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Its obvious, 2k > EA Stop saying otherwise you damn fanboys

User Rating: 9.6 | NHL 2K6 PS2

By habinator | Review Date: April 5, 2006

So here's the deal. I've been playing EA sports Hockey games on PC since NHL1998. And for until about 2003 EA Sports dominated the Hockey Gaming Industry. I think the reason for this was mainly because its only real competitor was the NHL Hitz Titles or Gretzkey's sorry excuse for console hockey gaming. After NHL 2003 I started to find EA's hockey games very repetitive and in later versions they started taking certain aspects out of the game. LIke where was create a player in 2005????? In 2003 I say that was the last good year for EA hockey, WHY? because a new game had come out NHL 2K3. I know there were earlier versions but the NHL2k seriies did not really become very popular until it hit the XBOX and PS2 Consoles. The games biggest advantage over EA hockey was its gameplay. THe gameplay in the 2k series far supasses any hockey games shotty attempt at realizstic NHL gameplay. It has the right speed, flow and realism you'd expect and want from a hockey "game". The final scores, shot and overal statistics are not outrageous and very true to actual hockey games. Unlike EA Sports games where u can finish a game with 60 shots on goal and win 10-8 the 2K series manages to keep final results true to the actual game of hockey.

As for you people who say EA is much better most of you are only basing your opinion on graphics and how pretty the game looks. Other than the what else does this game have? It finally brought back create a player ok what else? 1on 1 mode? who cares. Where is the in depth franchise mode? The Mini games? General Manager mode? (Which is used to have), Realistic goal horns? All Star Skills Comp?!?!?!?! Most times in EA's hockey game you notices the puck after being shot just sticks to the goalie. Anyone who says EA is better is clearly just an old time EA fan boy like myself.

Being from Canada I only ever wanted to support the Canadian Hockey Gaming companies but EA has just fell short for the past 3 years now and 2k has given us "true" hockey gamers what we want. Real Puck Physics, AMAZING and "realistic" gameplay, the most in depth franchise mode, actual goal horns anyone? It has just done an great job in delivering us true hockey gamers what we want and what is important in a hockey game. I'll admit the graphics are much prettier in EA's hockey games but so what? Graphics are not everything, when it comes to hockey gameplay is every and EA just falls short.

I love the fact that they finally got rid of the ESPN theme, while it was nice it was even nicer to have good old Canadian announcers calling the game. While I do agree that the commentary wasn't as good, I think it was partly because 2k scripted them a little too much. I think next year they will do much better.

So anyways there is my review. I am in no way a fanboy. Like I said I ahve been playing EA on PC since 1998, I've been playing console EA since 1994 and I have both 2k6 and NHL 2006 and I can tell you firsty hand, the only thing EA has over 2k6 is graphics, if you want everything else go with the 2k series.

NHL 2K6

Its obvious, 2k > EA Stop saying otherwise you damn fanboys

Best hockey game ive played yet.

overall better than ea's nhl 06