NHL 2K9 Preview By Ronnie Hobbs
08.12.2008
Welcome to our preview of NHL 2K9. Weve had a chance to spend a great deal of time with this years title, and so far things are looking very promising. Below are all the features that we think are most important, along with the answers to 35 user submitted questions we received over the past week. Just scroll down to your favorite section and enjoy!
Presentation
Pre-game Intros This year Visual Concepts have really put a lot of time in revamping the overall presentation values of 2K9. The menu system has a richer, sleeker feel to it now, and the various team intros have undergone a huge upgrade. Each team has their own custom intro that features multiple player highlights and team logo animations. The entire sheet of ice becomes a canvas as the video presentations are projected onto it, and the overall result is really quite breathtaking. You can find an example movie under the video tab on our NHL 2K9 page.
Commentary Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda have replaced Harry Neale and Bob Cole in the commentary booth, and honestly, its for the better. This duo has been around the sport of hockey for a long time, but you might know them as the play-by-play announcers for the San Jose Sharks. They may not be as well known (at least nationally), but their dialogue is far less repetitive and seems more natural than past teams have offered.
Game Summary Replays Video Highlights and an audio breakdown will accompany the end of each game. You can also check out the Game Wrap Up option, which is broken down into 4 sections (3 Stars, Goals, Big Hits, and Signature Highlights), each of which will provide you with more video highlights from that particular game.
Enhanced Gameplay
Superstar Moves By holding the LB, and after selecting a direction on both the left and right analog stick, you can pull off a variety of superstar moves. These include 360 spins in either direction, toe drags, between the legs shots, the ability to jump the defenders stick, etc. Keep in mind that not everyone can perform these moves seamlessly. Players with a low stickhandling skill will lose the puck frequently, therefore making your superstars stand out even more from the pack. These work well for the most part, but the execution of them leaves a little to be desired. Memorizing which button combinations belong to which move can be a burden and you have almost zero control over your skating path while executing these moves. This often slows the pace of the game down tremendously, not to mention these moves take the creativity out of your hands and replaces it with a pre-programmed animation.
Control Schemes You now have three different control schemes to choose from; Classic, Hybrid, and Pro Stick Evolution. Classic is the old-school scheme you know from the past, Pro Stick Evolution is the brand new layout for this year, and Hybrid is a combination of the previous two. Pro Stick Evolution is no doubt my favorite and the closest to the competition if youre interested in that. This allows you to shoot and puck handle using the right analog stick only. This is a definite improvement over previous layouts, but to be honest, the precision and fluidity of using the right analog stick for puck movement falls a bit short when compared to NHL 09. The problem has to do with player momentum, or lack thereof when using the stick to deke around defenders. Your player loses a great deal of speed when doing so, so much so that it renders the move almost useless. Even superstars like Crosby have a lag associated with them, when instead they should cruise by their opponent without losing momentum. You also cant skate left or right very easily when using them, therefore adding to the overall sense of slowdown.
Skating Engine For once it actually feels as if the skating mechanics used in real hockey have been captured in a video game. This year it feels as if each players feet are actually connected to the ice, meaning there is very little unnatural gliding from left to right. Watching a player pivot and switch directions quickly while his ankles, legs, and knees all shift accordingly is something I can truly appreciate. There are some problems, however. The unnatural gliding I was referring to does rear its ugly head frequently during cut-scenes. Players have an overall jerkiness to them during play stoppages, and while celebrating goals. It seems like two entirely different skating engines exist, one for actual gameplay, and another for all cut-scenes and transitions.
New Fighting Engine Fighting has been downright atrocious in years past. Thankfully, this year is greatly-improved. For once it actually feels like a real hockey fight is taking place. You can grab, dodge, and youre even required to regain your balance after missed punches by using the left and right triggers. You can also use the balance feature to your advantage. Dodge enough and you can cause your opponent to stumble in a certain direction, and then quickly come in with a few haymakers. Theres still no option to pick which arm to grab first (if you know your opponent is right handed.grab it first!) and you cant trigger a take down (pull up on your opponents hockey pants), but those are only minor quibbles in an otherwise solid feature. Im also not sure if you can be directly injured from a fight, as more testing will be needed in that department.
Enhanced Checking This is my favorite addition to the game this year. I know Im not alone when I say seeing the same 10 animations repeatedly hampers my experience. Thats no longer a problem in 2K9. Players now hit, collide, tussle, and interact with utmost realism. You will see players become tangled with one another, opponents spin out of your hits, and even your own teammates will accidentally check one another. However, due to of the sheer number of new animations, it seems the collision detection has taken a hit of its own. Arms, legs, and sticks will go through each other occasionally before being detected, but this game does have some development time left, so maybe this issue can be corrected before the release.
