NHL 06: EA’s On- Ice Redemption?
EA SPORTS recently released the latest instalment in their 2K series of NHL ice capades. With a flagging hockey fan base, and a disappointing string of releases the past few years, EA makes no bones about the fact that NHL 06 is their peace offering to the gaming masses. The official site descriptions, glaring typos aside, seem a desperate attempt to prove to gamers that this new edition is bigger, better, and more exciting.
“Prepare yourself for a new era of hockey.”
And prepare I did. Ever since the golden days of Blades of Steel, when the players were little more than multi-coloured blobs on the ice, I have eagerly awaited next-generation hockey games, scooping them up with fervour as they hit the shelves. Many an afternoon was lost to NHL ‘94, generally regarded as one of hockey gaming’s groundbreaking productions. The hockey fare, since then, has been less than thrilling. There was a minor blip in ‘98, with the quick, easy player movements, introduction to management, and decent player rendering making that EA’s most novel upgrade since ‘94.
The series’ progression in the 21st century has reminded me more of progressive software builds than truly new material. There was some tweaking, some smoothing, and some hard-hitting additions for the violent-minded…but there was no substantial improvement in the overall experience that made me want to run out and buy, buy, buy! But with EA promising that I would “own the ice like in the glory days of the EA SPORTS classic NHL 94″, how could I not drool in anticipation of this fantastic title?
Alas, my dreams of greatness were dashed. I read the promotional material on the EA SPORTS site with growing disappointment. Their claims of improvements included such wondrous things as moving “skill stick” to the -gasp- right analog stick, while the skating control remained on the left analog stick. The implications are made to seem staggering, when in reality they make me giggle, since in older games the “skill” moves of a star player were performed by the pressing of a single button. Now you tap the stick. Does anyone find this exciting?
Likewise, EA has jumped on the realistic physics bandwagon, claiming that NHL 06’s Realistic Puck Momentum (RPM) and Momentum Skating will give you an experience much closer to the real thing. With RPM, the puck is a dangerous projectile, with the ability to damage players and water bottles alike. I will admit that I am a fan of this addition. Blocking a 100 mph slapshot with your shins does hurt; stopping a speeding puck with your head should make you a bit dizzy. This touch of realism is very welcome and I hope that it sticks around in future incarnations. Momentum Skating on the other hand, is a joke. If your player is scrawny, he will turn better than if he is a hulking behemoth. Now I would think that in the NHL, the spread of player weights is not so huge that you would expect the incorporation of momentum into a game to be anything more than a very, very subtle difference between players. My question to the developers is: was this really necessary? It adds very little to the game, rather seeming like something that was done because it sounded cool.
The expansion of managerial controls hold very little interest for me, but it should be noted that EA has made an effort to incorporate a greater breadth of accessibility in this area. The Dynasty Mode allows for gamer involvement down to nacho level pricing, and attempts to give the player a feel for the business side of the game. Admirable, and intriguing to some. I fear though, that the day will come when NHL will morph into Everquest and players will sit for hours to secure the latest free agent, the latest stick technology, or the latest sponsor funding using GM greenbacks “won” from EA-profitable promotions. But I digress…
NHL 06 is a good game. It is not the great game that was promised. It has the same flashy menu screens, pretty presentation, grungy rock soundtrack and attention to detail as its predecessors, owing largely to the fact that it is almost exactly the same. The additions and improvements are not enough to separate it as being a unique entity, nor are they impressive enough to warrant a strong recommendation. I will say this: if you liked EA’s previous 2K hockey offerings, you will like this game, just don’t expect to be wowed.
1 opinion for NHL 06: EA’s On- Ice Redemption?
the play girlz gaming blog » All the EA 06 Visuals You Can Stomach
Oct 14, 2005 at 9:39 am
[...] For hockey fans there’s NHL 06. “Prepare yourself of a new era of hockey”, says EA Sports. Indeed. My quick review of the demo can be found here. Check out the XBox 360 images and videos here. The metascore? 78.5 out of 100: generally favourable reviews. [...]
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