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NHL 06

Score: 83%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 4 (2 via Xbox Live)
Genre: Sports (Hockey)/ Sports/ Simulation

Graphics & Sound:

Graphically, EA Sports’ NHL 2006 is beautiful in every aspect. Player models and stadiums look great, and the speed of the game doesn’t suffer. While 06 may not be the most visually artistic game on the market, the addition of created players allows you to be the artist.

When it comes to audio, I can’t help but think that I’ve heard this all before. The same announcers (Jim Hughson & Craig Simpson) year after year is getting tiring. While their style is great, and I don’t want to see boring replacements, some life does need to be pumped into what has become the same old mundane commentary. It feels like the same voiceovers are being recycled, with no new content to speak of.


Gameplay:

After a sad previous year for fans of the National Hockey League, many will be welcoming a new season where the players actually... well... play. This also means another new iteration of EA Sports’ NHL franchise. And while there are a few new (but welcome) additions to the gameplay, the core of the game remains vastly unchanged. In fact, those who love to go online will be very disappointed with the lack of change to the online experience.

The two most notable additions to NHL 06 come with the new Skill Stick and Targets. With the right analog stick, a player can now take total control of their skater as they look to outmaneuver and sneak the puck past the goalie for a score. This Skill Stick allows your star to perform signature moves, including toe drags and through the legs shots. The welcome addition of Targets helps those of us who just can’t seem to know where we are aiming at any given time. As you hold down the shot button (or use the Skill Stick), you’ll be able to position your aiming cursor into various locations within the net. Just like in real estate, you’re always thinking "location, location, location."

For those of you who are Sim-junkies, the Dynasty mode now contains an Assistant Coach option, which allows you to make line selections and let the Assistant perform substitutions, or just allow this Head Coach Wannabe to do all of your dirty work. You can also interrupt the simulation of games to earn extra cash for your Franchise, by putting you into a situation on the ice and allowing you to live up to the challenge set forth. Finally, the NHL All-Star game is in town and you have all of the control.

Another notable is the return of classic deking, in which you can quickly shift your control stick to make your player fake out defenders and goalies. Just don’t ask me if this also means the return of the move that scores every time, because I’ve never been able to score at will. But with the improved AI, I have to think that it is limited as NHL 06 absolutely feels harder than previous years.


Difficulty:

As a gamer who hasn’t been good at hockey since the days of the Sega Genesis (even then I wasn’t that good), these NHL games seem to get more and more difficult each year. While I’m sure that many of you will be able to jump into the action and kick serious butt, many of you will be like me... eager to win, but can’t find a way to do it. It’s not that you’ll never win a game, but casual fans of this series may have more difficulty due to the enhanced Artificial Intelligence. And I still can’t help but get the feeling that the AI always adjusts to keep itself one step ahead of those who aren’t seasoned veterans. Okay, maybe I’ll stop crying now and just face it that I’m terrible. But seriously, even in losing efforts the game can be enjoyable.

Game Mechanics:

The new additions to the controls in NHL 2006 are very easy to use, giving more control to the pros of the game, and more visual clues to those who may need some extra help with their aiming. All of the controls are very intuitive, and it doesn’t take a long time to learn how to Deke, Check, and perform all of the necessary moves seen in the game of hockey today.

I’m sure that most fans of the NHL will be eager to get their hands on NHL 06, but casual fans who may already have an older copy of the game may want to invest their money elsewhere. Unlike some other EA Sports games this year, NHL 06 just didn’t excite me as much due to the lack of new features and additions to the franchise. This one feels just like last year, and the year before, and... well, you get the idea. This franchise needs a bit of a facelift, so let’s hope the onslaught of new consoles jump-starts NHL to the powerhouse it once was.


-Woody, GameVortex Communications
AKA Shane Wodele

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