NHL 09 Reviews

• Go ahead, just try to score

  
  By A1GJOWL5GAS1DU on 2008-09-16
  Let me preface my review by stating that I've owned probably a dozen or more NHL games starting with NHL '94 for the SNES. And more than graphics or players statistics, what matters to me is gameplay. Are the controls intuitive and responsive? Do my computer teammates and computer opponents behave realistically? Are a wide range of techniques required to produce offense (or can you cheese and use the same move again and again)? Oh, and the mode I enjoy playing most is online versus play so keep that in mind during the rest of the review.
  
  Let's break down the gameplay starting with offense. Compared to NHL 08, scoring is extremely difficult. Last year, if you had an unchallenged wrist/snap shot from the slot, you had an almost 50% chance of scoring. This year, that's much different. Aiming for the corners on a hard wrister is almost pointless. You might get it through 5% of the time (and that's if there's no one between you and the goalie). People have long complained that scoring goals in video game hockey is too easy. Last year, they tried to keep scores down by having you hit the post 5-6 times a game. This year, the goaltending is absurd.
  
  Breakaways are no longer as effective due to the goaltender omnipotence. Go ahead, deke to your backhand, he'll get it at least 3 out of 4 times. Now try it with the other team chasing you from behind (more on this later) and you'll find that breakaways aren't the golden opportunities they should be.
  
  So how can you score? One timers and rebounds. One timers are most effective when they come from the very, very high slot (not too far below the blue line). They also seem more effective when the one-timer goes back in the direction that the pass originated from. Rebounds are effective (relatively) because the goalies have more trouble with weak, slow, fluttery shots than they do with twisted wristers from the slot. Go figure.
  
  Scoring gets even more difficult with the advent of the stick lift button. Playing online, there's really one thing that separates the good from the bad: the stick lift. Good players (i.e. players who win a lot of games) lift the stick *all the time* -- when your guy has the puck, when your guy is about to get a pass, or when he's trying to get position in the slot. And the stick lift button is the other reason why breakaways are almost pointless. You can protect the puck as the puck carrier, but you slow down using puck protect, so it's easy to catch you at that point. Expect to see the other team whacking away at you with the stick lift almost every time you have the puck. Also expect to lose the puck unless you dish it off right away.
  
  As if defense needed more help, another problem with gameplay that I've seen online is the ambiguous penalty calling. Specifically: the other team can mug your guys away from the puck without getting called. Example: say you're Joe Thornton setting up behind the net looking to find a one timer from the slot. Instead of covering the players looking to score a one timer, the other team can cross check them to the ice: no penalty. You'll be lucky if your guy hasn't had his stick lifted by this point anyway.
  
  Finally, some goalies are just too much in this game. Generally, I'll only play against teams that have an equally-ranked or lower-ranked goalie than me. Why? Because I don't need the frustration of putting up 30+ shots to only register one goal. In NHL 09 guys like Luongo, Kipprussof and Brodeur are super human. It's just not fun to play against them.
  
  Finally, the pucks that do end up in the net are often of the fluke variety. I have played games in which I put ten hard, accurate shots on net from in close that are gobbled up (no rebounds) by the goalie, only to have the other team float a lame backhand flutter shot by my goalie. Good chances don't equal goals necessarily. Like I said earlier, you're probably better off firing weak shots at the goalie and going for the rebound than taking shots from "high-percentage" scoring areas like the slot.
  
  Despite all this, I think the game has promise. I'm hoping that down the road a patch will tweak some of the AI settings and give offense a fighting chance. The computer players move very realistically and allow for some awesome breakout passes. Defensemen hold the point well, too. It's just too bad that all the realism stops when it comes to trying to score.
  
  One more thing: the first weekend I had this game, the online servers were down a few times, once for more than four hours. You can still play other offline game modes while EA servers are down, but you can't play any of the several online game modes.
  
  ***Update***: I've been playing this game now for a few months, and I'd like to add further comments.
  
  First, the game has a lot of glitches that still aren't fixed (no surprise given EA's piss-poor track record in this department). I've actually scored goals in shootouts that don't register as a goal. Another annoying bug is the line health status bars: they are incorrect when you first bring up your line, you have to start cycling through your lines to get their real status. Annoying!
  
  Teammate AI still has issues. For example, your players continue to embrace their inner retard and skate directly into you, the puck carrier. This is especially frustrating at the blue line, when you can't get around your own winger and you end up offside.
  
  But by far the biggest frustration in this game is the offense. I don't even know where to start. The shot aiming is completely screwed up in this game. I've shot the puck over the glass on breakaways so many times it's simply ridiculous. Players will miss wide-open nets by 5-10 feet for no apparent reason. When attempting a one-timer, your players will sometimes "lock-up" while the pass hits them in the skates and they are unable to move for a few seconds.
  
  After a few updates to the game, the posts are back big time. I just finished a game where I hit the post 4 times in the first period alone.
  
  The stick lift is still out of control. Players can whack away with the stick lift button and steal the puck even if they're a full body length or more behind you! Occasionally they'll get a penalty for high-sticking, but not often enough to keep everyone from stick-lifting like madmen in an online game.
  
