There are new faceoff options, such as tying up your opponent.

For one, if last year’s game had any issue it was that it played way too fast. You could sort of just glide around the ice like Bobby Orr, skate into the slot with extreme ease, and take undefended shots on the goalie all game. NHL 11 slows  things down. Not to a boring degree, but just to a pace where you really have to set up plays and work hard for your opportunities. I grew up playing EA Sports hockey games. The reason those early games work so well is that they perfectly balance realism and fun. It’s something that most sports games today struggle with mightily, but an area where NHL 11 seems to flourish. I almost feel as if the developers have a real appreciation for those old Genesis and SNES games. It’s almost as if they channel the spirit of those classic games.

I’d also say that it’s probably the most immersive sports game on the market, and likely the most immersive sports game ever made. Your skating is controlled by the left analog stick, while your hockey stick is controlled by the right. It’s been honed this year and works extremely well most of the time. One issue is that occasionally your passes and shots don’t really do what you want them to. Sometimes you just want to drop a pass back to a teammate skating behind you in the offensive zone and you wire it back to your own blueline instead.

Opening a star player can earn you a lot of pucks on the marketplace.

The game is also filled with robust features as usual. The Be A GM mode is fantastic. I think an underrated aspect of this game is just how good the management features are. The trading, signing, and coaching aspects of this game are the best I’ve ever seen in a sports game. I’m a big fan of sports management sims like Baseball Mogul and NHL Eastside Manager, and the joy I got out of building a championship calibre Leafs team in this game was completely unparalleled by any other console sports game.

The Be A Pro mode is also rather good. I’m not a huge fan of these types of modes in sports games but I found the mode to be quite enjoyable. Having to make line changes and play good two way hockey is fun and challenging. The online play is also very solid.

A new physics engine lets you really appreciate a good check.

The other big new mode this year is the Hockey Ultimate League. In this you are given a pack of hockey cards from which you build a team. You earn pucks, which you can buy new packs with, or bid for cards in the auction house. You can then take your team and play against the CPU or against another human online. You also have to worry about team chemistry while training and developing your players. This mode has been used in EA Sports games before, but this is the first time it has been included in the NHL series. It is a neat and addictive game mode.

They have also included broken sticks in the new game. It is kind of amusing and cool to see. Also added is a new faceoff system and real time physics engine. These features are kind of neat but what is most important  is just the fact that the gameplay is just so refined, and so well executed.

I can’t hate NHL 11 because it isn’t just a brilliant hockey game – it’s a brilliant videogame. It’s one of the best games of the year, and one of the best sports games ever made. If you love hockey it’s an absolute must buy.

I couldn’t get anyone to admit to any Kinect, Move, or 3D integration in the future but it seems unlikely for this iteration. However, Executive Producer Brent Nielsen promises that there will be more news in months to come – maybe a PS3 special edition? One of the new features that is being heavily promoted, mostly because it has been requested from the fans, is that sticks can now break. Once your stick as broken, you can either try to play without a stick, get one from a teammate, or get a new one from the bench, just like in real life. Sadly, there is no option to switch to a wooden stick to avoid breakage. The physics engine makes the game so dynamic that Nielsen claims they saw 25 new scenarios that they had not seen before during the E3 show. Either way, EA is pimping over 200 gameplay improvements, so I’m looking forward to this one.

Also new to this year is integration with the CHL minor league so that you can experience the Memorial Cup tournament with your favourite minor team. There is also going to be a feature like the Dynamic Season in NBA Live (which was by far the best feature in NBA Live), where updates to “a couple of thousand” game states can be pushed to consoles during the season.

The other cool thing about the reveal is that EA actually brought the cover athlete, Jonathan Toews, and top prospect Tyler Seguin to the reveal so that us peasants get to bask in their glory and badger them with questions. Find the full interviews, along with the Line Producer for the game, below.

Interview with Sean Ramjagsingh, Line Producer for NHL 11:

GN: Are you aware that 2K is not producing a sports game – an NHL game – this year? How did that affect you guys?

