On the back of the NHL 2K9 box it says that ‘The fun is back’. It’s clear right from the start that 2K Sports is going for an arcade style of gameplay. Does this work well or is it too much to pucking bear?

Gameplay:

NHL 2K9 has gone back to basics and re-introduced the classic button style instead of using the right analogue stick. This doesn’t gel too well with me and took some time to get used to after playing so much using the right stick. Fortunately I found out that the control scheme can be changed and you can revert back to stick controls, I did this straight away but soon found out that the controls were just as sluggish as using the buttons. NHL 2K9 feels sticky and slow, no matter what control scheme you use. Everything feels very artificial. I tried to persevere with the ‘Pro Stick Evolution’ control scheme but found that the stick controls have been modified, so instead of using the right stick to body check, you actually perform a poke check, and you use the right bumper for body checks. This takes a lot of getting used to, especially after playing their rival game, but even once you get to grips with the controls you’ll find that whenever you try to poke check you’ll always get called for tripping. All together controls feel restricted and player movement is stiff which will really grind your gears after a few games. Another real problem I have with 2K9 is the bad camera angles. The default camera angle tends to follow the puck and rotate quite a bit, after playing a full game with the default camera view I found myself feeling quite sick after all the joggy and fast movements of the camera. Not only that but it’s very hard to see where your players are skating to, and therefore difficult to make a decent play. Camera angles can be changed, and there are a lot of options to choose from, you can also fine tune and adjust the height and width of the camera. You can place the camera just the way you want it, but you will have to do this at the start of every single game, which can get really annoying very fast. NHL 2K9 offers the basic game modes including Franchise, in which you control a team for a number of seasons, sign players and progress as a team. But NHL 2K9 also offers some interesting and unique game modes. Pond Hockey allows the player to pick two teams and select any player from any of the teams, allowing you to create a nice little dream team. You then are put into a game which takes place on a frozen pond which looks like it’s in the middle of the North Pole. This is a nice treat and definitely a little bit of fun especially when playing with a friend. Another unique mode is Mini Hockey where you pick just 3 players from and NHL team and have a small game in a mini ice rink, this is also another little party mode that’s fun with friends. But the problem is that none of these game modes are available to play online, so you’ll have to get a mate round to really enjoy it. Coming back to number of bad points in NHL 2K9, the major number of glitches will have you jumping out of your seat and screaming at your TV. The worst glitch is that quite often you’ll take a shot and find the puck gets stuck on the goal line. This happened to me a lot and got extremely annoying, I often just quit the games due to getting quite angry, the combination of these glitches with the bad controls and camera angles is enough to make me wonder why I bother, and why I just didn't throw the game out the window. Another small thing worth a mention is the fighting system. Fights seem to start at random, you can just body check a player and a fight will ensue, something that will get quite agitating when you just lost your best Defensemen on a bull tripping call. So you’re now in a fight and you just simply need to press ‘A’ for a weak punch and ‘B’ for a strong one. While you put the stupid AI’s face through the ice; you also need to keep your balance using the left and right triggers. You need to keep the arrow inside a yellow box at the bottom, this box shrinks as you get hit, making it more challenging to stay up when the AI is falcon punching your nose. All of this is slightly overwhelming at first and you’ll constantly get knocked out. But once you get to grips with it and actually manage to win a fight it’s very satisfying watching your opponent knock his head on the ice. My favourite part about NHL 2K9 is the Zamboni mini game. During a period break you get the option to drive the Zamboni around the ice. The goal is simple, you need to drive it around and try to clear the ice in the set time limit. It’s very relaxing tooting along in your big red Zamboni whilst the crowd cheer you on and I’d be quite happy just to sit there all day and try to clear the ice 100%. Only problem is that you actually have to play a period to access the mini game. Online modes are basic ranked and unranked games, but you can also compete in 12 player games just like NHL 09. But it doesn’t feel the same and you’re still greeted by glitchy, stiff and frankly boring gameplay. You can also save and upload videos that can be watched in-game, but unfortunately you can’t retrieve them on your computer. They can however be added to a small video leader board where they can be downloaded and rated by other players. You can also create you own online avatar and pick from about 20 different heads and choose your favourite jersey to dress them in. These avatars really serve no purpose other than a 20g achievement and are pretty pointless.

Graphics:

Graphically the game is mediocre at best. The ice and boards are really nice when they get scratched and beaten up and the crowd is quite animated and interesting. But this is all counteracted by the poor player design. Players look emotionless and all the same, except for the addition of a beard here and there, there’s nothing to tell them apart. I can understand that 2K have gone for an arcade looking style, but the game just looks like they’ve been lazy and cut corners in the visual department.

Sound:

The games soundtrack is decent enough with Bad Religion, The Offspring and The Ramones offering lively rock tunes to listen to in the menu; and I had a little chuckle when ‘Bad Boys’ was played when I conceded a penalty. The puck sound against the crossbar is loud and entertaining as is the crunch you get when you kill your opponent with a monster body check is awesome. But the commentary has been done by the three stooges. They’re constantly talking a load of rubbish and start having a little private conversation which they then stop short when you score a goal.

Longevity:

The game modes are there, if you can bear with the controls, camera angles and everything else previously mentioned then I’m sure you can have a lot of fun online and in franchise mode. But I find it hard to believe that anyone will be able to stick the game out longer than half a season. The game is bearable with a buddy by your side and could be picked up for a quick go on the Zamboni every now and again, but other than that I don’t see why anyone would bother to play this game longer than a couple of weeks.

Overall:

2K’s take on the NHL franchise has always been poor in comparison to EA’s, and this edition is no exception. If you want to buy a hockey game it has to be NHL 09, the gameplay is untouchable and you’ll be playing it all year. I recommend downloading the NHL 2K9 demo from the marketplace and see how you get on with the controls and camera angles. If you find it just as frustrating as I’ve mentioned then don’t bother. There’s nothing here that makes you think ‘wow that was great’ and you’ll be in hospital having your stomach pumped when you eat the disc out of pure hatred for the controls, glitches and camera angles.