NHL 2K6
Added September 29th, 2005 by Serenity Now
Introduction:
Every year, it seems, video game critics nationwide open up their sports games reviews stating that the said game has a different title than last year’s game, but it’s still indeed a sequel linked to the same franchise. Well, here we go again. NHL 2K6 is the sequel to last year’s ESPN NHL 2K5. As you can tell, the name has been shortened due to politics within the industry. No longer do you get the ESPN presentation that you’ve become accustomed to over the years. However, just because you don’t obtain the ESPN presentation from past years doesn’t mean that you aren’t presented with a well-produced hockey game. Keep reading to find out if this year’s installment is worth upgrading for.
Gameplay:
Hockey season is upon us once again, and oh what a great one it is. Not only do we have a slew of newly released hockey video games, we have real hockey returning this October. That’s right hockey fans, the lockout is officially over. But come October 5th when the time comes to turn on the TV and watch some hockey, you’re going to want something to play in-between periods, and you’re going to want it to be a hockey game. Don’t worry my fellow hockey/video game devotees, because our good friends down at 2K Sports have released their brand new hockey incarnation.
Every year, it seems, video game critics nationwide open up their sports games reviews stating that the said game has a different title than last year’s game, but it’s still indeed a sequel linked to the same franchise. Well, here we go again. NHL 2K6 is the sequel to last year’s ESPN NHL 2K5. As you can tell, the name has been shortened due to politics within the industry. No longer do you get the ESPN presentation that you’ve become accustomed to over the years. However, just because you don’t obtain the ESPN presentation from past years doesn’t mean that you aren’t presented with a well-produced hockey game. Keep reading to find out if this year’s installment is worth upgrading for.
Gameplay:
Hockey season is upon us once again, and oh what a great one it is. Not only do we have a slew of newly released hockey video games, we have real hockey returning this October. That’s right hockey fans, the lockout is officially over. But come October 5th when the time comes to turn on the TV and watch some hockey, you’re going to want something to play in-between periods, and you’re going to want it to be a hockey game. Don’t worry my fellow hockey/video game devotees, because our good friends down at 2K Sports have released their brand new hockey incarnation.
When I unsealed NHL 2K6 and popped it into my Xbox’s disc tray, I immediately went to quick game mode just so I could become familiar with the controls before starting out in season mode. After playing for around thirty minutes, I became a little worried. Reason being was I couldn’t notice any differences, let alone improvements over 2K5. As I continued playing, I started to recognize all the different gameplay and control additions, and at that very moment I knew that NHL 2K6 was going to be the ultimate virtual hockey experience.
ESPN NHL 2K5 was quite possibly the best hockey game to date. When you take the formula that made it what it was, add some worthy embellishments, and don’t tamper with the original recipe, you get a hockey simulation that’s nearly perfect. First things first though, the online play is nearly identical to ESPN NHL 2K5 except for a few changes in the menus. Putting that aside, the main new feature is the ability to pass and shoot where, when, and how you want. This new element is aptly titled ProControl. ProControl is made possible through the right thumbstick. Press it, and watch innovation before your very eyes. This new control facet is so simple, yet so key. It allows you, the player, to have complete control over virtually everything. There should be absolutely no more excuses when you pass it to the wrong guy now.
The subsequent new aspect, when it comes to gameplay advancements, is what this game calls ‘’On-The-Fly Coaching’’. It works like this: you’re swarming down the ice, trying desperately to set up a scoring chance, but for some reason, none of your teammates will get in their equitable positions. Stop right there. That’s right, put the controller down while I’m talking to you. There’s no need to get worked up and irritated, because with a simple press of a direction on the D-pad you could be rubbing a win in your opponent’s face. No, you aren’t hearing things and I’m not talking about a football game, you can now setup plays using the direction pad. Any conceivable way you look at this new feature, it’s simply revolutionary.
Other, less-recognizable improvements exist, but ProControl and On-The-Fly Coaching are the only ones that truly stick out. I applaud it when developers don’t just release the same game every year, and actually go to work to improve what they already have. NHL 2K6 takes this whole scheme a step further. They’ve not only enhanced the gameplay, they have completely redesigned it, making NHL 2K6 an absolute joy to play. This is a sight to see when it comes to sports games nowadays. So many developers want to make a quick, and let’s not forget, easy buck. Not only is this not the case when it comes to NHL 2K6’s gameplay, it’s the case in its actual purchase price. It’s only $19.99. Overall, 2K Sports has outdone themselves when it comes to the gameplay. They’ve allowed for innovation without forcing you to break the bank to experience it.
