News Post

NHL 09 Video Blogs w/ Full Game Video (EA Sports)

02:24 PM - August 19, 2008 by Ridgeberg

EA Sports has updated their NHL 09 blog with a ton of video blogs.

Quote:


	"I make a blind backhand pass that gets picked off followed by the cpu rushing a bad pass that goes behind his player and misses. This year, you really have to be conscious of your passes and make the smart hockey play. Blind backhand passes under pressure will be slower and less accurate thus more susceptible to being picked off. After making this mistake once or twice, I guarantee that you'll learn that you have to use your defensive partner as an outlet or try to skate it around the net yourself. The fact that you have to make the right 'hockey plays' are something that we're very proud of as it's one of the things that we set out to achieve at the start of this cycle."

Member Comments

# 1 Lubey @ 08/19/08 02:28 PM

Gonna watch it after I take a shower thanks a lot!!

# 2 kerosene31 @ 08/19/08 02:40 PM

Good stuff. As a recovering "EA basher", I gotta admit that they are going out of their way to listen to the fans and communicate.

I mean, posting game clips of human vs cpu right on the website on the hardest difficulty. How great is that?

The gameplay looks really good. Although the video showing the CPU clearing the front of the net looks a little extreme. If the Hab player hits him any further, he'll be in the parking lot. Not a big deal, but it looks a little goofy (does that open up a hole for a d-man to pinch into that huge space, I know I'm thinking of a play for that already).

I've been really encouraged by media from both games. This should be an amazing year for hockey games

Here's the link to the blogs for the lazy (like me)
http://www.easports.com/nhl09/blog.jsp

# 3 Splitter77 @ 08/19/08 03:20 PM

i love clip 2, how the cpu player tips the pass away. For those who played hitz pro, you will remember how hard it was to get a pass through with the right sliders, because the cpu would always deflect the pass away. I pray its like this in nhl 09.

# 4 Qb @ 08/19/08 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splitter77


	i love clip 2, how the cpu player tips the pass away. For those who played hitz pro, you will remember how hard it was to get a pass through with the right sliders, because the cpu would always deflect the pass away. I pray its like this in nhl 09.

Haven't been able to watch the videos yet (at work), but if this is a regular part of the game, that's a huge step in the right direction. The producer made a point of stating that AI players (hopefully user teammates as well) will react to passes in their area & attempt to reach out & deflect them.

I've said before that the lack of this was a problem, as unless the defender was directly in the way of an attempted pass, he made no effort to stop it in 08. Anyone who watches hockey knows that this just isn't the way it is in the NHL. Even at the lowest levels, players are taught/told to keep their stick on the ice whenever possible for just the reason (and for offense as well). Hopefully, this kind of stuff (the quote) happens regularly when appropriate...

# 5 wildhockey19 @ 08/19/08 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerosene31


	The gameplay looks really good. Although the video showing the CPU clearing the front of the net looks a little extreme. If the Hab player hits him any further, he'll be in the parking lot. Not a big deal, but it looks a little goofy (does that open up a hole for a d-man to pinch into that huge space, I know I'm thinking of a play for that already).9/blog.jsp

Lol.....ya....I chuckled a little as I watched it. But I do like how they attempted to address that feature, just wished for a bit more realistic way of going about it! All in all continue to be very impressed with this game.

# 6 mudtiger @ 08/19/08 04:13 PM

So many great things

Different teams *should* play different. Someone get the ncaa team on the phone and explain this one to them please.

Quote:


	One other thing I want to point out before wrapping this up. Not sure if you were tracking the score through each of the clips but I actually lost 4-0 to the cpu (this is a good time to reiterate that I was playing on Superstar). More importantly is the fact that I was playing against Montreal who is a team that will continue to come at you whether they are up or down. You're going to notice that traditional trapping teams such as Minnesota are going to sit back once they get a lead and force you to come at them. They'll go into their 1-2-2 trap and plug up the neutral zone forcing you to flip it in deep. You're going to see a lot of low scoring, one goal games when playing against teams like this because they're not going to give up much.

Pt2, A long pass rejected, very nice. My only concern there is the pass would have been tape to tape other than the defender breaking it up. Still though, looks good.

