NHL 2010 Review – Xbox 360

NHL 2010 Review – Xbox 360

It’s that time of season once again. A time for sticks and skates, bone jarring hits, and flashy spin-o-ramas. After their breakout year and numerous awards for NHL 09, EA Canada had set the bar quite high for themselves. Adding several new features and more fleshed out ideas, they hope to once again set precedent for what it takes to be the king of hockey.

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What’s Good

Be a Goalie Mode – Sure you could have done this last year, but the Be a Goalie mode features better animations , new saves, and unbelievable desperation attempts (doing a V-split and rolling over with your pads). After hearing about all of the new additions, I made sure to start my Be-A-Pro mode as a goalie and I wasn’t disappointed. EA has nailed the position; beautiful both online and off. It takes a special breed of person to be a goalie but thankfully it’s never been more fun.

After the Whistle Hijinx – Though it can make some online matches a bit drawn out, the instigation after whistles definitely adds a whole new, yet somewhat familiar aspect to NHL series. Whether it’s just mindless hitting after the whistle or an attempt to start a fight to get your whole team an added boost. It’s also a chance to flex your e-muscles, and who doesn’t like that?

Playing Well with Others – It was a bit of a black eye last year (and the year before) but after multiple games online I have yet to experience any disconnection or freezing issues. Yes, this type of polished gameplay should be expected, but after a few years of sketchy play, it’s good to see they’ve gotten it right.

As seen on T.V. – There are things you notice during any hockey game that seem very nonchalant. The battles along the boards, swiftly kicking a puck from your skate to your stick, grabbing a puck out of the air and dropping it to your stick, or watching a player wince in pain after taking a shot to the leg. All of these happen in real games, and now they happen in NHL 2010. Battling along the board is such a great addition; especially for online play. Telling people to kick it up along the boards or to come in and help adds to the experience. Minor touches added to the overall production of a title can go a long way and there’s been many times during a game where I noticed and appreciated such things.

Goaltending 101 – The goalies are smarter this year. No more stick handling the puck in their own net or letting a little wrist shot go through their five-hole. They’ll bat pucks out of the crease, sprawl across from post to post to make a save, and generally react well to all situations.

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What’s Bad

Do these guys belong in the Pros? – The AI has issues, and they’re very noticeable from the get go. Sporadic passing back and forth from down low to the point looks silly and inhuman. There has also been a problem with players just standing still during my Be-A-Pro moments. They’ll receive the puck along the boards and just stay there. They won’t move, and no one will go after them (as I’m the goalie in these situation). Maybe they have some pre-game jitters they need to work out?

I’m giving her all she’s got captain! – During any Be-A-Pro moment you’ll notice a small drop in framerate from time to time; especially down towards the net. It seems to only occur when the camera is set closer towards the ice (never noticed during the classic or overhead camera), and only lasts a few seconds but it can really hamper gameplay.

Why do they need to fight? – I’m a purist of the game and as such I don’t mind fighting in hockey at all. The fighting in 2010 however, just doesn’t feel right. It seems more like a street fight and not a hockey fight. I want refs breaking it up, jerseys being pulled and grabbed, skating across the ice during your tango, and then the opus of a takedown. As much as I dislike the fighting engine in 2010, I do believe it’s a step in the right direction but it’s not there quite yet.

Here we go again – Some of the same issues that plagued NHL 2009 (and to an extent 2008) have returned. A glitch that allows people to freeze the game and loss any stats you might have gained is still around. There’s also a few glitch goals that are still around. EA is apparently working on a patch to fix some stability issues but these glitches are a black eye on an entertaining online experience.

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Worth Remembering

Sliding from post to post making an unbelievable save as you stretch out to keep your shutout going.

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Worth Forgetting

Being down 1-0 and having your AI teammate develop a brain fart during the last minute of play and just stand there with the puck. Way to blow it!

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NHL 2010 ups the ante from last year in pretty much every way. It’s good to see EA Canada build on an already steller game to make it even better. I do however, fear for next year as it’s going to be harder and harder to polish such a gem of a title before adding non innovative features. Remember if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Though that’s a conversation for another time, enjoy this season of NHL and I’ll see you on the ice.

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