It’s a paramount year for video game hockey. NHL 08 is in its second year of its long overdue overhaul, and NHL 2K8 -- a series that has been better than its EA competitor quality wise since the Dreamcast days -- is attempting its own new control scheme and trying to hold off the surging EA Sports product. Yesterday marked the first chance many gamers had to pick up and play either game, so it only seems right to check out what the reviews have been like to this point. Therefore it’s time to check out some reviews of NHL 2K8 and NHL 08. First up is NHL 08.

1UP (95/100): "You'll immediately feel why this is an instant contender for sports game of the year after just a few seconds of play. The game moves as smooth as ice just freshened up by a Zamboni (60 frames per second), and the all-new skating system cuts out many of the broken, popping animations that NHL gamers have had to put up with for ages. The skating is so fun that you'll be tempted to hang out in the robust practice area of the game, wheeling around pylons or throwing out your five best skaters for target practice against a helpless goalie."

Game Daily (80/100): "Most times, however, you won't avoid the defense, thanks to NHL 08's second biggest feature, its artificial intelligence. You'll still celebrate a few blowout wins, but never mistake the computer for last year's. Not only does it know how to play hockey, but it can also adjust its strategy on the fly to expose your weak points. Dashing up the middle en route to the goal almost always gets you killed, meaning you need to actually think like a hockey player and, dare we say it, learn some plays."

IGN  (88/100): "The advancement of last year's skill stick is a good idea, but could have used a bit more work. When done right, the moves tend to be an automatic way around a defender. And when they don't work, you end up looking like an idiot. Some will master the new skill stick controls and dominate with it while others will get frustrated and simply stop using it. But what makes the skill stick so effective is the sad fact that there are some clipping issues. Your puck reacts to players as it should, but sometimes when performing the new skill stick moves, your hockey stick will pass right through another skater. So instead of banging into a body as you should, you slice right through them."

Game Informer (85/100): "As much as I’ve enjoyed laying out Wayne Gretzky, or more recently, that snotty brat Sidney Crosby, throwing your weight at a player isn’t how hockey should be played. It’s a game of strategy and skill, something that video games haven’t explored properly. NHL 08 is the first game that moves in this direction. If you try to throw your weight at a skater, you’re just going to leave a huge hole in your defense."

Hit Next for NHL 2K8.{mospagebreak}

Gamespot (70/100): "Online play is also largely the same. Tournaments and seasons are available to play in the league option, and they're functionally identical to last year's game. The online games we played were basically lag-free, though all online games evidently run at about half the frame rate of the offline game, so you'll notice some significant and irritating choppiness when you hop into the online arena. We also ran into some connection issues with the PS3 version of the game."

1UP (40/100): "NHL 2K8 reminds us of a skater who's still really uncomfortable on the frozen pond. And that uncomfortable feeling starts with the series' new control scheme. To put it quite frankly, it's an overcomplicated disaster. The right analog stick now controls puck handling (move the stick side-to-side or back-to-front and the player will follow), but the mechanic feels very stiff. Working in the shot with the puck handling only makes things more unnatural, plus it rarely nets positive results unless you're playing with the default gameplay settings (which are totally for the newbie hockey gamer). Yet that's just the beginning of 2K8's odd control choices.

Shooting and passing are mapped to the 360's bumper buttons, which feel very uncomfortable (maybe it's just us, but the bumpers aren't "everyday buttons" like the triggers and face buttons). While EA removed all speed burst commands from its hockey franchise, 2K's title weirdly features two: The right trigger gives you a traditional burst, and the A button makes you sprint. The developers say that this dual command is made more for the beginner, but even when we increased the difficulty and set it to a "simulation" style of play, it was way too easy to jet up and down the ice and get breakaways."

Game Informer (78/100): "On the plus side, NHL 2K8 will make you leap from your seat and cheer when a player charges the net. Punching in simplistic button combinations will activate a special move worthy of a highlight reel. These moves are difficult to perform mid-game, but add tons of excitement to the shootout. It may not deliver the entire package this year, but NHL 2K8 is a fun game that offers a fast-paced arcade feel."

IGN (85/100): "Should these miniscule gripes keep you from playing NHL 2K8? Hell no. The game looks and -- eventually -- feels great on the ice and features smooth animations, a robust online option or leagues and tournaments, a replay-editing tool called 2K Reelmaker, unlockable uniforms and more. It sucks that the interface is clunky and brings about memories of spreadsheets and that people are going to scoff at the new system, but if you play hockey games for how real they feel, you've found a winner."

Now if you still aren't satisfied after reading through all of those reviews, of course DSM has reviews for both games, so check out our reviews for yet another perspective (NHL 2k8 and NHL 08 ). Also look for a comparison article sometime in the near future where DSM will be comparing NHL 2K8 to NHL 08.