In 2018: What´re your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

[austrianredwing]

I know, there was a poll a few years ago, but that was before next gen, before NHL video games went from sky to dust, before EA took over and .....you know the story...AND before people like Snowdrift, Molifox, Tinpanalley, WWEDX2007 ( I know there’re missing a few others, but you’re meant too [emoji6]) took over the torch of 2K fanatics like TSOLEliot, DJ Neo, Fiddy or shogunofharlem (to name a view ) to breath new life into this beloved series.

THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT SPENT HOURS/DAYS/WEEKS ON EDITING, CREATING AND SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That´s a great reason to celebrate 2K hockey, let´s talk about it.
I just wanna know your TOP 3 2K hockey games ( maybe with current rosters) , the best & worst things about it ...impressions over the years......

So before the first 2018/19 rosters for NHL 2K5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 !!!!! AWESOME!!!!) are getting dropped ......let´s have some community fun !!!!

[austrianredwing]

In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Okay, I‘m first: My all time fave changed this year because of an awesome editor to take this game from great-, to awesomeness.
1) 2K8 - Snowdrifts rosters and his editor made me play this again and I wasn‘t disappointed. Franchise Mode: A+ ( deeeeeeep) , Graphics: B ( a view great touches but faces could be more beautiful) Gameplay: A, Presentation: A+ ( stats, replays.... like a TV broadcast) , Customization: A ( arena creator!!!)

2) 2K7 - Another one that got me once again ( after years) because of Molifoxes rosters. New life for a great game .
Graphics: B, Gameplay: A+( what a flow) , Presentation: A, Customization: B .... only thing that makes me mad, is the custom music issue that never been repaired by 2K.

3) 2K10 - My fave for almost a decade, until this year. But still great.
Franchise Mode: B- ( could be deeper) , Graphics: A( arenas are fantastic) Gameplay: B( some physics are just wrong, some herky jerky animations) Presentation: B ( nice touches but no replays, stats overlays...) , Customization: A- ( great for creating current jerseys, no arena editor)

On the places but not forgotten : 2K5, 2K3

So, now it‘s your turn


Gesendet von iPhone mit Operation Sports

[WWEDX2007]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

1. ESPN NHL 2K5 (Microsoft Xbox/Sony PlayStation 2)

My main introduction to NHL 2K (aside from me playing NHL 2K on the Dreamcast in 2000) was through my father picking up a copy of the game for $20 alongside a copy of Sonic Adventure 2. My dad did this on his own to surprise me and my brother.

What followed was hundreds of games played between us 3 to make up for the locked out season. while I would later pick up NHL 2K6 and even later 2K8 and 2K10. ESPN NHL 2K5 remains king. it's why I spend so many painstaking hours trying to update the rosters even on days where I don't feel like it and it feels like a slog. my eventual goal of an update will be achieved.

Pros: Excellent graphics, presentation and commentary, addicting gameplay (even in side-modes like Skills Competition and Pond Hockey) and The Skybox showing the trophies you've earned.
Cons: Every player checks too hard, this was a problem for the entirety of 2K games, also not a fan of how Franchise Mode is so easy to break (the game SERIOUSLY can't fix it's own line combinations to prevent crashing? ugh)

2. NHL 2K8 (Microsoft Xbox 360/Sony PlayStation 3)

After paying close attention to Snowdrift's roster work/editor I picked this up.

What I appreciate most about NHL 2K8 is just how gritty the visuals and gameplay is, It doesn't feel like any of the others in this regard.

Soundtrack choices are neat, never thought I'd hear Korn in a hockey game but here we are.

Pros: Interesting ways of unlocking stuff compared to previous games, intuitive control scheme (and being able to "whip" on wrist shots), gritty/edgy visual presentation, solid commentary by Bob Cole and Harry Neele, cool soundtrack.
Cons: A.I. can be absolute BS at times (late game comebacks are common), the players have funky looking faces/equipment (it almost reminds me of Saints Row 2 in graphical quality), Slap shots travel wide more often than not (an issue that carried to 2K9 and 2K10)

3. NHL 2K10 (Microsoft Xbox 360/Sony PlayStation 3)

Part of what makes playing 2K10 so enjoyable is how beautiful it is graphically, even almost a decade later. I also really enjoy the sound effects. Hearing the puck drop to the ice and slap shots being taken are so satisfying.

Pros: Beautiful graphics, satisfying sound effects, decent gameplay, riding the Zamboni!
Cons: They broke the custom soundtrack system that was working so well in 2K8, because of this you cannot update Goal Horns in the game, which is a real shame because Vancouver's was inaccurate at release time.

