Xbox

NHL 06

Despite the minor control issues, NHL 06 is still the best hockey game EA has produced in quite some time. Diehards will love the reduced emphasis on checking, while more casual fans should enjoy the new skill stick moves and the ability to place your shot wherever you please. Best of all, every rule change has made it into the game, so it's a great way for hockey fans to check out what's in store for the upcoming season. If you can't wait for the return of the fastest game on ice, NHL 06 is the perfect way to whet your appetite.

In the grand scheme of things, NHL 06 is a solid game that is lacking in a few departments. The in-game additions are fantastic, but changes need to be made to ‘Franchise Mode’. Additionally, I really wanted to see Free4All available on Xbox Live, because it makes no sense to have this mode of play only offline. Getting enough players together on a single box can be too much hassle if all you want is a quick game of Free4All. These problems aside, the game is very fun to play, and I would strongly recommend this game to any hockey fan.

NHL 06 improves on things beyond NHL 2005. The addition of some gameplay moves, the fast-paced gameplay and stellar presentation assure that fans of the series won’t be disappointed.

EA’s NHL title has certainly been improved over last year’s offering and may actually be their finest work since NHL 94. However, it feels like there have been more fixes than any truly groundbreaking additions to the game. What we finally have is a fun competent hockey title that has cleaned up the glitches and irregularities from past years. Combine this with EA’s stellar presentation, the depth of dynasty mode, and the fixed checking system and EA has seriously started to close in on the 2K series.

EA has made a lot of strides with NHL 06, especially on the offensive side of the ice. That being said, the AI is still a problem area that prevents the series from reaching its maximum potential. As in previous years, NHL 06 is probably the hockey game of choice for the casual fan, but its lack of depth in the gameplay modes and often unrealistic play will turn off the hockey purist. Multiplayer play alleviates many of the problems and makes for a much more enjoyable experience. If a happy medium between free-wheeling offense and stifling defense can be found for next year’s game, then EA will have a Stanley Cup champ on their hands.

Mission accomplie pour EA Sports, NHL 06 se pose en référence de base dans le genre en attendant la performance de NHL 2K6. Accessible par tous mais essentiellement destiné aux adeptes, ce titre a pour lui de sérieux atouts à commencer par ses nombreux modes de jeu et le plaisir que l'on a à évoluer sur la glace.

Therefore if you’re incredibly rich and you don’t know what to do with your pocket money: buy this game. If you’re an enormous fan of hockey games: wait for NHL 2K6. This game isn’t only cheaper but also better. A fact that’s true for all 2K Sports titles really. Sorry Electronic Arts, but the truth has to be told.

Fans of EA's brand of hockey will undoubtedly take something positive away from NHL 06, but even they will find it hard to deny that the game isn't everything that it could have been. 06 just doesn't do anything significant for the franchise, as it just adds some ancillary features that are neat to have but don't ultimately change the face of the game, leaving some of the most important (and, in some cases, most flawed) aspects of it practically in stasis. It's good hockey, but it's not great hockey. And there are better choices available.

Somebody at EA needs to stick a post-it note on the producer's door that reads "Dynasty Mode." It's a mess. I recommend the developer focus most of their attention in the coming year to that aspect of the game because I can't recommend this franchise to hardcore hockey fans until they do. With that said, the gameplay in NHL 06 has improved considerably, the new NHL rules have been well implemented and the easy to pick up controls lend perfectly to casual hockey fans seeking some good quick action.

Hockey may be back, but I guess it's like they say "Its gonna get worse before it gets better."

Don't get me wrong though, if I'm pointing out more of the misses than the hits it's only because EA was so close to fully redeeming itself with this year's effort. NHL 06 is definitely a huge step in the right direction. They've dropped a lot of the over-the-top hits and replaced them with more hip checks in the neutral zone. They've made the goalies more realistic and the defense savvier without being cheap. They have also deepened the dynasty mode. If EA can carry these steps in the right direction onto the next generation, then we're going to see some phenomenal games. If not, though, we'll still have a solid hockey game to play with that promises not to get old even after weeks of play.

I better conclude this review before I break something. This is a complete turnaround from last season, and a direction that I hope EA steers clear in the future. The user should always have control over the most basic of gameplay functions.