From a first glance, NHL 06 looks and feels a whole lot like NHL 2005. Menu screens look close to identical, and – more disturbingly – so do the menu options. But, get into a game and the subtle changes become clear. Dekeing has been moved from the right analogue stick to the left. While having the same instrument to control skating and dekeing sounds awkward, it actually works quite well. Just tap the stick to the left or right, and the player will shift the puck accordingly – usually to the bewilderment of the defense or goaltender. Now on the right analogue stick lies a spinning deke, which is ridiculously extravagant and unrealistic. Star players can also perform a shot from one of these spins, regardless of how impossible the angle might be.
Why, oh why!?
Checking is another thing that has been improved. Rather than just one button for hitting, EA have adopted a somewhat unique system. Simply skating into your opponent will perform a soft check and slow them up. Tap the check button, and a stronger check results. Hold the check button down, and anybody in the way will be destroyed. This is a much needed change, as the checking system in NHL 2005 was utterly, utterly terrible, with there only being room for a strong check. It helps the flow of the game no end now that players aren’t being steamrolled constantly.
Virtually all hockey games suffer from the fact that the puck is usually connected to the player – not so in NHL 2006. The puck feels less like it is just an extension of the stick, largely thanks to some improved animation. For example, a player has to move into position before they can let rip with an appropriate shot, rather than produce it completely off balance. The separation of puck and player is a great step towards realism. For example, it means that using a speed boost will push the puck far in front of a player, and enable defenders to swoop in and take the puck cleanly. Another small touch, but an important one.
Of course, rosters have been updated to be mostly current prior to the 05/06 season starting – rookies excluded. However, a completely up to date roster is available on Xbox Live for those determined to keep everything up to date – or those Sharks fans who desperately want Joe Thornton. The new NHL rules have also been added to the game (or subtracted, if you will).
And really, that is about it as far as new content in NHL 06 goes. While these tweaks really do make the game better to play, they are hardly the basis for a sequel, unfortunately. There is no new standout gameplay feature – hell, it has even regressed in that regard, with the World Cup of Hockey option replaced by ‘EA’s World Tournament’. Dynasty mode, for example, could have used some work, as it is basically completely identical to last year’s game. While undoubtedly miles ahead of ESPN NHL 2K5’s Franchise mode, there are basically no new options for it this year. Scouting is still at a minimum, some team goals are just bizarre, and the whole experience really feels like ‘been there, done that’.
What a puckin’ shot
Even the presentation, EA’s strongest area, has slightly slipped. NHL 2005 had rather nifty clips of random NHLers, such as cover-boy Markus Naslund, skating up to the camera and spouting off EA’s catch phrase, some of which were even during an actual game. Sadly, these seem to have been totally removed, along with the coaching tips from Vancouver’s coach. Sure, completely insignificant things, but they really added a unique touch to the game. The other minor presentation error is that some menus – generally those in-game – feel somewhat laggy, with a noticeable delay between a button press an on-screen reaction.
One of NHL 06’s strongest assets are the visuals, especially in comparison to the 2K series. Players are all wonderfully detailed, with the vast majority of them looking just like their real-life counterparts. Even small things, like the goalie masks, are quite accurate. Zoom out though to the regulation game view though and, while detail is understandably lost, things still look quite nice – even if some players have some rather odd-shaped bodies. Most impressive though is the aforementioned puck/player animation, where the player will actually position themselves in a realistic manner before firing a shot, rather than the puck suddenly just fire away from the player.
The commentary is just as good, too, with accurate, insightful and thorough analysis. Rather than just mention the player with the puck, the commentators will occasionally drop a few words of background information on the player, or, impressively, mention their antics from earlier on in the game – for example, whether they hit the crossbar earlier, or scored a few goals. It isn’t very disjointed, either. Crowd and rink atmosphere is also up to scratch, with a suitably excited crowd, board hits sounding appropriately painful, and the sounds of a hockey rink (think skates, puck hitting glass, etc) all present and correct. EA Trax also make an appearance, and are basically confined to the menus and the party games, making the entire exercise somewhat questionable.
Looks like it’s about 6 o’clock
Like any sports game worth the disc its burnt on, NHL 06 is packed with longevity. There’s a sack full of difficulty levels and sliders which can be changed as the player gets better, a ten year long Dynasty mode, a ‘World Cup’ knock-off tournament, etc. Then there’s multiplayer and online play – assuming you manage to find any players available on Xbox Live.
So, is NHL 06 worth your money? It’s undoubtedly a good hockey game, improving on some of last year’s problems and being a better all-round game to play. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough different here to recommend it to owners of NHL 2005. It is, however, suitably different enough to ESPN NHL 2K5, and considering that NHL 2K6 is looking down the barrel of release date issues just like its predecessor, this could be the time for fans of the ‘other’ franchise to dip their toes into EA’s effort.
Loading...