Miscellaneous
Playoff Beards Players will now grow beards just in time for the Playoffs. Of course, not every player will have them, and even some of the more veteran skaters will sport a little grey hair. I couldnt tell immediately if the beard length grew slowly over the course of the playoffs, but a certain achievement led me to believe this may in fact be the case.
Reel Maker 2K9 This feature lets you customize any replay you may have saved to your hard drive. Once selected, youre greeted with a pretty in-depth editing program, similar to some basic software you would find for free online. You can add sound effects, place stamps over the action, implement wipes and trim points, and then upload your masterpiece for all your friends to see. You can even rate clips while online, view top directors, and check out the latest uploaded videos.
User Controlled Stanley Cup Celebration While Ill fully admit that I was disappointed with the initial celebration players simply stand around and pump their arms in the air you do at least get control of the team as they skate the Stanley Cup. You can pump it in the air, pass it to the next guy (though its hard to decipher whom youre giving it to), and even skate it freely around the ice.
Zamboni Mini-game This feature lets you drive the Zamboni in between periods. The amount of ice you have successfully resurfaced is represented by a percentage in the top left hand corner of the screen, along with the time limit in the upper right. Its actually a pretty addicting and challenging mini-game, and for the most part feels comparable to piloting one in real life.
2K Beats
Knocked Down Pennywise
Nitro The Offspring
Crowd Chant Joe Satriani
Goddess Gagged Protest the Hero
Iron Tusk Mastodon
New Dark Ages Bad Religion
Linoleum NOFX
Blitzkrieg Bop The Ramones
Bad Boys Inner Circle
Closed for Inventory The Night Marchers
Things Dont Look Good Genghis Tron
Rumors of War High on Fire
Bankshot Operation Ivy
Find a way Recliner
User Submitted Q and A
1) Can you watch the CPU vs. CPU during Franchise mode? Also, can you play as the other teams in Franchise if you want?
Yes, you can control any team, or watch any two teams play during Franchise mode. However, this cant be accomplished during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2) How does the CPU AI perform offensively?
I hate to be too general, but much of this will depend on your slider settings and individual team strategies. The CPU is very capable right out of the box, but spend some time tweaking sliders and it can be downright murderous. Of course, if you want to see your opponent use strategy (see question 21) youre going to have to use a little customization. From my experience, the CPU isnt going to cycle, dump and chase, or use the left-wing-lock without a little guidance.
3) Has the presentation been improved, pre-game intros, and Stanley Cup?
Yes, the presentation has been improved. Each team has their own custom intro; complete with an aerial view of the ice that showcases player highlights, light shows, and logo transitions. Pretty cool stuff actually. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are also better this time around. More back-story about the two respective teams has been added, along with comments and stats from previous games in the series. It also features an interactive Stanley Cup celebration if you make it that far. While the initial celebration by your team is underwhelming players simply skate around for a moment with their hands in the air you do at least get to skate the cup around, pump it in the air, and even pass it to the next guy in line. Unfortunately, you dont get your 24-hour free time with the cup.
4) Do the sliders work properly?
In general, yes, although this is a fairly vague question. When dropped to zero the CPU goaltenders are horrible, and when bumped to 100 they are absolute brick walls. The same can be said for the other sliders (see question 33 for a full list), but at this point it will take hours and hours of slider tweaking to determine if a flaw exists. I can say this; however, even when penalties are maxed out, they seem to be called way less than expected. Ive yet to see a spearing penalty after 30 odd games, even with the spearing slider maxed out. This could be a potential concern, although the game still has some development time left.
5) How are the new dekes?
This is somewhat of a tough question. If you want to know specifically if the new dekes are worthwhile, then the answer would have to be yes. Not all players can pull them off with accuracy, though. For example, if youre a Hurricanes fan dont expect Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Staal to have the same abilities, or the same speed while deking. Lesser players will also lose the puck more often.
Having said that, if you want to know how I feel about the way these new dekes are performed, then that answer would have to be slightly disappointed. You must hold the LB, any direction on the LS, and an additional direction on the RS to execute these new dekes, which will vary depending on your choice of button combinations. This process feels way too cumbersome, and you lose the option of changing your players skating path once committed to a deke. To be honest, its not a very intuitive process, especially considering the smoothness of these moves in real life.
6) Are there Historic teams?
Yes, right from the start you will have access to 33 historic Teams. Some of my favorites include the 56 Canadiens, 71 Blackhawks, 72 Bruins, 86 Canadiens, 87 Oilers, 90 Bruins, 91 Penguins, 93 Nordiques, 94 Canucks, and the 96 Avalanche.
7) Can Historic players be used in Franchise mode?
Ive yet to find a way to release the Historic players from their teams, therefore it would seem unlikely that this will be able to happen.
8) Is there a true TV Broadcast camera, one that is fixed at center ice and pivots accordingly?
