I am a hardcore fan of the NHL 2K series. I think that it has consistently blown EA out of the water. This year's offering returns with the great gameplay that you are used to from this series. The controls are intuitive though I prefer the classic style which is included in the list of schemes. The graphics are decent enough though I'd hoped for a bit more of an improvement. Hopefully the XBOX 360 version with it's anti-aliasing will smooth out any jagged lines. I love the "feel" of the skating in this new version. The physics are slightly changed from last year and it feels more realistic to me. The "off-the-puck" players have better AI and do a good job of attacking loose pucks near the net. I only have a few knocks on the game. First, what's up with the menus? The loss of the ESPN license really hurt this game as far as the look and commentary. The two new commentators are about as useful as Madden in his pig of a game. They aren't anywhere near as good as Clement and Thorne. Back to the menu problem. They aren't intuitive at all and they look very generic. Also, on the "team selection" screen, the figures dressed as the team that you're choosing look HORRIBLE. What's up with that? They look like they've been kidnapped from that old Dire Straights video "Money For Nothing." But, the good news is, the games aren't about menus or commentary, they're about gameplay and this is what shines in NHL 2K6! sidenote: It sucks that EA got the NFL license since Sega makes the better football game and it sucks that Sega got the MLB license since EA makes the better baseball game...Can't we just stop buying licenses and start making great games again? Both companies are really starting to get on my nerves with this propensity for buying the rights to a league and taking the choice away from the consumer. Stop wasting money on the licenses and start throwing it back into development. We'd rather argue about who is better thank complain about the lack of choice....
This has got to be the best hockey game ever because not only are the graphics amazing but so is everything else. There is mini games to play and season mode to play full seasons with your favorite teams. It allows to ch... Read Full Review
The game play is smooth and very addictive. The directional pad is your quick play menu for offense and defense. On offense you can call for a goalie screen, crash the net, defensive pinch (your guys hold back and focus ... Read Full Review
