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Product Description
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
Amazon.com
NHL 12 is EA Sports annual hockey video game that puts players on the ice with the ultimate goal to become the next great superstar of the hockey world as you lead your team to a Stanley Cup championship. Features include a new full contact physics engine, Anticipation AI, the ability to take control of a team in 'Be a GM' mode, a comprehensive career mode, all-new dynamic goalie interaction that includes the ability of goalies to fight, the NHL's Winter Classic game, multiplayer support and more.
Become the Sport's Next Superstar in NHL 12
Be the next legend in hockey with NHL 12. As the sport's next superstar, earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals and prove you have the toughness and skill to lead your team to the Stanley Cup. Take to the ice in all-new interactive environments where bone-crushing hits, glass-shattering collisions, and bruising checks along the boards are always part of the action. Experience the intensity, speed and physicality of authentic NHL hockey action with NHL 12.
Face-off against all comers to become the next NHL superstar in NHL 12.
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Key Game Features
- Full-contact Physics Engine - From shattered glass and flying helmets to knocking players over the boards and into the bench, experience the skill and aggression of hockey like never before. Crash the crease too hard and you'll knock the net off and send the goalie flying.
- Anticipation AI - Anticipation AI brings NHL 12 to life like never before. Players will now anticipate the flow of the play. Watch as they break for stretch passes or drag their skates to stay onside.
- Be a GM Mode - Take control of your favorite team and guide them to victory, with more accuracy and depth than ever before with an all-new sim engine and Action Tracker.
- EA Sports Action Tracker - Track every important event that occurs on the ice. View replays and find tendencies including where to score on individual goalie, what zone you're losing face-offs in and where hits have taken place.
- Be a Pro Revamped - Playing as your created pro, earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals. Simulate the action to your next shift so you're always on the ice as you play out your entire career gunning for the Stanley Cup.
- All-new Dynamic Goalie Interaction - Stonewall your opponents with awe-inspiring desperation saves from your goalie as he covers every possible angle and works through screens and flying players in front of the net.
- Goalies Drop the Gloves - When the action boils over, send a message by leaving the net, dropping the gloves, and trading punches with a heated rival during fights.
- Hockey's Ultimate Team - Hockey's Ultimate Team returns to NHL 12 with Three Stars of the Week cards, the ability to injure players, injury cards that heal them, the chance to play a friend, even when they aren't online, and more.
- Play the Winter Classic - The NHL package jumps to life with NHL Winter Classic, the league's premier outdoor hockey event on New Year's Day. Play under snowfall at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field as 70,000+ rabid fans provide inspiration while donning Winter Classic gear.
- Multiplayer Support - NHL 12 features multiplayer options both in local and online play.
Additional Screenshots
 New goalie interaction. View larger. |  Play the Winter Classic. View larger. |  'Be a GM' improvements. View larger. |  Full contact physics engine. View larger. |
Product Description
As the sport's next superstar, earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals and prove you have the toughness and skill to lead your team to the Stanley Cup. Be the next legend in hockey with NHL 12.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 34 people found the following review helpful
By Paul
Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
They game still has its flaws but it's also made some improvements. Overall it's still fun and probably the best sports sim game out. I've played each of the NHL games extensively over the past few years, what I'll focus on here is game play.
Improvements:
-Checking, the physics engine has in fact been revamped and checking is much more realistic. Huge guys will not get slaughtered by 160 lb short guys.
-Defensive AI, the defense has been improved in defending a 1 on 1 or a 2 on 1. Players don't automatically get a free goal for performing the same deak that used to always work to get around a defender
-Goalies, AI has been improved
-Physical play in front of the net
-Stick handeling, it's been revamped, not everyone handles the puck like it's on a string.
-The time between face offs after a whistle has been blown has been reduced (You don't have to waste 10 minutes every game watching people check each other after a whistle).
-Hip checks don't always send someone head over heals by just touching, physics have been improved.
Flaws:
The flaws are mostly in the AI.
-Sometimes the defense will randomly ice the puck in a 5 on 5.
-Sometimes the defense will bail on touching the puck for icing
-AI still lacks aggression in stick checking, etc, when defending an offensive zone rush.
