EA NHL 06 : Finally EA Sports create a great game!

[davey_nyrangerboy02]

After several years, well around 10 according to a lot of people EA Sports have failed to make a good NHL Ice Hockey game. Many people feel NHL 94 was the best ever, and 2nd NHL 2000, but now in NHL 06 there's a game that is just as good as, if not better.

The game plays extremely well and is the best ive played in a long time, and with the new rules and looks in place its even better.

For a free PC demo of the game, in which you play as either Tampa Bay or Toronto in period 3 on easy go to EA :

http://www.easports.com/games/nhl06/home.jsp

just below the title, you cant fail to spot it, it takes quiet a while but is worth it, and u will probably like it!

[archibalduk]

The EA NHL series have always been talked up by EA saying that there's all this wonderful new AI and graphics and everytime they have failed to deliver a great game. NHL 2000 and 2004 were good imho. I also like NHL 99 because it was the first version I bought. Iirc I first played the NHL '97 demo but never bought it.

It's good to hear some good feedback for 2006. Maybe I should look into buying this. The only problem is that I'll only have my laptop with me at uni. I'll have to wait until xmas when I'm reunited with my desktop which might be able to run the graphics (albeit badly since it's only a Radeon 7500 ).

How realistic is the gameplay? Is it still very arcadey? I really wish there was a much more realism-based gameplay NHL game...

[davey_nyrangerboy02]

well the dekes can be frequent and unrealistic some extreme ones but at the same time extremely entertaining! the slapshots are realistic u get the odd one pop in if u get it right, and over all it is whilst still being arcadey an excellent game. i'd argue that the arcadey feel makes the game more playable, the gameplay is very good, and one thing they have done is cut down on hits, on NHL 2005 it was impossible to go two yards without being hit now though whilst tweaking the settings and playing the game as hard as you want hitting is done less by the opposition. Also player movement is a lot better and the puck is now controlled by its own physics, thingy, if u hit one hard enough the puck will rip into the back of the net and knock the water bottle off! u can also hit people and injure them

also the game has a very very good franchise mode. Every year we here and see NHL by EA face off with ESPN/2k sports, each year they say deepest and most in-depth franchise mode...., ive played both and i feel that EA deliver the most realistic franchise mode. ESPN just feels cheap, when u play the franchise mode u get many crashes the game allways has flaws, however EA have a great franchise mode. You can do ticket prices, fan give aways, u now have to keep under the cap ! which im not sure yet will move up/down etc, but that wil be fun, u have the training schedule, and the draft, etc. It sounds a lot but the beauty is EA set it out to do easily whilst the real smart ones can maximise the stuff.

Also there are the little things like for instance in EA's 2005 NHL game the celebration sequences at the end if u win the cup is awesome, best in any sports game ive played, im sure they will stay in 06, u also have when seasons start fresh your players be presented with awards if they pick any up, say u r carolina and u trade in Heatley who scores you 50goals but u miss the playoffs, and he wins the Rocket ricard trophy, the following year, your first home game will start with Heatley receiving his award !

over all im just excited that il have EA NHL 06 in 2 weeks, and start my Rangers franchise and beat the Capitals 6-0, and sweep them over the yr 4-0

[Tasku]

over all im just excited that il have EA NHL 06 in 2 weeks, and start my Rangers franchise and beat the Capitals 6-0, and sweep them over the yr 4-0

You just had to say it didn't you?

[davey_nyrangerboy02]

YES!

[Octavian]

You can easily see Miroslav Satan on the last screen, but this aren't ingame screenshots. OK, the grafics are all great, every year a little better.

EA is more about the money, that's why I like the guys at SI Games; they are passionated by their work.

NHL 99 was the best one. Then 2000. Afther that we console-looking NHL versions with NHL 2005 looked like I was playing it on a XboX.

Still I get every year this game, and now I won the World Cup with Canada in the highest difficulty . I'm proud of it but I don't trust EA

[davey_nyrangerboy02]

they are in game, all u do is press pause, go to replay and u freeze in game

BUT they are XBOX thats why they are v.gd, and now i have an XBOX!!

this yrs game rocks! ive played demo ( link at top ) if u do buy it, you will enjoy it!

