NHL 2K9 (Wii version)

Hockey and Nintendo fans everywhere rejoice, because for the first time in three years (Not counting the abysmal Backyard Hockey for DS) an NHL game has finally come to a Nintendo console! It’s already been out in North America since September 8^th, but it only came out over here in Europe on November 14^th, despite all other versions of the game being released before it.

This game is notable for being the first NHL game to come out on a Nintendo console since EA Sports’ NHL 06, the last time I purchased an NHL game, so expect to see a few comparisons to that while reading this view, and don’t expect any EA VS 2K flaming.

Presentation

Let me say first of all that the instruction manual sucks. Unlike many other games, all you get is a list of all the controls except for face-offs, making that quite difficult to learn. Afterwards, all you have left is a very brief description of the menus and game modes, and that’s it.

When you load up the game for the first time, you’re asked to enter a name with an on-screen keyboard. With this being a Wii game, the first thing I did was point the remote at the screen, expecting a cursor to appear indicating where I was pointing. I got nothing, so then I turned it on its side and tried using the d-pad instead. Again, nothing. Next, I moved the control stick on the nunchuck, and finally something moved. This is only a minor presentation flaw with this game, and it doesn’t get in the way too much, but I found it a bit strange considering that almost every other Wii game makes you point the Wiimote at the keyboard to use it.

Next, you’d expect to be taken to the game’s menu, but instead you go straight into quick play mode, where you can pick your teams and begin play. To access the menu, you either have to press + or B, and from there you’re left to adjust to the game’s awkward menu system. Again, you can’t point at anything so you have to use the nunchuck and press A on the Wiimote to access the different options.

The game also has a fairly decent soundtrack, with the exceptions of ‘Knocked Down’ by Pennywise, which was also in NHL 06 (and I’m personally very annoyed that it returned) and another song, ‘Bad Boys’ by Inner Circle, which doesn’t fit among the rest of the mostly metal soundtrack, and for some reason is this game’s fight song. The game’s sound effects are also very good, although some teams have inaccurate goal horns.

And speaking of sound, the commentary team of Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda of the San Jose Sharks really fit well, unlike in NHL 06 with the annoying voice of Jim Hughston and his partner Craig Simpson, which to this day owners of the PC versions of EA’s NHL games still have to put up with.

Gameplay

This game does have a nice range of game modes, including Quick Play, Franchise, and Season modes as well as Pond Hockey and Mini Rink, both of which you probably won’t pay much attention to. The Franchise mode is quite well built, but again navigating through the menus can be difficult at first. Unfortunately this game has no online mode unlike other versions of the game.

The controls in this game are pretty much spot on, and suit the game perfectly: you point at a team mate with the Wiimote and press A to pass, you flick the Wiimote for a wrist shot and you hold B while flicking the remote to pull off a slap shot. You can use the Wiimote to hook opposing players with the stick, and you can also swing the nunchuck to pull off a so-called ’special move’ with the puck, or slam other players. For the most part, the controls feel great, and unlike with NHL 06, scoring really is a “feel good” moment. Goals can occasionally be hard to come by, even on easy mode, so you’re not always beating the other team by 15 plus goals. In between periods you have the option of a Zamboni driving minigame, in which you have to clean the ice in a set amount of time. This is done by removing the nunchuck and holding the Wiimote on its side, tilting it to steer much like in Mario Kart Wii. You press 1 to accelerate and 2 for the brakes. You’d expect them to be the other way around, but there we go. You don’t really achieve anything from playing this minigame, other than Randy and Drew commenting on how you did afterwards.

My only complaints regarding the controls are the fighting and face-offs. As I mentioned earlier, there is no mention of the latter in the manual, so you’re left wondering what the hell you’re supposed to do when you get to that part of the game. As far as I’m aware for face-offs, you’re supposed to flick the Wiimote at the right time, and then… well, something. The fighting controls are shown on screen, but they’re really hard to master: you have to keep your balance by shaking the nunchuck, and you punch using the Wiimote. I’ve found that the controls for fighting are very unresponsive, so I’ve lost all but one of every single fight I’ve been in so far. I’ve seen at least one screenshot of the game where you have to punch with the nunchuck and balance with the Wiimote, which for whatever reason doesn’t occur in-game, though I can imagine that it works better.