Graphics:
The visuals are a slightly noticeable step up from ESPN NHL 2K5. Nothing really stands out, but the animations appear to be smoother, and there seems to be a higher overall graphical polish to everything. One thing I didn’t like, however, was how dark the crowds look. This isn’t new to the franchise because this was relevant in last year’s game as well, it’s just I would have thought this problem would have been fixed by now. I mean, this has been a setback to the game’s graphics for around three years. No biggie though because 99.9% of the time you’ll be looking at the ice, and thankfully, NHL 2K6 wholeheartedly delivers in that department. In the beginning of a period, the ice will emerge very smooth and shiny, but as you progress into the period, you’ll notice scratch marks and other blemishes in the ice. This is a nice effect that adds a great deal of realism to the game. Aside from the darker-than-normal crowds, the visuals in NHL 2K6 are very solid.
ESPN NHL 2K5 was quite possibly the best hockey game to date. When you take the formula that made it what it was, add some worthy embellishments, and don’t tamper with the original recipe, you get a hockey simulation that’s nearly perfect. First things first though, the online play is nearly identical to ESPN NHL 2K5 except for a few changes in the menus. Putting that aside, the main new feature is the ability to pass and shoot where, when, and how you want. This new element is aptly titled ProControl. ProControl is made possible through the right thumbstick. Press it, and watch innovation before your very eyes. This new control facet is so simple, yet so key. It allows you, the player, to have complete control over virtually everything. There should be absolutely no more excuses when you pass it to the wrong guy now.
The subsequent new aspect, when it comes to gameplay advancements, is what this game calls ‘’On-The-Fly Coaching’’. It works like this: you’re swarming down the ice, trying desperately to set up a scoring chance, but for some reason, none of your teammates will get in their equitable positions. Stop right there. That’s right, put the controller down while I’m talking to you. There’s no need to get worked up and irritated, because with a simple press of a direction on the D-pad you could be rubbing a win in your opponent’s face. No, you aren’t hearing things and I’m not talking about a football game, you can now setup plays using the direction pad. Any conceivable way you look at this new feature, it’s simply revolutionary.
Other, less-recognizable improvements exist, but ProControl and On-The-Fly Coaching are the only ones that truly stick out. I applaud it when developers don’t just release the same game every year, and actually go to work to improve what they already have. NHL 2K6 takes this whole scheme a step further. They’ve not only enhanced the gameplay, they have completely redesigned it, making NHL 2K6 an absolute joy to play. This is a sight to see when it comes to sports games nowadays. So many developers want to make a quick, and let’s not forget, easy buck. Not only is this not the case when it comes to NHL 2K6’s gameplay, it’s the case in its actual purchase price. It’s only $19.99. Overall, 2K Sports has outdone themselves when it comes to the gameplay. They’ve allowed for innovation without forcing you to break the bank to experience it.
Graphics:
The visuals are a slightly noticeable step up from ESPN NHL 2K5. Nothing really stands out, but the animations appear to be smoother, and there seems to be a higher overall graphical polish to everything. One thing I didn’t like, however, was how dark the crowds look. This isn’t new to the franchise because this was relevant in last year’s game as well, it’s just I would have thought this problem would have been fixed by now. I mean, this has been a setback to the game’s graphics for around three years. No biggie though because 99.9% of the time you’ll be looking at the ice, and thankfully, NHL 2K6 wholeheartedly delivers in that department. In the beginning of a period, the ice will emerge very smooth and shiny, but as you progress into the period, you’ll notice scratch marks and other blemishes in the ice. This is a nice effect that adds a great deal of realism to the game. Aside from the darker-than-normal crowds, the visuals in NHL 2K6 are very solid.
Audio:
As I mentioned before, ESPN is no longer a part of NHL 2K6. That means no more ESPN announcers. So say goodbye to Gary Thorne and Bill Clement and welcome the Canadian duo Bob Cole and Harry Neale. I hate to say it, but Bob and Harry just don’t translate well to video game form. Repeated phrases, voice hiccups, and occasional stupidity are all a part of the commentary. It’s sad, it really is. For example, in the 2nd period of a game I was leading by four goals. During the 3rd period I seized a quick breakaway opportunity and was now up by a total of five goals. The announcer profoundly stated after I scored on the breakaway that I now have a two goal lead and have basically sealed the win. It’s funny at first, but after a while these dumb comments become maddening. I’m happy to say that all of the sound effects, such as your skate hitting the ice, cross checks, body checks, the crashing sounds of the crowd, and the sound of the puck hitting your stick all sound exceptional. In a nutshell, without the ghastly commentary, the audio in NHL 2K6 would have been fantastic. So if you can forgive the stupid remarks that are made quite often, you’ll find a fairly pleasant sounding game here.
