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NHL 09 : 94 May finally be de-throned


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Put down the torches guys, i'm serious here. Now NHL 08 was a terrific game (Assuming you picked it up for the 360 or PS3 and not the horrible PC and PS2 versions). I went as far to say that it ALMOST surpassed NHL 94. Smooth controls, great deking, a bit more of a sim feel than an arcade feel, but I prefer that. The biggest gripe was the defense was weak compared to the offense, some standard elements (fantasy draft as an example) were left out for no good reason, and oh my christ the posts were hit at least twice a minute.

Fast foward to NHL 09.

Defensive Skill Stick

NHL 08 gave you true offensive prowess with the Skill Stick, and this year we're giving you the power to stop it. Block passing lanes with 360° control of your stick or kill an opponent's one timer game by lifting their stick just before they receive a pass.

This is huge. No longer can you pass to a guy right beside the other teams defenseman and he'll one timer it in. Lifting up the stick? s**t yeah. Block passing with a 360 degree control of it? s**t yeah.

Be A Pro

NHL 09 will put you on the ice with a dynamic new 3rd person camera as you play the role of one player on a team. Our Performance Tracker will rate your play in over 50 categories, to make sure you know what parts of your game need to improve

Be A Pro starts your career off in the ranks of the AHL and challenges you to become one of the best in the NHL. Your very own hockey card will mark your progress, from your rookie beginnings to a potentially legendary ending.

An absolutely brilliant addition, I believe it's been in madden already and that mode was great fun. You'll only be playing when you're on the ice for a shift, and I assume when you're on the bench it will skip until your next shift (or at least have it for an option). I know for sure i'll waste hours playing this mode.

Create-A-Play Breakouts

The ice is your canvas and it's up to you to paint a winning strategy in both online and offline play. Create breakout plays from your own zone or set up behind your net and tell your right winger to look for the flip dump from the defenseman

The create-a-play in 08 was great. I made a few plays that worked pretty well and looked slick when I could pull it off. But it was missing breakouts, so it's nice to see this fixed up.

One-handed Dekes

NHL 09 adds another weapon to you offensive arsenal - the one handed deke. When you are skating in on a breakaway tap the puck to one hand and tuck the puck behind a sprawling goalie for the ultimate finish.

Time to Forsberg some goalies.

Check Hard and Fight

An All-new physics-based checking and fighting engine featuring more than 300 new animations brings a higher-level of intensity to the game. Watch players reach for the ice to soften their fall or simply get laid out on their back when you catch them with their head down in open ice. Circle your opponent, grab his jersey and settle a mid-game score.

The more animations the better. I'm just hoping they fixed it so you can injure/get injured on something OTHER than a hip check.

Take your game online with 6 vs.6 team play, where 12 people can play together on 12 different consoles around the world. With new teams from the Russian, Czech Republic and German Elite leagues, NHL 09 connects hockey fans around the globe like never before.

Imagine playing a game where every player on the ice is a human. This is great, if you can look pass the fact that you'll see some idiots going end to end when they're supposed to be on D. And the more leagues the better.

Now, diehard 94 fans, if you're still unwilling to believe this game could finally upstage 94, it's important to take note that EA knows they're going to have a hard time, but they do listen. Thusly...

NHL 94 Controls

Hit, pass, shoot, and score using the simplified two-button control system featured in NHL 94. Now even players new to the game can challenge the best of the best.

:P

I recommend everybody goes and picks up this game in September.

NHL 09 Home Page

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a bunch of my friends work as game testers and are in the proccess of testing NHL 09.

and they say it sucks

the more they put in the game the more s**t there is to f**k up and not work

94 will never be de-throned :P

Edit- i just realized you were saying 08 was a good game. it was buggy as s**t!

and these days EA is pure evil. When i was testing their games they didnt give a s**t about nothing. They rush produce games so they can just make money.

they dont care about quality

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08 had some slight bugs but it was still a great game

I liked the game for the most part, but the menu system is TERRIBLE. It takes like 7 button presses to do the simplest of things, and I found some things hard to find. Roster updates took too long, too (2-3 weeks after the trade deadline before the update was available).

The first-person mode sounds pretty fun, but I'm not sure how it's going to handle skating one way and looking another.. could be tough to control.

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I dont see how you guys can possibly like 08, I only play nhl games multiplayer and when we played 2 player or 4player on the 360 the games were shitty imo. Low scoring, no intensity games, my 2nd fav nhl game was nhl 2001 for psx, that game was awesome and always had that intensity and excitement.

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If they have to have simplified controls be a "feature" then you know something is wrong.

Since when did sports games have to be LESS game and MORE simulation? Tecmo Super Bowl and NHL '94 were crafted at a time when technical limitations meant that the gameplay had to be smooth and solid - and the title couldn't rely on flashy gimmicks and "new features" as much...

I guess it's all about a level of balance, but I think that NHL 94 was the most balanced mix of game and simulation we had in the gamut of sports games.

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I dont see how you guys can possibly like 08, I only play nhl games multiplayer and when we played 2 player or 4player on the 360 the games were shitty imo. Low scoring, no intensity games, my 2nd fav nhl game was nhl 2001 for psx, that game was awesome and always had that intensity and excitement.

You Definitly only played with noobs sir...

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s**t, i've been caught. Nah, i've always liked a bit more of a sim feel in games, I have to admit. Not to mention you can basically make it into an arcade game with the sliders.

As for simplified controls, I get that. The control system they have is great but it's not something you can pick up and learn how to use in 5 minutes, you have to play with it for awhile to get used to it, which is no big deal. But say you have a buddy over who wants to play but rather than kick his ass while he figures out how to use the controls he can just use a really simple layout. Small but nice addition. Granted NHL 09 will be way more of a sim feeling than an arcade feeling, it's all about preference I suppose, and I like it to be a little more sim. Plus again, sliders.

