Find tech advice for business hereNHL 2K9 (Xbox 360)
Manufacturer: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Part number: 39474
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Description:
- Do you long for the days when hockey video games didn't require an engineering degree to master? 2K Sports has listened to the masses by bringing the fun back to hockey video games with an intuitive control scheme, hard-hitting action. Developed by award-winning Visual Concepts studios, NHL 2K9 brings a totally rebuilt NHL experience to life with an in-game ... Read more
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Gamespot editors' review
NHL 2K9 (Xbox 360) price range: $18.99 - $29.99
- Reviewed by: Brett Todd
- Reviewed on: 09/16/2008
- Released on: 09/08/2008
Time travel just became possible, at least for hockey fans. Toss NHL 2K9 into an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3 and you'll immediately feel transported back to 2006, which seems to have been the last year that any significant improvements were made to this hockey series. This so-so look at the Canadian national pastime actually turns away from realism to embrace a more old-time arcade hockey feel with streamlined controls and single-minded AI. While the game still gives you a good challenge, it seems like what remains of the realistic NHL 2K games of the past is being slowly erased.
Close-quarters action makes games feel a little too uncomfortably like the old clutch-and-grab era.
Modes of play are almost identical to those offered in 2007, with the addition of Zamboni races between periods (you'll try this option once, then forget it exists). Special games now include being able to play three-on-three in a pint-size minirink, four-on-four pond hockey, and a solo shootout. None of these options will be more than moderately diverting, however. The minirink is so small that games are nonstop breakaways from one end to the other, while the pond is simply a bland sheet of outdoor ice surrounded by snowbanks and invisible glass that still clangs every time you shoot the puck high and wide. Ah, nothing says "outdoor hockey" like the synthetic bang of Plexiglas.
Franchise and Season modes haven't really changed. Granted, these options were pretty deep last year, particularly when it came to the implementation of the NHL's labyrinthine salary cap regulations and tough contract negotiations. But there are no refinements or serious additions here, and they are sorely needed given the continuing mess that is the interface. The game has taken on a minimalist look with menus popping up only on demand, and while this looks clean, there are no permanent onscreen icons indicating which button you have to hit to pull up which menu. Even when you do come to grips with menu navigation, too much of the information you need is buried. The biggest problem is the lack of a central hub screen where you can get a quick look at all the big news from across the league. You shouldn't have to go looking for vital information like who's been dumped to waivers, who's been traded, and who's gone to the injured reserve list.
At least multiplayer has been significantly overhauled. You can now play full six-on-six games with up to 11 other human players online on both the 360 and the PS3 in Team-Up mode, and take part in online leagues and tournaments. All of the online options seem to run smoothly. Lag is completely nonexistent on both the 360 and PS3, and getting into matches is trouble-free provided you can find an opponent.
The Zamboni races are new, but they're hardly a compelling reason to upgrade from last year's game.
Controls have been revised somewhat successfully. Visual Concepts has reversed last year's changes in this department, revamping the fiddly control system introduced in NHL 2K8 that shifted passing and shooting to the 360 gamepad's bumpers and the PS3's R1 and L1 buttons. You can now choose among three control options--basic, pro-stick evolution, and hybrid. The focus is on hybrid, as the new game emphasizes "bringing the fun back" to hockey gaming through simplified control schemes. What this really amounts to is a merging of button controls with the pro-stick so that you can switch between the two on the fly. This actually works extremely well, as there are moments when you'll want to snap shots off quickly with the buttons, and other times when you'll want to stickhandle and deke with the right stick.
All the control customization in the world can't help NHL 2K9 on the ice, though. Awkward speeds are the biggest issue, with an odd disconnect between the timing of player reactions and sheer skating ability. Players seem sluggish when winding up for a slapshot, throwing a wrister on net, or simply navigating around a defenseman, but their feet are always moving at a fast clip. This results in disjointed play where even the most nimble NHL stars like Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg seem fleet-footed yet downright klutzy. As a result, there are a lot of broken plays, particularly involving train-wreck collisions that cause unnecessary offsides, and a general clutch-and-grab feel that breaks up the flow so crucial to any hockey game. The new fighting system is the only place where players are as dexterous as real pro athletes, yet it's a waste here because there isn't any weight to your punches (making it hard to tell when you actually connect), and the balance mechanic is too gimmicky and erratic to properly simulate a hockey fight.
User reviews
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If you're a hockey fan, just go away. If not, mute it.
by High-Speed-Dirt on December 2, 2008
Pros: * Great panning of the camera and focus tricks make it look semi-realistic from a distance.
* In depth highlight reel system.
* Player creation is versitile, if not a bit drab.