There are also a number of odd glitches in the game, including one where you get permanently locked in a fight without the on ice officials coming in to separate the players, and the only way to stop it is the exit the game.

You can also create your own players and teams, however the only big restriction with the player creation is that, while you can change his skin tone and the like, you’re limited to a small number of facial appearances to choose from. When you create a team, all you have to do is enter the city, team name, abbreviation and select one out of about 100 odd-looking logos, and then copy players from the default NHL teams.

Graphics

This is one of the other few bad aspects of the game. While screenshots of the game don’t really do this game justice, making the game look really murky, I can’t exactly continue to defend it as the graphics aren’t really very good. The crowd is paper thin, the decals on the Zambonis are pixelated and the players look as though they’re wearing really skin tight jerseys. Looking at the jerseys up close they look quite good, although not so much with the white jerseys which all have a big black area underneath the armpits, which is supposedly shading. The player models look nothing like their real-life counterparts, and some of the animations are poor.

This is the one thing that annoys me about third party Wii games: while yes, the console is less powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3 and therefore can’t handle HD graphics, there are games that have very good graphics like Super Mario Galaxy. Third party developers are very lazy when it comes to this aspect of the game, and unfortunately, 2K Sports are no exception.

Lastability

The franchise mode gives the game some nice single player depth, and should keep you entertained for a long time. Pond Hockey and Mini Rink don’t really add much to multiplayer as you already have Quick Play for that. The lack of online mode is a bit disappointing…

Overall

It’s nice to see the NHL finally come back to a Nintendo console, and for those who have waited for the last three years, this game is a very nice treat as most of its aspects are superior to NHL 06. However, the game is flawed in places and there is still a lot of room for improvement, and a few bugs which need to be ironed out. Still, it’s a decent effort on 2K’s behalf, and definitely worthy of a purchase. Even if you already own another one of this year’s NHL games, I recommend checking it out anyway.

Rating: 6/10 – “Decent”

It’s been over a year since Reebok’s new style NHL jerseys were unveiled, so I decided to finally get myself an RBK EDGE Anaheim Ducks jersey, just to see what it was really like. Initially I was sceptical about buying it because I wasn’t too sure how it would fit compared to the old CCM replicas. I originally ordered a Medium, thinking that my normal Small size would be too small, and it turned out to be too big. So I sent that back and exchanged it for the Small size, having to wait a few more weeks until it finally arrived this morning.

Just so you know, this review is going to be completely unbiased, so I’m not going to sulk and rant over how the Edge jerseys have “ruined the NHL forever” (like traditionalists), nor am I going to go into any performance enhancing drivel that certain others tend to bring up (like the NHL, Reebok, and Sidney Crosby), partially because this isn’t the authentic style jersey, and partially also because it’s probably a load of bollocks anyway.

First of all, the visual differences. On the player, the authentic variant of this jersey looks more form fitting than its baggier predecessor. However, the difference isn’t too great, and after a while we all (or at least, most of us) got used to it. Other changes include the bib-like part at the bottom of the back of the jersey, similar to what baseball jerseys have, then the ‘dreaded’ piping that separates some parts of the jerseys, and which for some teams are coloured seemingly for the sake of it, and finally, the NHL shield at the collar, and the so-called ‘jock tag’ at the bottom left of the front of the jersey, which is seemingly the NHL’s desperate attempt to be more like the other three major sports leagues, particularly the NFL.

