NHL 09 First Look

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:21 am

JRod wrote:I noticed the AI takes a lot of one-timers even on my team. I didn't like that and I thought I read they fixed that.

No, pretty much the same and it seems some shots just dont get blocked again even when it goes past or thru 4 players.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:31 pm

Played some more and 1 thing they improved is the play in front of the net. Lot's of action this year. Also, poke checking is an improvement due to the controls they gave.

Its ok, but something to me feels off about it compared to last year. Maybe I just need to get use to it or it could be because this is a demo.

Leadfoot5 · Post by **Leadfoot5** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:49 pm

Be a Pro mode has done nothing more than make me realize that I know absolutely nothing about playing proper positional hockey. The game has devolved into a game of "catch the arrow"... When I do eventually "catch" it, the damn thing starts pointing some other direction!!

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:57 pm

Leadfoot5 wrote:Be a Pro mode has done nothing more than make me realize that I know absolutely nothing about playing proper positional hockey. The game has devolved into a game of "catch the arrow"... When I do eventually "catch" it, the damn thing starts pointing some other direction!!

Same with me. Maybe it's just something to get use to.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:34 pm

Leadfoot5 wrote:Be a Pro mode has done nothing more than make me realize that I know absolutely nothing about playing proper positional hockey. The game has devolved into a game of "catch the arrow"... When I do eventually "catch" it, the damn thing starts pointing some other direction!!

Hockey positioning itself is very easy to understand....just as in the real game, the hard part is getting there and not getting caught out of position.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:54 pm

Can't wait to get home tonight to try the demo out.. that is if I don't have to go out on service calls all night again tonight.

RallyMonkey · Post by **RallyMonkey** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:04 pm

Hockey positioning itself is very easy to understand....just as in the real game, the hard part is getting there and not getting caught out of position.

Couldn't disagree with this statement more. The intricacies of the game are such that at any given moment ANY player on the ice could end up out of position with the bounce of a puck or the slightest lack of focus and cost his team in some form or fashion. Saying that positioning in hockey is easy is similar to saying playing the O-line in football is easy because all you have to do is block.

Having said that i think it will take some serious time in BAP to be pick up where you need to be if hockey is not a game you've ever played competitively.

Sorry t, just hit a sore spot there so don't take personal offense please......not to mention try telling my team of 20 high school players that positioning in the game of hockey is easy. We spend more time on that in practice than anything else and they hate it.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:30 pm

RallyMonkey wrote:
Having said that i think it will take some serious time in BAP to be pick up where you need to be if hockey is not a game you've ever played competitively.

Well, I think the 'need to be' part depends largely on whether or not the video game punishes you for being out of position, instead of rewarding you for things like both your D-men and a winger being sprawled out on the ice, shot blocking with a 'body-bunker' that they set up three feet in front of the goalie.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:43 pm

Popped in 08 to compare w/ 09 demo. I know 09 is a demo, but the 08 control just feel more solid. 09 control is more loose compared to 08. I don't know if the looser controls will be in the final version of 09.

Murph · Post by **Murph** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:17 pm

Inuyasha wrote:Popped in 08 to compare w/ 09 demo. I know 09 is a demo, but the 08 control just feel more solid. 09 control is more loose compared to 08. I don't know if the looser controls will be in the final version of 09.

Agreed, but I find myself paying the 2K9 demo just as much, so I might be leaning in that direction.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:41 pm

I would agree with you Inuyasha, the controls definitely feel more loose than last year and that might be a good thing as far as skating goes, seems to me that cutting on a dime is gone.. and I like that.

In fact, I'm quite impressed by the demo and since I've been playing the 2k9 demo it would have been ok if the NHL 09 demo was so-so. I was already getting 2k9 anyway.

BAP mode is going to be really addictive, I played it twice with each team and I had to stop as it was really fun and addicting.. had that one more period feel to it.

Playing against the CPU the game felt so much better, game speed is toned down and is perfect, imo.. shots are not as accurate, although still too many hitting the post... a VERY WIDE VARIETY of goals so far, goalie animations are excellent, hitting is a tad over the top, but better.. new controls are excellent..

I can finally play on AS and feel like I can play defense!!! Had more breakaways which means speed has been tweaked.. overall, I'm really liking the demo quite a bit.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:00 pm

There is some lag on cut screens and such (360), while in no ways a game killer, I hope that's fixed in the retail verison.

Sport73 · Post by **Sport73** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:02 pm

For what it's worth, the IGN review is up:

NHL 09 isn’t just a great hockey game, it’s one of the best sports games to be released in the last decade. It takes the right analog stick controls first pioneered in last year’s game and pushes them forward ever so slightly while pouring on features that everyone from newbies to diehards will appreciate. The only question remaining is how they’ll follow this sports game of the year contender once next season rolls around.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/908/908072p1.html

I didn't need the review to tell me that NHL 09 will be one of the best sports games of all time, but it's nice to get some confirmation. Really looking forward to the DSP hockey league team.

