News Post

Fixing Fighting in NHL 2010: Fight Night on Ice

11:14 AM - September 30, 2008 by RaychelSnr

NHL 09 is, by most accounts, a truly great game. However, there is one feature in NHL which is just subpar, the fighting engine. Alexander Senate checks in today with an article discussing how to fix the fighting engine in NHL 09 to bring it up to par with the rest of the games quality. Check out his thoughts and be sure to add your own two cents!

Quote:


	"NHL 09 is the favorite to win my personal Game of the Year award at this point. Unless one of the NBA games comes and knocks it off next month (I�m looking at you 2K9), the race is already over. We can leave the argument for MLB 08: The Show for another time, but what we can�t debate is that no matter how impressive NHL 09 is in terms of gameplay and replayability, there is one thing that is missing. It is something that is one of the most popular aspects of all hockey video games, if not the sport of hockey as a whole. I am of course speaking about the lack of a fully immersive fighting mode. It is something that 09 is plagued by. I did however come up with the way to fix it."

Game: NHL 09Reader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS2 / PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 47 - View All

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Member Comments

# 21 Kingfish @ 10/02/08 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baa7


	Or they could be confident, intelligent adults who tell their kids and others that smacking someone in the face with your fist is juvenile, it resolves nothing, and it only brings you down to the other person's level. Honestly, that really could be it. And in my case, it is.

Now imagine...you are the sniper for your team, lets say, 6'1 and maybe 200lbs. You release a PERFECT shot and JUST as your arms go up to celebrate with the red light...next thing you feel is the cold ice on your cheek mixed with warm blood gushing from the cut over your eye.

You've been cheap-shot'd by the opposing teams enforcer type...he's 6'4 230lbs and had about 400 pim last season. He is standing over you...glaring down and smiling his toothless grin at you.

Yeah, he is going to get maybe 5 + a game for it but...you will most likely be looking for him every time he skates out on the ice the next 4+ times you play this team.

So, this story can play out one of two ways. The linesman skates over and escorts him off the ice to the cheers/boos of the crowd and two team-mates help YOU to the locker room for 40+ stitches and prolly a concussion...why did that goon do this? Cause this is YOUR team and you think fighting is juvenile and you refuse to allow your Coach/GM to have any enforcers on the bench with you!

So, lets see how that plays out in REAL hockey...

Because Marty McSorely IS skating out there with you Wayne, Bob Probert simply skates over and bumps you after your goal, calling your mom a name that you'll need to lookup when you get back to the lockeroom...and even this slight contact with you STILL draws a ruckus between the teams tough guys.

The enforcer is there...its reality...until they remove fighting all together, its there and I for one WANT it in the game. I want it cause its a SIMULATION of real hockey to me(and a lot of others too I bet).

Fighting actually helps calm the game down and keeps it even keeled by giving those who need it, an outlet that is legal(in the terms of the game) and that has proper repercussions.

You know, life should be so simple.

# 22 IBYCFOTA @ 10/02/08 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baa7


	Or they could be confident, intelligent adults who tell their kids and others that smacking someone in the face with your fist is juvenile, it resolves nothing, and it only brings you down to the other person's level. Honestly, that really could be it. And in my case, it is.

Sorry but this is nonsense. It's one of the most physical sports there is, and fighting has been as big of a part of the game of hockey as the alley-oop is to basketball or the double-play in baseball.

Honestly the fighting engine in this game is pathetic. It's about as intuitive as rock em sock em robots. I don't expect the fighting in a hockey game to ever be very realistic but the system in NHL 09 is boring, stupid, and unrealistic. It does not need to be as deep as a boxing game, but for the love of god it should be deeper than the fighting of the karate kid on super nintendo.

Whether you like the fighting or not, it will always be a part of hockey and will never be removed from a hockey game. At this point though I'd rather not fight at all than waste 30 seconds fighting in this game.

# 23 LKelley998 @ 10/02/08 04:30 PM

I want the ability to use the stick as a weapon. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to put a guy out for the season with a well-placed throat gash?

It's a video game and it's supposed to be fun. I don't know about the rest of you, but taking an occasional break from on ice back-and-forth play in order to participate in a vicious goon-instigated brawl or nasty stick-slashing is my idea of fun.