Other differences, which are more noticeable when you’re holding it yourself, include the fact that the materials used are much thinner and lighter, and even more so on certain parts of the jersey, than the old CCM replicas. The much lighter material that makes up the back of the jersey is so light that I can’t help but think that I’m accidentally going to rip it while trying to put it on one day, or if it gets caught on a door handle. Also, the arm and body length is longer than on the old jerseys, meaning that if you have shorter arms you’ll need to tuck the ends of the sleeve in just so that it doesn’t get in the way of your hands.

A major concern with fans before the jerseys were unveiled, aside from all teams using a same, singular template league-wide (which turned out to be nothing more than mislead, inaccurate information) was that the jerseys would be too tight and uncomfortable to wear. That however, is mostly untrue. This jersey I have is actually quite comfy, and doesn’t feel entirely different from the old jerseys, aside from the arms which are, as mentioned above, longer and slightly less baggy than the CCM replicas. However, there is one problem; that being the only really tight part of the jersey which interferes with the overall comfort level: the collar.

Unlike on the old jerseys, with which you could easily slip your head through the collar, you now have to struggle just to get your head through it, as demonstrated in the photo below.

This, to be honest, is my biggest problem with the jersey. What’s even more of a pain is taking the jersey off, when once again you have to struggle to get your head through it, which can prove to be even more difficult than it is to put it on. As far as I’m aware, most teams have different collar styles, so I’m not sure whether this issue applies with just the Ducks jerseys, or for any of the other teams, except for some like Buffalo, Colorado and Nashville who use the same style as Anaheim.

Pros:

• Very comfortable to wear
  
• Aside from the sleeves, not much different than the old jerseys
  
• Some may prefer the light material used
  

Cons:

• The even lighter material is too thin, and feels easy to tear
• The collar is a pain in the arse (may not apply for some teams)

Overall: It’s very comfortable to wear, just as comfortable as the old jerseys, however I highly recommend trying them on before buying, especially in case you need to try out the different sizes, and make sure you can get your head through the collar.

Backyard Hockey (DS)

The Nintendo DS can successfully say it has achieved three milestones.
Firstly, it totally owned the PSP regarding sales, and popularity - bringing gaming to a whole new generation.
Secondly, it revolutionised gaming with touchscreen gaming - giving us new controls and more fun.
Thirdly, it is home to the most painful, poorly made hockey game ever made, and that game I am talking about is “Backyard Hockey”.

I aquired a copy a few days back, out of curiosity to see what the only hockey game on the DS was like, along with the company’s other offerings, such as backyard football - whilst I am not going to review those non hockey games, its worth me adding that they were pretty much just as bad.

So, how is it possible to make a hockey game and fail so badly when your not called EA Montreal and making a PC version of the NHL game. Well, our dear friends at Atari and Mistic software have done just that, except this makes every poorly made hockey game of the last two decades.
Here’s why.

Gameplay

Put the game in, load it up and your faced with a pretty hum drum menu offering seven options - Play now, Pickup Play, Season Play, MIni-Games, Mulitplayer, Options, Extras.

Play now takes you straight to a game setup screen where you choose difficulty, period length and yes, power ups. Already one menu in and the game’s got a gimmick. Using power ups, you can change the way you shoot - rather like in Mario Hoops here a mushroom makes you bigger, however because that is a Mario game, it’s acceptable, here it’s not.
Interestingly, fisticuffs is an option, however I’m yet to get that to appear in game.

The power ups are bad, however it’s when you come to the next screen that my first major beef with this game comes apparent, you cannot choose what team you want to be. For example, I am being forced to play as St. Louis currently - I don’t want to play as them, I am a Dallas fan. So, if you’re a fan of the quickplay mode function on sports games, your not going to be happy, unless you’re a drifter type fan who doesn’t care.

Thankfully, on the next mode of play (pickup play) does feature team selection, however, it’s now become apparent that each conference has 18 teams in it, because for some bizarre reason, the game’s creators thought it would be fun to add their own teams into the NHL leagues, rather than just put them in a separate category. Whilst I am not going to name them all, I will list the ones that made me laugh. namely “Grumpy Frostbites”, “Scrappy Llamas” and “Wobbly Walruses”.
Selecting two teams, you carry on to choose your rink - theres 10 in total, but 2 of them remain locked until you complete a cup, named the BHL, ooh, original name.

