NHL 09 Review

slycooper20

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Dec 28, 2008
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Now, considering NHL 10 is coming out around September (at least in the US, if not around the world during that month), should you still invest your money in the last game? I say absolutely, as you'll be getting quite possibly the most fun time you have ever had playing hockey, other than playing it in real life. Most sports games, as I'm sure most of you have realized by now, contain some form of Exhibition mode, and NHL 09 is no different. The one thing that this game does have a ton of teams to choose from, ranging from all of the NHL teams, including the 2007-2008 (correct me if I'm wrong) All-Star rosters, and it also includes teams from all the way out to the Russian Superliga league, which is great if you're a fan of hockey outside of the realms of North America and Europe. The game also contains a Be a Pro mode, which when compared to NBA Live's Be a Pro actually lets you play as your own created character or any of the hundreds of players in the game, and go through an entire career in the AHL or NHL, which is a lot of fun, although the different viewpoint in this mode can take some getting used to.

Also, you can't have a sports game without an online component (except on the Wii), and NHL 09 is no different. The online in this game is a lot of fun, with many different modes to whet your appetite, including the expected versus play, but it also has what is called the EA Sports Hockey League, which is essentially normal versus games, but with a large group of people able to play different positions, which adds to the realism of being able to play in the NHL, which is a very nice touch. The only real gripe that I had with the online play is that it has some lag issues, and it has a tendency to reset. What I mean by reset is that the game pretty much "rewinds" to a previous faceoff after a few minutes of play every so often, which leads to you having to repeat the few minutes you lost, which drags out the game a little bit, and can be somewhat aggravating. Other than that, A+.

Lastly, the customization is extremely extensive in this game. With the aforementioned create-a-character, the ability to mix around rosters and set team lines however you wish, NHL 09 is quite possibly the most interesting sim (of sorts) that you'll ever have the chance to play. Also, the achievements/trophies for this game will definitely give you a challenge. It shouldn't take you an incredibly long time to get all of them, probably around 20-30 hours as an estimate, but don't really take that for granted.

Overall, NHL 09 is a definite must-buy for any hockey fans out there who own a 360 or a PS3. Feel free to buy it if you like, or rent it if you wish to wait on buying an NHL game for NHL 10 to come out.

Final Verdict: Buy It
 

scotth266

Wait when did I get a sub
Jan 10, 2009
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This is short. More detail is required: you seem to assume that people have played the previous iterations in the series, and exclude mentioning things because of that. What about outsiders that might be interested in the series?
 

slycooper20

New member
Dec 28, 2008
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As I have not played the earlier iterations in the series, I wouldn't be able to tell you, but as for outsiders, I would definitely say that the controls will most likely take some getting used to, but once you get all of them down pat, they will definitely like the game a lot. The game is definitely very fast paced, as it is in real life hockey, and the computer players, even on Rookie mode, will not hold back. From the amount of time I played against the computer, it is definitely a fan of poke checking (poking your stick at the puck to knock it away from another player), but it's not going to cause a huge number of problems, as it is still pretty simple to get the puck away, at least through poke checking as well. Regular checking is a different story, though, but not in the way that you think. It is very challenging to keep up with someone who has the puck, especially during an OTP (Online Team Play) game, and really the only way to knock the puck loose is to either check him against the boards, or get lucky and get a fast enough check to knock him down. It is nothing game-breaking, though, as it adds to the fun, trying to catch up and seeing if you can make it and check him away from the puck to get it back.

Outsiders to the series will still have fun, though, as the game contains a tutorial mode to help you learn the controls, although it is a little thin, with only a few aspects of skating covered (shooting, deking, and aiming the shot), and only a short lesson on goaltending. Still, the controls are simple enough to figure out. There is also a practice mode for both shooting and goaltending, with many different forms, for instance a 5 on 4 powerplay, even going all the way down to a 5 on 0 situation, which I didn't even realize was possible in hockey until now.

And that is all I can think of right now to add on to it. Let me know if I'm missing something.
 

slycooper20

New member
Dec 28, 2008
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The fighting's decent, although it's kind of challenging to trigger. In the 360 version, you have to press the Y button to trigger a fight, but it doesn't always work. The fights themselves are simple to play, only requiring a few buttons, but it goes by too quick. Roughly 3 or 4 punches can knock a guy out on Rookie difficulty, I assume it's probably more on harder difficulties. The grappling is also a little iffy, but not really much to worry about.