NHL '10/2k10

[Ruki]

Dragsy, need another invite

[Rocketbusta]

So, when I put more money down on my current pre-orders I think I'm going to pick this up. Would have got it release day, but Ultimate Alliance came first.

[alldaws1]

Sean Avery expertly shows off new ways of scoring in NHL 10 before Marc Staal demonstrates the kind of goal we hoped wouldn't be seen in this year's game.

[Slogger]

Sean Avery expertly shows off new ways of scoring in NHL 10 before Marc Staal demonstrates the kind of goal we hoped wouldn't be seen in this year's game.

So long as the Stahl goal only turns up in 1 out of 1000 shots, It shouldn't impact the game that much.

[wolves]

I just had an insane game with me Islanders franchise. I was playing against the Kings and entered the 3rd period down by four. With around 10 minutes left I score. Then I scored again, and again. With like 10 seconds left I fired off a slap shot that ended up behind the goalie and scored. On the replay it showed that he kicked it in while he was sprawled out. I literally jumped out of my chair in celebration. Then with around a minute left in OT, I catch a breakaway and score to put it away. First breakaway goal I've scored yet with this game. Awesome game, no wonder NHL 10 gets so many awards. I never get excited like that with Madden.

[alldaws1]

I'm yet to get a breakaway and I've played nine games :/

Sean Avery expertly shows off new ways of scoring in NHL 10 before Marc Staal demonstrates the kind of goal we hoped wouldn't be seen in this year's game.

So long as the Stahl goal only turns up in 1 out of 1000 shots, It shouldn't impact the game that much.

I just don't see why it needs to happen at all, the puck is clearly going wide of the net. You're right, though, as long as it doesn't happen too often it's nothing major.

[Slogger]

I'm yet to get a breakaway and I've played nine games :/

Sean Avery expertly shows off new ways of scoring in NHL 10 before Marc Staal demonstrates the kind of goal we hoped wouldn't be seen in this year's game.

So long as the Stahl goal only turns up in 1 out of 1000 shots, It shouldn't impact the game that much.

I just don't see why it needs to happen at all, the puck is clearly going wide of the net. You're right, though, as long as it doesn't happen too often it's nothing major.

Last time I looked at the video, I could have sworn that Stahl was closer to the net.

But I've had my share of goalie brain farts too, I cleared the puck out of my own zone a hundred times before and a hundred since and this is the only time this has ever happened to me on an NHL game, It may never happen again, But it happened.

Just some background to the 1 out of 1000 idea.

[The Quasi Juice]

I never watch ice hockey, I've only played NHL for a while in like 1998 maybe, but I still decided to download the NHL demo yesterday. I found the controls weird at first because I'm used to X or D being a shot and A being pass but this game rarely uses those four buttons (I think). I somehow managed to draw my first game but then I got beat in over-time. Be a Pro was funny because I just picked Playmaker without knowing where a playmaker usually goes in ice hockey, so I did what a playmaker does in football; was open for a counter-attack when my team were defending and open to divide the play when we were attacking and it worked because the coach commented on my excellent positioning but also my shitty teamwork because I kept shooting (got loads of space every time). Anyway, I ended up having to sit out the whole game after bodychecking someone who wasn't involved in the play But I found it a bit weird I couldn't go back on the pitch after my penalty was over.

I had a lot of trouble with offside at the start, until I looked it up on wikipedia. The rule is a bit shit to be honest, because my mate and I are used to one "running" into space and the other directing play, but that's impossible with offside. All in all I had a lot of fun with the demo but considering my lack of knowledge of the game, do you think it's wise to buy this for 60 f'n euros?

[Gabriel]

Got the game, and I've got a Be a Pro going for a Forward and a Goalie, and a Be a GM going with the Leafs so that I can get used to the new features before the roster update with all the rookies and stuff comes out...

One thing I am disappointed in, is that the extra goalie masks are only available for Be a Pro and Online. I know it's not a huge deal, but something 09 lacked was Mask Diversity. Instead of a diverse group of masks, we get all kind of vintage masks? It's just not something I enjoy, in any way, shape or form.

[Cactus Drags]

It would be awesome if there was like a Tiger Woods gameface kind of thing, only instead of your face, you can take pictures of stuff to go on your mask.

[Gabriel]

It would be awesome if there was like a Tiger Woods gameface kind of thing, only instead of your face, you can take pictures of stuff to go on your mask.

It doesn't even need to be that detailed for me.

Just like, 10-20 generic mask designs with things that are similar to NHL masks but not the same... like, a Cujo style mask, a Kipper style mask with crazy skeletons on either side, etc... and done the same as Pads and stuff... where you can pick a Basic Color, the supporting colors and etc.

Being able to change the colors of masks would make them seem more unique, and make it feel like there are more options. The generic mask designs they have now are good enough, but if I could change the colors it would be amazing. There's no reason why the plain white mask shouldn't be able to be changed to any other color.

It's always been something I wanted (more masks), but it's never really agitated me until they added all these ridiculous vintage masks. For online or Be a Pro? Fine, whatever... but when I'm playing in Be-a-GM, they shouldn't be acceptable. Furthermore, the unlockable mask designs SHOULD be available for Be a GM. Take away the Boost things and there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to put the Dragon mask on James Reimer if I feel like it.

