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| | Title:
NHL 2K6
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System:
Xbox
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Genre:
Sports
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Publisher:
2K Sports
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Developer:
2K Sports
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Release:
9/1/2005
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
Everyone
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Oh hockey. Where have you been all these months? Such a sad fate to lose not only a whole season but much of the fan base in America. While the love still goes on in Canada, stronger than any other sport, (much to my chagrin). What is one way to win back the hearts of the fans you ask? Well, certainly one is to bring the hockey back into our consoles. While there were hockey games for last "season", it just did not feel the same without the actual playing going on. To add to this, both NHL 2005 and NHL 2K5 simply were not good enough to keep hockey on the minds of most. The former because the EA hockey series has seriously been on the decline for the past few years, and the latter, because of a buggy interface and franchise mode that was virtually unplayable due to glitches.
That was then, this is now. Armed with a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), a new logo and a kid named Sid, the NHL will once again be that 4th of the big four major league sports that occupies ESPN and Sports Illustrated. That also means that the games must be up to the challenge. No exclusivity here meaning we have another red pill/blue pill choice on our hands. Two games means two previews. Let's get to it.
This year's edition of the NHL 2K series must live up to the gameplay greatness that last year's version achieved while making sure they ironed out the bugs which held it back. One major bug was the franchise bug which froze up the franchise mode about a season through making it unplayable and frustrating for the player, (and that includes me). So with that to do plus of course the loss of the ESPN license, developer Kush Games has quite a task ahead of them.
Now with that aside there are many improved elements in the already pretty stellar gameplay. This includes tweaking the puck physics to make it move down the ice and deflect more realistically, and fixing the game speed to a more simulation-like pace. In addition, it looks like the players on the ice will be turning at a higher radius to account for the momentum they have. The tweaking continues with fixes to the interface and the franchise mode, hopefully thereby fixing the aforementioned glitch. The SkyBox returns as well with a couple more extras and the ability to take snapshots of replays and putting them up all over the SkyBox.
The new features include an on-the-fly play calling much like in football and basketball games, and while the system seems shallow, having only four plays for both offense and defense, it should provide more than enough substance seeing that hockey is a fast and flowing game. These plays include screening the goalie for offense and clearing the crease for defense. Icon passing has a new meaning in this game, in the form of "Pro-Control". Turn it on and the icons will pop up above the players so you can pass to anyone on the ice provided there is a clear path. Unlike icon passing in say a basketball game, the icons will remain and a player can perform pass combos creating give-and-go plays and generally makes it easier to keep the puck in the zone.
The enforcer plays a huge role in the game as well. Even if they do not fill up the stat sheet, we all know how important they are. In NHL 2K6, the checking line can be utilized to alter the performance of the other team's players. Checking a player enough times will get the player intimidated, signified by an "I" underneath the player and you can do this to two players at a time. This reduces the player's ability to do much, however, if you go too far with the heavy hitting, the ref will have not choice but to send you to the box.
On the authenticity side of things, yes, the game will have to new rules implemented. This means no two-line pass and smaller goalie equipment among others. Unfortunately, that is about it when it comes to the current NHL. The salary cap will not be in place. Also, the roster is as of August 1, three days ago and therefore all the free agent activity in the past few days will not be on the disc. Also, due to NHLPA rules, the new rookies cannot be in the game either, so no Crosby for those who are wondering. However, Kush plans to release a roster update sometime near the beginning of the season.
The graphics look crisp so far and the animations are varied and fluid. The online play will probably remain untouched but it is yet to be seen how it is handled when it comes to online leaderboards, seeing that it was the ESPN site that listed them last year.
It won't be until September before the game comes out and until then, we'll keep you updated on any news about this game. The price is probably the last concern and you wonder whether it will be another value price game like last year or otherwise. It has not been anounced yet but at $20 last year it was a good game with bugs. I wouldn't mind adding an extra $10 and even waiting a bit longer if that means a bug free game.
NHL 06 Preview
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