# 24 LP @ 10/02/08 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LKelley998


	I want the ability to use the stick as a weapon. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to put a guy out for the season with a well-placed throat gash? It's a video game and it's supposed to be fun. I don't know about the rest of you, but taking an occasional break from on ice back-and-forth play in order to participate in a vicious goon-instigated brawl or nasty stick-slashing is my idea of fun.

This is exactly the kind of thing that will never be in an NHL game. Not to mention this is the kind of post people will use in support of their argument against fighting.

# 25 IBYCFOTA @ 10/05/08 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LP


	This is exactly the kind of thing that will never be in an NHL game. Not to mention this is the kind of post people will use in support of their argument against fighting.

Agreed. It's almost not worth responding to, you will never see this in a hockey game, and for good reason.

# 26 Kingfish @ 10/06/08 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LKelley998


	I want the ability to use the stick as a weapon. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to put a guy out for the season with a well-placed throat gash? It's a video game and it's supposed to be fun. I don't know about the rest of you, but taking an occasional break from on ice back-and-forth play in order to participate in a vicious goon-instigated brawl or nasty stick-slashing is my idea of fun.

HEY...I know you! You are that 7yo that killed all this animals at the Sydney Animal Park last week aren't you!!! I KNEW IT!!!

Oh and might i add...WONDERFUL first post welcome and goodbye!

# 27 SabresKings3623 @ 10/06/08 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingfish


	Now imagine...you are the sniper for your team, lets say, 6'1 and maybe 200lbs. You release a PERFECT shot and JUST as your arms go up to celebrate with the red light...next thing you feel is the cold ice on your cheek mixed with warm blood gushing from the cut over your eye. You've been cheap-shot'd by the opposing teams enforcer type...he's 6'4 230lbs and had about 400 pim last season. He is standing over you...glaring down and smiling his toothless grin at you. Yeah, he is going to get maybe 5 + a game for it but...you will most likely be looking for him every time he skates out on the ice the next 4+ times you play this team. So, this story can play out one of two ways. The linesman skates over and escorts him off the ice to the cheers/boos of the crowd and two team-mates help YOU to the locker room for 40+ stitches and prolly a concussion...why did that goon do this? Cause this is YOUR team and you think fighting is juvenile and you refuse to allow your Coach/GM to have any enforcers on the bench with you! So, lets see how that plays out in REAL hockey... Because Marty McSorely IS skating out there with you Wayne, Bob Probert simply skates over and bumps you after your goal, calling your mom a name that you'll need to lookup when you get back to the lockeroom...and even this slight contact with you STILL draws a ruckus between the teams tough guys. The enforcer is there...its reality...until they remove fighting all together, its there and I for one WANT it in the game. I want it cause its a SIMULATION of real hockey to me(and a lot of others too I bet). Fighting actually helps calm the game down and keeps it even keeled by giving those who need it, an outlet that is legal(in the terms of the game) and that has proper repercussions. You know, life should be so simple.

This.

# 28 tyler289 @ 10/07/08 11:38 AM

Without Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley, Alex Ovechkin would probably be in the hospital from all the cheap shots he'd take from frustrated players.

Enforcers are still in the game and fighting is still huge. The Caps-Flyers preseason game had I think 3.

I want to see a tie-up in the fighting system, like for example, one player grabs the other one in the fight and they fall to the ground, like Jay Beagle did to Downie in the preseason game. I feel like the players usually fall down to the ice anyways.

# 29 ferriscj24 @ 12/07/08 02:06 AM

They could easily fix this issue in 09 by simply releasing another patch which fixes the amount of health lost after a punch. Instead of one punch taking your health down 80-90%, make it 5-15% or so. No need to revamp the entire fighting engine. Just take down the damage in a patch. Seems like an easy fix for EA to me...

# 30 JR360 @ 12/07/08 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baa7


	Um, I've been watching hockey since Jacques Plante played for the Canadiens, and I also think fighting is ridiculous, both in real hockey and in hockey video games. And in case you didn't notice, it is slowly being pushed out of hockey. On top of that, fighting in real hockey is borne out of emotion in the moment. So there's at least some merit or sense to it. But what's video hockey fighting borne out of? Some jacked-up video geek getting their jollies by playing "Punch the virtual person in the face!" Whoopie, yeah, fun stuff. Really worth defending.

