Customer Reviews

NHL 2K9

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

 

 

After the debacle of last season's 2K8's new and incredibly difficult-to-play control system, 2K9 is a great step back (and forward) by offering three control systems. The default button pressing system is called "classic" and is very similar to what the 2K Hockey fans have grown accustomed to with the excellent 2K6 (possibly the best of this series) and 2K7 releases, with passing relegated to the "X" button, and the shoot relegated to the "square" button (tap for a wrist shot, press for a slap shot). There is also a hybrid control scheme that uses much of the classic along with the right analog stick, and a new shot stick control scheme which is actually last year's right analog stick's system in full tandem.
The arena graphics and fans capture each of the NHL teams' arenas, and the players even grow beards during the playoff run in Season and Franchise mode. Lot of throwback uniforms to choose from, as well as a Profile Trophy screen that keeps track of awards throughout the game. Not as great a game as 2K6, but a great value for the price (and probably a better value than the EA game that retails for $60).

The critics loved NHL 2009 and NHL 2010, but NHL 2K9 and 2K10 have received only modest reviews. However, with only a few changes, the 2K series would arguably be better. I have to admit, I've played a lot of NHL 2009 and NHL 2010. This game has some similarities, and in certain ways, compares favorably to the EA games. But there are also definite shortcomings.

First of all, the default settings of gameplay do feel very arcade-like. But this problem can be remedied through tuning and tweaking the settings to your liking. Once I made the necessary changes, the improvement was night and day. Let's start with the controls. Beyond the basic 4 button settings, you have the option of using a new method called "pro stick evolution" and it's very good. It's actually almost identical to NHL 2009 and NHL 2010. The right stick allows you to shoot, deke etc. R2 is the button for passing. The one main difference in this and the EA games is that R1 is used for checking instead of the right stick. The right stick is "total stick control" on defense, which is decent. There's also a "hybrid" mode, which meshes the classic controls with the new pro stock mode. It's acceptable enough as well.

Another way in which this game really shines is the puck physics. The EA series of games has some unusual issues with pucks, they simply don't behave as they would in a real game. That problem doesn't exist in this game. Another common problem this game does NOT suffer from is the puck being across the goal line, but not counting as a goal. This is a major problem in NHL 2009 and 2010. Another way this game shines is that star players are clearly better than third or fourth liners. In certain games, cough cough, EA, pretty much all of your players can pull off superstar moves and make ridiculous shots or passes, but not here. Players physics are also great too. Having Martin St. Louis body check Zdeno Chara is not going to result in Chara losing his balance much of the time. Larger players will deliver stronger checks but also feel slower. The presentation of the game is also very good. The pre-game intros are very sharp and eye-catching. You can really feel the atmosphere and it's certainly a big plus. The menu system is also very good. It takes some time to get used to but really allows for quick navigation once you adjust.

And now onto the negative gameplay aspects. The puck control and passing is too good. Players rarely lose control of the puck or make inaccurate passes. It can be tweaked but still remains a problem, to an extent. The goalies are also too weak unless you turn the settings all the way up. They constantly crouch and fall backwards like catchers in baseball. It's often very easy to score by shooting low and across. Another problem is that slapshots almost never go in, maybe 1 of 100. There are occasionally goals by deflections though. The offensive strategy is very simple, go to the slot. The cpu and your teammates will do this to no end. This gets frustrating after a while. There are also too many rushes up and down the ice. Additionally, the commentary is quite poor. Names are mispronounced endlessly, the goalies of each team will often be mistaken, etc.

Now onto the various modes of play. The franchise mode is simply far too thin. It's stripped of all the features that made the earlier PS2 versions so good. You can't scout potential draft picks, there are no offer sheets or buy-outs, there's no staff communication, you can't earn any upgrades etc. The season mode is self-explanatory and nothing new. A big problem is that there is NO mode similar to be-a-pro and it really hurts the game. All the top level games, by various companies and in various sports, have such a feature. It really kills the replay value of the game.

Last but not least, the graphics are inferior to the EA NHL games. While not awful overall, there are clear weaknesses. The faces of the players look absolutely nothing like the real players, except in one or two cases, which might've occurred purely by accident. You can't tell when the ice is cut up, the fine details are simply indecipherable. Despite this, the overall graphics of the game aren't not what hold it back.

Since you can probably find this game for around eight to ten dollars, it's a very good value. However, NHL 2009 and NHL 2010 do offer a more realistic, simulation based experience.

I bought NHL 2K9 since it was near the end of the NHL regular season before i shopped for a hockey game. I tried demos of both 2K9 and NHL 09 and enjoyed both almost equally. It was easier to handle the 2K9 game and though I knew it would be inferior to EA's version, I still had fun playing it. What really put me over the edge was the price. There was no way i was spending $50-$60 for a hockey game that late in the season. Ahhhh NHL 2k9 was available though for under $20 though. SOLD!

NHL 2K9 should have never been released to the public. Instead, Take Two/Visual Concepts should have taken the year off and continued to build and polish the game. All the depth and what was good about 2K8 has been stripped away in place of a shallow game, with simpler controls, but less responsive. Not to mention player models that look ridiculous. The AI is similar to 2K8's, with the exception of the goalies which are far worse than 2K8's. Even for the price, this game is NOT worth it. Go with 2K8 or even 2K10.

very gooood! thanks muy bueno. vino en excelentes condiciones, es un juego muy entretenido y divertido en realidad fue muy buena compra, me gusto mucho. gracias

I'm used to playing EA Sports games and decided to try 2k9 when it came to hockey. The graphics are really nice. The controls are easy to learn. The only annoying thing is that I wish I could fast forward some parts of the presentation, especially when players approach each other for face-off.

It's very rare that third-party reviews hit the nail on the head, but unfortunately with NHL 2K9, that is indeed the case. Sadly, this year's iteration takes major steps back in several nuances that previously made the 2K series the best hockey games on the market. From the inability to choose more than three game speeds, extremely unrealistic ice effects, horrid in-game announcing in which goalie names are often reversed, and an infuriating decision to make the net an immovable object that does not react to the puck, NHL 2K9 sets hockey video games back half a decade at least. Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. While the gameplay remains nonetheless intact, one can't help but wonder why 2K Sports decidedly cheapened the already near-perfect product that was NHL 2K8. So, if you're looking for some hard-hitting, realistic, well-rounded hockey action, you'd probably do well to look elsewhere.

I would rather turn my tv off and stare at it than play this game. The pace is slow. The controls and game play are about as thought provoking as plastic cup. The game leaves no room for creativity. Minimal control of the game's flow. Last hockey game I will ever buy.

If you like hockey, this is the game for you. It is fun, intuitive, and has great graphics. The new controls are very easy for a newbie to learn as well.

I decided to buy this game after reading up on NHL 09 and seeing it was very hard to score in that game. So I bought this and I was extremely disappointed to say the least. The graphics are absolutely horrible especially for a PS3 game. I also on MLB 2K7 and the graphics are just as bad for that game compared to MLB The Show. This game is horrible and looks like it was designed by a bunch of chimps. My recommendation is to go with NHL 09. It may cost about $10 more but it has to be better than this game.