PlayStation 2

Gretzky NHL 06

Anyone who still has Gretzky posters on his bedroom walls (so busted!) will definitely want to own the Great One's first truly, um, great one.

Gretzky NHL 06 is a great hockey game. It might not be the game for you if you are looking for an in-depth hockey simulator, as its ultra-responsive controls and breakneck pace may be a little exaggerated, but for the player who wants a game that’s a little more on the arcade side of hockey, Gretzky is definitely a game you should check out. The Wayne vs. Wayne Mode is an extremely addictive addition, and the improved Rivalry Mode could keep you and a close friend posted in front of your PS2 for hours at a time. The addictive gameplay, combined with an astounding presentation make Gretzky NHL 06 a very entertaining game. If you’re a fan of hockey or a fan of sports games in general, you definitely want to check this one out.

Gretzky NHL 06 is a fun hockey game. It's also a smart one, with unique features that keep the game interesting and easy to play. Also, 99 time mode isn't just a quick mode thrown into the game. It was well thought out, and makes for a nice change of pace from normal play. Overall, Gretzky NHL 06 is worth the buy for the hockey game fanatic and definitely worth the rent for anyone looking for a good time.

A worthy hockey game to add to your collection. Great simulation gameplay; even better arcade-style gameplay; an excellent soundtrack; updated graphics; and a number of tweaks and additional game modes that would make the guy this game is based on (what’s his name again?) proud.

Gretzky NHL 06 walks along a fine line. It includes a number of management tasks, but the actual gameplay is anything but a simulation. As an arcade version of hockey, it doesn’t really succeed in going all out. Nonetheless, despite a longing for more responsive gameplay, I enjoyed Gretzky NHL 06. If you’ve been a Gretzky NHL fan in the past, this version is the one to get. It’s a good game but in light of its competition it’s hard to recommend Gretzky NHL as a sole hockey purchase.

While Gretzky tries to make some improvements to the game, it still has some of the same issues that plagued last year's version. With a non-intuitive interface, some gameplay issues on the ice and little replay value, I would suggest renting this one before you decide whether or not it's worth adding the Great One in your own personal collection.

All in all, Gretzky NHL 06 showed some serious improvement graphically over last year’s version but otherwise all the same flaws remain untouched. So it gets a slightly better score, but if they actually FIXED those things it would get a much better one.

Unless you don't like either NHL 2K6 or NHL 06, Gretzky NHL 06 is a good game but relegated to the 3rd line behind those two stars, and somehow gets paid a higher salary to boot. It's full of options and the game plays well, but it still doesn't quite reach the heights of its competition and feels more like a clone of them than anything. Wayne vs. Wayne is a unique idea, but it's somewhat confusing to play and Wayne simply doesn't matter much when he gets called to the ice. Everything else is serviceable, but it's hard to recommend this game when the competition is better and cheaper. There's no shame in Gretzky NHL 06 being merely a good game that could use some fine-tuning, it's just that good doesn't quite get it done in the face of two superior and more entertaining products – for less money too.

I remember feeling bad for Wayne when he was trying to personally get the players and owners to negotiate an end to last year's hockey lockout. Perhaps he should have instead been on the phone checking in on his own game.

Gretzky NHL 06 isn't a bad game, but it's hard to figure out what the point was. It's not much different than last year, it's $10 more than EA's NHL 06, $20 more than NHL 2K6, and both of those games offer superior gameplay and presentation. There's simply no reason to recommend it from either a gameplay or price perspective.

Gretzky NHL 06 is certainly not the worst hockey game we've ever come across, though there are far better titles to invest your money into. While the game's behind-the-scenes management aspects and various game modes are pretty good, the actual on-ice experience leaves a lot to be desired, especially with regards to the game's actual feel. Simply put, if you're looking for a realistic hockey experience, this is definitely not the game for you. If you're looking for arcade-centric gameplay in a hockey title though, you might want to give this a rental and see if it's worth your hard-earned scratch. Hockey purists beware, though.

While Gretzky 2005 got by last year largely on the merit of it being a Sony-published hockey game that wasn't awful, Gretzky '06 gets no such pass. If Page 44 is going to continue producing hockey products for the platform, it has to acknowledge that it can't be both simulation and arcade at the same time and deliver a successful gameplay experience. It also has to step up its game and learn from what the competition is doing, rather than just make fringe additions that emulate but don't equal what competitors have brought to the table. Hell, this game doesn't even have even moderately updated rosters by default, despite coming out weeks later than the competition (there is an online download, but unless you have a network adapter, you're boned). Any hockey fan with a PlayStation 2 would be better served with NHL 2K6 or NHL 06 this year; once again, Gretzky is best left on the bench.

Overall, while this game is not completely bad, there is no real reason why anyone would purchase this game over the other games in the market. Just because Mr. 99 himself is on the cover, doesn’t make it a good hockey game.

It was only two years ago that the NHL was throwing around the buzzword “contraction.” The popular theory at the time was that the NHL was seriously considering folding a handful of its franchises due to market strength, the team’s ability to draw, the inability to be competitive financially, and, perhaps most importantly, the watering down of the league’s talent pool from the too much expansion. Basically, they were telling us that less hockey would be better than the system that was in place. Two years and a “work stoppage” later, the league remains at 30 teams and the level of talent and interest in the sport is still to be determined.

Most of this game is serviceable, actually, but it's hard to recommend it when the competition is better and cheaper. Now, there's no shame in Gretzky NHL 06 being merely a good game that could use some fine-tuning, it's just that good doesn't quite get it done in the face of two superior and more entertaining and less costly products.

If you don't get the gameplay right, all else fails. Yes, the Franchise mode is pretty solid, but this isn't hockey league simulator, you'll eventually want to manually play a few games. The Wayne vs. Wayne mode is loads of fun, but it's not worth paying $39.99 USD for. I just can't recommend Gretzky NHL 06 over either of the other two hockey video game franchises currently on the market. The developer has to take stock and figure out which direction to take their franchise. Is the goal to provide an accurate simulation of the game of hockey or to create an over-the-top arcade experience, like the Wayne vs. Wayne mode. The next time we see Gretzky on the ice, it might very well be for the PlayStation 3. Let's hope the developer can figure it out by then. Until that time, Gretzky NHL 06 is best left on the bench.

And that's how I'd have to characterize the game as a whole. I had a fun time playing it, but I have widely different tastes when it comes to a hockey game than what I imagine are those of diehard hockey fans. Gretzky NHL 06 is not at all what I would call a bad game. Still, it's not what I would call a great game either. If you're into the sim style of sports games, you'll probably want to pass this one by. But if you just want a decent hockey game to play give this one a try. I'd do yourself a favor, though, and rent it first to find out if it's a fit for you.

It's interesting how the game manages to blend arcade skills with simulation-like systems, and, yeah, there is some stuff for a hockey fan to do here. But I can't help but get the feeling in my stomach that Gretzky NHL '06 has taken a step backward, not improving in the areas I wanted and lulling in the stuff I liked in the previous year. It's by no means a total failure but it runs strictly on the line of average, and at a time when the competition is stepping up with quality efforts, that's not where you want to be. Perhaps next year, on the PS3, we'll see Page 44 really step up and give us a hockey experience that shines. I hope so, because I can't see how the game's current form is going to liven up the next-gen audience.

Gretzky '06 piles up some new features, does a better job of tracking franchise info, and has the AHL license for minor-league teams. It does not, however, come close to equaling the on-ice fun of NHL 2k6 or NHL '06.