NHL 10

It used to be the case that whilst generally half-decent games, EA Sports titles were generally considered to be cash-cows that received only the bare minimum in the way of upgrades in order to be called a new product. Since a certain Peter Moore took charge, that seems to have changed somewhat. We have Madden providing best-in-class gridiron, FIFA doing the same in the world of soccer and Tiger Woods PGA Tour doing away with every single opponent on the golf course. These titles still aren’t getting massive overhauls each year, but the additions to them are solid and the minor changes are generally things that actually needed to be changed or fixed, rather than things that have been worked on with little reason. Now, the company’s NHL franchise has taken the puck in defence, lugged it all the way through centre ice single-handedly and tickled the twine with a blazing slap from the point to win the Stanley Cup. NHL 10 is good.

To get the bad out of the way first, I have to say that I’m not a fan of the new additions that have been thrown in for the more aggressive player. The new first-person fight camera that comes into play once two players have dropped their gloves is far too unrefined to be of any use – and is needless. The ability to “finish checks” and rough your opponents up after the whistle has been blown to stop play is also something that I could live without, too. When the whistle blows, you can barge and push opposition players, who will generally do the same thing back to you until you press the Y button to start a fight. The problem is that it usually looks comical rather than realistic, although the crowd’s reaction to defensemen who repeatedly hassle their star player is superb.

So to modify my earlier point: If you can ignore those changes – as most can and will – NHL 10 is good. Scratch that. NHL 10 is one of the finest sports games of all time. Some will tell you that the improvements over NHL 09 are minor, and that they aren’t enough to warrant another full-priced purchase. To them, I’ll say that NHL 09 won TWELVE “Sports Game of The Year” awards – and that with the exception of those that I’ve mentioned already, NHL 10’s improvements work, and work very well.

Ringing the changes, “proper” board play has finally been brought to the series. If you’re near the boards, you can press Y to push your puck-carrying opponent to the glass and begin a battle for possession, with the carrier being able to kick the puck out to a team-mate or overpower his oppressor if he has the ability. This has always been on my wish-list for a hockey game, and the NHL 10 team have hit the nail perfectly on the head with its execution. On top of this, a 360 degree precision passing engine has been included which truly does change the way in which you’ll think about laying the puck off, and the stacks of new goalie animations really do look the business. Seeing a keeper tip a shot off his fingers, and then snake over on himself to reach behind and grab the now-loose puck before it slides across the line and into the goal is breathtaking – especially if it’s your goalie and you’re all tied up late in the third period.

Be A Pro mode has had a number of improvements to keep superstar-wannabes happy. Your created character can now obtain power-ups by using varying amount of “boost slots” on his equipment. From the outset, you have no equipment that supports these modifications, and no modifications unlocked anyway – so you’ll only be able to get your extras on when you’ve unlocked (or bought over Xbox Live…sigh) the required items. You can even play as a goalie this time around, although that’s strictly only for the masochists. On top of that, EA give you a chance to make a splash right from your first day on the team, by asking you to play in a pre-draft “prospects” game. Play well here and the GMs of the NHL teams will be lining up to obtain your signature – and will drop you straight into their starting lineup for your baptism of fire. If you don’t meet expectations, it’ll be off the AHL with you – as it was for me – and the difference between the two leagues is very noticeable in terms of atmosphere and quality of play.

And that atmosphere is what sets NHL 10 off perfectly. Crowds boo and jeer when things aren’t going right, but when you slot one past the keeper in front of your home fans; you’ll get a shiver down your spine as they bellow their support and the audio crashes over you in a wave of noise. The commentary from series stalwarts Gary Thorne and Bill Clement is even better than last year too, with more individual player and team comments showing up. I think that this is one of the most convincing commentary performances in any sports game we’ve seen so far, although the series has never really been miles behind obtaining that accolade.

The odd graphical issue rears its head, with the main problem being occasional slowdown whenever you pull off a hard stop and spray up serious amounts of ice. I can’t deny that replays could do with being a tad smoother too, as they’re sometimes very jerky. But, to call either of those issues deal breakers would be extremely harsh for a game that really gets the job done visually, and plays superbly well. The addition of Finnish, German, Czech, Swedish and Swiss pro leagues is a nice touch – and one that European gamers will surely appreciate.

It may sound like I’m waxing lyrical about NHL 10 and – to be fair – I am. The reason for this is that the game deserves it. As a Leafs fan, it was galling to see my Pro get drafted by Ottawa and then get sent down to the Binghamton Senators in the AHL for “seasoning”, but the challenge of putting in a decent performance match after match meant that I was far too caught up in the emotion of the game to worry about it. Reaching the AHL playoffs on the last day with two third-period goals over the Rochester Americans was one of the finest gaming experiences I’ve ever had – and I’m not about to keep quiet about that.

The game doesn’t get a perfect score, as there is more to be done in terms of collision detection and graphical smoothness – both relatively large areas – but that doesn’t mean that anyone with the slightest of interest in ice hockey should avoid a purchase. NHL 10 is great fun – both online and off – and any opposition would need to come on leaps and bounds to be able to come close. Superb.

Rather unbelievably, NHL 10 has been given a 16+ age rating in Europe, with the reasons given being that the game promotes violence and contains bad language. I was actually stunned when I saw it emblazoned on the box. Parents, you can ignore the age rating on this one. Even more so when you consider that the likes of the WWE is religiously promoted to viewers between the ages of 6 and 14.