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ESPN NHL Hockey
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ESPN NHL Hockey (USA)

Xbox
🇬🇧
Reviewed in
2003
82
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✪ Reviewed on June 21, 2023
74

Previous iteration of 2K hockey. Solid but eclipsed by 2K5 two years later. Still decent for hockey fans on Xbox, prefer 2K5 when possible.

Your verdict
Category
Sports 4 players 3+
Description
ESPN NHL Hockey simulation on Xbox.

ESPN NHL Hockey review

4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾5,5 GB 📅09/09/2003
Published by Sega

ESPN NHL Hockey (Xbox) price, value & rarity

Common
Q1 loose
 $3 Q6 complete
 $7 Q10 new
 $14 !
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Other versions
ESPN NHL Hockey
Europe
28/11/2003
🇬🇧

Collector interest

An earlier entry of Visual Concepts' hockey under the ESPN label, a step of the brand's sim before its later vintages. Its collecting interest is very low: a sports game dated by its rosters, abundant, without scarcity and little followed outside America. A nostalgia piece for those who wore out this precise vintage of virtual hockey on the original Xbox.

Is ESPN NHL Hockey still worth playing in 2026?

Released in 2003 under the ESPN banner, this first entry of the 2K turn marks the break from Sega's earlier NHL 2K series. The polished presentation, the studio inspired commentary and the franchise mode depth still hold appeal. On ice play feels stiffer than in the celebrated sequel and the shooting can lack feedback at times. The closure of online play and rapid statistical obsolescence limit interest now. Recommended today for fans nostalgic about early 2000s hockey video games and for collectors hunting the ESPN sports family on original Xbox hardware.

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