SR: Yes, we are. We get the same information same way as you do; through the internet, so we’re aware of that. But to be honest with you, [over] the past couple of years, our goal every single year is to be the best sports game in general. So we compete with the Maddens of the world and FIFAs of the world and that’s who we judge ourselves against and we try to raise the bar every year so that we’re on the top of that list. So whether they make a game for the PS3 or 360 doesn’t really affect us.

GN: Speaking of the PS3, from the Sony press conference at E3, it seems like there is a partnership with Sony. Are there going to be any PS3-specific features?

SR: Nope. We are partnered with Sony – we’re partnered with them for this event, but the versions will mostly be on par with each other. So no console-specific features.

GN: So no 3D integration or anything like that?

SR: No, I mean 3D’s real hot right now. We’re just going to sit back and see what other people are going to do with it. When we do something we really want to do it right, and not do it just for the sake of doing it. So definitely something we’ll look at down the road, but no plans for it right now.

GN: Any confirmation on Kinect or Move integration?

SR: Again, we’ll sit back and see how other people break ground with it and then when it’s the right time for us [we'll do it]. It’s definitely on our radar right now with Sony and Microsoft making a big push for it. But we’ll monitor to see when the time is right then you might see something.

GN: And do you watch a lot of hockey yourself?

SR: Oh yeah, I watch a lot of hockey.

GN: So what is your favourite team?

SR: Well, our studio is in Vancouver so our entire dev team are Canucks fans, so having Jonathan Toews on the cover here, you know I had to tell him: two years in a row now you knocked our team out, and he says there’s no team he likes beating better than the Canucks.

GN: Do you slip your favourite teams some ratings? Like, knock the Sedins up a couple of notches *laugh*?

SR: Well, you know we get accused of that every once in a while, but we actually have a pro scout who does the ratings for us. With the integration with the CHL this year, [we're] just making sure everyone is on par with reality. So as much as we like to and talk about that, we don’t do that.

GN: One of the biggest problems I found with last year’s EA game is the lack of goalie animation. Have you guys improved that?

SR: Yeah, you’re right. Coming off 09 there were these guys that found some glitch goals so we put some moves in just so the goalies would be able to make those saves. This year we worked on making the goalie look more natural looking and more realistic. This year you’ll actually see the goalie [as you're] coming down the ice, playing one side or cheating one way or another so that you can score a goal from the slot. Just trying to make the goalies more natural looking and less robotic.

Interview with Brampton, Ontario’s highly touted prospect Tyler Seguin:

GN: You said you played these games when you were young. When did you start and who was your favourite player?

TS: First game was NHL 97 over there on the board [They had all the old games set up on old consoles in the room - Don]. My favourite player back then was probably Wayne Gretzky. You know, I was only like 5 years old so I’d probably go with him.

GN: Is it different now?

TS: Oh it’s way different now. Now the physics that they’ve put into it, with the broken sticks and you can go change it and flip it over to people, it’s almost surreal.

GN: Speaking of broken sticks, do you prefer the wooden or composite sticks?

TS: Composite, yeah.

GN: You just had a pretty good year. I’m guessing that your rivalry with Taylor Hall will be a pretty big deal for the next few years. What do you think about that?

TS: Yeah, I’m sure it’ll continue. I think that we’re both super competitive guys chasing the same dream and goal and in this past year we’re getting better on the ice. You know, if I get 5 points in a game and he got 4, then next game he’ll try to get one more. Just examples like that.

GN: Everyone knows you’re going in the first two picks. How much does it mean to you to be the first overall pick?

TS: I think going #1 overall would obviously be something amazing. I want to be first, I want to be the best. But in the end, that was never the goal, so if that doesn’t work out then I’m not going to be sitting there crying. But if it does then I’ll be very excited.

GN: It’s probably not too politically correct to discuss this, but which of the two teams are you hoping to go to?

TS: I don’t have a preference. Both teams are phenomenal, and there can always be a trade. So I’m not really expecting anything.

GN: As a Leafs fan I have to ask: How do you feel about playing for Toronto some time in the future?

TS: Well that would be cool cause all my friends could come out here, but first thing first, I have to make the NHL still. I hope to have a great summer this year, earn a spot, and be an impact player in my rookie year.

