NHL 2K9

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List Price: $19.99
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After the debacle of last season's 2K8's new and incredibly difficult-to-play control system, 2K9 is a great step back (and forward) by offering three control systems. The default button pressing system is called "classic" and is very similar to what the 2K Hockey fans have grown accustomed to with the excellent 2K6 (possibly the best of this series) and 2K7 releases, with passing relegated to the "X" button, and the shoot relegated to the "square" button (tap for a wrist shot, press for a slap shot). There is also a hybrid control scheme that uses much of the classic along with the right analog stick, and a new shot stick control scheme which is actually last year's right analog stick's system in full tandem.

The arena graphics and fans capture each of the NHL teams' arenas, and the players even grow beards during the playoff run in Season and Franchise mode. Lot of throwback uniforms to choose from, as well as a Profile Trophy screen that keeps track of awards throughout the game. Not as great a game as 2K6, but a great value for the price (and probably a better value than the EA game that retails for $60).

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The critics loved NHL 2009 and NHL 2010, but NHL 2K9 and 2K10 have received only modest reviews. However, with only a few changes, the 2K series would arguably be better. I have to admit, I've played a lot of NHL 2009 and NHL 2010. This game has some similarities, and in certain ways, compares favorably to the EA games. But there are also definite shortcomings.

First of all, the default settings of gameplay do feel very arcade-like. But this problem can be remedied through tuning and tweaking the settings to your liking. Once I made the necessary changes, the improvement was night and day. Let's start with the controls. Beyond the basic 4 button settings, you have the option of using a new method called "pro stick evolution" and it's very good. It's actually almost identical to NHL 2009 and NHL 2010. The right stick allows you to shoot, deke etc. R2 is the button for passing. The one main difference in this and the EA games is that R1 is used for checking instead of the right stick. The right stick is "total stick control" on defense, which is decent. There's also a "hybrid" mode, which meshes the classic controls with the new pro stock mode. It's acceptable enough as well.

Another way in which this game really shines is the puck physics. The EA series of games has some unusual issues with pucks, they simply don't behave as they would in a real game. That problem doesn't exist in this game. Another common problem this game does NOT suffer from is the puck being across the goal line, but not counting as a goal. This is a major problem in NHL 2009 and 2010. Another way this game shines is that star players are clearly better than third or fourth liners. In certain games, cough cough, EA, pretty much all of your players can pull off superstar moves and make ridiculous shots or passes, but not here. Players physics are also great too. Having Martin St. Louis body check Zdeno Chara is not going to result in Chara losing his balance much of the time. Larger players will deliver stronger checks but also feel slower. The presentation of the game is also very good. The pre-game intros are very sharp and eye-catching. You can really feel the atmosphere and it's certainly a big plus. The menu system is also very good. It takes some time to get used to but really allows for quick navigation once you adjust.

And now onto the negative gameplay aspects. The puck control and passing is too good. Players rarely lose control of the puck or make inaccurate passes. It can be tweaked but still remains a problem, to an extent. The goalies are also too weak unless you turn the settings all the way up. They constantly crouch and fall backwards like catchers in baseball. It's often very easy to score by shooting low and across. Another problem is that slapshots almost never go in, maybe 1 of 100. There are occasionally goals by deflections though. The offensive strategy is very simple, go to the slot. The cpu and your teammates will do this to no end. This gets frustrating after a while. There are also too many rushes up and down the ice. Additionally, the commentary is quite poor. Names are mispronounced endlessly, the goalies of each team will often be mistaken, etc.

Now onto the various modes of play. The franchise mode is simply far too thin. It's stripped of all the features that made the earlier PS2 versions so good. You can't scout potential draft picks, there are no offer sheets or buy-outs, there's no staff communication, you can't earn any upgrades etc. The season mode is self-explanatory and nothing new. A big problem is that there is NO mode similar to be-a-pro and it really hurts the game. All the top level games, by various companies and in various sports, have such a feature. It really kills the replay value of the game.

Last but not least, the graphics are inferior to the EA NHL games. While not awful overall, there are clear weaknesses. The faces of the players look absolutely nothing like the real players, except in one or two cases, which might've occurred purely by accident. You can't tell when the ice is cut up, the fine details are simply indecipherable. Despite this, the overall graphics of the game aren't not what hold it back.

Since you can probably find this game for around eight to ten dollars, it's a very good value. However, NHL 2009 and NHL 2010 do offer a more realistic, simulation based experience.

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I bought NHL 2K9 since it was near the end of the NHL regular season before i shopped for a hockey game. I tried demos of both 2K9 and NHL 09 and enjoyed both almost equally. It was easier to handle the 2K9 game and though I knew it would be inferior to EA's version, I still had fun playing it. What really put me over the edge was the price. There was no way i was spending $50-$60 for a hockey game that late in the season. Ahhhh NHL 2k9 was available though for under $20 though. SOLD!

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I enjoy every minute of this game. It is fun and was a blast playing for hours. If you love hockey then this is your game and if you love sports then this is also a good game to play.

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Great game, just wish it was more user friendly in franchise mode when you have to make team transactions. But other than that it serves its purpose and is awesome to play.