Keys to Success for NHL 09 - Operation Sports

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Keys to Success for NHL 09

Submitted on: 06/06/2008 by Patrick Williams

The Stanley Cup Finals took some crazy turns in the NHL and with hockey still on the minds of many it is time to discuss a little NHL ’09. With EA Sports latest rendition of the war on the frozen pond in the books, it is safe to call ’08 a success in my mind. Apparently I am not alone in my assessment either as some considered NHL 08 the best sports game of 2008. Perhaps now is a great time to discuss what the next installment needs to do to trump this past year's.

The last two versions of NHL by EA have been a tremendous step in the right direction and have provided fun as well as simulation style hockey to fans of all kinds. And thus, there are high hopes for ’09. What needs to happen for NHL 09 is more of the same formula.

Sometimes EA tries to mess with success, and it is understandable at times, but probably not needed with this game. Changing the way players move or the way the game plays can be rewarding, but not in this series. EA has stumbled onto something good with the way this game feels and looks. Graphically I believe it is the best of any of Electronic Arts Sports’ games. Player models are incredible and details are alive in so many forms as you play the game. This needs to stay uniform the next few years.

What they can do is add the little things to engulf the user into the game even more. Better cut-scenes, more variety in player animations and a better front end with tons more in game stats and attention to real time occurrences. When someone hits a milestone I want to see it brought up. I would love to see cut-scenes with player profiles and stat breakdowns, things like home versus road past meetings and so on. Perhaps showing the standings along with real time scores from out of town games during the intermissions, something that EA had back in the early days.

Fixing small things is definitely the way to go for next year’s game. Board work can be slightly overhauled, as well as trying some new things with passing. Perhaps bringing back pressure sensitive passing or something of that style would be an improvement. I would still love the option to hit a modifier button and see passing icons brought up like a basketball game would have. I think it would make power plays a bit more advantageous if you could make that pass through the high slot to the point man when you wanted it rather than by accident trying to dish the puck in front of the net from down low.

As for other aspects such as the announcing, while NHL’s crew can get repetitive it is still some of the better commentary in sports games today. However, some new lines would be welcomed as always. Again, bringing up milestones or talking about a scoring race would be pretty stellar. However, I doubt we see anything revolutionary out of the sound department this season, and that is ok I suppose.

One thing that could really be worked on is the franchise mode. They seem to be confused as to which direction they want to go. Last year they included minor league affiliates and that was huge. Hopefully they continue that and add to it. On the other hand the setting ticket prices and owner aspects seem to be pointless anymore. They either need to fix it or ditch it. Right now it does almost nothing, making money or losing money has no bearing on anything going on with your team or job. And hopefully this is also the year we can have multiple user controlled teams in franchise.

The draft is another aspect that has just been of little consequence in the game. Having 10 years is sometimes not enough time to develop players and to bring them up through the ranks. I will be interested in seeing if they touch on this at all next fall. If they do that and touch up the trading engine a bit franchise could be great.

As for online, there are a few things I think people want to see worked out. Leagues are near the top of the list, they opened them up and could really go somewhere with them this year if they play their cards right. I think most of the attention is going to be on the multi player online mode though, something that was a great idea and I am glad they decided to attempt. Some tweaking during online play and things could be great in this aspect as well.

Making the games run faster, and by that I mean ditching online cut scenes all together is a must. Fixing some money goals is also going to be a priority, but you always open up the door for a new one or two each year with the changing game style. It is just the nature of the beast. Still tuning the old ones buys the gamers some time before the new ones are found.

Also, a huge complaint the past 2 years on next gen systems were the lack of roster updates. It has been discussed at length and one of the hopes for the future is weekly roster updates in all sports titles. EA has stated the reason it takes so long for them is the waiting for new players to sign and get into the players association. Then they have to have everyone sign off on everything. This takes forever. If it is possible to just do minor updates each week with player movement it would be ten times better already. Then, in addition to that, once a month or every two months make the major changes with rookies etc. Hockey is a sport that has many injuries and one that young stars rule the league. Waiting to get that prized rookie on your roster can make a game sit on a shelf a long time. Most people want to start that franchise right away and faster updates would help that out for sure.

One of the biggest additions I see for NHL ’09 is the new first person mode. Being able to play goalie is a neat addition, and they promised improvements with it, so many will be eagerly anticipating that. Still bringing a role playing type mode is overdue in sports gaming. MLB the Show did this well with Road to the Show and Madden and NCAA Football have their versions of this role playing type of mode as well. It makes perfect sense for NHL to follow suit. If nothing else it should provide a little entertainment on the side.

With all that being said the other things that could get mentioned would be custom soundtracks and in game ditties. That would be huge and something NCAA is doing this year. It would keep things fresh and hopefully it makes the cut. Also maybe some new game modes would help out. Bring back skills competitions and the 16 team playoff mode and this guy is a happy camper. Throw in some throwback jerseys and this game will take me right up to next July again.

