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First off is the graphics which we're pleased to say are excellent. The players look fantastic in the various uniforms they wear and their faces (unlike many other games) do actually look like their real life counterparts. The uniforms naturally vary from team to team with a variety selectable and further uniforms are unlockable when certain criteria are met. Then there are the stadiums, which thankfully don't solely consist of indoor ice hockey rinks. Instead they range from military bases to multi coloured disco floors and even a hockey rink on the moon! The changes are purely cosmetic however so don't expect to send the puck flying off the moon if you can make it reach escape velocity, however the change in scenery is refreshing and helps keep the game interesting.

Then there is the sound. You've got to hand it to the people behind this game, they have licensed a number of tracks for this game ranging from artists such as Moby, Incubus and Rob Zombie to name a few. It's great to have some decent music to listen to that really gets the adrenaline pumping when you're one point down nearing the end of the third period. To top it off if you don't favour any of the music available you can use your own music that is stored on the Xbox hard disk, a feature that has been sadly neglected in many other Xbox games. Then there is the commentary, which is surprisingly accurate and when combined with the in game replays really adds to the feeling of you watching a television game. Our only gripe with the commentary is that it at times will drown out the music which can be a bit annoying if the track was just getting up to your favourite part. The rest of the effects are pretty standard and sound just as they should but nothing really special there.

The game-play in NHL Hitz 2003 is fantastic. The AI is top notch with varying difficulty levels ranging from 19 to nil wins all the way to games wear you struggle to score a single goal. There is even an advanced options mode that allows you to customize many aspects of how the game is played and how the AI reacts allowing you to make the AI extremely easy but capable of incredible comebacks or simply a team that you have no chance of beating no matter what you do. Aside from the usual Exhibition, Season and Tournament modes there is also Franchise mode which has you creating your very own team and then taking on the rest of the world, on top of this you also have to outfit your team with equipment earned throughout the game and also manage the attributes for each team member. You can even trade for other team members and once you've got a good team you can make use of it in the other game modes.

Of the remaining modes there is Mini Game mode in which you can play a number of very different games either against the computer or alternatively with a friend. These mini games range from a variation of Tic Tac Toe played with hockey sticks, to a mode where the aim is to body check your opponents as much as possible with additional points given for knocking them over a barrier. Lastly for those that haven't had much experience with ice hockey games is Hockey School mode in which you receive lessons from Coach Scotty Bowman, this mode is excellent as it shows you all the techniques you'll need to make it through a game.

The standard Xbox controller works okay for NHL Hitz 2003 though at times it can feel awkward trying to press all the required keys. Due to this in the easier difficulties it is easier to stick to three or four keys rather than make full use of all of them, however on the harder difficulties you will be forced to make use of all the abilities of your team otherwise you'll almost certainly suffer a crushing defeat. Lastly the people behind it had to find a use for the ever elusive and out of reach white button on the Xbox controller. This is used to activate a special mode where one player (or the whole team at times) catch fire and have all their attributes raised by 20% for thirty seconds and when used correctly can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Last but in no way least is the extras, of which there are plenty. They range from uniform changes to new courts to entirely new teams. There are 122 extras in total many of which are unlocked by achieving certain goals in Franchise mode for instance beating London by 2 goals. Some of the extras might appeal to the long time Ice Hockey fans for instance the 1992 Chicago team is unlockable. While others such as a team consisting entirely of snowmen will appeal to pretty much anyone that needs a good laugh.

In the end NHL Hitz 2003 is nothing fantastically new but it is however a damn good game. If you're an Ice Hockey fan then you'll love this game, if you're a fan of sports games then this game is worth a look and if you don't fit in either of those categories then you should have a look anyway - after all, what better way to work off the stress from a hard days work than to smash full grown men into a wall?