The best game but...
1.) Amazing graphics. They aren't the best I've seen, but compared to NHL2k8, it takes the cake. The player models are great, the crowd is ok, but better than the cookie cutter models in 2k8. The ice looks great, and even the menus are not grainy like the 2k8 installment. The replays look ok, but the thing that wowed me was the cut scene between shots in a shootout. Particularly when you stone the forward and the goalie is picking up the puck. 2.) Realistic gameplay. You can't just run and gun. You have to set up in the offensive zone. On the penalty kill if you run off or decided to try and score a Shortie and you miss, you are probably going to get scored on. The goals look good, and rarely are there any wierd goals. 3.) Deep create a team and player options. The creat a team idea has always been a favorite of mine. The uniforms are very diverse... logos are the exception... Creating a player is fun and rewarding if you jack up his stats. 4.) Deep franchise mode. Don't put all your eggs in the current season, cause you have to survive and actually sign some contracts with some stubborn people. OK now the bad and the ugly:
1.) The AI is rediculous. You will play a team that is second in the NHL and you will beat them 7-0. Then you will play a team that is dead last and lose 1-0. what the heck??? You can set up in the offensive zone and produce pretty play after pretty play after pretty play, producing a couple of goals, and then in the third their forward skates in to the zone, does no move, and wrists it past your goalie who for some reason when down to his knees as soon as he entered the slot??? How come when I check a guy he bumps off me and keeps going with the puck, but when I am bumped the puck flys to the other end of the ice? (btw same sized guys). 2.) The options on tweaking the game as far as goalie skill puck friction, etc... either don't exist or leave much to be desired
3.) having the right stick there for deking is cool but why oh why is there no option to turn off the "push up to shoot" option?
4.) Why is Gary Thorne obsessed with the word Cannonade?
5.) Why is it that when you trade you can't trade for more players than you can have on your team. I realize there are rules and I can understand those rules preventing you from playing a game before you conform to them, but you can't trade until you have the right amount of people???
6.) The replays sometimes show the dumest stuff while leaving the coolest things out
7.) Why does it seem like every goal hits the post, and every post that doesn't go in goes out of play?
8.) Pretty cool glitch that makes your players spin a complete 180 in about a sixteenth of a second.
9.) poke check on offense without the puck being the same as poke check on defence. Why is this a problem? Well when you are waiting in the slot for a pass from your friend and you want to wrist it in to the gaping net, but you instead hit it too early so you poke the puck instead of shooting it???? then you might understand the aggravation.