ic-games Review - NHL 2K6 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

ic-games Review - NHL 2K6 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii ic-games Review - Home - Review, Preview and Interview for PC, Xbox,Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

NHL 2K6

Information
Reviewer: Dave Lancaster
Developer: 2K Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Reviewed: PC, PS2 and Xbox
Genre: Sports Simulation
UK Release: 28th Apr 2006
Article Date: 10th Jun 2006
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £29.99/£49.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 80%

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Pros

Air Hockey comes free

Good A.I.

Multiplayer works a treat

Cons

Seems pretty rushed production-wise

Nothing revolutionary

Not the mightiest of ducks

Screenshots

5 of 5.5

We all love the Mighty Ducks. Some of us even enjoy the sequels. And let’s face it, the criminally underviewed Slap Shot starring Paul Newman is a cracker. Face/Off sounds like it should’ve been the ultimate hockey film but alas it’s got nothing to do with ice or hockey. Oh, there was Youngblood with Rob Lowe and Patrick “Plastic Surgery” Swayze. So, other than those ducks of mightiness and Paul’s slapping shots there aren’t that many memorable ice-hockey movies. Not that many games either… (Aside from this series) the only one that springs to mind was Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Ice Hockey. Now games with “3D” in the title, as other old men trapped in younger bodies like myself will tell you, aren’t exactly super-modern. I think I had it for the N-64… Point being the NHL has never really impressed me with the varying ways of tackling a sport for the audience’s interaction.

Don’t worry I’m not going to do one of those “UNTIL NOW!” cheeseball moments. Because let’s face it, this isn’t exactly the Shakespeare of sporting games. It’s very well produced but not original by any stretch of the imagination. There’s no narrative or fancy new features to speak of but, on the other side of the puck, you don’t play a hockey game for its narrative. You play it to make your opponent fall over on the ice and look foolish. This can be accomplished admirably. Still, I find I’m longing for a sports game to really up the ante. Like how Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday made American Football look on the big screen. The ferocity is almost non-existent in NHL. As an active participant you’re always kept at a distance. The camera seems miles away. You might as well be having drinks with the commentators. Very, very rarely, you can have yourselves a fistfight and it’s such a rush – not that well made a fighting system, but as it’s such a quick rush you really don’t care.

NHL 2K6 looks alright. When you’re in the confines of an arena this size for pretty much all the game you expect it to look special. And it looks average. The ice looks alright, but you don’t get any really nice touches like condensation, mists of ice coming from sharp skates and… blood. Which is an interesting cocktail I don’t leave home without. Nevertheless it’s not in attendance. The point I’m making is that nothing makes you really go “wow”. The animation is fine, and truth be told the physics on the ice are outstanding – you really get that gliding feeling. Soundwise, it’s all pretty average. There’s a slightly pumped up rock soundtrack of heavy angst driven madness to set you on your way, and the commentary is at times blindingly obvious which adds to the cult feel. The commentary is good, however, with one of them sounding like Jimmy Stewart. They’re all-American. The game is obviously too, but thankfully not in a flag-waving manner.

In terms of gameplay itself, NHL 2K6 has developed a “ProControl” system which is basically an icon-orientated passing system which allows you with the-wonderment-that-is-the right analogue stick perform a variety of movements unique to this edition. The controls can be pretty fiddly at first but you’ll get used to them. There is a LOT to remember however, and even in Quick Play mode you find your reactions slowed down a little. The extra controls (which vary whether you’re playing offence or defence) all have their purposes and used correctly you can get a lot of stick-smashing action during your play. I find that with controls like this make you play more frantically, especially in multi-player and makes for a more enjoyable game in general. NHL 2K6 does shine in multiplayer mode, and its perfect pre/post-pub entertainment. That much I do genuinely recommend to everyone.

There’s also a games room which can be found whilst milling around through those groovy 3D menus. This is, and forever will be, a gimmick. The game of darts is horrendous. Watch as that wooden shaky hand attempts to throw badly rendered strangely slow motion darts to a cardboard board which takes a genius to throw a decent play. The sports trivia quiz isn’t all that bad. I’ll leave that alone. The shuffleboard is horribly designed and incredibly cheap but very addictive; a fun little addition actually. I played this almost as long as the main game itself. And of course, what you’ve all been waiting for, the mini game of Air Hockey. Come on, its worth the price-tag of the whole game. It (like all the other free little games) could’ve been designed a hell of a lot better (this one suffers from incredibly sensitive movement) but it’s still a nice, thoughtful addition and a safe haven for when you’re stressed out with the other modes. For some reason they put the heavy rock soundtrack over these calm minute games. The mix of power chords and patience is an odd one. It’s worth checking out, however. It all has a certain appeal.

In short, the bar is being raised (although perhaps not to the naked eye). You can also play NHL 2K6 online if you choose to do so – I’m a little behind in the times and technology so I couldn’t for myself but as an extension of the excellent multiplayer mode it can’t be half bad at all. Loading times are quite lengthly but they do give you fair warning about the controls (which you probably need). But once you’re in, the A.I. is very good indeed. The players will divide and conquer; they don’t all gather round the puck like monkeys. Not that monkeys and pucks are often seen together… And once you get used to this icon passing thing, it’s a joy to play – in the best competitively infuriating sense of the word “joy”, especially when it comes down to that loose puck at the front of a net. If you’re feeling managerial you can have on-the-fly plays, whereby you tell your guys to defend or whatever. The pace was too fast for me to really get into that, but I’m sure there are die hard professionals who can multi-task without having a heart attack. Multi-tasking is not my strong suit. Typing with both hands is my latest attempt.

But I will try and muster up a conclusion for you, regardless. Graphics and sound, you’re not in for many surprises – both are above average but could’ve been much better, but I suppose with the inevitable sequel looming they don’t want to lay all their cards on the table just yet. (Perhaps next years instalment will have a card game or two in the games room…) The controls are extensive, and do make a difference, taking NHL 2K6 away from the arcade style and into the big time of realism; and it is pretty realistic. The A.I. is solid too, and for hockey fans I’m sure there’s a lot to be cherished, from what is a very noble effort, and pleasurable addition to the series. It should provide you with many frivolous hours of fun and face/offs.

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