It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense, especially when it's something so easy to do.

At least, it seems, they've corrected the error of the announcers calling generated players by the wrong name. That was my big thing last year.

[RoyWill Rumble]

I never watch ice hockey, I've only played NHL for a while in like 1998 maybe, but I still decided to download the NHL demo yesterday. I found the controls weird at first because I'm used to X or D being a shot and A being pass but this game rarely uses those four buttons (I think). I somehow managed to draw my first game but then I got beat in over-time. Be a Pro was funny because I just picked Playmaker without knowing where a playmaker usually goes in ice hockey, so I did what a playmaker does in football; was open for a counter-attack when my team were defending and open to divide the play when we were attacking and it worked because the coach commented on my excellent positioning but also my shitty teamwork because I kept shooting (got loads of space every time). Anyway, I ended up having to sit out the whole game after bodychecking someone who wasn't involved in the play But I found it a bit weird I couldn't go back on the pitch after my penalty was over.

I had a lot of trouble with offside at the start, until I looked it up on wikipedia. The rule is a bit shit to be honest, because my mate and I are used to one "running" into space and the other directing play, but that's impossible with offside. All in all I had a lot of fun with the demo but considering my lack of knowledge of the game, do you think it's wise to buy this for 60 f'n euros?

...

Yeah, no. Learn the rules first, man. It'll really help.

[Plubby]

Also, you can play with NHL94 controls.

On top of that - i'm stunned at the offside thing, I think hockey has the most logical offside rule in all of sports :|

[The Quasi Juice]

Also, you can play with NHL94 controls.

On top of that - i'm stunned at the offside thing, I think hockey has the most logical offside rule in all of sports :|

Yeah I've played it a bit more and I didn't make any offside mistake, so it just takes a bit getting used to. With football (soccer) a player is offside when a player is behind the last opponent's player when one of his teammates passes the ball to him, this way a player cannot just stand in front of his opponent's goal the whole time. So it's a bit like football, only with an added line you cannot cross. I love how when you circle around in front of the last line your teammates wait for you to cross the line, it looks great. I also had icing for the first time, which wiki says is shooting the ball from the one end to the other without anyone touching the puck, which is a shame

Also, I guess it's normal in ice hockey but all the faceoffs are a bit meh. The opponent's goalie rarely continues play, even if I just skate away to give him space. I always try to pass the puck away immediately with the goalie because I know I have a bigger chance at having the puck that way than with a faceoff.

[alldaws1]

Ice/rink, not pitch. Puck, not ball.

Goalies hold onto the puck because they don't want to risk giving a goal away which is sensible. They don't hold onto it every single time unless you're standing right there and you can change the setting in the sliders. I usually pass the puck out unless there's someone standing over me because I like a fast-paced game with few stoppages but yesterday I paid for it, passing it out inaccurately and having it tapped into the empty net.

[Ruki]

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/9487595

I hate the posts.

[Slogger]

I decided to wait a week (Or however long it was yesterday) and see what people are saying, Just to make sure this wasn't going to be a total bomb and now I feel silly for waiting.

I can see the minor visual differences but we are getting to the point that it's hard to find any graphical area to improve on, The new gameplay features are great (Although there is a lot to work on with the after whistle play, I should be able to facewash a guy and not automatically drop my gloves), I did notice that one guy broke his hand after winning a fight, That was cool. The boardplay is awesome, I might have gotten a couple of cheap holding penalties while working out what I could get away with, But it's great on D now that I don't have to settle for killing someone against the boards, I can do one or the other and I'm finding myself trying to force the AI closer to the boards on D so I can pin them and let my guys get back to defend.

The new goalie animations are awesome and they don't seem as Robo-Goalie-ish as they were last year and I'm finding it easier to score without doing cross crease one timers, I've scored a few off of the goalie making a save and having a guy there to bang in the rebound with the goalie at the top of the crease, I've also scored one or two from straight up slapshots, I'm sure i've missed something important.

The New Franchise mode is great and interesting to play, There seems to be a whole lot more trades and movement with the players going on, Which is a good thing, Because in previous years I found that I was playing the same teams with the same players on them year after year, The phones are kind of cool once you figure out what they do, I haven't delved into this mode much, Because I simmed my way to the trade deadline to get a feel for the mode and it froze up on me when I tried to go past the deadline.

Be a pro hasn't improved much from what I can tell (If someone would like to point out the biggest changes that would be just grand)but I wish the 4 game tryout with the big club would be preseason games, Because in goalie mode you could end up going 0-4 to start the season because your just trying to get your feet as a rookie goalie and getting hammered by NHL vets, Maybe that's just me.

and all the new gear is cool, But I would rather being able to use boost slots on the real gear as well as the Ea Sports branded gear as much as I love the Flame skates or the Bomber goalie mask (That is a sick mask BTW)

Haven't played Online or any of the other modes (Playoff's, Season, Battle for the Cup) yet.

All in all, It's a solid buy, But it should be rated higher once I fully get into it.

And of course an obligatory EA Sports World video.

[RoyWill Rumble]

You... don't have to automatically fight after you facewash someone. Just don't press Y to fight.

[Plubby]

If you facewash someone, it's automatically counted as pressing triangle/Y. It only happens the way you describe if you get facewashed.

[RoyWill Rumble]

Hmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hmm. Interesting.