Have you got the skills and the moves to own the ice rink in NHL 2K9?
The 2K Sports team are back again for another skating session on the ice with NHL 2K9, the latest entry in the long-running, lightning fast ice hockey series. Skating the line between sports arcade and sports simulation play, NHL 2K9 offers up a number of modes, which are extremely welcoming and easy to manoeuvre for both long-term hockey fans and anyone brand new to the sport on PLAYSTATION 3.
Speed and control
Developer 2K Sports has implemented a series of upgrades and tweaks to the game since you last saw it, most notably a streamlining of the control system that caters for players of all styles. There are three control systems to choose from including Basic, Pro Stick Evolution and Hybrid. Basic allows you to control players on the ice using the left stick to move and the action buttons and the L and R buttons to perform a variety of differing shots.
Pro Stock Evolution maps everything to both the left and right sticks on your Wireless Controller while Hybrid brilliantly juggles both styles so you can quickly become a master of the hockey stick and puck. Shooting can be performed by flicking the right stick forward quickly or if you want to pull off a more powerful attempt on goal such as a slap shot, you pull the stick back for a moment and then shoot it forward.
You can also control movement of the puck this way by moving it left or right. This is extremely useful for when you are trying to protect the puck from the opposing team as you skate up the rink and into the attacking zone. Becoming a master at this allows you to break away from the defence so it’s just you and the goalie, dramatically increasing your chances of scoring a spectacular goal by performing a variety of moves.
Mini modes
Also included in the gameplay are a number of other unique traits including an improved fighting engine that sees you use the L2 and R2 buttons to balance your player on the ice as he brawls with an opponent using the X and circle buttons to dole out either heavy or light attacks. Players will even grow stubble and beards as they move through the play offs, adding yet another layer to NHL 2K9.
Like any good sports game it wouldn’t be complete without stellar commentary from a team in the know and that’s Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, the double act who are responsible for the play-by-play and colour commentary for California’s San Jose Sharks.
There are two types of main game modes, Season and Franchise. In Season Mode, the game focuses on just one year in the NHL calendar while Franchise Mode goes much deeper allowing you to take control of an NHL team and guide them to the play offs and the Stanley Cup by being either hands-on or hands-off in the day-to-day running of your team. By being a hands-on player you are able to manage the players on the ice, coach, draft and even scout potential stars for your team depending on how involved you want to be.
To spice up match intervals between quarters you also have the option to jump on board the Zamboni, the truck-like vehicle used to clean and smooth the surface of the ice rink after players have been shredding it up with the blades of their boots. It makes for welcome interval in-between matches before you head back out on the ice.
Twelve of the best
Other additional games modes outside the norm are Mini-Rink, which allows you to play 2-on-2 hockey on a miniature indoor rink with extremely bouncy dasherboards, making for a much faster paced game. In Mini-Rink penalties have also been removed, meaning you can slam into your opponent a lot more often without fear of being thrown into the Sin Bin. Pond Hockey, another of NHL’s mini-games lets you take the action outdoors in a 4-on-4 match with only limited rules.
The game further opens up when you take it on PlayStation Network. Once you sign in you are given the chance to create an avatar and enter into an online event called Team 2K, which is a series of weekly tournaments. You can also play the game with up to 12 of your friends across PlayStation Network in the Team-Up mode.
Here you have the option to choose whether or not you want to play matches in a set position on the rink, where you must achieve allotted goals in order to score high in the online grading system. Playing with 12 players in a mode like this encourages you and your friends to work efficiently as a team if you are to make it through the season intact and with a solid grade.
Bigger, better, and chock full of options for all kinds of players, NHL 2K9 is fast-paced ice hockey action that caters to both those looking for a great sports simulation game fused with the pick up and play elements of arcade gameplay.