So far, this modes more promising, it seems closer to hockey, but then the next screen looses it all. Your asked to choose what side of the puck you want. I can hear the “Eh?” from you now, as suddenly, your questioning whether your playing a football game. However, it then becomes apparent, this is to select what players you want, but I wouldn’t worry if you lose this because all the players to choose seem to suck - apart from a mediocre selection of NHL players who must have had a dump truck of money dumped outside their home to allow this shoddy game to bear their name.
After choosing your team of 7 players, you then have to organise their position - One defense, one center, one forward and one goalie.

The rinks are again, poorly thought out, with the choice being - in a shopping center, on a farm, at a tropical beach or Santa’s village. There’s a few more logical ones, two of which look like they are more adapt to being a place for hockey, namely poorly designed arenas, such as the “humongous rectangular arena”. For a game that’s called backyard hockey, a tropical beach is far from most hockey.
The game now begins, and the top screen is used as a scoreboard, whilst the bottom one shows the action. The controls are simple, D-Pad moves, whilst the face

buttons check, shoot and change player. The problem is, the CPU are way too easy, even on hard. There’s no competition to it. And the sound is terrible. The touchscreen control option can be activated from the menu, but this is even more torturous, as you attempt to flick the puck to the goal, and “tap” to check.
Season play is pretty much as above, but instead you compete in a series of games, to unlock the wonderful extras such as “walrus cave” rink.
The mini games are fun for the first minute, with the choice of shootout, pickup shootout and air hockey.
The shootout hockey game stars same as above, except all you do is shoot on goal.
Once the game begins, its as you would expect, a 1 on 1 scenario. However, the camera seems to zoom out further, making the already tiny sprites seem even tinier. Forcing the camera to zoom makes it better, however, the game looks pixelated. The touchscreen controls here are even worse than in a full game.
The air hockey game however, may be the only redeeming feature of this game. It feels just like a classic arcade game, and for once, the controls work really well - however, I am pretty sure you won’t be buying this game because it has air hockey.
The multi-player mode is pretty much as you get above, however it only supports players with the game as well, meaning you’re unlikely to ever play with anyone, as once your mates have seen the game, laughed in your face, they will not buy it.
Then we get to the final option worth mentioning, the extras.
You have a choice of two, credits and player cards. The credits serve no purpose, unless you’re writing a hate mail list, whilst the player cards is literally a screen telling you about the players in the game, all whom in this mode seem to be wearing Minnesota jerseys. Never imagined i would see Crosby in a MIN jersey, but there we go.

The Graphics

As I mentioned above, the graphics are over pixelated, dull, and marred by poor camera choices (why would you go for the game’s horrible side view).
The ice and rinks are heavily undetailed, and the game creators made a big error in choosing bobble headed characters.

Lastability

You’ll pick it up, attempt one or two games, try the two control modes, realise the awfulness of the game in general, then take it back to Game Stop, and then either get laughed at by the employees, or possibly get $3 on a trade in.

Final Conclusion

This game is an embarrassment to the NHL, and to gaming in general. It’s over blown kiddy image makes it too sappy for even the slightly interested 4 year old (seriously, those hockey playing kids are mean!) and the graphics, gameplay and poor choice of controls just make this even more dire. Please, don’t buy this game.

Rating: 1/10 - “Awful”

(The only reason it gets a 1 is because it does have hockey in it)

The Love Guru (2008 - Paramount Pictures)

Back in May, we previewed the Love Guru, a film by Mike Myers, featuring
Mike Myers, Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.

Now we have seen the movie, it’s worth us reviewing it, purely for the fact that it does feature some hockey.