[Minstrel]

Here's an interesting article on how the games approached the lack of a season and then the, for them, late in the cycle announcement of the changes the NHL has made. You will see the same issues reflected that SI goes through with their liscensing requirements. And yes, just like SI there will be no Crosby in any games at shipping, but unlike SI the games are pretty much going with last year's rosters.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/08/12 ... 30929.html

2k will be $19.95 again this year EA has just gotten too far away from the game for me, everyone skates like the wind, stickhandles like Gretzky, checks like Scott Stevens and every 'tender plays like a bad third string AHL'er. Especially after playing EHM you lose the 'fun' of winning every game in a season...

I'll still rent EA and maybe even the new Gretzky title but I'll probably only buy/play 2k. It sounds like they've done some really cool things this year as they continue to go down a different path from EA. The goalies and coaching areas seem to have taken so really cool turns this year.

They'll be having more impact from coaches, you can even run your guys through a practice on-ice, set a practice/training schedule for individual players and they have what looks like a cool add-on for changing your team's tactics on the fly. Both games are going to have players play better the longer they play together but EA's is pretty basic as opposed to the system 2k has in their game this year. It might not be as slick or click with the first-person shooter video game generation but for me it's not usually even a contest which I'll spend time playing.

Honestly though, I'll spend 95% of my hockey gaming time with EHM still. I just find it more rewarding.

[Tasku]

Finally tried NHL 2005, which has been waiting on my puter for a few weeks, and before installing on the shelf for another few weeks.

One word: Cräp!

Played about four matches, liking some of it, but hating most of it, especially the lack of realism and the fact that the game's level of difficulty is based on the goalies: player's goalie is always cold, and puter goalie always hot, no matter who's guarding the net. That alone makes it a pants game. Not to mention the lack of AI for the players...

Not even worth ranting...

So I'll stop...

Booo!

Go work for Microsoft! :finger:

[davey_nyrangerboy02]

well the dekes can be frequent and unrealistic some extreme ones but at the same time extremely entertaining! the slapshots are realistic u get the odd one pop in if u get it right, and over all it is whilst still being arcadey an excellent game. i'd argue that the arcadey feel makes the game more playable, the gameplay is very good, and one thing they have done is cut down on hits, on NHL 2005 it was impossible to go two yards without being hit now though whilst tweaking the settings and playing the game as hard as you want hitting is done less by the opposition. Also player movement is a lot better and the puck is now controlled by its own physics, thingy, if u hit one hard enough the puck will rip into the back of the net and knock the water bottle off! u can also hit people and injure them



.......................................

I agree with ya Tasku, but games change 2006 is a much btr game, 2005 sucks to be honest aside the cool franchise mode but the gameplay svcks, hit after hit and random goalies, but 06 is the opposite, yes its still arcadey but the movement is so much btr so is shooting, etc

[Octavian]

Well, I DON'T agree with Taksu

I like it more difficult , I prefer it to NHL 2004, but it's still no 99 or 2000. EA's NHL is too much looking like a console game now. I don't like console gaming .

[Minstrel]

I haven't played 2006 yet but I do plan to pick up 2k6 today... I think though that it's interesting the 'influence' on EA the 2k series has had.

When the 2k series decided to go in a more simulation/realism direction a lot of people thought it would mean that EA would move more toward realism. It seems though that their 'answer' has been to become more and more 'arcade' and less focused toward the 'serious' hockey fan and more toward the 'serious' gamer with super fast action etc.

[Konstantinov16]

I used to own many of the NHL series, since '95, but in 2004, I switched to the 2K series. But now, after playing the demo and seeing a video of this game, I have purchased the 2006 game. It will be sent to me via the mail.

[Tasku]

Well, I DON'T agree with Taksu

I like it more difficult , I prefer it to NHL 2004, but it's still no 99 or 2000. EA's NHL is too much looking like a console game now. I don't like console gaming .

I like to have a challenge too, but why do they always make it challenging by only adjusting the goalies, so that the player has a naff goalie, and the puter's goalie is a superstar.

I had around 40 shots, and one goal, while the puter had ten shots and two goals. And this happens on every game, no matter if I'm playing against Bäckström - one of the leagues top goalies or some one I've never even heard of.