NHL 2K6 and NHL 06 out this week...

kicko · Post by **kicko** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:06 am

I'm going with 2k6(ps2) only because it was better last year and it's $20, if i were to buy NHL06 it would be for the PC better graphics and the mods you can download will take care of any issue the game might have.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:25 am

The fact that one timers are much better (i.e. harder to score, and execute) makes 2K6 already a much improved game.

You can set one timers to easy or hard where hard makes them difficult to even execute one at all (i.e. backhanded onetimers will be seen a lot less this year's game).

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:56 am

NHL 2K6 for Xbox just arrived at the EB here. I'll be getting my copy later today.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 12:45 pm

lucky

kicko · Post by **kicko** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:26 pm

My eb games just said friday for 2k6

and tomorrow for 06, he was a new jack i had not seen before but that seems to be the word xbox 2k6 1st then ps2(friday) nhl06 seems on schedule for all systems

GROGtheNailer · Post by **GROGtheNailer** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:30 pm

Wow...I just heard that Bob Cole and Harry Neale are doing the play by play for NHL2k6....fricken awesome.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:37 pm

GROGtheNailer wrote:Wow...I just heard that Bob Cole and Harry Neale are doing the play by play for NHL2k6....fricken awesome.

As great as that sounds, reviews are saying they sound bland as hell. Oh well, its only play by play. Gamespot review is below.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/sports/nhl ... htop_watch

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:09 pm

Are rules changes updated?

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:17 pm

GROGtheNailer wrote:Wow...I just heard that Bob Cole and Harry Neale are doing the play by play for NHL2k6....fricken awesome.

They were horrible on the DC NHL 2k they were in. I mean brutal. I'm getting 2k6 and will pick up EA's effort if I can get if for $19.99 and Fry's.

blueduke · Post by **blueduke** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:32 pm

Who were the guys who did the play by play for Rivals? I think they were halfway decent

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:47 pm

blueduke wrote:Who were the guys who did the play by play for Rivals? I think they were halfway decent

Sam Rosen and John Davidson, the voices of the New York Rangers. And don't forget the LEGENDARY Dick Fain as the rinkside reporter!

Take care,
PK

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:54 pm

Inuyasha wrote:Are rules changes updated?

Fired it up and looked into the rules options:

Tag up offides. Default is ON, can be turned off.

THere are options for the overtime, including the new style with one 5 minute period followed by 3 man shootout.

Two line pass defaults to off. Can be turned on.

There is a penalty option for "Goalie outside crease". Default is penalty is ON.

So I fired up a game, basically at default settings.

Rules wise:
==========
The new goalie handling area is on the ice surface. When dumping it in, the goalies (controlled by AI) did not leave this area to get the dump in. They went behind the net but stayed in the trapezoid. I took Hasek out of the crease area with the puck, in FRONT of the goal-line, around the face off circle) but didn't play it (nor did I freeze it, I just held it on my stick) and was called for 2:00 for delay of game.

There were two line passes, and they were allowed.

I did not see any line changes after I iced the puck, even with a tired line.

Tag up offsides worked.

On default penalty settings, I was not getting away with ANYTHING stick related at all in the open ice. Ref'ing was very strict. Way more than NHL 2k5. The commentators even commented on the "crackdown on obstruction". I did do some away from the puck checking without the stick (just pressing B) and I was alot less likely to be called doing that than if I used R-stick to hook or slash.

Other stuff:
============
Graphically about the same as last year, but maybe a bit better. The picture-in-picture faceoff cam is ALOT clearer this year.

The announcers seemed reasonable. Not great, not terrible. They got things right most of the time.

I connected to XBL, and was required to do an update. THen once it restarted it claimed I needed to update my default online roster, so it downloaded something. I could not go in and check it without going back to main menu, and when I did the rosters were not up to date at all. Not sure what is going on here.

The game is too fast on default slider settings. Typical old "S move" from sega games works at the default settings. There is something in the XBL online faq in-game that says they have slowed down the speed for ranked games.

There was nobody online to play against.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:00 pm

Give the guys at HNIC a chance, they may have been mediocre on DC but we are talking PS2 and Xbox here. In Canada they are well known and they have been the voice of Hockey for years.

