Xbox 360
Ice Hockey is a dangerous game: fights are allowed, players traditionally brandish weapons, and smashing folk through a window is actually encouraged (by the crowd at least) and all of this happens on ice: a locale where man was not meant to stand.
Taking all of this into account, it is a great public service EA have performed: to allow everyone to get involved in the brutal fast paced action, without getting hurt, or having to suffer the embarrassment of trying to skate.
NHL 09 is standard team based sports fare, albeit with more incomprehensible rules than you can shake your stick at. You control your team and beat other teams. What makes this much more fun for the non-sports gamer is that hockey is so different to the more traditional football games. It is sooo much faster, incredibly physical. And there actually isn't much better a sound than that of your opponents shooter getting crunched against the glass.
A surprisingly easy game to control, EA have chucked in a few different methods, for all play styles. There is the usual, press one button to pass, another to shoot option but there is also a newer, more intuitive and pretty apt; stick system. What this is, is a method whereby you move your player with the left stick and control his stick with your right stick. And while it does sound confusing (it’s much easier to demonstrate, honest) it is really simple: pull back to take a power swing, or just tap it forward or to the side to give the puck a good flicking. Not only this but you can deke (tap it side to side to confuse yonder goalie). This system makes you feel much more in control, and so much more responsible for any goal scoring that goes on.
Other new things include the bizarre 'Be a Pro' - mode. This is a hugely implausible mode which sees you taking control of just one character: in some kind of bizarre gaming Twighlight Zone, which sees you sitting out half the time you 'play' because you're tired. Certainly only for die-hard nuts, allowing maybe a glimpse of the hockey based glory never secured in their youth. Anyway, it’s weird, and there is no real reason that anyone would want to play this mode. Ever.
Although what EA have done with this crazy concept is something very interesting. They have taken it, and gone and MMO'd it up. That is to say, you can take your one guy, and go and join an online team of other... real people [Dun, dun, duuuuun!]. You can join, and be part of a real life virtual hockey team. So now, the sitting on the bench becomes part of your team tactics. You can't have someone out there being virtually dying on their arse now can you...
This whole system is set up to allow leagues of teams to compete in of massive contests, for real trophies
On top of all of these hijinks are the usual options of taking a team through a league in single player mode – four way multiplayer on the one console and a load of shiny shiny graphics. Everything you expect from an EA title these days. But it is the potential of the MMO art which really sets this game apart.
An easy game to play, and a difficult one to master. Both online and off, NHL 09 offers a big fat wodge of ice based fun - all without actually having to learn to skate. Or get cold. Which can only be a good thing.