-Far too much contact can be made with the goaly without incurring a penalty
-Occasional graphical/physics glitches, the puck still travels through sticks on occasion or shots are made without the stick visually making contact with the puck.
-Commentating is redundant/ does not always match up with replays
-No real graphical improvements
Overall it feels like the hockey experience is more realistic which is a good thing. There is still much to be improved on, my guess is we probably won't see any real improvements until the next generation of consoles as current games are pushing the limits of the current generation of consoles. If your a hockey fan and you enjoyed NHL11 you will enjoy this game.
EDIT: Dropping 2 stars until EA resolves the freezing issues. Played 6 games yesterday, one was laggy 2 went through alright and 3 ended up Freezing. This occured to me and everyone else who was in the game so I know it's not game/console specific. Until EA resolves this issue it's a 2 star game. Sad that these issues were not found in beta testing.
Improvements:
-Checking, the physics engine has in fact been revamped and checking is much more realistic. Huge guys will not get slaughtered by 160 lb short guys.
-Defensive AI, the defense has been improved in defending a 1 on 1 or a 2 on 1. Players don't automatically get a free goal for performing the same deak that used to always work to get around a defender
-Goalies, AI has been improved
-Physical play in front of the net
-Stick handeling, it's been revamped, not everyone handles the puck like it's on a string.
-The time between face offs after a whistle has been blown has been reduced (You don't have to waste 10 minutes every game watching people check each other after a whistle).
-Hip checks don't always send someone head over heals by just touching, physics have been improved.
Flaws:
The flaws are mostly in the AI.
-Sometimes the defense will randomly ice the puck in a 5 on 5.
-Sometimes the defense will bail on touching the puck for icing
-AI still lacks aggression in stick checking, etc, when defending an offensive zone rush.
-Far too much contact can be made with the goaly without incurring a penalty
-Occasional graphical/physics glitches, the puck still travels through sticks on occasion or shots are made without the stick visually making contact with the puck.
-Commentating is redundant/ does not always match up with replays
-No real graphical improvements
Overall it feels like the hockey experience is more realistic which is a good thing. There is still much to be improved on, my guess is we probably won't see any real improvements until the next generation of consoles as current games are pushing the limits of the current generation of consoles. If your a hockey fan and you enjoyed NHL11 you will enjoy this game.
EDIT: Dropping 2 stars until EA resolves the freezing issues. Played 6 games yesterday, one was laggy 2 went through alright and 3 ended up Freezing. This occured to me and everyone else who was in the game so I know it's not game/console specific. Until EA resolves this issue it's a 2 star game. Sad that these issues were not found in beta testing.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By rhobes
Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As an avid hockey fan, I forked over (yet again) my hard earned cash to buy this year's latest edition of NHL.
Here are some of my early impressions of the game:
Diving right into it, you'll be faced with EA's annoying online pass requirement. In all honesty I didn't like that at all last year, and am disappointed to see it stick around for the 2012 tour. Your wallet will end up taking a hit if you find that you prefer the older version and would like to re-sell this one.
In any case, past that you'll notice that the menus are a bit smoother and more organized than in previous years. The amount of modes and content is substantial - almost overwhelming, but if you've played this game before then you'll know what direction you'd rather go in (Online gaming, Be a Pro, etc).
As far as the game play's concerned:
1) The puck handles differently: After a game or two you'll start to notice that the puck isn't glued to your player's stick anymore - like it used to be in NHL 10 & 11. Expect to lose possession more than before.
2) The goalies are harder to score on: Mainly during breakaways (at least that's what appears to be the case so far). In NHL 11, you could pull off the same deke time & time again and almost always score a goal.
3) Game freezes and disconnections: Had this happen during an unranked game last night, it took AGES to be able to start a game, and after succeeding it still froze up (for a few seconds). There was no lag on either side, so seems to be a server issue on EA's side - and I guess that'll get cleared up eventually.
To wrap up, I've found that it'll take a bit of time get used to this year's edition... but then again that seems to be the case in most sports games. However, if EA's managed to take away some of the glitch goals from previous years, then it'll definitely get a must buy recommendation from me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:
1) So I've been playing the game for about 5 days now, and it still freezes way too much. I've had the game crash at least once every time I played - and once even while it was searching for an online opponent. Keep in mind that the game crash itself will not count as a loss for you or your opponent (if it happened while in-game), but will still show up as a DNF in your stats. I'm already at 11% DNF, and I never quit my games, regardless of how things are going for me on the scoreboard.
2) I haven't seen that many glitch goals yet, and for the one I have seen, it takes a bit of a shift in your defensive tendencies to counter it successfully. That alone makes it much less frustrating than NHL 11, where it drove you up the wall to see someone score on you at will using the same exact move / location (regardless of what you did to try to stop it).
3) The new player balance addition is very, very good. For instance, you won't see a smaller sized player take down someone who's Chara's size... unless he's headed at him from the other end of the rink at top speed. Players who play a more refined game (more passing/skating, less pushing and hitting) will appreciate this the most. Your guys will still lose balance after taking a mild strength hit - but only for a few seconds, which gives you a chance of regaining possession of the puck.
So for anyone wondering if they should upgrade from NHL 11 to 12, then the answer is YES.
The changes (game mechanics and presentation) are noticeable, and once you've gotten used to them it's hard to turn back.
Still, if you're mainly in it for the online aspect then I'd recommend waiting a bit until the related crashes are resolved. Otherwise, go ahead and buy this new edition, you won't regret it.
Here are some of my early impressions of the game:
Diving right into it, you'll be faced with EA's annoying online pass requirement. In all honesty I didn't like that at all last year, and am disappointed to see it stick around for the 2012 tour. Your wallet will end up taking a hit if you find that you prefer the older version and would like to re-sell this one.
In any case, past that you'll notice that the menus are a bit smoother and more organized than in previous years. The amount of modes and content is substantial - almost overwhelming, but if you've played this game before then you'll know what direction you'd rather go in (Online gaming, Be a Pro, etc).
As far as the game play's concerned:
1) The puck handles differently: After a game or two you'll start to notice that the puck isn't glued to your player's stick anymore - like it used to be in NHL 10 & 11. Expect to lose possession more than before.
2) The goalies are harder to score on: Mainly during breakaways (at least that's what appears to be the case so far). In NHL 11, you could pull off the same deke time & time again and almost always score a goal.
3) Game freezes and disconnections: Had this happen during an unranked game last night, it took AGES to be able to start a game, and after succeeding it still froze up (for a few seconds). There was no lag on either side, so seems to be a server issue on EA's side - and I guess that'll get cleared up eventually.
To wrap up, I've found that it'll take a bit of time get used to this year's edition... but then again that seems to be the case in most sports games. However, if EA's managed to take away some of the glitch goals from previous years, then it'll definitely get a must buy recommendation from me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:
1) So I've been playing the game for about 5 days now, and it still freezes way too much. I've had the game crash at least once every time I played - and once even while it was searching for an online opponent. Keep in mind that the game crash itself will not count as a loss for you or your opponent (if it happened while in-game), but will still show up as a DNF in your stats. I'm already at 11% DNF, and I never quit my games, regardless of how things are going for me on the scoreboard.
2) I haven't seen that many glitch goals yet, and for the one I have seen, it takes a bit of a shift in your defensive tendencies to counter it successfully. That alone makes it much less frustrating than NHL 11, where it drove you up the wall to see someone score on you at will using the same exact move / location (regardless of what you did to try to stop it).
3) The new player balance addition is very, very good. For instance, you won't see a smaller sized player take down someone who's Chara's size... unless he's headed at him from the other end of the rink at top speed. Players who play a more refined game (more passing/skating, less pushing and hitting) will appreciate this the most. Your guys will still lose balance after taking a mild strength hit - but only for a few seconds, which gives you a chance of regaining possession of the puck.
So for anyone wondering if they should upgrade from NHL 11 to 12, then the answer is YES.
The changes (game mechanics and presentation) are noticeable, and once you've gotten used to them it's hard to turn back.
Still, if you're mainly in it for the online aspect then I'd recommend waiting a bit until the related crashes are resolved. Otherwise, go ahead and buy this new edition, you won't regret it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3
Fun:
2.0 out of 5 stars
So here's the deal. Yet again, EA has written another good hockey game, and the worst front end I can recall in 20-odd years of gaming. I am using a PS3 slim, with the most recent update to the game. Today is 16 JAN 12, I think this game has been revised at least 2-3X times to date.
First prompt- press start- appears at 41 seconds. Then you need to acknowledge an autosave, so another X. 30-odd seconds later, after it dings the EA server and downloads lord knows what, you're finally at the main menu. Let's recap here- over 70 seconds, with prompts, before you get to the main menu. Good luck if you don't have broadband- the long delay in connecting and downloading was taken at 7:10AM on a weekday via cable modem, so you know what you're getting yourself into.
Now onto the main menu- 11 presses to load a season....the season save-file is 6117KB, according to the menu. It saves in about 2-3 seconds. Loading, however, is another story...tell it to load a file, then, of course, say again you want to load it...then wait...assuming you can actually get a stable load. My current saved season won't load (it plays the song and sits there, this takes about 2 minutes to verify). Total time to successfully load a saved game? 42 seconds.
Assuming you've the patience to do a full season, it will take you fifteen presses (at least) and just about two minutes to load it. This assumes you don't have an unloadable file. You want a review of the game, check out the paid-off pundits or the fanboys. Consider yourself warned.
First prompt- press start- appears at 41 seconds. Then you need to acknowledge an autosave, so another X. 30-odd seconds later, after it dings the EA server and downloads lord knows what, you're finally at the main menu. Let's recap here- over 70 seconds, with prompts, before you get to the main menu. Good luck if you don't have broadband- the long delay in connecting and downloading was taken at 7:10AM on a weekday via cable modem, so you know what you're getting yourself into.
Now onto the main menu- 11 presses to load a season....the season save-file is 6117KB, according to the menu. It saves in about 2-3 seconds. Loading, however, is another story...tell it to load a file, then, of course, say again you want to load it...then wait...assuming you can actually get a stable load. My current saved season won't load (it plays the song and sits there, this takes about 2 minutes to verify). Total time to successfully load a saved game? 42 seconds.
Assuming you've the patience to do a full season, it will take you fifteen presses (at least) and just about two minutes to load it. This assumes you don't have an unloadable file. You want a review of the game, check out the paid-off pundits or the fanboys. Consider yourself warned.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could be better.
Players skate way too slow; Defenders from computer are all over you when you cross the blue line. Best game is still NHL 2006 for PS2. Have gone backward since then.
Published 28 days ago by Norman J. Sears
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ghraphics were not really improved but gameplay was improved.
The game is fun, the rosters are updated. Gameplay has improved and has become more intricate. Graphics remain the same since 09 in my opinion. Read more
Published 1 month ago by nathan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Teenage Boy Loves This Game
My son wanted a new hockey game to replace his version 8 of the same game. He says that this is fun like the older version of the game that he had for his PS2.
Published 1 month ago by P. Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done Game
Hey Everyone! If you are an sports fan like me and love hockey. I advice to you to pick up the game, and you will like it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ryan Renn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice
I haven't played PS3 hockey for many years and it's nice to see how far the game has come on the console. Great graphics and hey, you can still start a fight! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Verbatim
5.0 out of 5 stars
HHL 12
This was a christmas gift for my lilttle brothers and they loved loved it, they played it for hours. This is a great game for Hockey fans!!!
Published 1 month ago by Jessica Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's what I expected
I love hockey and I love this game. It is what I want out of a video game just a good fun game to play.
Published 2 months ago by John Hendrickson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and challenging
Fantastic graphics. Difficult. There's a ton of buttons to learn. Fights could be more interesting. They're more like rock em sock em robots. Read more
Published 2 months ago by nick
1.0 out of 5 stars
New? Nice try
Too much evidence, scratches, shake test, plastic wrapping, freezing...it's a re-sealed game and they claim new? That's as disappointing as the quality of the product. Don't buy
Published 2 months ago by Craig
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Game
I'm not a diehard game fan, just picked this up to causally play. Everything is good, but it will freeze sometimes. Read more
Published 2 months ago by DHawk
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Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
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