well, reviews and comparisons are coming in...
Which will you be getting?
EGM Scores -
EA NHL 2005 [ 6.0 ; 6.0 ; 7.0 ]
ESPN NHL 2005 [ 8.5 ; 8.5 ; 8.0 ]
Price -
EA [ 49.99 ]
ESPN [ 19.99 ; clear winner ]
Gamepro Comparisons -
Hockey Authenticity
*EA - The expected action-packed, arcade feel.
*ESPN - More realistic and true to the sport, but harder [Winner]
Career mode
*EA - RPG-like "video-game" approach
*ESPN - Fantasy hockey feel to building roster and staff [Winner]
Fighting
*EA - No meters; can opt in; great feel [Winner]
*ESPN - Great new redesign with tight new controls
Online
*EA - Tournaments and head to head only.
*ESPN - Clear winner - usuals plus leagues and even Party mode! [Winner]
Arcade mode
*EA- Free4all mode lacks creativity
*ESPN - Party mode mini-games absolutly rock! [Winner]
Skating/controls
*EA - Needs tuning- spastic, jerky feel
*ESPN - Butter-smooth and natural; handles instinctivly [Winner]
Checking
*EA - Difficult to line up and connect - needs tuning
*ESPN - Wins by a hair- hits connect easier but lack bone-crunching feel [Winner]
Graphics
*EA - Unbeatable gorgeus arenas, scary-real player faces and movements [Winner]
*ESPN - Respectable but lacks wow power.
Commentary
*EA - Same tired, no-name duo in the booth-EA needs to hire some pros
*ESPN - Gary Thorne and Bill Clement - hard to top the voices of hockey [Winner]
So which will you all be getting? my mind was made up after owning both NHL 2004 and ESPN hockey last season. ESPN was clearly better, and now with better online modes and a 19.99 price; damn, no way im saying no to that.
and i also expect some of the canadians here to come say thoes arent the voices of hockey. and i understand that but it was the magazine that said it, not me.
My choice. ESPN. Will i be seeing any of you online with me?
[Edit] For Joeiss, this is from Gamepro...
Espn's franchise mode is reaping the benefits of a stronge overhaul; the focus is on building your team and staff, so you can hire/fire coaches, move prospects between the minors and majors, squabble over contracts. Your minor-league team is now a fully functional team istead of just a holding pool, and scouting plays a much bigger role as you assign scouts to regions around the world, then take several different looks at promising players, even running them through some drills. It feels much more like a fantasy-sports approach, the kind of thing that sports nuts can really get lost in.
Release dates:
EA - 9.14 for PS2 // 9.20 for Xbox
ESPN - 8.30 for both PS2 and Xbox