That’s right, you heard it here first: Seguin to Toronto! Of course, this interview only served to remind me that we probably could have drafted him if we had kept our draft pick this year. And finally, we have an interview (in collaboration with MSXbox World) with Jonathan Toews, the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg native, and all around cool guy.

Interview with Jonathan Toews:

GN: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

MSXW: What are your impressions of the game?

JT: It’s awesome. You play every game every year, and they always push the limits and it gets better and better and they’re taking it to a whole new level. The graphics are amazing. The controls and specific details of the moves you can do on the ice are so realistic. You look at every guy’s face and they’re so recognizable – [even] the equipment they use and is obviously original with what the player actually does use when he’s playing. So it’s amazing what they’ve been able to do and put it in this game.

GN: I noticed they’ve implemented the broken stick mechanic in this game. Personally do you prefer the wooden or composite sticks?

JT: I don’t think there’s anybody left with a full wood stick with the NHL so everyone seems to prefer the composite. So the unfortunate thing you have to deal with is breaking sticks in the middle of shifts. It’s part of the game, it happens, so it’s pretty cool that they brought it into this.

MSXW: I just came back from E3, and basically E3 was all about motion controllers. PlayStation has got the Move, Xbox has got Kinect, and I know for a fact this game won’t be supporting either device. But what do you think about the future in which we may be using no controllers at all, or the Move controller to control your motions?

JT: It depends on what people prefer. It’s still fun to go back and play the old school games like [on] the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Again, this game has brought it to a whole new level. With Sony’s new remote, if that’s what it evolves to I’m sure people will try it out. I dunno, we’ll see what we’ve got but I like this game.

GN: I know an external scouting agency decides all the ratings for the players for this game. But if you could give your linemate Patrick Kane a rating, what would you put his overall rating at?

JT: *joking* You have to take into consideration his defensive play, which is very sub-par. His play on the defensive side of the puck, his back-checking, physical play: really lacking. So I’d have to take his average down a little bit. Fortunately he’s a pretty gifted offensive player so taking everything into consideration, I’d give him high 70s to low 80s.

GN: *laugh* And finally, how do you feel about playing for the Leafs in the future?

JT: Playing for the Leafs? *laugh* That’s funny. In the future?

GN: In the future!

JT: I dunno, I’m going to stick in Chicago as long as I can. They’ve been great and in my opinion is the best hockey city in the NHL. You know, best of luck to your Leafs by all means but uh, I don’t think you’ll be seeing me in a Leafs jersey any time soon.

GN: Aww, you break my heart.

MSXW: Which system – Xbox or PS3?

JT: I have an Xbox, that’s kind of the leading one for me. In the playoffs we played a lot of the Wii as a team. But my first system was a Sega Genesis and that’s when I started playing the game and I kind of evolved slowly. I was always behind the game – I never had the newest system, I was always one or two behind so Sega was definitely the classic one that I mastered.

MSXW: Which game?

JT: Probably 95 or 96. Sonic and stuff and Donkey Kong games I was all over that too.

And there you have it: Gold Medalist, Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe Trophy winner, EA Sports NHL 11 cover athlete, and gamer. Is he dreamy or what?

NHL 10 features the much the same pick-up-and-play gameplay that many have come to associate with the series, with the addition of some new mechanics to increase the level of realism. One of the most notable additions is the Post-Whistle Action, which allows players to engage in scrums and extracurricular activity after a stoppage of play. Has a sniper on the opposing team made too much of an impression this period? Wash his face with your glove after the whistle to send him a message. Want to get a rise out of the opposing team? Take a shot on net after an Offsides call. The Post-Whistle Action rarely makes an impact on the game, but can sometimes result in a roughing penalty or a fight, which can give a team some unexpected momentum. And despite being a little unnecessary, it does add realism to the game, and most importantly, it’s pretty damn fun.