[austrianredwing]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

That’s exactly what I‘ve wished for. Well told WWEDX2007 .... And yes, 2K5 is still an amazing game. I‘ve played the heck outta my xbox version [emoji23]


Gesendet von iPhone mit Operation Sports

[tinpanalley]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

I have been playing NHL2K games since I first picked up a used copy of 2K5 at my local Blockbuster. (In New York they used to buy 3 copies of every popular game to make sure there was one available to rent. So just one year later in 2006, I must have gotten it for about 10 bucks in the used bin.) I've only ever been a player of these games although there was a time for 2K6 on another site that me and two other guys worked the sliders together through a ton of experiments to get good results. I wish that site was still available because it would actually be useful today to see how we arrived at the sliders we settled on for 2K6.

Anyway, I've said this before and I'll say it again, other than 2K6 and the sliders I contributed that year, I have not been someone who contributes to the community by creating rosters, so I test to give feedback. I'm in complete awe and have immeasurable appreciation for you guys that work so hard to release good rosters. I know a lot about sports to allow me to set lineups, starting formations, batting orders, lines, etc. but it's the creation of players -- requiring infinite knowledge about lower level guys I don't know enough about -- that impede me from actually making teams and contributing in that way. I'm just trying to make the point, albeit long-windedly, that although mentioned very kindly above by austrianredwing, I am the first to say I'm merely an observer here that likes to talk and give feedback and encourage you guys but my wordiness should not be confused with your talents.

Moving on... with the amazing work you guys have created, we've all been very lucky to revisit these games. Most of them play like I remembered when they came out, but a few play even better than I remembered. That being said, I'd have to select these three, in no particular order:

(Just a note: as a sports game player, I only play Season modes -- as unfranchise as possible -- and Playoff or Tournament modes. I have no interest in managerial facets of sports gaming so my choices will be skewed to elements of the 2K series that are more gameplay and visual and less about management)

1. NHL 2K5 - It is an undeniable fact that a significant portion of what we experience as fans of any particular sport is the televised broadcast. NHL94, RBI Baseball are fun, they're simple but challenging. But what they never did was capture the feel of watching sports. That's fine, they weren't meant to. The first I can think of that made a sincere attempt to do that was "Lakers Vs Celtics". This is why 2K5, like it's NFL counterpart, is so remarkable. Name the number of games that failed TV presentation. Now name the ones that nailed it perfectly. It's not just about a TV logo here or a sponsor. Despite the fact that it has aged and ESPN's chyrons and graphics don't even look like this anymore, it still represents televised hockey well and I would argue even better than today's EA game. Most games pretend they're a broadcast. 2K5 produced an NHL broadcast. For many people the game on the ice is all that matters and they'll tell you they even turn off commentary and any TV elements. For me, sports games are at their best when they feel like a TV broadcast and the mechanics work, as in 2K5. I think it's a bit sad that we think of TV when we think of sports today and not just being at the ballpark, but I think it's also just the way it is. It goes without saying, but the gameplay is spectacular as well. Talking about the gameplay of 2K5 seems as superfluous as getting angry after a reversed call on video review. We know what it is, no need to go over it again.

2. NHL 2K10 - I don't wanna make this all about presentation, but harder than imitating a real broadcast successfully is creating your own network with graphics and theme music and having it look as good as a real network. 2K10 has a presentation style that rivals some of the best sports games out there. To be fair it's always been one of 2K's strengths. I always used to think the game felt like the players were sliding around on thick socks on a waxed hardwood floor. But then I spent days tweaking sliders. And that's when the game REALLY opened up for me and became much more sophisticated than I thought it was. There are cartoonish elements (like the fact that every player looks ten years old) and a hard side check can send a player spinning like the Tazmanian Devil, but all in all, with the right sliders that are tuned to your skill level this is a game with results that never feel predetermined, a game that really requires you to work as a team, where sloppy defense will ruin you. And I'm a rare person that actually likes the menu system but the stat tracking and everything else that goes with season play including a super exciting playoff presentation makes this one pretty close to perfect. But there is the issue that slider tweaking can take a long time.

3. NHL 2K7 - 2K5 has amazing presentation in a perfect game. 2K6 puts the 2K5 game into an improved graphics engine. 2K8 is its own thing, great in some respects and with the best controls in any hockey video game ever released but with graphics that really don't shine. I've talked about 2K10. To me, 2K7 is that median, that perfect blend that becomes essentially NHL2K in its most well-rounded form. It has the really intuitive controls NHL2K outshines the NHL series with, and the "next-gen" graphics at their all around best. It's the one that I think best represents the series and works best because of that. It wouldn't be wrong for someone to play 2K7 as their first ever NHL2K game to get a sense of what the series is about. And that's why it's in my top three.

[vanhalendlrband]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

I just played through a full season of NHL 2K on Dreamcast as i never could get through that game before it does some things amazing and not at all like later 2K games really.

My fav for a long time has always been NHL 2K2 its really where the gameplay of 2K3-2K7 begins. I am blown away with the real stadiums on dreamcast and how its basically 2K3 minus the franchise mode and actually came out only six months before 2K3 and if you have a dreamcast its nice to be able to play something of the quality of later 2k games on it.