Controls:
If you read the gameplay section, you’ll know that most of the new aspects added to the game have to do with the controls some way or another. From the ProControl feature that utilizes the right thumbstick, to the On-The-Fly Coaching facet that makes excellent use of the directional pad, this year’s upgrades were all based on the controls. In fact, not much was added in the way of modes because I guess they figured they already had enough playable modes, so they should just work on how the user plays them. A genius plan if you ask me. The controls are very similar to last year’s game as far as how you shoot, pass, and check, it’s these new features where you start to see the difference that really sets this game apart from last year’s offering.
Replay:
The 2K franchise has always been known for its feature-rich, content-packed gameplay. NHL 2K6 follows this trend, but doesn’t actually add any new gameplay modes. All I can say is that now the modes are more enjoyable to play, so that definitely adds to the replay value. And let’s not forget that this game is only $19.99. That’s ten bones less than EA’s game, and less than half the price of a regularly priced title. When you combine the content-packed gameplay with the unbelievably low price point, you have a game you’ll be playing for a great deal of time stress-free because you know you just bought a great game without sending yourself to the cleaners.
As I mentioned before, ESPN is no longer a part of NHL 2K6. That means no more ESPN announcers. So say goodbye to Gary Thorne and Bill Clement and welcome the Canadian duo Bob Cole and Harry Neale. I hate to say it, but Bob and Harry just don’t translate well to video game form. Repeated phrases, voice hiccups, and occasional stupidity are all a part of the commentary. It’s sad, it really is. For example, in the 2nd period of a game I was leading by four goals. During the 3rd period I seized a quick breakaway opportunity and was now up by a total of five goals. The announcer profoundly stated after I scored on the breakaway that I now have a two goal lead and have basically sealed the win. It’s funny at first, but after a while these dumb comments become maddening. I’m happy to say that all of the sound effects, such as your skate hitting the ice, cross checks, body checks, the crashing sounds of the crowd, and the sound of the puck hitting your stick all sound exceptional. In a nutshell, without the ghastly commentary, the audio in NHL 2K6 would have been fantastic. So if you can forgive the stupid remarks that are made quite often, you’ll find a fairly pleasant sounding game here.
Controls:
If you read the gameplay section, you’ll know that most of the new aspects added to the game have to do with the controls some way or another. From the ProControl feature that utilizes the right thumbstick, to the On-The-Fly Coaching facet that makes excellent use of the directional pad, this year’s upgrades were all based on the controls. In fact, not much was added in the way of modes because I guess they figured they already had enough playable modes, so they should just work on how the user plays them. A genius plan if you ask me. The controls are very similar to last year’s game as far as how you shoot, pass, and check, it’s these new features where you start to see the difference that really sets this game apart from last year’s offering.
Replay:
The 2K franchise has always been known for its feature-rich, content-packed gameplay. NHL 2K6 follows this trend, but doesn’t actually add any new gameplay modes. All I can say is that now the modes are more enjoyable to play, so that definitely adds to the replay value. And let’s not forget that this game is only $19.99. That’s ten bones less than EA’s game, and less than half the price of a regularly priced title. When you combine the content-packed gameplay with the unbelievably low price point, you have a game you’ll be playing for a great deal of time stress-free because you know you just bought a great game without sending yourself to the cleaners.
Summary:
It’s refreshing to see sports games like NHL 2K6, and it’s nice to know that there are developers such as Visual Concepts and Kush Games out there that actually care about releasing a different game each year. Although NHL 2K6 doesn’t add much in the line of playable modes, it improves itself as a whole making its already substantial amount of playable content more playable. ProControl and On-The-Fly Coaching are ground-breaking innovations. And as mentioned before, they’ve allowed for innovation without forcing you to break the bank to experience it. When you nestle this with the $19.99 price-tag, you have yourself a winner.
It’s refreshing to see sports games like NHL 2K6, and it’s nice to know that there are developers such as Visual Concepts and Kush Games out there that actually care about releasing a different game each year. Although NHL 2K6 doesn’t add much in the line of playable modes, it improves itself as a whole making its already substantial amount of playable content more playable. ProControl and On-The-Fly Coaching are ground-breaking innovations. And as mentioned before, they’ve allowed for innovation without forcing you to break the bank to experience it. When you nestle this with the $19.99 price-tag, you have yourself a winner.