  Also, you can still beat the crap out of players away from the puck. Again, this does once in a while draw an interference call, but not nearly enough to keep people from doing it. This is especially effective on the breakout, when the defending team can simply crush forwards before they receive a pass.
  
  The goalies continue to defy any realism as well. They smother cross-crease one-timers and wristers from the slot, only to let a floater from the blue line in. What's more is that some players know how to exploit the goalie "pad stack" move and then they can fire it into an empty net. Forget trying to generate offense by cycling the puck and firing slap shots from the point on a screened goalie. Offense is creating by cheesing with the pad-stack move or passing until the goalie does a lame splits save move, and putting it into the empty net. It's completely bogus.
  
  Finally, for whatever reason, it is almost impossible to get the puck away from the other team if they want to play keep-away with it. They can rag it around and pass back and forth in their own zone and you and your teammates will have a very difficult time retrieving the puck.
  
  This game has real potential but the stupidity of teammate AI combined with the absurd goaltending (unless you cheese) makes this game frustrating. I personally don't like winning by attempting the same move 50 times in a game. I like to score by playing like a real team. Not everyone feels that way though. Sadly, I don't know how much more I want to play this game.
  
  My new rating: Fun 2/5, Overall 2/5.
  
  

• I like it.

  
  By ACAWLJ657YB0B on 2008-09-11
  Well... this is by far the best hockey game I have played in a long time. EA introduced be a player mode... which I think is new and unused in a hockey game before it's time. It treats you like a new pro player that has to work their way up from the minors and play good to get to the NHL. Other than that, the gameplay seems more real than 08 and there are a few new features that add to the frustration of playing hockey. Okay, I am going to throw down and say it is an improvement over NHL 08 but I can say I probably will still play both! For the PS3 the graphics are much more engineered to smoother pixelation and is candy to the eye... not sure if I like all the interactive menus, but I can live with it! If you have the dough... go for it!
  
  

• BEST HOCKEY YET!!

  
  By A2QQLT97TM6A9U on 2008-09-12
  IT REMINDS ME OF THE REAL NHL.IF IT'S IN THE GAME IT'S IN THE GAME,FINALLY HOLD'S TRUE.I LOVE HOW IN DEPTH THE GAME IS,FROM CHANGING YOUR DEFENSE MAN AND FOWARDS SEPERATLY TO PLAYING A SKILL GAME OR DUMP AND CHASE.YOU CAN POKE CHECK THE PUCK AWAY FROM THE GOALIE TO KEEP THE PLAY GOING BLOCKING PASSING LANES.FOR ME A EXTREMIST WHEN IT COMES TO HOCKEY THINK THIS GAME IS AWESOME.THE STICK LIFT IS AWESOME WHEN BACK CHECKING OR BATTLING IN THE CORNERS.BY FAR THE BEST NHL GAME IV'E EVER PLAYED FROM EA.
  
  

• Ruined by half done controls

  
  By A1CW35TZ5JNC5F on 2008-10-08
  If you use the classic control scheme, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.
  
  Some may like the new control scheme, but for those of us who have been around since the genesis days, the new control scheme seems a bit gimicky. Now days, we're forced to play with these crappy little controllers, so that makes the control scheme even more important.
  
  Some genius at EA decided to leave the controls half done. The worst of the mistakes is there is no assigned line change button for the classic control scheme. So... your first line gets tired and you have no way to change them. That basically renders the classic controls unusable unless you're willing to turn line changes off, which just takes so many great players and strategy out of the game.
  
  Next up is the "custom" control scheme. Sounds like you might be able to customize the buttons, huh? Nope. No way to change a control scheme called custom. There are only a couple of buttons different from the default scheme anyway, so it is basically a default 2.
  
  EA confirmed there is no way to change the controls too. It's pretty obvious these are simply screw ups. $60 next gen game with no way to customize the controls. It is hard to believe and I am going to fight them for a refund. It is a REAL shame too, because this game looks like it would be great. Last years was the best I'd played since probably 95. Looks like I'll be playing it for at least another year...
  
  Just go to the EA forum for the game if you are thinking of buying...
  
  

• Nice idea, terrible execution.

  
  By A1P478YKNZYVXE on 2008-11-20
  
  Let me begin by saying, the graphics and sounds are all great. The be-a-pro-mode is also really fun, and I still like the dynasty mode. But that's where it ends.
  
  The gameplay, nuts and bolts, are simply terrible. Let's begin with the skating, physics there seem to be fine. Even realistic, but this is where the realism ends. The physics of the puck are totally befuddling. Blocked shots gain speed and seem to always go to open cpu players. The netminders are omnipotent and your shooters will be terrible.
  
  After updating to version 1, I found the only way to score is wrap arounds and half wraps. Why do wide open one-timers from 10 feet away, in the slot, not work anymore? So many easy shots are up out of play or completely wide. So many passes are missed or intercepted, for no clear reason.
  