We are talkin real physics, deflections, even 60 frames per second. I run it on a VGA box for 480p and it blows me away whenever i play how its just like later 2K games.

Not sure what happened after 2K3 but i always felt like when Treyarch no longer made it some pieces of the realism left the games for 2K4 and later its just not quite the same but some things are done better as well, the skating is what stands out for me. Played every single year the day it came out from 2K2 to 2K11 each title, 2K11 the least.

2k9-2k11 id say did a lot great but really need slider adjustments and some animations as mentioned are a joke.

My fav though as im always a Sega fan and they really made the entire 2ksports lineup, a shame its still not under sega sports major mistake on their part to leave just because of NFL licence is 2K2 because it shows the Dreamcast couldve had 2K3 and later games that were on xbox original had they kept making dreamcast games.

If you havent played 2K2 for dreamcast its quite a gem. Its hard for me to put it down.

[Elever]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Which sliders if any are you guys using for 2k8?

[tinpanalley]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Which sliders if any are you guys using for 2k8?

Most of us just make our own.

[snowdrift]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Which sliders if any are you guys using for 2k8?

The bare minimum is to cut down Goalie Freeze Puck Time and copy the Fatigue settings from the Sim slider set (otherwise your fourth line never plays, you also seem to need 6+ minute periods to see your fourth line). Venom's sliders seem to be highly regarded, but I think they were posted on the old nhlgaming forums. Someone copied one iteration of his sliders here so you can try those. But I don't know if that's his final/best set or not.

Also remember we can make global attribute edits on 2K8 now using the editor. It's something that hasn't been explored enough (even by me), and I suspect that for some things it could be more effective than sliders.

[tinpanalley]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Also remember we can make global attribute edits on 2K8 now using the editor. It's something that hasn't been explored enough (even by me), and I suspect that for some things it could be more effective than sliders.

Definitely.

[Elever]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

I do know that one global attribute change that was made for the NHL 2004 PC mods was to turn down all player agility, puck control, and acceleration to 50 for all players except for star/better players where it was a bit higher. This was to decrease the feeling of players being on a swivel and too easy to maneuver the ice with. The other change was to decrease the checking ratings for all players except for dmen or players who actually hit and check a lot so that your average guy couldn't lay out a huge hit as frequently.



Maybe that's a starting point.

[tinpanalley]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

I do know that one global attribute change that was made for the NHL 2004 PC mods...

Yup, that's exactly what I do for NHL 2004 and what I recommend people to do.

[BOSOX2004]

Re: In 2018: What´s your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

Sorry to bump this, but I though i would add my 2 cents. Personally I think 2K8 is overrated because of its franchise mode. Its a great mode but gameplay and graphic wise, 2k8 has not aged well in 2019. Here are my top 3 2k games.

3.NHL 2K7
2.NHL 2K10
1.ESPN NHL 2K5

[nikethebike]

Re: In 2018: What´re your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

My favourites.
1. NHL2KHS (2K11 mod) - What DJNEO has been doing to this game is awesome

2. ESPN NHL2K5 - I remember just hearing the music in the menu gave me chills...

3. NHL2K6 - Played it a lot back in the day. Also had Sundin on the cover, my all time favourite.


Note: Never owned 2K10 until this year 2019 so can't rate it fairly. It does not measure up to 2KHS though from what I've played.


For me I played 2K8 a lot. Used different sliders. However from what I remember the 360 degree skill stick and backwards skating combined broke the game. I got too good at it so the game turned into a solo race where I could basically just skate and deke everyone until I had scored. Thats what I remember and comparing that to what EA was offering at the time won me over.


Sadly.

[Money99]

Re: In 2018: What´re your favourite 2K hockey titles and why ??

NHL2K3 (PS3).
What a game. The AI was amazing.
I think I've written this same summary on other sites, but I'll do so again here - but the shorter version.

What really stood out to me about 2K3 was how smart the AI was and the level of player separation.
I got pretty good at the game to the point I won more than lost (saying a lot considering I'm terrible at games).
I left on a 3-week work excursion and when I got home, I fired up a game between Detroit (me) and Colorado.
They annihilated me by a score of something like 9-1. I couldn't stop their top forwards like Sakic, Forsburg, Hejduk, Deadmarsh, Drury, etc, etc.
They just kept coming and coming. And not once did I feel cheated.
I blew that game because my defensive zone coverage stunk, I didn't utilize passing or team play in my break-outs and tried to one-man show every offensive chance.
A few days later, and I was back to my old self, but this game would punish you if you didn't play 'hockey'.
Especially if the CPU was controlling a good team.

And teams really did have different personalities. Some played defensive, some offensive, some a mix,...
Every team felt different.

NHL2K5 was the next fav and then 2K10.

I still dream of where this series would be if Treyarch was still producing it.