I felt like Viktor Navorkski last year when the NHL season rolled around; simply put, I was a man without a country.  The Navorski reference might be a little dated at this point so for all those who don't know, he's the real life gentleman who Tom Hanks played in The Terminal.  The story is Viktor arrives in the USA as war breaks out in his home country.  The USA won't recognize his country so his passport is void, but he also can't go back to his own country, so he's stranded in the airport.  And stranded is exactly the same feeling I had when contemplating which NHL game to play in 07.  NHL 2k7 was the proven commodity; reliably solid since the Dreamcast days, but yet again relatively unchanged.  NHL 07 was the inagural EASports next generation hockey game with a lot to prove after taking the year off during the launch of the XBox 360.  The game promised an intuitive new control scheme but there was a general feeling of skepticism considering the EA NHL franchise had struggled in recent years. Consequently, both games had strengths and weaknesses and I was left waiting on the runway.

At the root of this personal conflict was the fact that the NHL 07 “skill stick” was intuitive, revolutionary, and all of the above; the problem was the rest of the game was not. NHL2K7 was overall a much better game, but the “skill stick” had poisoned my button pressing hockey roots and I could no longer accept the NHL2K antiquated control scheme.

Slogging through my hockey-less 2007 existence all I could do was hope one game would step up and end the nihilism in my hockey gaming world. Thankfully I know at least one game has done this in 2008 -- NHL 08. That’s not to say NHL2K won’t do the same, there are some big changes in store with that game, I just don’t have an opinion yet since I don’t own NHL2K8, only NHL 08.

Even after a single period of game time with NHL 08 it will be apparent to everyone that NHL 07 can not carry 08’s jockstrap. Immediately after the initial face-off everyone should notice the biggest difference on ice, the framerate differential from 2007 to 2008. On the first foray into the opponent’s defensive zone the smoothness of the skating animations tied in with the slowed down game speed will let off that distinctive feel of a hockey game which looks and acts like -- shocker -- a real life NHL game.

Clearly 60 frames per second is the new 30 frames per second. After skating into the zone and trying to storm towards the net in typical old school video game hockey fashion a CPU defensemen won’t just suction towards your player, but rather poke check the puck away and head the other direction on the break.

Not so fast though, while the defense breaks out on the offensive a CPU player flips a sloppy cross ice pass directly at my stick and I immediately dump the puck back into the zone. From here I grab the puck behind the net and cycle it back out to my defender who is sitting on the blue line  -- yes the defense actually pinches this year, a Christmas miracle in itself.

Not only that but cycling the puck from the point to point and finally getting a quick pass to the slot for a shot is something that simply wasn’t possible last year in NHL 07. Last year it was either go for goal on the initial rush into the zone, or make a pass or two amongst the forwards before firing a quick shot.

Unfortunately the shock and awe I’m left in after being able to cycle the puck for a shot leaves me open to a counter attack and the CPU is now rolling down the ice towards my net. I go for the hip check at the blue line only to witness the CPU disengage itself from the puck, swoop around my check, pick the puck back up, and drill the puck into the back of my net; all before I can say, “That was so awesome I’m not even mad I got owned.”

Who knew a video game sport could improve so much in just a single year?...Oh, hey NBA2K7, I didn’t see you there.