 2K5 for PS2 shares hockey matches and a long-running club campaign with NHL 2003. The 2K instalment pays extra attention to scouting, coaching and developing players in minor-league teams. Party also adds standalone minigames. NHL 2003 focuses its extra match features on Dynamic Deke Control, Game Breaker and the unlockable NHL Cards. Both offer more than individual games, but use different kinds of challenges alongside the regular competition.
NHL 2K7 for PS2, like NHL 2003, centres on passes, shots and choosing a good defensive position. The 2K game expands your influence over the team with ProControl and Pressure Control, giving teamwork and defensive pressure their own particular controls. NHL 2003 uses Dynamic Deke Control and Game Breaker for actions around the puck carrier. Both give you control over the whole team; their extra actions place different emphases on attacking and defending.