Pt3, the pushing in the slot was great, but got out of hand there when the defender pushed the guy from the bottom of the circle back to the faceoff dot. Penalty?

Pt 4, loved the deflection animation, loved that the puck stayed in play.

Pt 5, good to see the cpu knows how to use the dump button on the PK to clear the zone.

Pt 6, Wow that was a cheap shot, was looking for 'little Wayne's head' to start bleeding.

Pt 7, I liked the defender getting his stick low animation to take away the pass as he backed into the zone.

# 7 kerosene31 @ 08/19/08 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudtiger


	Pt2, A long pass rejected, very nice. My only concern there is the pass would have been tape to tape other than the defender breaking it up. Still though, looks good.

Yes, the passes are still too fast and accurate for sure. They've gone in the right direction for sure though. Having backhand passes be slower and less accurate is a start, but too many others are still too precise.

I wish they would do something more like 2k did where players cannot take passes from directly behind them as easily (good chance it would go off the skate or miss altogether). That would make the breakout much more realistic, as your d-men just aren't regularly threading perfect passes through the legs of forwards and hitting the tape as they are streaking through the zone.

In real life, that player is going to have to circle back or at least turn around (which is a no-no in open ice).

Still, overall an improvement from 08. I'd still like to see 2k's slow passing and deliberate zone breakouts, but that is getting nit-picky.

# 8 Spanky @ 08/19/08 10:21 PM

Nice seeing the Nordiques' unis. Hope they provide a lot of close-ups and cutscenes.
By the way, NHL 08 was the winner of seven gaming of the year awards, in case you missed it the first three or four times they mentioned it.

# 9 MizzouRah @ 08/19/08 10:47 PM

Oh my.. after watching those videos and reading the blog.. it's time to go ahead and pay in full for this one as well.

I'm spending $120 once again for my hockey fix this year.

# 10 mudtiger @ 08/19/08 10:51 PM

What? You're buying this game twice?

I keed, I keeeed. Depending on the 2k demo, I may think about picking that one up too, but it really has to impress me.

# 11 MizzouRah @ 08/19/08 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	What about me. I have a 360 and PS3. I am going to get all four games. Well, maybe I will rent hem first.

..and you will too!!!

I'm waiting on the 2k9 demo, but I like what I've seen in videos thus far. If I don't like the new control scheme, I guess I'll get my money back... lol..

I know I'll like NHL 09 seeing how the new additions to defense should clear up my one big complaint at how easy the CPU would score goals at will.

I love hockey, it's my favorite sport, so I don't mind one bit supporting two great games.. I didn't get Madden this year and I'm not big on basketball, so my money goes to hockey and NCAA football.

# 12 Vince @ 08/19/08 11:17 PM

I bet he's playing on the hardest difficulty, but hasn't touched the sliders, if so, we can make passes even slower and harder and be killed via interceptions if we don't make good passes.

# 13 Vince @ 08/19/08 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	They have the skill stick it is just like EA's, so I think you will like them. I can't wait for the Demo to drop. I want to see this lift the stick.

Except for the fact that the moves are random and you don't really know what you are doing, whereas EA's you pull off the right move at the right time...

# 14 clarkerots @ 08/19/08 11:23 PM

God that looks good! Can't wait for this game! This is the type of game that EA should be putting out. Screw Madden.

# 15 mudtiger @ 08/19/08 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince


	I bet he's playing on the hardest difficulty, but hasn't touched the sliders, if so, we can make passes even slower and harder and be killed via interceptions if we don't make good passes.

Yeah, it's on superstar. Says that in the wrap up.

# 16 blinkfan77 @ 08/19/08 11:41 PM

Every time someone buys a copy of 2k9, an angel loses her wings.

I don't see why ANYBODY sees ANYTHING in that game. It, again, looks awful. Everything about it. It is so unfathomably behind NHL it's not even funny. The demo is out for ps3, and its predictably awful. What a waste of money that game is. I laugh at anybody buying it. I'd rather spend 60$ on ABC gum.