A brief run through of the story, Mike Myers plays a guru who is burdened with the task of reuniting hockey sensation “Darren Roanoke” (Romany Malco) with his wife (Meagan Good), all so that he can get higher ratings and appear on the Oprah show.
During the film, there’s a selection of hockey clips, hockey commentators who add a bit of spice to the game, and of course the predictable ending, though while the outcomes what you expect, it happens differently to the usual way (and would be termed illegal in hockey terms). The story gets a little more of a twist due to the fact that Roanokes wife happens to be dating the LA Kings goalie, revealed as the rival team in the playoffs for the leaf’s.

I guess it would be best to say now, that with it being billed as a comedy, and having a story that simply features hockey, it cannot be classed as a true hockey movie, such as slapshot, and because of this it is filled with some delightful innacuracies.
An example, would be the fact that the L.A kings actually made the playoffs (ooh harsh), and that their goalie wears the mask style which hasn’t been seen really since the 70’s.
But this aside, the on ice action isn’t too bad, the fights, as unrealistic as they are, are at least comical, and one scene see’s several players get the crap kicked out of them.
The final scene of the film (the one which you saw coming) is filled with penalties, illegal actions, and if were to happen for real, would have caused more outcry than what we heard from the Buffalo fans all those years ago.
The Leafs coach “Coach Cherkov”, played by Verne Troyer, is as usual for his characters, funny, and quick to anger - with his office being the size of a shoe box.
Also, you’ll get toi meet the leaf’s supposedly cursed owner, played by Jessica Alba, who develops a crush on the Love Guru, and has to learn to overcome the fans pure hate of her. Unlike most owners of teams, she does appear to be more about the team, and less about the money - although she does seem to spend most her time trying to get in the Love Gurus pants, even from the first 10 minutes.
The on ice action is commentated by Jay Kell (Stephen Colbert) ,  a recovering junkie who still needs to regain control of his actions.

Overall, this films not the best movie your ever going to see, but its much better than many of the other movies currently showing, and whilst I’m giving it a lot of positive light, if your not a Mike Myers fan, then this film may not be the best to see. Its pretty much filled with jokes during its running time, and I think a lot of you hockey fans will enjoy the lighter take on the sport, along with the usual cheap-ass fart style jokes.

Rating: 7/10 “Enjoyable”

Favorite quote from the movie:
“Pitka: How do you do? Shrimp?
Coach Cherkov: What did you call me?
Pitka: I’m sorry I didn’t catch your gnome. NAME! You are a midget.

Best musical moment from the movie:
“9-5″ The Love Guru’s rendition

Best Gadget in the movie:
The love gurus electronic driving cushion

This was supposed to be a detailed review, but to be one hundred percent honest with you, there isn;t enough for me to review it in detail.

Recently, two of the three members took a trip to New York. The third member decided not to come but asked if I could pick him up a selection of Ducks merchandise from the store, to which I agreed on, believing that they would have a fantastic range of gear for all teams.

However, it was very different from what I expected.

Firstly the shop was small, and empty. It was empty all three times that we visited.

Secondly, the stock selection was weak. Now they did have a jersey from every team, however the prices were not as low as other stores selling jerseys, even the other sports stores in the city.
They had a large rack of T-Shirts. I managed to buy a Stars one myself, but as for the Anaheim Ducks, Nothing. Considering they have a large fanbase, that was a surprise. Several other teams were missing, including Columbus, Edmonton, Nashville and Florida.
They did have other items, and I dfid manage to buy some other Ducks related gear, hats for example.

However, once again they failed in many of the other product ranges, such as pennants (they sold Boston, NYR, Islanders and Toronto).

There wasn’t even that much Detroit gear, even though they had won, and the selection of original six team gear wasn’t the best either.

On a plus, the staff seemed clued up about Hockey, so at least they provided some conversation when i did purchase a few Stars items.

Overal though the shop was a huge dissapointement, and in comparison to the NFL store I visited over in San Francisco last year, very weak.

Kev.