Round 5: Value for Money

And so it’s come down to Overtime. One team has to win, but who? Looking at both packages they do give you a lot for your buck. On one hand we have NHL ‘09, offering so much to play around with and a full on package laden with everything you could ever wish from EA to shoehorn onto a disc, but with a slightly over-glossed feel to it. And then there’s NHL 2K9, a game with its heart firmly planted in the right place and with a good, smooth game of hockey to boot, but just lacking in the content department. I’d have to say EA JUST (and I do mean just) edges it.

As hockey games, they’re both great fun to play in their own right, but in sheer terms of potential and opening up of the genre, NHL ‘09 has that edge, with the Be A Pro mode allowing the potential for some really good evenings with a few beers and nobody sitting around wondering what to do while everyone else is playing on the rink.

FINAL SCORE

EA: 3
2K: 2 (but they did have the MVP, just to make it a little more even)

NHL ‘09 Review Score

Replay: 8.5 - With a full season and franchise mode available, as well as different ways of playing the game, this does offer a tasty replay package.

Graphics: 8.2 - Nice to look at for the most part, but does suffer from trying too hard and giving out some unwanted slowdown in the process.

Sound: 8.0 - Gets docked a bit for an uninspiring EA Trax, but don’t let it take away from the now textbook commentary and great crowd FX.

Gameplay: 8.5 - If you’re a fan of the skill stick then you’ll feel right at home and for novices the NHL ‘94 controls are ideal to play against a seasoned pro, with both helping to offer a very solid and enjoyable 3 periods

Multiplayer: 9.0 - Two player Ice Hockey on one console has been around for ages, so when you have not only that, but a decent online mode AND the leagues and Be A Pro modes, this is just the beginning….

Overall: 8.5 - It does what it needs to do and then gives you some more as a token gesture. The sheer scale of what’s on offer this year in an online basis makes it worth a go, but a night with this, all your mates and some beers wouldn’t hurt either. 

NHL 2K9 Review Score

Replay: 8.3 - The online games in the 2K games have always been smooth and very enjoyable and add replay value to a very substantial and solid “one more game” title.

Graphics: 8.1 - They do what they need to do, but it’s not to say they’re bad visuals. They are an improvement on last year’s effort and keep the eyes happy enough.

Sound: 8.2 - The commentary is starting to really come together very well and the music doesn’t get on your nerves at all, but the crowd FX just don’t seem to match other stadium based games. Just a bit more required.

Gameplay: 8.5 - It’s just like the good ol’ days. Plays as much as you’d like it to, with a nice and well paced game of hockey helped along by a decent control system and optional analogue method if desired.

Multiplayer: 8.0 - It plays well enough online, but EA’s ‘09 has raised the bar in regards to how much you expect from an online multiplayer game. Offline though, it still plays good enough.

Overall: 8.2 - The 2K series has always delivered a decent package year in, year out and this is no exception. NHL 2K9 can proudly hold it’s head up high as a great little game of Ice Hockey in its own right and it deserves its fans as much as any other sports franchise.