I couldn't care less about fighting in a hockey video game, but the stats say that fighting is on the rise again:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/...ophy_fighting/

# 31 apigula @ 12/15/08 06:50 PM

As a whole the fighting has come a long way (2000 for example, plain horrible). This said though there are a few changes that could be made.
I like the suggestion earlier referring to the "Chronicles of Riddick" style of fighting, with each joystick controlling each hand.
But, basic fight science has to be incorporated.
Say a giant (Chara, Boogard) is squaring off with a smaller scrapper (Avery, otherwise), if the bigger guy grabs on chances are the smaller guy wont connect nearly as much.
Some other things that are just pet peeves are the inability to circle in the direction you choose (actually an advantage if used right), and the way the fights start (how about a little chirping instead of a cross check to the back?).
Finally, it may have been discussed before, but how about being able to fight whoever you want. Crosby dropped in juniors, even Yzerman had some scraps in his career. In the real game you are held accountable for your reactions regardless of who you are. I know it sounds heinous, but what about making a player fight? Somehow make it so you can fight them, if they don't swing it's a two minute for roughing and the attacker gets a five.

I'm sure there's more but they've slipped my mind. Time to play anyways, Wings are raping dynasty mode, as usual.

# 32 hockey_crazed @ 03/08/09 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by welshman11


	Not many NHL fights conclude in knockout blows like the videogame

so true, either of you always getting knocked out no matter what? its a little weird thats definitly a fixer.

# 33 Fiddy @ 03/08/09 02:38 PM

so much more important things to fix before the fighting IMO..

# 34 hockey_crazed @ 03/08/09 09:36 PM

true, fighting is at the bottom of the list of things that need fixing. for instance you can score every time doing some moves like turning sharp onto your back hand and skate unitill the goalie is in the center of the net the take a slap shot and it goes in every time i know goalies can stop it. also quick one times in the slot it goes in every time witch it does quite allot in real life too but the move doesnt work every time like in the game. so fighting should be fixed in a couple years afte the main issues are delt with. :P

# 35 MissionHossa-81 @ 04/17/09 05:29 PM

all i have to say about fighting is two things, let the goalies get into it. its always fun watchin two goalies duel it out, of course im from det so ive seen it through the years, with colorado. last thought is maybe a bench clearing brawl or somthing as i said im from det and when i watched the fights between col and det i wouldent mind bein in the middle of one of thoes in a game. one more thing as i read this stupid asses comment fighting in hockey is the next best thing then scoring a goal or making a great save it draws in the crowds if u take fighting out u take the fun out and the emotion, well the emotion can still be there but not in a physical way

# 36 CaesVik @ 04/29/09 07:19 PM

There are obvious flaws in the fighting system. (My, 197 lbs, 6"2" character should not be able to take down Zdeno Chara under any circumstances) But i think they are missing an even more essential part of hockey. Whenever the whistle blows, it quickly goes to replays and player stats; all that stuff DOES happen on TV. However, if you have two fiercely aggressive division rivals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, a whole new world opens up after the play stops. They should incorporate some "after-play" action. I absolutely love mowing down idle players and having the referees look the other way, but those players should be able to retaliate, especially if they are named Sean Avery. I think they should have tension build up after the whistle, like if i snow-shower the goalie, then have group fights like they would in actual games. Without those, you're eliminating 90% of roughing and game misconduct penalties. Btw, i also think that the fight engine in Nhl 05 (or maybe 04, not sure) was spectacular. Players usually grab and throw punches from in close, not 4 feet away from eachother.

# 37 Qb @ 04/30/09 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaesVik


	Btw, i also think that the fight engine in Nhl 05 (or maybe 04, not sure) was spectacular. Players usually grab and throw punches from in close, not 4 feet away from eachother.

Not sure if it carried over to NHL 2005, but the fighting engine in NHL 2004 was the best one I remember -- although I never played 2K9 and the fights were supposedly great.

I'm all for some post-whistle scrums in certain situations, even if it's only via cutscenes (offline only, I think cutscenes have to go online). Heck, I'd even like to see penalties for hits after the whistle, followed by scrums or fights. Remember the original NHL Hockey for Genesis? Check after goal equaled fight... beautiful.

# 38 mkharsh33 @ 04/30/09 03:34 PM

i wish there were a few scrums in front of the net after guys pile up in front of the goalie...that would be kinda cool (and realistic).

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