In another attempt to inject some realism into NHL 10’s gameplay, EA Sports implemented the all new Battle on the Boards mechanic. With the press of a button, players can now pin another player to the boards. Once a player is pinned, the two combatants will battle for control of the puck, while AI team mates will wait nearby for the puck to be kicked free. It’s a very simple addition to the game, but one that results in a significant impact on gameplay. When playing NHL 10 on the more demanding game difficulties, dump-and-chase and forechecking strategies become a necessity. Much like in the real life sport, pinning a defenseman in the corner after a dump-in and kicking the puck out to free team mate can lead to some exciting opportunities, and being able to execute such a strategy on a whim feels fantastic.

Do you know what else feels fantastic? Punching people in the face. And it has never been more engaging in a hockey game than it is in NHL 10. The new fighting mini-game puts you directly in the skates of your player, providing a first-person perspective on the skirmish. Punches are thrown by flicking the right analog stick in the direction of your opponent’s head. If your opponent is dodging to the left, flick the analog stick toward the ten o’clock position, and if he’s dodging to the right, flick to the two o’clock position. Furthermore, a power punch can be thrown by pulling back on the stick before flicking, similar to taking a slap shot when controlling the puck. Like the Post-Whistle Action, such attention to the in-game fighting is unnecessary but incredibly fun regardless. I just wish there was a way to jersey your opponent. Perhaps next year!

Other gameplay refinements include Precision Passing, which gives players complete control over the speed and direction of their passes, enabling players to create plays by banking passes off the boards or passing ahead of a team mate instead of passing tape to tape. Offensive-minded players can also take advantage of the ability to push the puck ahead while skating up the ice, or protecting the puck while leaning into an over-bearing defenseman. Impressively, with all of the aforementioned additions, the gameplay still remains as accessible and as approachable as ever. I engaged in a match with my brother-in-law over Thanksgiving weekend and despite not being an experienced gamer, he beat me with a score of 3-2 in the dying seconds of overtime. I mostly attribute this to my choice of teams (the Toronto Maple Leafs), but the efforts made by EA Sports to make the game intuitive and simple to play certainly played a part in my heart-breaking loss.

EA Sports also added some exciting new gameplay modes, most notable of which is the Be a GM mode. As the title of the mode implies, players assume the role of a General Manager of a hockey team of their choice in Be a GM mode. As an acting General Manager, players must oversee all aspects of their team, including roster management, trading, contract negotiations, scouting, drafting, staff management and more. Be a GM also provides goals for players to try to achieve, earning them experience points to spend on upgrading various aspects of their franchise. Trading and contract negotiations are handled in a balanced and satisfying manner, making it more difficult to cheat the system than it is in some other hockey games, and with a fully active and developing AHL farm team, top prospects will actually grow to earn NHL ice time. Like Be a Pro mode before it, Be a GM mode adds a significant role-playing game element to EA Sports’ NHL franchise, and which results in a very engrossing experience overall.

Battle for the Cup, the other new gameplay mode found in NHL 10, isn’t nearly as deep, but offers an exciting experience in its own right. Battle for the Cup lets players select two teams to go head-to-head in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals series. The mode can be played against an AI opponent or with another local player, co-operatively or competitively. What makes Battle for the Cup so fun is the additional information used to bring each series to life, like the developing stories about the performance of specific players, line match-ups, and injuries that are shown before each game, and the running commentary about the series from the real-time commentators, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. A Battle for the Cup series may not carry the weight of a full season or franchise behind it, but it still does a great job of conveying all the drama and emotion associated with the post-season.

Unfortunately, with all the attention given to the new modes and gameplay refinements in NHL 10, it seems that the graphics and visual presentation were overlooked. The interface and menus are sleek and well-designed, but the in-game graphics are lacklustre and uninspired. The player models are blocky and somewhat generic looking, and while some players do resemble their real-life counterparts, the resemblance could hardly be called realistic. The player animations could also use a little work, as players rarely transition as smoothly as they could between actions. Furthermore, the framerate drops occasionally during goal celebrations and other cutscenes, and during the odd on-ice play when the action gets too hectic. Overall, NHL 10 is a good looking game, as good as NHL 09 before it, but is certainly over-shadowed by other recent sports titles.

