NHL10 (PS3) Preview
Posted by Mark Salmela on 08.24.2009
Hands-On: Over the past several years the NHL series by EA has been among the best sports games of the year. Will that streak continue? Read and find out.
Back in 2007 EA decided to drastically change up their hockey franchise. Through the right analog controller EA completely changed the way hockey games we played. For the past couple years numerous outlets have voted the NHL franchise by EA one of, if not the best sports games of the year. So what has EA done to outdo itself this year?
The first big feature that I would like to note is the Battle for the Cup Mode. The Battle for the Cup mode is featured in the demo which was just released for the Xbox 360. The same demo will be released this Thursday for the PlayStation Network.
The Battle for the Cup Mode allows players to take part in certain situations throughout the play-offs that will change depending on how the EA simulators play things out. Players can become hurt, the momentum of teams can change, and even the winners of certain games can be changed. The demo focuses on game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings.
The Penguin's star player Sidney Crosby is hurt, but it's a playable injury. The Penguins are up 2-0 in the third period. You can choose to either sit Crosby or play him hurt. If you chose to have Crosby play his skills will be severely reduced and he will be nowhere near as effective as he would be normally.
Another new feature for the game that hockey fans will probably enjoy is the first person fighting mode. Now when a fight breaks out between two players you can switch into a first person mode to fight the other player. You can tug on the opponents jersey for momentum, and when you think you've got him use the right analog stick to knock his lights out. It's the same as the stick controls, move the right analog stick forward for a jab, and pull the analog stick back before moving it forward for a much stronger punch.
One of the biggest changes to the game is the new Battle on the Boards feature. By pressing the Triangle *PS3* or Y *360* button players can trap opponents or the puck against the wall where they can kick it out to their teammates or even attempt to steal the puck from a heard of opponents by using various shoulder buttons on the controller. It may seem like a little thing, but it goes a long way into making the game feel more realistic as well as adding more depth to the overall gameplay. This is a great feature that really adds to the game.
Finally NHL10 allows for action to happen after the whistle. You can make late hits, attempt to draw penalties from the other team, and overall just intimidate your opponents all after the whistle has blown from the ref. Once again this goes a long way into making an already incredible game feel that much more realistic.
At this point it's easy to see why the NHL franchise by EA Sports consistently ranks among the best sports games of the year. NHL10 is no slouch on the improvements and it's an experience that shouldn't be missed. NHL10 will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 15, 2009.
