A cheap gamer's opinion on NHL games

Hey folks,
Julie, Dale, and I got a Wii a year ago, and like everyone else you know that's gotten one, we've loved it. I saw EA bring out Madden for Wii, then Tiger Woods (which I quite enjoy), and so it was a natural assumption that NHL wouldn't be far behind. Here they come! Madden 08, NCAA Football, FIFA, and so on, but what didn't they release? NHL... I am not at all pleased that they chose to exclude the NHL from their lineup.

This leaves me with a few options: Get it for the PC, but I suspect that it'll really suck on my geriatric Windows PC. (I run Linux on my newer systems.) I could also either get it for Xbox 360 or PS3. Going with either of those chalks the price of the game up to $59.99 USD and then we have to add the cost of the system. (Currently $349.99 USD for a decently equipped Xbox 360, or $499 USD for the 80 GB PS3.) Assuming I went with the Xbox 360 and bought the game we're talking $410 + tax USD to play one game. The real gamers out there can feel free to tell me all the wonderful games out there that I can get for the Xbox 360 and why it'd be a great purchase, but the reality is I hate role playing games, don't play many first person shooters, and hockey is THE sport I enjoy and have purchased every year since NHLPA 92 came out for the Sega Genesis. I think we can agree that $410+tax USD is more than a little insane for one game.

I started looking around to see what options there were because EA did make NHL 07 for Xbox last year, and we have a PS2 collecting dust. My search turned up NHL 08 for PS2, and I considered that at $29.99, but I also saw NHL 2K8 for the PS2 for $19.99. This price greatly appealed to my cheap ways, so I decided to Google for a few reviews. Neither NHL 08 or NHL 2K8 for PS2 got a "WOW IS THIS GREAT!" review because compared to the same games on the PS3 and Xbox 360 the graphics just don't measure up. For the systems they're on though, what I read lead me to believe that both are good games that are fun to play. Both more or less had the review "Same exact game as last year with updated rosters." Having gone through 15 versions of EA's NHL games, I decided I'd take a chance, save $10, and give the NHL 2K8 on the PS2 a shot. After all, it's got Jason Spezza on the cover instead of Staal from the 'Canes.

My verdict so far? If you're too cheap to pay for an updated gaming system and have a PS2 kicking around, NHL 2K8 is quite playable. The graphics are good for being on a PS2, although I'll nitpick and say it would've been nice if the game had an anamorphic mode for those of us with a component out cable hooking a PS2 to an HDTV. It does seem a little blockier than NHL 07 on the Xbox, but I don't know if I should be blaming that on the folks that made the game or on the PS2.

When it comes to the game play and overall feel I'm naturally inclined the compare it to EA's offerings of the past, but I hear that EA has made some big changes in how their controls are done. The reviews I read said that overall NHL 2K8 is probably the easiest game for a long time video hockey player to pick up. So far I have to agree with that reviewer. It was as simple as "Oh, this is shoot, this is pass, this is speed burst, etc."

I'm sure this is going to be yet another game where I play a full 82 game season and in the end the Ottawa Senators will win the Stanley Cup. I think I've done that for every year that EA gave the option of playing an 82 game season. I'm sure I'll be faced with a dilemma next year though as I highly doubt the 09 versions of these games will be released for the PS2 next year. If no one comes through for the Wii by then, I'll have to give up and get an Xbox 360. Here's hoping EA comes through for the Wii though. Until then, I'm blowing the dust off the old PS2.

- Dave