NCAA Baseball/NHL 2K6
ping!
Rosenblatt Stadium
Michigan's new uniforms

I'm really enjoying it so far. After playing the EA series since NHLPA '93, the controls are pretty rough getting used to. The first game I played was of the Play Now variety, thus it was played on the simplest of levels where I narrowly pulled out a 2-1 victory with my Bluejackets over the Sidney Crosby'less Penguins (rookies need to play a game in the NHL before being added to the game). Shooting the puck seemed mundane and ungodly hard to get off a good howitzer, passing was extremely inaccurate and felt rough - but after 3-4 games I really started to enjoy the game.
EA wins the graphics battle with their '03 installment - I mean, 2K isn't going to win awards for theirs. They don't suck; EA just has a much prettier game. On a similar token, EA also wins the soundtrack...award, or something - which doesn't say much cause I usually can't stand theirs either. 2K's really blows, but gameplay wise I'm suffering no ill-reserve for this game at all. Using a feature called (I think) Total Puck Control, you press R3 as you skate with the puck and it essentially brings up icon passing like most games already have - however, from that, you can cover and dump the puck, get some insane one-time shots on goal and run a power play inside the offensive zone. That's right, I said run offense. One of the coolest things I've noticed is how the defensivemen will go to all extents to keep the puck in the zone, from grabbing it out of the air and placing it on the ground or skating backwards on their own, this game is just built a hockey sim to its truest form.
I'm still not a pro at it, haven't went online long enough to do anything but make a username (bironm) and download online rosters, but I'm having a lot of fun. Tutorials take you thru different aspects of the game from total puck control, coaching and various skills, it has a skills competition similar to that of the NHL All-Star Game with shot targets, speed skating and slapshot competition, and the game comes with a "Skybox" mode that maintains your user stats and trophies, complete with a lounge that has darts, air hockey, NHL trivia and shuffleboard - it's just a lot of fun to play around with now.
I have that EA fanboy thing that Boz & Swade won't shake telling me I still need to play that one as well, so I'll update more when I feel I can give better impressions and compare the two. I can tell why this game is labeled the best hockey game by many already, so I guess the jury is out for another week or so.
3 Comments:
Keep in mind folks this is after 1 game on the arcade setting, played by a guy who's never played a 2K game and cries realism because my stick went thru his legs.
Albeit that is retarded, but as far as sim - he asks me early in the first quarter, "what's speed burst (button)?"
By
bironm, at 10:48 AM
ALso, that NHL2k box with the green, WORST LOOKING F'N BOX EVER! Dear Lord, i know some guys at 2k sports and i can't believe they let that box ship, terrible looking packaging
By
Teebeebee, at 2:37 PM
hey now, I can't supply a new cover for everything - I'm just one bironm
By
bironm, at 3:52 PM
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