About the update on the rosters I am puzzled as to why it didn't do the job as James states.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:26 pm

gameplay?

pretty good?

decent?

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:33 pm

James_E wrote:I connected to XBL, and was required to do an update. THen once it restarted it claimed I needed to update my default online roster, so it downloaded something. I could not go in and check it without going back to main menu, and when I did the rosters were not up to date at all. Not sure what is going on here.

Normally you have to go to the "Load Roster" screen to load the online rosters. It doesn't do it automatically when you go "offline" only online.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:03 am

Early impressions as I got the game late last night for the 2K6.

Smooth gameplay, skating is a s solid as last year, I love the stop and go, tried to screen the goalie, pinched in the D, that feature with the right stick opens up a whole strategy while on the attack.

I picked my Canucks against Pitts, hoping to see some of the new additions by the Penguins but the rosters are totally outdated. Didn't bother going online yet. The graphics are fine, perhaps not as detailed as probably EA will be, for example players that should have a visor don't carry one (M. Naslund), and there are newer animations.

I played it on default and the score was 6-0 for my team. I had way too many shots on goal, almost 3 to 1 vs the CPU. On default I also found the speed of the game a bit too fast, so they'll be a lot of slide adjustments to come.

Commentary of the 2 new guys is just fine, B. Cole doesn't really sound like him but H. Neale provides nice insights without being repetitive.

My goals were selective, 2 tape to tape, 1 wraparound, 1 on a backhand while the other 2, I waited for the goalie to make the first move before I put the puck in. The AI on the CPU was a bit weak, I almost single handedly walked at will to the crease, but again I was playing against the Penguins which didn't do too well the last few years. Hopefully that will change with a stronger team.

They finally got the angle of the camera right, I can see almost all my players involved in the action, without touching the zoom feature. Again, my impressions is based on default mode and probably it was on amateur . It's so late I just wanted to play the game.

I am way past my bedtime, can't wait to start tweaking with the sliders the next few days...

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:06 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:
James_E wrote:I connected to XBL, and was required to do an update. THen once it restarted it claimed I needed to update my default online roster, so it downloaded something. I could not go in and check it without going back to main menu, and when I did the rosters were not up to date at all. Not sure what is going on here.
Normally you have to go to the "Load Roster" screen to load the online rosters. It doesn't do it automatically when you go "offline" only online.

Tried that. It said there was no roster to load up.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:09 am

Sudz wrote:gameplay?

pretty good?

decent?

Tough to tell if it's any different than last year yet. After only 1 game on default settings I don't want to comment too much, since one game isn't enough and none of us here will play on default settings. I would say it's pretty much the same as last year, but I kept it pretty simple last night during my game as I was testing the new rules, not trying anything special like the new wraparound moves, the on-the-fly strategy etc.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:20 am

I plan to plug in Grog's sliders from last year's game tonight and see what effect occurs. If the gameplay is similar to last year's game, then Grog's sliders should work.

Eager, eager!

Take care,
PK

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:58 am

i've seen a couple posts regarding NHL2K6 game freezes already apparently after altering the default rosters. I don't know if it's system related or game but I read the same about 2K5. I had a few lockups on that game...not to many though. I'm going to sit back and wait for the reviews to come in but I still think i'm buying both games tonight. I'll go with 2K6 for Xbox for online play. If I get a confirmation on the PS2 version having updated rosters for the NHL 94 bonus game i'll be getting NHL 06 on PS2.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 11:34 am

just bought both.

will play them tonight...

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 11:49 am

Sudz what platform did you get 06 for?

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:11 pm

Now you guys are making me want to get the game tonight instead of Friday as I planned.

Jerks.

And I've got my first day of the Fall semester tommorow too. Jerks.

As far as rosters are concerned, they won't be updated until after the first drop of the puck in October (officially, at least).

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:14 pm

tjung0831 wrote:If I get a confirmation on the PS2 version having updated rosters for the NHL 94 bonus game i'll be getting NHL 06 on PS2.

I have no real confirmation, but judging by these screens, dont' count on it.

Sport73 · Post by **Sport73** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:25 pm

Only the PS2 version gets the bonus game? It might sway me to try NHL 2006 if there is a version of NHL 94 that I can re-live without emulators etc. but I only own an XBox.