Prepare to Take the Ice! NHL Rivals 2004 Goes Gold

Sharpen those skates! Microsoft Game Studios today announced that NHL Rivals 2004, the first hockey title made exclusively for the XSN Sports brand, has gone gold. NHL Rivals 2004 is scheduled to skate onto store shelves in North America on November 18 for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.) and is rated "E" for Everyone.

NHL Rivals 2004 allows hockey fans to take their favorite NHL team on a quest to win the Stanley Cup from the comforts of their own home. As the latest title in the XSN Sports brand, NHL Rivals 2004 immerses gamers into one of the most realistic and exciting hockey experiences ever created. With more than 1500 in-game motion-captured animations, hockey fans will be able to take wrist shots, one-timers and slap shots just like real NHL superstars. Not settling on just looking like NHL, NHL Rivals 2004 feels like NHL in every sense. PlayersR17; real-world personalities and playing tendencies are incorporated into their NHL Rivals counterpart. Every player is equipped with a "frustration fuse" -- the shorter it is, the more likely he will be to drop the gloves when play heats up. Gamers will be able to settle infamous grudge matches such as the Canadiens versus the Maple Leafs in the Rivalry Mode or create their own rivalries online using Xbox Live. With support for up to six different Xbox consoles online, there will be plenty of rivalries to go around. As an XSN Sports title, users can customize teams and leagues and view schedules from the centralized site, XSNsports.com. Gamers can also download quarterly roster updates, All-Star Game rosters, updated player ratings and more. For more information, please visit http://www.xbox.com/en-us/nhlrivals2004/default.htm.

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© NHLPA. NHL Rivals 2004 is an Officially Licensed Product of the NHLPA. NHLPA, National Hockey League Players' Association and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license by Microsoft Corporation