NHL 06

EA's NHL title has certainly been improved over last year's offering and may actually be their finest work since "NHL 94." However, it feels like there have been more fixes than any truly groundbreaking additions to the game.

Adds welcome realism without sacrificing intutive control. [Dec 2005, p.116]

A kick-ass game of hockey that stands to be the best EA has ever produced. [Oct 2005, p.70]

NHL 06 is as good as it gets in console hockey.

As the greatest and most enjoyable recreation of the sport since the 16-bit era, NHL 06 deserves to sit alongside the likes of "Pro Evo" as a sporting highlight that any gamer can enjoy. [Nov 2005, p.111]

The only major issue I take with the game is one that I take with almost every single game put out by EA, lack of a solid instruction manual. I for one would appreciate complete information on how to play the game and use new features, what certain options do, and maybe some "rules" information for new comers to the game. I don't want cliff notes, I want the book.

With NHL 06, EA Sports is revisiting its roots to create a feature-stable game with both style and substance, and it all starts with the controls. Quite simply, they are the most responsive ever. [Oct 2005, p.102]

Diehards will love the reduced emphasis on checking, while more casual fans should enjoy the new skill stick moves and the ability to place your shot wherever you please. Best of all, every rule change has made it into the game.

06 just doesn't do anything significant for the franchise, as it just adds some ancillary features that are neat to have but don't ultimately change the face of the game, leaving some of the most important (and, in some cases, most flawed) aspects of it practically in stasis.

If you can look past the minor problems in the animations, the Superman AI and the new rule missteps, you will find that EA has actually created a pretty good sim style game.

Somebody at EA needs to stick a post-it note on the producer's door that reads "Dynasty Mode." It's a mess. I recommend the developer focus most of their attention in the coming year to that aspect of the game because I can't recommend this franchise to hardcore hockey fans until they do.

I like that in 06's franchise mode each NHL team has its own objectives - be the Wings and anything short of Canada's Holy Grail is a disappointment. [Oct 2005, p.114]

In fairness to EA, hockey may be the most difficult sport to translate to a video game. But if you are looking for an accurate hockey experience, I suggest season tickets.

A complete turnaround from last season, and a direction that I hope EA steers clear of in the future. The user should always have control over the most basic gameplay functions. [Sept 2005, p.96]

Improvements in puck physics means that hard shots can bruise your opponents, while last year's overly aggressive defense has been scaled back to realistic levels.

The hyper-speed of this game makes it feel like more of an arcade experience than a real hockey simulator. It's still a huge step in the right direction, though.