With the exception of the soundtrack, the audio in NHL 10 seems similarly ignored. As mentioned above, the commentators featured in NHL 10 are none other than Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, the same pairing used since NHL 08. For those that have been faithful to the franchise since then, you’ll be hearing a lot of familiar lines, but for those that haven’t, you’re in for a treat. The play-by-play and colour commentary in the game sounds more natural than most, and benefits from an expansive database of dialogue. Colour commentary will provide insight on everything from star player, team, and arena histories to information about season, series, and game statistics, and the play-by-play is often accurate and rarely repeats. Additionally, the audience can be quite lively, with player and team-specific chants that are heard loud and clear, and benefit from small touches, such as getting louder during the playoffs or for the last minute of a sure win. However, none of it is really new. While the audio design is solid throughout the entire experience, it will likely seem just as stale and familiar as the visuals to those that spent a significant amount of time with NHL 09.

So is NHL 10 a worthy successor? Most definitely. While the recycled audio and visual offerings are a little disappointing, the enhancements made to the gameplay and the new game modes more than make up for it. NHL 10 features enough gameplay to keep hardcore enthusiasts involved for years to come, and with the intuitive controls, make even the most casual and sporadic players feel like masters of the sport. Now if only EA Sports could find a way to make the Toronto Maple Leafs reflect their performance in my Be a GM franchise. NHL 11 perhaps?

Reviewing NHL 2K10 is actually quite difficult. The game has a great deal of potential built into its foundation, but without a certain level of dedication required of the player, that potential will never truly be unlocked. NHL 2K10, like other entries in the franchise before it, enable players to tweak a rather significant amount of gameplay and sliders in order make the game function as they desire. Manipulating these sliders can change almost every aspect of gameplay, from ice friction to rebound frequency, and NHL 2K10 adds even more sliders to the mix by giving the player full control of the game’s artificial intelligence, for both human and computer-controlled teams. These sliders enable players to determine how often the computer will shoot or pass, and how creative your AI teammates will be when making plays.

Slider adjustment is crucial to the enjoyment of the game, and entire communities have spawned around creating slider settings for specific styles of play. Unfortunately, not every player that purchases NHL 2K10 will be savvy enough to locate these communities, or have the patience to tweak the sliders themselves. Visual Concepts have allowed players to share slider settings with NHL 2K10’s 2K Share feature, but due to the lack of detailed descriptions, there’s often little guarantee that the downloaded settings will be satisfactory. For most players, the default slider settings will be the only ones they ever use, which is a shame, because they make the game feel sluggish and sloppy.

The sliders aside, Visual Concepts have added some new gameplay features to NHL 2K10 that take the franchise in the right direction. Gone are the unnecessarily complicated one-on-one and goalie deke maneuvers from NHL 2K9. Gamers can still make flashy moves with their more agile players, but the controls required to do so have been greatly streamlined. Furthermore, the goalie dekes will now take your position relative to the net into account during execution, making the resulting maneuvers much more appropriate. Manual line changes have also been streamlined, allowing players to change their forward lines or defensive pairings on a whim with a quick button press. This system results in much less distraction, which is crucial in those close games against a division rival.

Visual Concepts has also implemented a stick lift mechanic that has a number of useful applications. Is an opposing forward about to receive a one-timer pass in the slot? Lift that stick! Did an opposing defenseman struggle with a pass he received on the point? Lift that stick, and if your player is agile enough, he may just steal the puck in the process for a breakaway. The stick lift adds a strategic alternative to poke checking and standard checking, but it can often result in hooking or slashing penalties if you’re not careful, or both players getting tangled up for a few seconds.

Furthermore, with Alexander Ovechkin gracing the cover of the box, players had to expect a gameplay mechanic or two that was inspired by the flashy winger. In addition to some of the goalie dekes, which were motion captured using Ovechkin himself, Visual Concepts implemented Stumble Shots. Stumble Shots occur when a more skilled player is checked or bumped during a shot, resulting in the player taking the shot from one knee, while falling over, or, like Ovechkin’s famous goal, while on the ground. Thankfully, the Stumble Shots rarely happen, and when they do, they rarely score. Some can be a little over-the-top, but do a great deal to add excitement to the game.

