NHL 09 vs NHL 2K9 - Is there a consensus?

RainMaker · 01-02-2009, 10:19 PM

Going to the Winter Classic yesterday has gotten me back in the hockey mood. I haven't played a hockey game on any system in a few years. What is the overall consensus for what is the best game? I'm probably not going to play online much but instead just start a franchise. I like the little things during games so the game with that would get a huge plus in my book.

Any help is appreciated.

DeToxRox · 01-02-2009, 10:25 PM

NHL 09 for sure. Be A Pro is the best feature in a sports game ever.

rowech · 01-02-2009, 10:26 PM

While not a consensous, I think you'll find an overwhelming majority would tell you NHL 09. Probably will win many sports game of the year awards.

RainMaker · 01-02-2009, 10:29 PM

How is the franchise mode? My biggest concern is sim stats that never seem to be right in EA games.

DeToxRox · 01-02-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

How is the franchise mode? My biggest concern is sim stats that never seem to be right in EA games.

Honestly never played it, but have logged hundreds of Be A Pro games; both online and off.

samifan24 · 01-02-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

NHL 09 for sure. Be A Pro is the best feature in a sports game ever.

This is absolutely spot on. The Be A Pro mode is unbelievably good and would probably interest most non-hockey fans. It's that good.

RainMaker · 01-02-2009, 11:02 PM

What is Be a Pro mode for idiots like me who haven't played the series in awhile?

DeToxRox · 01-02-2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

What is Be a Pro mode for idiots like me who haven't played the series in awhile?

You create a guy and control him specifically. Start in the AHL and work your way up to the NHL.

Icy · 01-03-2009, 04:51 AM

NHL09 is the game of the year for me, bought it on release day and can't stop to play Online Team Play, in fact it's the only game i have been playing in the last 3 months.

Online Team play is like Madden/NCAA Superstar mode but online with real human team mates, Be A Pro is the same but you play offline with CPU team mates, starting as rookie in a farm team and making your way up to the pros in the team you choose.

After 500+ online team play games played I'm right now a left defenseman in a top team (ranked #11 out of 5,000+ teams in the EA online league) and playing organized hockey with guys that are great at it is a really awesome experience. The top 100 teams or so take things so serioulsy, as the top 20 are supposed to go to Canada to play for the title in May or so. You need to pass a trial to join them when they have spots open, some have websites, communicate in game with headsets, etc. I specialized on defense since the game came out as most of the guys want to play offense so we defenseman are highly demanded. A good goalie (hard to find) is a top demanded position too.

Icy · 01-03-2009, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

How is the franchise mode? My biggest concern is sim stats that never seem to be right in EA games.

Well franchise is ok. Like most of next gen EA games, not so deep. You can trade, sign FA, draft, send/call players from the farm team, setup lines, etc and play games both with your NHL and Farm teams.

Stats are ok, even good i would say in PRO difficulty. Recently it was discovered that the difficulty level and sliders seem to affect the stats sim, so even if you play the games in the highest difficulty with custom sliders, you should set the difficulty to PRO and default sliders when you sim the rest of league games. AI trades are questionable as in most of EA sports games so i recommend you to save after every game so you can go back if you see a really stupid trade between two AI teams, then advance again and sometimes they don't make it again.

Anyway i don't play franchise a lot, my gamming time is as i said before online and offline Be a Pro, i love this kind of new sports RPG genre that seems the new trend, can't wait to see it improved in the next years.

Maple Leafs · 01-03-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samifan24

This is absolutely spot on. The Be A Pro mode is unbelievably good and would probably interest most non-hockey fans. It's that good.

Actually, I'd argue that the Be a Pro concept is unbelievably good. The execution is pretty bad. But it's still so much fun that you really wonder how great it will be when they get it right in another year or two.

samifan24 · 01-03-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Actually, I'd argue that the Be a Pro concept is unbelievably good. The execution is pretty bad. But it's still so much fun that you really wonder how great it will be when they get it right in another year or two.

