As a canadian and as an avid hockey fan, I feel obliged to buy this game.

Go Habs Go!

tooji

Hey if I can play as goalie I will play any NHL game.

LETS GO BLUES!!!

VladMalice

@Datheron: Except the problem being that hockey does have different player types. Your third and fourth line are usually grinders as they dont have the same skills as your 1st and 2nd lines. Hockey players do have specific playing styles and this in fact has been in the game since around 2004 if not before. You take a look at a real NHL team such as the Leafs and you see they have to many offensive defencemen and that the reason they run into defensive troubles. The game is simply being realistic which it is striving for.

@Omnimon: NHL 08 was superior last year and seems better also this year.

Spl1nter

@baberg: Best NHL season was the season that was canceled and nobody seemed to care. But if Blades of Steel made a comeback, I would swallow my pride and buy a wii just for the fight minigame. I also loved the halftime where you could play Gradius on the arena big screen. What a great game.

Punkateer

Is it just me or does it look like they're just floating on the ice? Doesn't look too great...

Thassodar

hello NHL 09

Mister_Willy

Goodbye life

Mister_Willy

I think its creepy that they are shipping it on Sept 11. I mean, they could pick any other day that week, why that one?

hillbillybill

@MrBionic: The animations look stunted because they tried to use in-game replay footage in real-time while moving the camera. If you notice at about the 1:40 mark there's a nice still-camera shot that shows the nice, fluid animation. I had the same reaction you did until that little section came up.

With that being said, I didn't pick up a hockey title the last couple of years, but have always play the NHL '0X titles. How are the 2KX titles stacking up these days?

Omnimon

Argh, this is a terrible, terrible idea. They should have learned their lesson from NBA Live 2007; gimmicky player types and player-specific moves don't work, they're either completely overpowered (especially on offense), or they're worthless and all the player types ultimately play the same way.

I didn't know they could make playing the goalie seem like a new feature. =p

Datheron

@Earthslide: What kind of Player are You? NES Ice Hockey baby!

Blasphemy. Blades of Steel is the only true Hockey game.

baberg

Dammit. I loved NHL'08, but the animations here look very, very stunted. Guess I'm going to have to rent it after all.

MrBionic

The GOALIE!!! The only position the matters, just kidding all you defensemen out there I couldn't stop everything without ya.

JohnnyHash

The Sniper. The Playmaker. The Grinder. The Offensive Defensemen. The Defensive Defensemen....uh ok. The Goalie. You can't top The Dangler!

Hockey terms are great.

PipTheLip

What kind of Player are You? NES Ice Hockey baby!

Earthslide

Looks okay. Sports games never do interest me, though.

iamerror37

@Omnimon: AHHH.. phew. Thanks for that heads up.

I can't tell you about the 2K games. Haven't played one since 2K5 when the glitches near destroyed my love for hockey all together.

MrBionic

NHL 94 on genesis is the best hockey video game.

@Punkateer: You can download Blades of Steel on nintendo's virtual console. so get on that. It's still fun.

MixPix

come on who are they kidding you are not allowed to be that rough in the sport of hockey anymore.
But really its just another EA game i bought 07 when it came out and I might as well just continue to play that if I ever feel like playing a game, cause that is one solid game.

Jamaces

Aww, no enforcer?
What am I supposed to do with all this silver foil on my knuckles now?
Actually I think it may be causing a shortcircafnpqefa;f023

Weirdwolf

@MrBionic:

I'll think you'll find that they weren't glitches, the stupid player A.I,falling over for no reason, inability to score and choking in the cup games were just examples of a perfect simulation of a Leafs team.

Weirdwolf

Pretty sure there were more than 4 player types. Either way I'm stoked. The Canucks will finally win a fucking cup, even if I have to do it by myself in a videogame.

EskimoDave

looks like it's time for me to buy an NHL game again. Haven't bought one since the '02, '04 edition even though I liked the game.

Spiderbait

know whats awesome? my boy Chara was shown in this video, and even better? he's still kicking the shit out of the maple leafs ;)

looks like ottawa made the right decision with taking redden over chara *eyeroll*

drlard

Are the Jets in it?

mpdrec

@mpdrec: Better question. Will Brett Favre be playing for them? Seriously though, game looks great.

The Magnificen7

Man, EA is robbing me blind. First "Bad Company", then "Madden", then this? And with Rock Band 2 on the way...man i'm so broke.

danterandal19

this video came out like 15 days ago... how is it new?

[www.gametrailers.com]

VoLcOmKiDd911

Having just played the 2K demo and laughing at how pathetic it was, this seems like a breath of fresh air and something that builds on last year. Can't wait to pick this up for PS3.

Infallible

well, i like the idea of playing as one player for a game. controlling the whole team is cool in a "rts" kind of way, but it would feel much more like the real thing in an "action" kind of way, to have to skate to the right spot, and line up your passes, and stuff, relying on your team.

what would be cool is if everyone playing was an actual person, online.

can they do that? i bet it would be much harder, considering the AI generally knows what to do, probably better than most of my friends. but man, i bet it would be Fun!!

joeloliol

In real life on the ice, I'm the Goon. Lookout for an elbow from the East! OOOOHHHHH....your poor jaw. Whaddya mean his heart stopped?!? Punch him again and he'll get right back up. Hey Goalie!!! Like Ice in your face?!?

bigdonthedj

@joeloliol:

Actually you can, 6 vs. 6 online... it's probably the biggest feature added to the game this year

Uno514

Seriously, there are a lot of Sport games and the titles are also confusing sometimes. NHL 09 or 2K9? Damn.

JAGJEET

4 different player types? I counted at least eight. Although they all looked the same to me, 'cept for the goalie of course. Then again I know drat about hockey.

Rem13

Sissy fair weather hockey fans, go back to California the lot of you!

ShineyBlueShoes