Controls are not that complex. Play NHL 2K8, now that's complex. You have 2 thumbsticks and I think 2 or 3 other buttons to use. Just takes playing a game or two with to get used to it.

Online 3v3 was a blast I thought. Mostly everybody locks into a position now and that makes it crazy fun.

We'll see when it comes out I suppose.

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Check Hard and Fight

An All-new physics-based checking and fighting engine featuring more than 300 new animations brings a higher-level of intensity to the game. Watch players reach for the ice to soften their fall or simply get laid out on their back when you catch them with their head down in open ice. Circle your opponent, grab his jersey and settle a mid-game score.

The more animations the better. I'm just hoping they fixed it so you can injure/get injured on something OTHER than a hip check.

This is interesting.. one of my "aw boo"s with 08 was that the checking was disappointing. I'd absolutely nail a guy, but we'd just kind of bounce off each other and stumble for a second. Pushing the checking power slider up to the max didn't change it much, either. There have only been a handful of times where i thought a check was "huge" (mind you I haven't logged too many hours playing it). It just wasn't as satisfying as NHL94's "BLOOOAARGGh!!" hit noise and seeing the guy go flying into the boards. That funny stuff needs to come back! I was playing against jtakkunen in GDL last night, and he has Bourque and Stevens on D.. i was laughing my head off half the time as the A.I. Bourque kept destroying all my guys: "long pass for Gilmour--(BLOOArRRrrGGHH!!)--OHHH Bourque DEMOLISHES him and sends him into the Calgary bench!! and the puck slides down to the corner for the goalie.." "2 on 1 (CRUNCH) ok, 1 on 1"

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I know this is aside from hockey, but being a lacrosse fan as well I dream the day that EA Sports makes an NCAA Lacrosse game, or even an NCAA hockey game. I mean EA made a damn Cricket game. Why not Lacrosse? But I think a lacrosse video game would be awesome, and yes I have Blast Lacrosse for PS1 and it sucks.

This goes along to agree with Shaftman's comment that EA is pure evil.

-Vinnie

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Yeah, that'll be 'cause cricket is a truly international sport, and lacrosse is mainly exclusive to North America, although growing in popularity. Small fry compared.

By the by, EA have never made a good cricket game. Codemasters on the other hand, every time. EA are f**king useless.

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Be A Pro

NHL 09 will put you on the ice with a dynamic new 3rd person camera as you play the role of one player on a team. Our Performance Tracker will rate your play in over 50 categories, to make sure you know what parts of your game need to improve

Be A Pro starts your career off in the ranks of the AHL and challenges you to become one of the best in the NHL. Your very own hockey card will mark your progress, from your rookie beginnings to a potentially legendary ending.

This mode should be pretty cool, although the camera angles might be difficult with all the puck moving.

One-handed Dekes

NHL 09 adds another weapon to you offensive arsenal - the one handed deke. When you are skating in on a breakaway tap the puck to one hand and tuck the puck behind a sprawling goalie for the ultimate finish.

You could do this deke in NHL 08. I have done it in the shootout and regular game several times. (I have the PS3 version)

Check Hard and Fight

An All-new physics-based checking and fighting engine featuring more than 300 new animations brings a higher-level of intensity to the game. Watch players reach for the ice to soften their fall or simply get laid out on their back when you catch them with their head down in open ice. Circle your opponent, grab his jersey and settle a mid-game score.

The more animations the better. I'm just hoping they fixed it so you can injure/get injured on something OTHER than a hip check.

This is a big upgrade, I hate the way they fight in 08, but this should make it a lot better. And yeah, it's stupid how players only get injured from those unrealistic hip checks.

Now, diehard 94 fans, if you're still unwilling to believe this game could finally upstage 94, it's important to take note that EA knows they're going to have a hard time, but they do listen. Thusly...

NHL 94 Controls

Hit, pass, shoot, and score using the simplified two-button control system featured in NHL 94. Now even players new to the game can challenge the best of the best.

:)

I recommend everybody goes and picks up this game in September.

NHL 09 Home Page

This is a pretty neat addition, I bet some people will actually use those controls all the time just because it is so simple.

I am definetely going to get myself a PS3 copy of this game, hopefully it'll be a good EA Sports game for once :blink:

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anyone know if the pc version will be next gen? i mean, with the ps3,360 game style?

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NHL2K7 was growing on me, having played a few games, but it just doesn't play as well. No real "urgh" checks, no weight in the controls, just always thinking it's good but it's not as good as NHL '94. Guess it's a curse, having played the best ice hockey game ever.

Wouldn't do the dirty on gaming by buying a poor EA Sports game. Tiger Woods is the only good series they put out.

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wow, this NHL 09 game sounds awesome! think they're releasing a super nintendo cartridge? cause thats the only gaming console i've ever had........ seriously lol

it may finally be time to upgrade my system... any word to who's on the cover yet? i'm not upgrading my system til they put Crosby on the cover

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The thing is with sliders in the game you can make it less sim and more arcade. NHL 2K series has this down pretty good, you can make go from one extreme to the other. Hardcore sim, or crazy fast paced arcade.

Hopefully EA follows suit with more sliders.

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  • 4 weeks later...
94 has that Worthers Original timelessness that's bullet proof. And simulation games really aren't that fun to play.

Hopefully EA will implement a NHL'94 'mode' eventually.

A game without Fighting, or a season mode? 94 is the biggest blue-balling ever.

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