[/quote]

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:48 am

Finally tried the demo and really liking it so far. No major changes from 08, which is good. More board play, especially if you use the "Y" button a lot. Like the "lift the stick" additional button and the control feels silky smooth compared to 2K9. Didn't try BAP mode yet, but will do that soon.

All in all, no complaints. Great game.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:00 am

Graphics look much better than last year, especially the closeups.

But it's way slower than last year and the controls don't seem responsive.

They supposedly toned down the big hip checks but it seems checking just doesn't have the same impact.

BAP is interesting but it remains to be seen if the novelty will wear off.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:17 am

wco81 wrote:Graphics look much better than last year, especially the closeups.

But it's way slower than last year and the controls don't seem responsive.

On the contrary. It's because they toned down the speed a bit that I seem to have more control of what I want to do with my player.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:02 am

I am sincerely hoping that the game allows you to change the camera to a normal mode for OTP play, as FIFA allowed. The 'be a pro' camera is cute, but I find it rather disorienting around the net, and making it much too hard to see laterally around me when in the neutral zone. I'll enjoy OTP much more if I can play it in a normal, wide camera.

And G7, I am certainly a candidate to play defense. Even though I may not create an actual 'defensman' character doesn't mean I can't play the point in OTP. In fact, there may be plenty of times when I insist on it.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:25 am

10spro wrote:
wco81 wrote:Graphics look much better than last year, especially the closeups.

But it's way slower than last year and the controls don't seem responsive.
On the contrary. It's because they toned down the speed a bit that I seem to have more control of what I want to do with my player.

Yeah, I don't get the sluggish talk either. I think the 09 demo is finely tuned and I cannot wait until Wednesday.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:57 am

ScoopBrady wrote:
10spro wrote:
wco81 wrote:Graphics look much better than last year, especially the closeups.

But it's way slower than last year and the controls don't seem responsive.
On the contrary. It's because they toned down the speed a bit that I seem to have more control of what I want to do with my player.
Yeah, I don't get the sluggish talk either. I think the 09 demo is finely tuned and I cannot wait until Wednesday.

I don't get the unresponsive control comment either. Seems the same as ever to me. The default speed actually seems too fast, but that's because I usually dial it down from default a few notches. I also didn't notice the graphics as being better. I think games on the 360 have hit the wall, graphics wise. We haven't seen marked improvements....especially in sports games.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:54 pm

I agree about changing the BAP camera. It's frustrating sometimes when you can't see the puck carrier near the blue line, leading to disjointed rushes. Also the camera does too much spinning near the net making it very difficult to pass around the net on offense.

Also, one other complaint that I'm sure no one else will care about: the NHL 94 controls are missing the poke check button. A terrible oversight. I was actually interested in trying the 94 controls from time to time as I still play 94, but as they are now they're pretty useless on defense without a pokecheck.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:24 pm

Was talking about the PS3 demo.

It's definitely different from 08. Also, a couple of times I tried the side-shifting move, where you hold down both L1 and R1 and move both sticks in the same direction and when I tried to make that move to the left, it went right and vice versa.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:12 pm

JackB1 wrote:
ScoopBrady wrote:
10spro wrote: On the contrary. It's because they toned down the speed a bit that I seem to have more control of what I want to do with my player.
Yeah, I don't get the sluggish talk either. I think the 09 demo is finely tuned and I cannot wait until Wednesday.
I don't get the unresponsive control comment either. Seems the same as ever to me. The default speed actually seems too fast, but that's because I usually dial it down from default a few notches. I also didn't notice the graphics as being better. I think games on the 360 have hit the wall, graphics wise. We haven't seen marked improvements....especially in sports games.

Look at tiger woods 09 vs 08...

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:36 pm

greggsand wrote:
JackB1 wrote:
ScoopBrady wrote:Yeah, I don't get the sluggish talk either. I think the 09 demo is finely tuned and I cannot wait until Wednesday.
I don't get the unresponsive control comment either. Seems the same as ever to me. The default speed actually seems too fast, but that's because I usually dial it down from default a few notches. I also didn't notice the graphics as being better. I think games on the 360 have hit the wall, graphics wise. We haven't seen marked improvements....especially in sports games.
Look at tiger woods 09 vs 08...

Are the TW09 graphics that much better? There is some really bad clipping and blocky textures if you look close.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:21 pm

Played the hell out of BAP again today. Its frustrating not being able to play full games

I can't wait to create my player, get into the career stuff, and play full games.

fanatic · Post by **fanatic** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:30 pm

BAP has turned me onto this series once again. I've played NHL briefly over the past couple years but have never been hooked despite the amazing new controls.

However, being able to focus on little things like screening the goalie, back-checking, etc...is really refreshing.