I am certainly excited to see what they can do in NHL ’09 and you should be too. The groundwork has been set and with the foundation in place things should only improve this year. As always, stay tuned in as the news starts to roll in on NHL '09.

NHL 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 BDawg35 @ 06/06/08 04:07 PM

I'll defer to everyone else. I guess I'm in the minority. I found NHL '08 frustrating as heck. I sat down one night and played about eight games and couldn't score more than two goals in any of them. I'm not a stick skillz guy and I got the feeling you had to be in order to play this game. What I really, really, really need - and others have asked for as well - is a separate set of sliders for human and CPU. The sliders as they are now are a total mystery. You don't know to what degree you're helping yourself and hurting the CPU when the sliders are universal for both.

# 2 bigwill33 @ 06/06/08 04:27 PM

Poor bdawg, yes this game was geared more towards button grinders than in the past. However, you are so correct that the sliders need to be tweaked and actually work properly. Having sets for human vs cpu would help out tremendously.

Still it can play a pretty simulation style if you try, the one thing that lacks is the garbage goals around the net. I think improving that aspect would help players like yourself because you can throw shots at the net and hope for rebounds etc.

# 3 Shadymamba @ 06/06/08 04:27 PM

man i had this game for months someone brought it as a gift and i never played it lol..guess im the fool i better get on with it!!

# 4 mdgoalie37 @ 06/06/08 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDawg35


	I'll defer to everyone else. I guess I'm in the minority. I found NHL '08 frustrating as heck. I sat down one night and played about eight games and couldn't score more than two goals in any of them. I'm not a stick skillz guy and I got the feeling you had to be in order to play this game. What I really, really, really need - and others have asked for as well - is a separate set of sliders for human and CPU. The sliders as they are now are a total mystery. You don't know to what degree you're helping yourself and hurting the CPU when the sliders are universal for both.

The game can be frustrating. if you just try to go up and down the wing, fire shots or set up one-timer after one-timer you will be in big trouble. Puck possession is key - you can force the CPU into mistakes if you play smart.
That said, the game can be really frustrating - I remember beating the Islanders (I was the Flyers) when I scored 4 first period goals (a few were junk) and I won like 8-1. Next game I completely dominate NJ, without Broduer and I lose 2-1. I think I had 65 shots. I probably was running and gunning more in that game since Marty didn't play - and it cost me.

# 5 Cardot @ 06/06/08 06:50 PM

'08 shined in the online department. But like BDawg, the single player experience frustrated me a bit. Sadly, I would have just needed a few options to make me happy....separate goalie sliders being the big one. Personally, I like 5 minute periods, but I also like realistic scores.....unfortunately, I wasn't able to get this in '08.

# 6 bigwill33 @ 06/06/08 09:51 PM

This just came out from gamestop.com for NHL 09, and sounds promising. Check out the article and there are a few screen grabs too. They speak in depth about first person mode too.

"Of equal, if not greater, use will be the ability to lift an opposing player's stick off of the ice with a press of a button. It's a simple defense against the prevalent one-timers that can become a cornerstone of the game, especially online; by lifting your opponent's stick off the ice, you take away his ability to smack that one-time pass toward the goalie. Nevertheless, you have to be careful because there's an associated risk with this defensive reward: If you miss the timing on the lift, then you might end up inadvertently smacking your opponent's player in the head, resulting in a penalty in the process. " -gamestop

# 7 StatMan79 @ 06/07/08 08:11 PM

bigwill - that sounds a lot like how the A button is used (on 360 that is) on defense right now, except you're tying the guy up, not lifting his stick. You can get the high-sticking call just the same though if you're doing too much.

I'd very much like to see the scouting and draft stuff improved a ton.

# 8 bigwill33 @ 06/07/08 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatMan79


	bigwill - that sounds a lot like how the A button is used (on 360 that is) on defense right now, except you're tying the guy up, not lifting his stick. You can get the high-sticking call just the same though if you're doing too much. I'd very much like to see the scouting and draft stuff improved a ton.

You mean when you hook the guy and sometimes it goes and does the stick in the face animations?

I think this should work better, because it serves as a way of just playing the stick and not the body. It will help smaller defensemen pick up a man, and is probably a good way to counter the annoying slap passing that goes on online.

What would be nice would be if they had 2 and 4 minute penalties for high sticking. I know they are not allowed to show blood in the game because of the rating, but even not showing it and just putting those penalties in the game would add a lot to the experience. Here's to hoping atleast!

# 9 Flyermania @ 06/08/08 12:30 AM

I am very optimistic for NHL 09...the core of the game is solid, so the game needs some minor tweaks and adjustments to make it better. The development team seems very committed to the series -- just look at the improvements made when it first came to next-gen, and then again from 07 to 08.