NHL 2K10 offers several offline game modes, including Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Mini-Rink, Pond Hockey, and the quick game and practice modes that you’d associate with most sports games, but it’s clear that the emphasis was on online play this time around. Visual Concepts have created a full suite of online game modes, enabling players to play full seasons, including the playoffs, with up to thirty players. Players can also co-operatively progress through an online franchise, and even create an online team for you and your friends – with each player assigned to a specific position – for you to challenge others online. Unfortunately, most of the online modes adhere to the default slider settings in order to provide a fair and universal gameplay experience to all who venture online, making the transition somewhat jarring for those who use their own custom slider settings offline.

However, whether you’re playing online or offline, it’s easy to see that Visual Concepts went the extra mile when producing NHL 2K10’s visuals. While the default gameplay may be a disappointment, NHL 2K10 is without a doubt the best looking hockey game to be released this year. The player models are properly proportioned, feature crisp textures and immediately recognizable likeness, animate very fluidly, and for those that are obsessive about this kind of thing, use real sponsored equipment. The arenas are also gorgeous, with each featuring subtle yet different lighting schemes, detailed architecture, believable fans, and team-specific entrance animations. As good as the game looks, though, it does have some visual flaws. Player models clip through each other and sometimes disappear entirely during special animations, such as goal celebrations. Such animations also result in the occasional player trying to skate through the boards or getting stuck on the net. All of this could have been avoided with better AI pathing, but the lack thereof sometimes gives the impression of an unfinished product. Overall, despite a few flaws, NHL 2K10 is a visual treat and the best looking hockey game to date.

The sound doesn’t fare quite as well. While the soundtrack offers a more balanced selection of music, almost everything else about the sound design feels dated. The commentators have very few new lines and become repetitive after just a few games, the audience sounds flat and dull, and the on-ice sound effects are the same ones that have been used for years. A few new player and team specific audience chants have been added, and each team uses their real life goal horn whenever they score, but it all tends to feel rather lifeless. Additionally, some player names are still missing from the arena announcer’s speech database, occasionally resulting in the announcement of a goal being scored by nobody, assisted by a player’s first name, with another player’s last name being awarded the second assist. Once again, it can give the impression that the game is unfinished, which can be somewhat discouraging.

Overall, NHL 2K10 is what you choose to make of it. Veterans of the franchise and players that are familiar with the slider system will know how to make the best of the game, and in those situations NHL 2K10 can really shine. However, more casual players and those that are new to the franchise may find the gameplay sluggish and frustrating straight out of the box. Furthermore, while offering several game modes, NHL 2K10 offers little in the way of goals or unlockable content aside from the standard implementation of trophies and achievements. Those that play will only keep playing it for the love of the game, and with the awkward feel of the default settings, many will turn away after their first impression. However, NHL 2K10 represents a significant building block for the future of the franchise, and is quite capable of being a great game to those willing to work for it.

Unfortunately, what the trailer doesn’t show is rival NHL10 cover athlete Patrick Kane getting arrested after assaulting a Buffalo cab driver. Shame!

Click here to watch the video

While the animation looks great, and the goal is certainly exciting, I don’t understand why 2K Sports would focus so much on implementing something that happened once in the history of the sport. Personally, I’d rather not see this kind of goal happen with any frequency in the game, and hope that such theatrics can toggled.

I may be in the minority here, but I think the face-washing, post-whistle shenanigans, and board play of NHL10 sound much more exciting because those things actually happen all the time in the real sport. But for those that can’t wait to do Ovechkin’s goal over and over, here it is in all its digital glory.

Click here to watch the video

According to EA, the Fantasy Draft option will be available for Season Mode and the aforementioned Be a GM Mode, allowing players to create the teams of their dreams. However, our representative at Electronic Arts assures us that this ain’t your daddy’s Fantasy Draft, as it includes a complex AI logic for computer-controlled teams. Rather than just picking next best available player to add to their team, the computer will now take five key elements into account before drafting each player: their overall skill, their age, their potential, the size of their contract, and who the team has already drafted thus far. The old-school method of picking the next best available player can be used instead, but this new logic system is guaranteed to create a more balanced league.