# 17 savoie2006 @ 08/19/08 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinkfan77


	Every time someone buys a copy of 2k9, an angel loses her wings. I don't see why ANYBODY sees ANYTHING in that game. It, again, looks awful. Everything about it. It is so unfathomably behind NHL it's not even funny. The demo is out for ps3, and its predictably awful. What a waste of money that game is. I laugh at anybody buying it. I'd rather spend 60$ on ABC gum.

...2K isn't a "Demo" game.This series has always played better after some time tweaking th sliders.2K9 does look light years behind EA as far as player models and such go.The AI looks better than 2K8.The fighting looks more realistic than 09's.The faceoff system and goalie AI was also better last year than EA's.Should be this year as well,unless EA tweaked their goalies and faceoff method.Point being,while the animations and graphics may lack for 2K,there is a fair amount of things good about their hockey games.

# 18 blinkfan77 @ 08/20/08 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottdau


	Someone needs to learn about Hockey. Any ways I like 2k9 and I like 09 so I will be very happy with both.

I'm 23 and played hockey since I was 2. I know hockey. And I know video games. I know quality when I see it, and 2k hockey over the past 3 years is the epitome of crap quality. I don't need to see the full game to know it's not my bad.

I respect others buying it, heck, I bought it for a 4 year period too, but now, it's just not a good game to me. I don't think how a fighting engine works o r a faceoff system are good ways to gauge the quality of a game either, for the record.

# 19 savoie2006 @ 08/20/08 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	Prior to the 360/PS3 I'd be inclined to agree, the issue is half the sliders 9 out of 10 times either A) flat out don't work B) affect another aspect of play that it shouldn't or C) make it so you spend far more time tweaking sliders to try and get a sim game than actually playing the game itself. EA has for the most part just outclassed 2k on the current gen systems in just about every aspect when it comes to hockey with the exception of controlable board pinning, a nifty face off mechanic, and floppy goaltenders who flop more than they should. If NHL2k was still 20 dollars like it was on the previous xbox, I'd be ok with that, its when you start to add up the number of years of franchise freezes, god aweful stiff deking animations, players getting injured yet magically are out there skating on their next shift because the player didn't manually adjust the roster mid game, custom soundtracks being somewhat jacked in various ways, take the time to hire a new commentary team, then just feed them the same 4 year old script the last team used, the game still LOOKING like a last gen game 4 years into a new console cycle etc etc. That one tends to not care anymore. Even for the changes, 2k9 still looks to have the same ol stale 2k feel to it. Sure they've made progress this year, and hopefully they're on the right track of righting the ship so to speak but imo not enough to warrant a 60 dollar purchase from me when I can just get 09, get the defensive tools I've wanted for years, (stick lifts ftw) Play an AI that is an actual threat on offense and plays solid positional hockey, and have the eye candy and atmosphere to boot. To me its a no brainer really.

Oh,I understand completely.You do usually end up spending WAY too much time tweaking sliders on 2K.I also don't feel 2K9 will be worth the $60 price tag,but if my memory serves me right the price for 2K8 dropped rather fast.I expect the same will be true for 2K9 and that's when I will buy it.
2K was still in it IMO with 2K7,simply because 07 was so bare and poor with it's skating animations and framerate.2K7 was smooth feeling as ever and much deeper than 07.Too bad the goalies were brickwalls and ideas like fog,players breath,and cinemotion made it into the game.If that focus could have gone on the goalies and faceoffs of that would end up on 2K8 instead,they would have had a winner.Instead,2K7 was settled for just sucking a little less.While 2K8 showed some progress,it also took steps back.Meanwhile EA WOWED us with 08,a drastic improvement over 07.

In closing,09 is definately the hockey game for me,but at the same time I will always give 2K a chance.The complete opposite of what it use to be.

# 20 ChubbyBanana @ 08/20/08 03:44 AM

Videos looking good. I had no doubts about picking this game up this year. I agree the checking in the slot seems a bit extreme, but I'm hoping it won't be that bad with the final build.

I used to be 2k black and blue when it came to hockey, but now it seems that their games have sort of gone "downhill" so to speak. I know I'll end up trying both games this year, but I have this feeling I'll spend more time with 09.

We'll just have to wait and see.

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