Unfortunately not. Your camera choices include Action Cam (low camera that follows your player from behind), Goalie Cam (seen from the goaltenders perspective), Parametric (Slightly higher, multi-angled version of the Action Cam), Side (angled camera view from the side perspective), and the familiar ¾ viewpoint from past games (higher, slightly angled overhead perspective). The side camera is the closest one to a true TV Broadcast, but it isnt fixed at center ice, instead it zooms in on each zone when the puck enters.
9) Do tucked-in jerseys show up during gameplay?
Actually, after several different tests, the answer is still no. They show up during replays and cut-scenes, which is rather odd, but those same players seem to have untucked jerseys while skating in real time.
10) What features are there in Franchise mode?
The first thing you will notice in Franchise mode is the team specific information window. It replicates a website, in fact its aptly named the 2K Sports Browser. From here you can view news and cycle through statistics and conference standings. You also switch teams with the left or right bumpers, or view your calendar located directly below the information window. You can also practice your teams offense/defense, Power Play, or perfect your breakaway skills. Of course, all the standard options like free agents, contract negotiations, waiver wire, trades, and the ability to change your teams strategy is present, but those looking to increase ticket prices or add seat-warmers to their stadiums will feel left out.
11) Video replays during intermissions, including highlights from other games?
After each period you will see replays of various highlights, including hits, goals and saves. The period is also broken down by the announcement crew, who then provide you with stats, the top-performing players, and other crucial information. Unfortunately, they fail to fill you in on other games unfolding around the league.
12) How challenging are the goaltenders, and do they have any new animations?
A lot will determine what you mean by challenging, and of course how much you increase the various sliders associated with the goaltender. Ive yet to find a goal I can exploit regularly, so thats refreshing, but Im confident someone will eventually. I can tell you the goaltenders are almost perfect on the default setting, but once you start changing other sliders (shot accuracy, power, etc.) they will undoubtedly fall behind. They do have lots of new animations, thankfully. They seem to be more aware this time around, especially when the puck is behind the net. You will see them hug the post and angle their stick to deflect any centering passesits a nice touch. Of course, they still stack the pads, drop to the butterfly, and sprawl out occasionally, but its the way in which they recover from these commitments that stands out. Those animations are seamless now, and look fantastic, especially while watching replays.
13) Does the game feature player and team specific chants?
Yes, you will hear a variety of team-specific chants. You will hear Lets go Devils and D...e...v...i...l...s for example. Ive yet to hear a player specific chant, though.
14) Are Playoff beards overdone?
Playoff beards are not overdone at all, from what I have seen. Some younger players have no facial hair at all, while most of the older players have at least some type of beard. Some of the oldest players in the league even have grey beards. Ive also unlocked an achievement that involves a fully-bearded player, so this leads me to believe that beards also slowly grow thicker throughout the playoffs. I checked several players at various times during my Stanley Cup run, and noticed very little difference, however.
15) Is there a delay of game penalty for clearing the puck in your defensive zone?
Yes, this happened to me only once so far, but it was nice to see.
16) Are the three new rule changes in the game?
Yes.
17) Has the face-off system changed? Do players still jostle and get kicked out of the circle?
While Ive yet to see players get actually kicked out and replaced, the linesman does intervene if you try and cheat too much. The LT is now responsible for jostling, so jamming on the trigger can help you win the puck if your opponent has you tied up. You can also go for a direct tie up with the RB if you wish. Its a lot more interactive this year than in previous versions. I also noticed a penalty option for Face-off delay of game, which leads me to believe you can be kicked out, and punished for it.
18) Does the game have broken sticks, high-sticks, intentional offsides, goal reviews, broken glass from shots and body checks, double minor penalties, major penalties, and suspensions?
No broken sticks so far. In fact, no players have even dropped their sticks yet. I also havent seen the glass break from either a hard shot or a body check, and Ive yet to have a goal be reviewed. Double-minor penalties have also been missing so far, and suspensions also seem to be left out. I have seen a major penalty, which was for fighting of course, but no high sticks have been called that I can recall. It should be noted that there is no slider setting under penalties for high-sticking, which leads me to believe they have been left out all together. There is an option for spearing; though, so I do believe that call will result in a major penalty, it just hasnt happened to me yet.
19) Do players get injured from high sticks and hard shots?
This game features lots of injuries in general, even on the standard setting. Ive seen everything from a stomach virus to a season ending broken hip. However, Ive yet to see a player get hurt in real time from either a hard shot, or a high stick. Ive only been able to play roughly 25-30 full games, so this could just be a rare occurrence that hasnt happened yet.
20) Do the LCD rings around the top of the arenas still say Goal when one is scored?
Yes, granted that your teams arena has an LCD ring to display it.