  Your teammates AI is very poor on offense and disappointing on defense. Don't ever expect your mates to make smart plays. They prefer to just take penalties and run into each other, or skate around randomly.
  
  The CPU goalie is fantastic, constantly making stunning saves, while your goalie lets in 50 foot backhand goals. The CPU scores on one-timer rebounds while the goalie is in position, you will fail to score on a rebound with a half open net constantly.
  
  The online play is also very poor. The lag is simply awful, especially on slap shots. They literally turn into lobbed slow-pitch softballs some of the time. The passes and skating also experience unusual slowdowns and the goalies glitch/freeze sometimes. I figured at least the online play would be fun.
  
  I've owned every NHL game since 1993, with 1 exception, NHL 06, and this is arguably the worst of all. The puck behaves very unusually, the goalies are too inconsistent, the shooters can't find the net and the AI is entirely random. I am very unhappy I wasted $60 on this game.
  
  
• Sorry I bought it
  By A1RLIGOLIRO18O on 2008-09-25
  After what EAs done to me with Mass Effect on PC and SPORE, I guess I cant see any game from EA as being good anymore.
  
  
• THE BEST OUT THERE
  By A1MLH1V0ZB4QOE on 2008-09-29
  Well first of all let me say that the last hokcey game I bought before this one was EA NHL 06, and loved the game specially listening to Metallica or Megadeth while playing, but the moment that I started plying this game on dynisty mode it just blew my mind, I like this one much better, the new controls are just great wich I think gives the game a more reallistic tone, from passes to scoring, one thing that I think lacked must games. The be apro application I think is really cool, because I actually grades you and you get to see if you are really good at the game or not.
  
  So if you like challenging sport games, I recomend this one.
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Cheers
  
  
• The best NHL game from EA in years
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-10-11
  It's been a while since I've played an NHL game from EA that didn't feel like I was still playing the previous year's version. Thankfully, NHL 09 changes all that. That arcade feel that EA's NHL series has been infamous for? It's pretty much gone, and in it's place instead is an actual realistic simulation that rivals the 2K series. Opponent AI has also been considerably amped, helping make the game more simulation-based than ever before. The new additions to the already excellent skill stick are superb, with new manuvers and tactics for clogging passing lanes and putting a new emphasis on defensive-based hockey. If using the skill stick isn't your thing, there's a two-button control scheme based on the classic NHL '94 that is a pure joy to use. The Be a Pro mode is immersive beyond belief, and the game looks gorgeous (especially on the PS3) and plays beautifully. Online play suffers from some flaws however, most notably being an interface that isn't too user-friendly, and some occasional connection issues. Flaws aside though, NHL 09 is without a doubt the best NHL game to come from EA in years, and if you're a hockey fan it goes without saying that NHL 09 deserves your attention.
  
  
• Going Up
  By A175012AOPDSAF on 2008-10-13
  This game has improvement about 30 percent over the year before. I recomend this to any hockey fan.
  
  
• Best Hockey Game Ever
  By AF8TQCDCSOTJ8 on 2008-10-21
  I ve been a huge fan of hockey video games ever since Blades of Steel on Nintendo. I have to say that NHL 09 tops them all. The graphics are amazing making it feel like you are watching a game on TV. The commentary is probably the best sports game play by play I have ever heard. The only down fall of this game is the difficulty to score a goal. Other than that its a must play for all sports lovers.
  
  
• Great Sports Game
  By A2ITVAUNYGN9DG on 2008-10-27
  Great game for fans of hockey and those who might not like hockey but enjoy sports games.
  
  For owners of previous NHL games, the new Be A Pro mode really lets you play the game in a whole new way. Not only that, it's an excellent way to learn more about hockey and the strategy and positioning that is involved in the game.
  
  The control scheme really lets you feel like you have complete control of your player's movement and stickwork. Presentation is what you would expect, with my only real beef being that the hats don't rain down when you score a hat trick.
  
  All in all, easily a 5/5 game...definite must own for hockey fans and sports fans alike.
  
  
• Game looks fun!
  By A3GL3IUV2NZX3F on 2008-09-18
  Its just too bad Amazon takes so long to ship it.. I ordered it before it came out and I still dont have it!
  
  
• Better in its own way!
  By A2B436QRT8YJ4L on 2008-10-03
  09,improvment from 08,last years version is 360,this year,PS3.Sometimes its easy to score,sometimes it not.Oh well,a game thats somewhat in the middle.All the new features are a plus,my A # one gripe is still its either franchise mode and no season mode.In franchise mode,I would like to play as other teams every once in a while,like I do with Madden and NBA2K series.Franchise is alright,just give me the option to play as other teams.Overall,better than last years.
  
  
• Loads of fun
  By A7BCM232I6YOL on 2008-10-30
  Lots of fun. Similar to NHL 08 but with better graphics, and more realistic movements. Overall great game, i recommend it.
  
  
• NHL09
  By on 2008-11-23
  The Game is awesome and the new be a pro section lets you start at 18 in the AHL and then pursue your career into the NHL.
  
  

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