NHL 09

Review from Phil, Phil, Phil and Phil - Friday, 07 November 2008 @ 1:20am

Ice Hockey is a sport for those damn dirty Canadians and badass Russians. I can't say that it's popular here in Australia, because it isn't. What, then, is a non-sport-enjoying gamer supposed to do with NHL 09 for the Xbox 360? Toss it in the garbage? Strap on a pair of ice skates and see if it feels as gay as it looks? Defect to Canada and start speaking French? All excellent options, but I'm a lazy man and the default choice of simply "playing" the game ended up as the most viable.

I won't be reviewing the single player portion of the game to any large extent. Why? It's a hardcore, balls-to-ice mode featuring teams from all around the world and more management options than you can shake a hockey stick at. The only possible way for me to accurately judge the realistic merits of a hockey career mode would be to learn how the hockey industry works. As I said, it's hardly a popular game here in Australia, and I couldn't be bothered.

What I can review is the fundamental game mechanics themselves. The physical actions of skating, passing and shooting are well within my abilities of comprehension, and how the game feels should be the utmost priority in a sports game anyway. If it doesn't play well, then no amount of shit tacked on to player and career management modes will make it any more fun. I can happily report that NHL 09 is indeed an accessible, fun sports game that should be at the top of anyone's booze-filled party rental list.

We are the Champions ... of gay

When starting up the game, it prompts you to create a player and choose a team affiliation before you even get to the main menu, which is EA's attempt to ensnare you within its own gaming community so you will sign up online and register for a whole bunch of crappy products. I skipped through this creation phase as quickly as possible so I could hit the ice. Thankfully, a Play Now mode is first on the list, so I jumped in there with a friend and started a game with teams from the NHL (although teams from all over the world can be selected).

The left stick controls the player, while the right stick controls ... the stick. When you have control of the puck, the right trigger controls passing, and quick flicks or big swings of the right stick will determine the power of your goal shots. In contrast, when on defence the right stick can be used to "check" the player with the puck and send him flying, leaving a team member open to snag the puck and head for goal. You can change all manner of settings, including pass speed, shot accuracy and even brutality of checking. Naturally, I wanted big hits and no game-slowing penalties, so I maximised options for a fast, brutal game. NHL 09 lets you choose any configuration you desire, which is a great feature.

Visnovsky is best player in all of Motherland and US and A

It's a fluid, fast game of hockey with no game-breaking flaws or noticeable bugs. All controls are responsive, and hit detection is solid (which is more than I can say for some EA Sports games). The graphics look great, although it appears 90% of resources have been pooled into making the players' helmets as shiny as possible. Like the wavy, shiny basketball outfits in NBA games, the helmets are the star of the show here. That's good, right? If you have to make a helmet, might as well make it the shiniest damn helmet on the planet!

That pretty much wraps it up. It's easy to pick up and play, but also deeper than the Marianas Trench and more polished than a really, really super polished floor, with like three layers of wax and everything. Man, I could go for a floor like that right now.

WINNER

Pros

If EA offers up hockey helmets at their online store, buy one.

Cons

Most people don't care about ice hockey.