# 10 Kontos18 @ 06/08/08 11:51 AM

NHL 08 definitely needs to work on the player faces. They had the superstars and a few other players but not enough. It is nice to recognize your favorite players. I also think a new faceoff system would be good. You don't see many faceoffs in the NHL that doesn't result in a battle with help from the wingers. The board play needs fix bad. The only way to pin a guy was to hit the hold button and half the time you get called for a holding call when the puck is right there. The goaltending was either terrible or awesome depending on your difficulty level. The game was fun against a human opponent but for playing the computer I prefferred 2k8 because of the slider options. Looking forward to 09 because the potential to be an awesome game is there.

# 11 StatMan79 @ 06/08/08 10:30 PM

Am I really the only one that doesn't care about dumping and chasing being in the game for the sake of realism? These are the worst parts of real hockey - I certainly don't want to be playing dump and watch in a video game.

# 12 Trick_ @ 06/09/08 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatMan79


	Am I really the only one that doesn't care about dumping and chasing being in the game for the sake of realism? These are the worst parts of real hockey - I certainly don't want to be playing dump and watch in a video game.

i'm torn on this....because i try to play sim...but like you i hate that part of the game...however i'm willing to bet that their are a lot of goals scored this way. it would be a perfect way to incorporate or create plays from behind the net IMO.

# 13 bigwill33 @ 06/09/08 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatMan79


	Am I really the only one that doesn't care about dumping and chasing being in the game for the sake of realism? These are the worst parts of real hockey - I certainly don't want to be playing dump and watch in a video game.

It should at least be an option for players who like a simulation style game. If you play a team that you cannot get into their zone any other way then dumping should be an option at least.

# 14 Flyermania @ 06/09/08 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatMan79


	Am I really the only one that doesn't care about dumping and chasing being in the game for the sake of realism? These are the worst parts of real hockey - I certainly don't want to be playing dump and watch in a video game.

Yes, you are.

j/k

I think it should definitely be in the game. You may not always choose to use it, but it is such a common facet of the game that it needs to be in there.

# 15 mdgoalie37 @ 06/09/08 12:16 PM

yeah, I've had plays where I stood up my guys at the blue line and the CPU will dance around in the nuetral zone trying to find a hole instead of dumping it in. IRL teams would always dump the puck and get after it. I hate when CPU players skate towards the boards and then do this piroette (sp) towards the middle of the ice - never seen that done IRL.

This would also help with line changes. Of course it would help if the guys would actually come off the ice when you dump it.

# 16 mdgoalie37 @ 06/09/08 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgalv


	you can dump and chase in the current game, you just have to do it smartly and practice doing it so you're not just turning it over every time. you need to use the saucer pass and the saucer pass dump shot. the problem is there's no point of doing it because the D gives up the line. i'm fine with it the way it is. if everything was all congested like the nhl and you were always forced to move the puck a certain way then dump it like real hockey, the game would get boring. they do need to tighten up the D a little though. you shouldn't just be able to pass the puck to a fast guy and skate around in circles and have no one be able to take the puck away. and maxim afinogenov, pierre-marc bouchard, and 3rd line guys with 90s for speed shouldn't be the guys you'd go to for a cheap goal, instead of a guy with skills but not speed like rick nash.

I like to dump on occasion and get on the forecheck. I think one of the issues is that the CPU won't.

# 17 iPoneU512 @ 07/18/08 03:48 PM

my advice for BDawg is to try and put as many pucks on net as possble

# 18 iPoneU512 @ 07/18/08 03:48 PM

also i was wundering if anyone new wat the user golie controls would be like on NHL09

# 19 pf8363 @ 07/18/08 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgalv


	you can dump and chase in the current game, you just have to do it smartly and practice doing it so you're not just turning it over every time. you need to use the saucer pass and the saucer pass dump shot. the problem is there's no point of doing it because the D gives up the line. i'm fine with it the way it is. if everything was all congested like the nhl and you were always forced to move the puck a certain way then dump it like real hockey, the game would get boring. they do need to tighten up the D a little though. you shouldn't just be able to pass the puck to a fast guy and skate around in circles and have no one be able to take the puck away. and maxim afinogenov, pierre-marc bouchard, and 3rd line guys with 90s for speed shouldn't be the guys you'd go to for a cheap goal, instead of a guy with skills but not speed like rick nash.

max afinogenov is one of the most skilled players in the nhl. he can dangle on the best of the best and make them look silly. unfortunately, he is not one of the smartest players in the nhl. he is a giveaway master, and that is why he is on the third line.

# 20 catcatch22 @ 07/18/08 05:42 PM

I haven't had the problem with the CPU dumping in. One thing I didn't like with my sliders was the AI dumped it in at the first sign of trouble in the neutral zone.

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