In what ways do you find the execution to be bad? I found the positioning to be generally technically sound and the coach's instructions to be fair based on what type of player you're playing as.

BigDPW · 01-03-2009, 03:36 PM

Question for you BE A PRO veterans?

I got the game about a week ago and have played a few games in the offline be a pro mode and love the camera. I have not "taken my guy online" but I did play a quick start all human player game once and noticed that the camera was not the be a pro camera online in that mode? Is that the same with Be A Pro mode or do I get to play with the camera just like offline in that online mode? The problem is that I am a defenseman and I am often off the screen in the default camera in the one quick start game I played.

DeToxRox · 01-03-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDPW

Question for you BE A PRO veterans?

I got the game about a week ago and have played a few games in the offline be a pro mode and love the camera. I have not "taken my guy online" but I did play a quick start all human player game once and noticed that the camera was not the be a pro camera online in that mode? Is that the same with Be A Pro mode or do I get to play with the camera just like offline in that online mode? The problem is that I am a defenseman and I am often off the screen in the default camera in the one quick start game I played.

Same as BAP mode offline.

Icy · 01-03-2009, 04:36 PM

You can choose any camera you want for BAP. Either the BAP high or low cameras or the classic, ice, overhead etc from past years. As defenseman i suggest you to use the overhead camera, less inmersive than the BAP ones but you see half of the rink, perfect to intercept passes, cover cherry pickers, etc.

01-03-2009, 04:51 AM	#9
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	NHL09 is the game of the year for me, bought it on release day and can't stop to play Online Team Play, in fact it's the only game i have been playing in the last 3 months. Online Team play is like Madden/NCAA Superstar mode but online with real human team mates, Be A Pro is the same but you play offline with CPU team mates, starting as rookie in a farm team and making your way up to the pros in the team you choose. After 500+ online team play games played I'm right now a left defenseman in a top team (ranked #11 out of 5,000+ teams in the EA online league) and playing organized hockey with guys that are great at it is a really awesome experience. The top 100 teams or so take things so serioulsy, as the top 20 are supposed to go to Canada to play for the title in May or so. You need to pass a trial to join them when they have spots open, some have websites, communicate in game with headsets, etc. I specialized on defense since the game came out as most of the guys want to play offense so we defenseman are highly demanded. A good goalie (hard to find) is a top demanded position too. __________________ Last edited by Icy : 01-03-2009 at 04:59 AM.

01-03-2009, 04:36 PM	#15
Icy Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toledo - Spain	You can choose any camera you want for BAP. Either the BAP high or low cameras or the classic, ice, overhead etc from past years. As defenseman i suggest you to use the overhead camera, less inmersive than the BAP ones but you see half of the rink, perfect to intercept passes, cover cherry pickers, etc. __________________

01-02-2009, 10:25 PM	#2
DeToxRox Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Michigan	NHL 09 for sure. Be A Pro is the best feature in a sports game ever.

01-02-2009, 10:26 PM	#3
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	While not a consensous, I think you'll find an overwhelming majority would tell you NHL 09. Probably will win many sports game of the year awards.

01-02-2009, 10:29 PM	#4
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	How is the franchise mode? My biggest concern is sim stats that never seem to be right in EA games.

01-02-2009, 11:02 PM	#7
RainMaker General Manager Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	What is Be a Pro mode for idiots like me who haven't played the series in awhile?

01-03-2009, 03:36 PM	#13
BigDPW College Prospect Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Raleigh, NC	Question for you BE A PRO veterans? I got the game about a week ago and have played a few games in the offline be a pro mode and love the camera. I have not "taken my guy online" but I did play a quick start all human player game once and noticed that the camera was not the be a pro camera online in that mode? Is that the same with Be A Pro mode or do I get to play with the camera just like offline in that online mode? The problem is that I am a defenseman and I am often off the screen in the default camera in the one quick start game I played.

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