Customer Reviews

Gretzky NHL 06

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love how fast this game is, although some shoot it down because of how "hyper" it is. The speed of this game (which you can adjust by the way) is what sets it apart from the other guys.
Graphics are very solid, with nice animations on checks and jukes. There's room for improvement as far as player faces, but I'm nitpicking.

Franchise mode is pretty darned good. I'm interested to see the next installment with cap restrictions, otherwise, it's pretty easy to stack your team with all-stars at the end of your losing season, and wreak revenge on the NHL in the following season. They make it too easy to acquire free agents I think. I like that they've put a lot of effort into including AHL teams and minor league players. The only problem is that once you've tasted NHL play, you'll notice a huge dropoff in speed, passing and shooting with the AHL guys. It's a little maddening honestly.

Wayne v. Wayne is a terrific concept and very fun to play with your trash talking buddies. A score 15 to 13 in this game is entirely possible- and that's the beauty of it. Wayne is superhuman, and it's just as fun trying to stop him as it is setting him up for a one-timer. Wayne mode is way addictive and I'd like to see Page 44 take this mode a little farther and deeper.

The other thing I like is that this is a really good sounding game once you are taken to the ice. Good energy, crowd response, and the commentary fits nicely.

There are more "realistic" games out there (2k6 excels here) but this game is the one that gets you hooked. IMO it's worth the extra 10 or so bucks to pick this one up, or at least have it next to your other hockey titles.

For the hockey purists, don't know if Gretzky 06 will float your boat, but if you're an "action not words" type with an appreciation for the arcadish genre, this title should get your pulse pumpin.

After being rather frustrated with the NHL 2K6 effort and feeling that EA has become a little stale, I'm very pleased with Gretzky NHL 2006. The controls are simple (at least compared to the nonsense of 2K6 and their three-tiered overdone controller layout), the game is fast, the fun is endless. The gameplay is smooth, perhaps not quite as much as the other two competitors, but it is STILL EXCELLENT. Game speed is customizable, which helps when there are only four difficulty levels. Playcalling is also deep with sets for PK, PP, netral zone ,breakout, etc... If your idea of a fun hockey video game is to customize puck traction, board bounce, zamboni tire tread-effect on the ice, etc... then get 2K6. Otherwise, get this game. It's a vast improvement over last year's edition and it is a refreshing addition to the NHL console video game market. Hockey is at heart a simple game; Gretzky 2006 captures that spirit while still providing a graphically pleasing and extremely fun game.

As a big big hockey fan i would like to say all the hockey games are great, But this hockey game is the best!! The graphics are really really good about as good as NHL 07, you can actually look at players and tell who it is without seeing the name or the jersey. I really like how u can go down to the AHL and play games there too. That is about all i have to say about this game besides GO WINGS!!!!!! -Koda from Michigan

As a hockey fan, I figured that this game would be cool to try out because it's a Gretzky game, and I figured that since it's a Gretzky game, it'd have to be excellent. Well, I was wrong. The game is pretty cool, pretty fun, but when I give something a 4 for fun, that's actually a dissapointment, because I tend to hand out 5's when there are 4 little things I don't like about the game. I have made a list of pro's and con's about the game.

Pro's:
- Graphics are excellent! You play this game and the players look so realistic! You can look at a player, and tell that it's Mathieu Schneider, or Steve Yzerman. Once, I rented a game called "NHL Shootout 2001" and all the heads were square, not on this game my friends!

- The fighting rocks! The controls are simple: X to punch, and triangle to block, not like on EA's version.

- The commentary. These guys that I've never heard for any national games before, did a great job covering the game, and they had some creative things to say, not like Marv Alberts on NBA Live, but that's more about basketball.

- The fact that in a 5-minute period game, you can have the last minute a full minute, anyway. That gives you more time to make come backs, which, trust me, happens a lot, which brings me to the cons.

Cons:
- Almost impossible to win. I play on the easiest level, and I can score 9 goals, and the oppoistion will score 11, now what's up with that?

- Always with the slap shots. You can barely tap the button, and you'll end up with a slap shot! I'll be one-on-one with a goalie, and I'll fail to score because a wanna-be wrist shot, turns into a slap shot!

- Camera modes. No side angles where you can see oppositon players going to your goal, and you going to the opposition goal, showing both goalies, in the same period, EA's you could!

Bottom line: EA sports makes the best NHL games on the market, so get that instead.

If you are a serious hockey fan stay away from this game. This game absolutely sucks. The controls make you feel like a robot and the passing is absolutely horrible. Sometimes the computer makes the game feel like keepaway (impossible to do for the user). The checks are just plain stupid, because they are so overpowering. For example, when you get to the goal everyone crowds and tries knocking you over as hard as possible. The game really sucks. Graphics look like 16 bit graphics. If you seriously want a good hockey game, go get NHL 2K6 or NHL 2K5 (I really loved 2K5). Stay away from this one. You've been warned.