The Be a GM Mode found in NHL10 was inspired by the idea of becoming a legendary player in Be a Pro and associated it with becoming a legendary General Manager, the likes of Glen Sather (Edmonton Oilers Dynasty) or Ken Holland (Detroit Red Wings). To become a legendary GM, players will need to complete GM Tasks. There are over 140 tasks to complete, and they are wide-ranging in nature. Some will be as easy as completing a trade, and some as difficult as winning five Stanley Cups in eight seasons. Completing each task will earn you points that you can spend on building a reputation and improving your staff and facilities, each of which will be necessary on the road to building a dynasty.

As an aside, I’m glad to see in the screenshots that even the virtual Toronto Maple Leafs are unwilling to part with Luke Schenn. I wonder if they would trade Anton Stralman to Calgary for Wayne Primeau and a second round pick? I doubt it. The new management AI seems smarter than that.

However, one area in which the NHL 2K franchise has always lagged behind has been the visuals. The difference seen in the 2009 versions of the respective titles was quite staggering, and with EA continuing to improve their graphics engine, I was worried that NHL 2K10 would fall even further behind. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

In this latest batch of screenshots from 2K Sports it’s easy to see the improvements that were made to the game engine, providing much more realistic and detailed player models than their last offering. Some of the players still look a little zombie-like with their lifeless expressions, but overall it’s a big stride in the right direction. Now if they could only bring back a Fantasy Draft option for Franchise Mode, I’d be in heaven!

Canada? Still Patrick Kane. Couldn’t we at least get Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews? Check out the other cover stars in action in this latest trailer from EA.

Click here to watch the video

Wait, did I see a player wearing a visor during one of the new first-person perspective fights? Marc Savard just cancelled his pre-order.

Click here to watch the video

Kane is an interesting choice. While it’s hard to deny that he’s a great player, there are many other players that are considered better. Could this be an attempt by Electronic Arts to lure in more American gamers? I don’t think so. If it were, the cover athlete would be Peyton Manning.

No, I smell a conspiracy! Sidney Crosby has yet to be featured on the cover of a hockey game, despite dominating the league since his arrival in 2005 and being one of the sport’s signature players. Alexander Ovechkin appeared on the cover of Electronic Arts’ NHL09, and will appear on his second cover with the upcoming NHL2K10. How does this all come together? Back in October of 2008, Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals – and Ovechkin’s teammate – shared these comments about Sidney Crosby:

“What’s so special about Crosby? I don’t see anything special there. Yes, he does skate well, has a good head, good pass. But there’s nothing else. Even if you compare him to Patrick Kane from Chicago … Kane is a much more interesting player. The way he moves, his deking abilities, his thinking on the ice and his anticipation of the play is so superb.”

Could Semin be the one pulling the strings behind the athlete choices? Does he moonlight as a marketing director for Electronic Arts? Will the cover of NHL11 be a picture of him beating Marc Staal like a drum? We’ll get to the bottom of this, hockey fans!

Captured in the heat of one of his frequently criticized goal celebrations, Ovechkin is now forever immortalized in videogame cover history with mouth agape, fists clenched, and missing teeth. While the cover is very characteristic of the Russian superstar, I think 2K Sports should have opted to use his 50^th goal celebration from the 2008-2009 season instead, writing “Alexander Ovechkin thinks this game is HOT” on the cover in massive bold letters. Brilliant marketing opportunity missed!

Ovechkin is also rumoured to be providing motion-capture performances for NHL 2K10, which will be recorded in Las Vegas prior to the upcoming NHL Awards ceremony.

In the upcoming entry to their ongoing series, EA will add a new first-person fighting engine (questionable), factor in intimidation based on physical play and pressure (yay), allow more choices along the boards, such as shielding the puck (okay), and add post-whistle scrums (questionable).

However, despite all of the focus on physical play, one small detail excited me the most: “players will be able to lift a leg to fake a shot on goal”. Now that’s authentic.

Here are some screenshots, courtesty of EA: