Customer Reviews

NHL 2K9

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My dreams have finally come true. 2k sports has released NHL 2k9 on the Wii. I love hockey games, and was one of the few (apparently) that was a big fan of 2k8 (I had it on PS2, played like a wonder). Not only has this great series come to Wii, but 2k was even kind enough to give us the features of the series that was common on the other systems. Franchise, Exhibition, mini rink, pond hockey, shootout, all official NHL teams, world teams, old teams, etc. The only two elements that seem to be missing are the mini games which were so fun in 2k8, and online play. Supposedly, they did not attach the Wii edition with online play because they wanted to focus on the controls more than anything, and they would add it next year.

I say who cares if its missing it! I don't need strangers from around the world to enjoy my hockey game. Graphically, this looks fine. Its on a Wii, its a hockey game, the fact that it does not look like a graphic masterpiece is almost irrelevant. The presentation of the game is great. There is now an intermission report, cool introduction videos, stadium effects, referee videos, and things of that nature.

The controls are fantastic. I haven't quite memorized yet, but I know which button does what, and its all perfectly laid out. And boy is there satisfaction when a slapshot goes in! Passing with the lock-on function is great, doesn't take any time to get used to and actually works better than the old way of auto-pass/face player to pass function, which was generally a gamble. However, if you are stuck in the old ways, that function is still available. Honestly, I was worried this wouldn't work so well coming to the Wii, but its better than I could imagine. I'm so happy I got it. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for some awesome hockey action on the Wii, or just awesome action on Wii.

This is (finally) a great liscenced sports game for the WII that actually has the controls working as more of an afterthought. Getting the controls right on sports titles has been an impossible task for 3rd party publishers.
This game brings back the feel of the mid 90's hockey titles. I remeber when the hockey games were actually the most fun to play. Last year, controls simply got too tough on the other next gen titles, so I think uncomplicating them was and is the right move.

It's about time that we got an NHL game on the Wii, and NHL 2K9 is here to be just that. Boasting controls that take advantage of the Wii-mote, NHL 2K9 sounds promising, but sadly it doesn't quite deliver the way that it should. The Wii's nunchuk controls provide some brilliant skating controls that nicely simulate real skating, but passing and shooting the puck with the Wii-mote is a different story. Passing and shooting end up being more awkward than anything else, which is sad considering hockey on the Wii could otherwise be a match made in heaven if done right. Where the Wii-mote controls really shine are during fights however, where the nunchuk comes into play as well. There's also the option of racing the zamboni around in between periods, but there's hardly anything compelling or fun about it. The biggest flaws of NHL 2K9 is that there isn't much that has changed from the previous versions of the game. Considering this is the series' debut on the Wii, this may not be so bad, but the game is definitely showing it's age thanks to the dated graphics engine and recycled commentary. Not to mention that the series' biggest claim to fame, it's realisticness, is slowly fading away. Compared to EA's NHL 09, NHL 2K9 doesn't measure up in terms of simulation, which is a shocker considering the 2K series has come out on top for the past few years plus. Flaws aside though, there's still some fun to be had with NHL 2K9 on the Wii, and one can only hope that next year the flaws will be addressed and the Wii will get an NHL game that takes advantage of what the console can do.

People are took picky when it comes to games like this. I love hockey. I've been a fan of it since I was little. Sure, the face models for this game are pretty much all the same, every player is the same size, and the broadcasters suck, but this is a great hockey game. It's FUN. And that's the only thing that matters. When NHL Hitz came out for the Gamecube, it wasn't ridiculously accurate, it was just fun. In this game for the Wii, you box when you get in a fight, just like Wii Boxing. To do a slapshot, you hold B and flick the Wiimote forward. To check, you shake the nunchuck. There's a crosshair on the screen and you point at which player you want to pass to and press A. This is a fun game once you get used to the controls, which took me five minutes. Some people are way too picky when it comes to sports game. Sure, I wish that every player's face looked like the actual player's face, but they don't. Someday that may happen.

I am impressed with the Wii hockey game debut, and I'm sure there will be more and even better hockey games for this system in the future.

2k9 SCORES!!!! The biscuit is in the basket on this one. 3 minutes into the game and I have my first goal. The controls are very intuitive and the moves are easy to perform.

For a first time Wii specific NHL video game, 2k9 has outdone themselves. The online capability would have been nice, but you cant beat the feeling of scoring a goal with your own slapshot.

Buy this game. Take it home. Put on the foil. And play this game.

Great game for the game play but terrible to view any words on the screen. Very hard to read and so it makes it difficult to navigate screens sometimes. The games sometimes pauses and acts like it is going to lock up. Great game but could stand for some improvements.

Grandma scored a goal with this game. My hockey playing grandsons loved it. Ages 7,9, 13.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BSOJ66/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

MY 9 YR. OLD GRANDSON WAS THRILLED WITH THIS WII GAME. THAT'S ALL HE WANTED. HE AND HIS FATHER PLAYED AND PLAYED. OF COURSE HIS FATHER LOST.
HE HAD A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS OVER FOR HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY AND THE HOCKEY GAME WAS THE HIT. I GUESS YOU'D SAY IT WAS THE BEST GIFT.

If you are a hockey fanatic and you have always enjoyed hockey games, then you will find this game enjoyable. This game is not without it's flaws, but for a first crack at a hockey game for the Wii it's not all that bad. The point and click passing makes the game play come to life, and is a crucial part to what makes this game great. Another great factor is being able to swing your Wii remote and actually feel like your taking a slap shot on net. It's an awesome feeling to be able to blast a puck in the top corner. The graphics are lacking to say the least, but I don't feel that makes the game a total waste. I thought the game speed was good. A lot of people said that the game not having a better instruction book caused some frustration; however, I thought the in-game tutorials the game offered were very useful and helped my game play level. I also like that they have some dynasty teams. For instance you could be the 1999 Stanley Cup Winning Dallas Stars, which allows you that opportunity to go back to your teams (if they had one) memorable season and play as them once again. It was a good surprise. The other options the game offer aren't super fantastic, but I thought were good enough to be satisfying.

The big picture here is if you are a hockey fan and you own a Wii, you will want to pick this game up. You have to give 2K many props for at least providing a hockey game for the Wii, which some of us have been anxiously waiting on. I am sure they will make some corrections and make the game better the next time around, but for now I can say as a Wii owner, it is good to play a hockey game again!!!!

Pros: Gameplay is challenging. AI is pretty good.

Cons: No Internet multiplayer. Franchise mode locks up mid season.