Graphic Nature – NHL 2010

NHL 2010
Xbox 360 & PS3
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
ESRB Rating: E10+
Price: Xbox 360 & PS3- $59.99

Pros

I told You These Were Good Seats! – Right off the bat you will notice the improved graphics of NHL 2010. As you watch players skate onto the ice you can be blinded by the flashes from cameras in the crowd and see different facial expressions of players as they line up for that opening face off. Once the game begins you will notice the ice start to show signs of ware and tare on it as the period progresses.

Probably one of the most noticeable improvements from years past is the crowd. Long gone are the days of looking at a stadium filled with fans made of paper. Nowadays you have full on representations of your teams die hards waving towels above their heads and banging on the glass. Now only if EA could incorporate a digital Holden McNeil and Alyssa Jones fighting in the crowd.

Punch Him In His Neck, Number 12! – This year the folks over at EA wanted to bring a little something extra to the fighting experience in NHL 2010. So they introduced first person fighting. That’s right now you see through the eyes of the person you are controlling instead of overlooking what is going on. They also integrated the ability to dodge punches and even put your opponent into a headlock.

Holy Game Modes Batman! – There is something for everyone in this game. From Quick Match, Playoff Series, Battle for the Cup, Be a Pro, Be a GM, and online play. So you can get your quick hockey fix in, test your wits to see if you would make it in the NHL or if you have what it takes to build a franchise and lead them to Lord Stanley’s Mug.

The Soundtrack – Alexisonfire, Dragonforce, Eagles of Death Metal, Megadeth, MxPx, & Rancid enough said. O and they have a new Green Day song….

Cons

1 2 3 Triple Deke – NHL 2007 honestly had one of the best control set ups of all time. The right analog stick controlled different shots with each direction and gave the game a little something. However, they would go on to change those controls and just have basic shooting controlled by the right analog stick. They also have the classic NHL 94 controls you can choose, but I miss the ones from 2007.

Let Us Earn That Right, Not Pay For It – This year EA is letting you purchase equipment that will help boost your players stats instead of earning them. I’m sorry, but I am not going to pay for a stick or helmet just to “give my player an edge.” This should have been something you unlock through milestones.

I Need You Over Here, Not Over There – There are still some issues with the CPU players on your team. Most of the time they hang back causing them to miss passes and rebounds from shots. This can get frustrating during must win situations.

Bring Back The Goodies Like Blood & Super Checking – This is an every year complaint, but it isn’t Hockey with out these things. We need blood on the ice after fights because I want to relive those 16-bit days. Also, they need to bring back the ability to check people through glass and over the bench boards. So many times I would have had guys flying into the crowd or their own bench. Things like that really make you miss the little things video games use to offer.

Overall, I believe NHL 2010 is a solid title. With the improvements in graphics, game modes, and fighting they will keep you playing until you are sick of hearing that siren go off every time a goal is scored. Even with the not so awesome controls and CPU problems won’t cause you to stop playing especially is your player has be demoted to the AHL. If you are a Hockey fan this is a must buy because it allows you to become that much closer to your favorite franchise. For those of you who are looking for a game to rent you should consider trying this because you might actually enjoy it.

4 out of 5.