* Darn, some of those goals look real.Cons: * Terrible chase the puck A.I.
* Menu system is just downright damned frusterating.
* Custom teams feel like knock off K-mart brands.
* Absolutely horrid commentary.
* Lack of licensing hurts arena and team authenticity. "Sabres Arena".Summary: Every sports game has its gems and blemishes. That is what is expected and what you get when you have competing franchises on the video game market. Unfortunately, 2k sports ...
Summary: Every sports game has its gems and blemishes. That is what is expected and what you get when you have competing franchises on the video game market. Unfortunately, 2k sports did not take the initiative to improve on the series EA sports has taken the market for. Instead it decided to re-invent hockey into a game of "dog chasing cars" approach. Gone are the days of strategy and patience, and in are the days of swarm to the puck like flies to a pile of, well you know.
The A.I. is terrible, and lacks any realism in game play. Instead, prepare to guide you're 5 man team of robots in to the enemies territory and hit as many people as you can, while taking the fight strait to the teams net - every time. It does not matter how good you're net minder is, because you obviously cannot stop a silver bullet in this one. If you plan to use strategy, the computer won?t, and that means than you can easily take them out in the crease and flood the goaltender with as many random shots as you can possibly take. Depending on you're situation, and positioning, the A.I. will let the goal in based on what seems to be a regenerated, random roll of the dice each time. It is frustrating to set up a good play when the A.I swarms you with every man on its team. The goalies even look as if their ready to jump out of the crease and start pounding on you.
The Commentary is just horrid. A lot of it is obviously fake, and will make you just wish 2k decided to go with Windows Microsoft Sam to broadcast. It is nothing but random selection of redundant phrases such as "He shoots the puck", "He has it", and the famous "Both teams are playing their hearts out". If you don't get your fill of generalization from this, you can always rely on a witty color commentator to fill the rest. Phrases such as "I just got done with talking with THE SAAABRES! head coach, he feels...."
- THE SAABRES! - Having been recycled randomly from their one and obviously only audio take of it. When playing, some people enjoy the side view to make you feel like your watching a game. It would be nice if the arena said "HSBC arena" and not "Sabres Arena". It is minuet - but it all adds up.
Presentation is also accused of being an apple that falls far from the tree. There is no pre-game warm up with goalie statistics, and the face off system is random at best. Player goal scoring actually looks better in the small replay screen at a distance than at the moment you scored, with it left feeling robotic. (NHL 2000 for the PSone, anyone?). The score on the bottom of the screen would better up top
The music has a few good tracks, but the redundant playing of "Bad boys" is silly and makes me feel embarrassed enough to turn down the volume when I play.
A monotonous and impractical menu system makes it a game in itself to access anything relevant to game play. Is a freaking headache, and it eventually drains motivation out of playing a season. It would be nice to add my own music to game play. If you can, then I have not found how, as the instruction booklet is written like a puzzle and the buttons on the interface or either covered by submenus, or just not present. At least 2K left the option to disable some of them, knowing full well that they probably ruined cops for their fan base.
Still, with fast paced gaming and an arcade style feel, 2K is a really good game if you just want to shoot the puck. It?s a decent quick two player game, and the developers did a good job keeping it that way. The game feels as if it?s catered to a teenager, or to someone who is tight on money (with its $35 average price tag). That being said however, you cannot attribute this apparent lack of quality control to improper funding. It is a disappointment, that will have hockey fans looking forward to their next (and hopefully, improved) installment of hockey. If you even have a whim to buy a hockey game, EA gets the nod this year ? and I haven?t even PLAYED it yet.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- Part number: 39474
- Description: Do you long for the days when hockey video games didn't require an engineering degree to master? 2K Sports has listened to the masses by bringing the fun back to hockey video games with an intuitive control scheme, hard-hitting action. Developed by award-winning Visual Concepts studios, NHL 2K9 brings a totally rebuilt NHL experience to life with an in-game presentation system, as well as fresh player animations and controls that fans will enjoy from the moment they play their first game, until well after they become a seasoned veteran. Further adding to an unmatched level of fun and celebrating the NHL's uniqueness are a Zamboni mini-game, playoff beards, a fighting engine and more!
Product Basic Spec
- Platform Xbox 360
- ESRB rating Everyone 10 and older - Lyrics, Mild violence
- Genre Sports
- Elements Sports - ice hockey sim
- Context Realistic
- Number of players 1-2 Players
- Offline modes Competitive
- Online modes Competitive,Team Oriented
Game
- Developer Visual Concepts
- ESRB Everyone 10 and older
- ESRB descriptors Lyrics, Mild violence
Manufacturer info
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.take2games.com/
- Address:
575 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
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