21) Does the CPU use the cycling or dump-in-chase strategy often?
CPU hasnt particularly run the cycle on me, but after tweaking each teams strategy from the roster menu, Ive been able to customize my experience. As an example I bumped up the Atlanta Thrashers dump and chase frequency to 100, and they immediately started to utilize it almost every trip down the ice. Changing their offense from overload to triangular also helped produce more cycling, but not to the extent that I had hoped for.
22) Is Crease Control still in the game?
Yes, and it seems to have gone untouched feature wise.
23) Do Referees have mics when announcing penalties?
No, in fact the referees dont even move their mouths while talking. Sorry,
24) How is the collision detection? Do sticks and players still glide through one another?
Unfortunately, collision detection is still very noticeable. Players, sticks, goalposts, and end boards all seem non-existent at some point in the game, as they constantly glide through one another. They should be applauded for the sheer number of new animations in the game, but it seems to have come at the expense of collision detection. Hopefully, 2K can fix these slight issues before the game is released.
25) Any new animations, especially in the checking engine?
Yes, 2K9 features lots of new animations in the checking engine. Ive been so impressed with these new additions that I made a short video to help demonstrate it. You can find it under the video tab on the NHL 2K9 page.
26) Can the salary cap be turned off?
Yes, if you begin a franchise with certain teams over the limit, the game will ask you if want to continue with the salary cap turned off.
27) Is there a Playoff mode?
Nope, only season and franchise modes exist. There is a Tournament mode while online, but without others to join me, I was unable to determine if it was just a regular tournament, or indeed the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
28) How is the equipment editing? Are custom goalie masks still in the game?
Equipment Editing is as detailed as ever. Not only can you change every piece of equipment on your players body (except the type of elbow pads, shin pads, etc.), but you can also choose the color pattern. There are around 30 goalie mask patterns to choose from, all of which can be customized to your liking. You can even select the amount of hockey tape that appears on your stick, including the size of the butt-end.
29) How are the Hybrid and Pro Control settings? Are they responsive?
(See the features list at the top of the page for impressions)
30) Is create-a-player in the game? How about create-a-team?
Yes, both are in the game. Create-a-player is deeper than ever you can tweak every aspect of your players face, along with multiple equipment choices and nearly unlimited color options for most of your gear. You can even change the color of tape, size of the butt-end, and even create your own blade pattern. Create-a-team is rather shallow by comparison, however. You do have close to 100 hundred logos to select from, but at this time there is no option to customize your teams jersey or Arena. You will be awarded a jersey pattern and color scheme based on the logo you choose to represent your team.
31) How realistic is the computer trade logic and waiver wire?
The waiver wire seems to be realistic in the sense that the list seems like an accurate representation of last years results. Teams that finished poorly in the rankings have first shot at various players sent through the wire, and for the most part it seems like teams have been releasing appropriate players from their team. You can view the waiver wire at any point during the season, and even put in your request for players currently on the list. You can also view which teams have first shot at that particular player, so you can better gauge your chances on signing him.
32) Are the number of hits and penalties per game realistic?
In my experience the penalty slider will have to be adjusted in order to achieve realistic settings. I was only getting four or five calls on average per game, but a lot of this has to do with my style of play. You will also have to make some changes in the hitting department as well. Each team has a Roughness setting under their team strategy menu. Bumping this up will cause them to be much more aggressive with their checking. As a standard, each teams setting is rather low on default.
33) What gameplay sliders are there?
A lot, almost too many to name, but here goes. These same sliders apply to both human and CPU.
Puck Friction
Ice Friction
Fighting
Injuries
Goalie Skill
Offense Skill
Defense Skill
Speed Burst Effect
Speed Burst Time
Speed Burst Recovery
Fatigue Time
Fatigue Resistance
Fatigue Recovery
Hitting Power
Shot Accuracy
Pass Accuracy
Pass Speed
Pass Interceptions
Rebound Distance
Shot Blocking
Puck Retention
Puck Control
Goalie Anticipation
Goalie Saves
34) Can you share roster files?
Not that I can find. The game does load an online roster when you go online, and you do have a 2K Sports profile card, complete with custom avatar and stats, but I see no way to upload a roster file to it. Sorry.
35) Will the 6-on-6 play be included in user created online leagues? And, can you play 2 on 2, 3 on 3, etc.?
Both Season and Tournaments can be created in an Online League. Up to 30 teams can take part in Season mode, and 16 can compete in Tournament play. You can also adjust the number of playoff spots available, season length, period length, turn trades on or off, and tweak the number of games per round during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, no setting seems to exist for changing the number of people on the ice at a given time.
We hope you enjoyed our preview of NHL 2k9 for the Xbox 360. You can also visit our NHL 09 page to see what the competition has in store, or check back here for our full review as the launch date of September 9th draws closer.
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