New NHL 10 Features List

Thanks to the product listing from Gamestop we have new info on NHL 10. Until now most of what has been relayed has been about the physicality and fighting enhancements. However this features list provides details on specific modes such as a new GM mode and Playoff mode with improvement to playoff atmosphere.

New Battle for the Cup Mode: Experience the intensity of NHL playoff hockey. Play through injuries, intimidate rivals, and match lines as storylines carry across the entire series.

Build a Stanley Cup Champion: All-new GM mode lets you scout amateurs, put players on the trading block, hire staff, and earn experience points to become a legendary GM.

Battle on the Boards: Shield the puck with your body, kick-pass it to teammates, or pin your opponent against the boards with an all-new board play engine.

All-New First-Person Fighting: Change the momentum by trading blows with an NHL enforcer. Tug an opponent’s jersey to gain an advantage—before or after the whistle.

Become the Ultimate Pro: Improve your draft status by dominating the prospects game, then use new coaching tips, improved teammate AI, and detailed position instructions as you build the ultimate career.

Capture Multiple Championships: The coveted EA SPORTS Hockey League Cup is always up for grabs as new seasons start on a monthly basis online.

New Intimidation Tactics: Fore-check defenders, pressure the puck, and finish checks to force your opponent into mistakes, as players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of physical pressure.

All-New Post-Whistle Action: The action never stops! Antagonize opposing players, finish checks, retaliate for late shots on goal, draw penalties, and pick fights—all after the referee blows the whistle!

Fighting in NHL 10

Jon Robinson of ESPN has posted up his “Five Things to Know” article for NHL 10 which focuses on physicality. The new fighting system is discussed at length including how they now are first-person, how the fights impact the games, how they are presented, team toughness levels, and penalties for hitting after the whistle. Check out the article in full here.

“Once you drop the gloves, the camera switches to a third-person view and you’ll see your player drop his gloves, then the camera goes to a first-person view for the fight. Then during the fight, we tried to stay authentic, so you’re not bobbing and weaving away from the guy. You grab him and you’re always connected to the guy. That’s what’s cool about hockey fights, there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide as both guys are grabbing onto the other guy’s jersey and holding on tight.”

Team Pastapadre’s main goal in the EASHL was to beat the crap out of the opposition after the whistle. Looks like we’ll have to adjust strategy in NHL 10.

NHL 10 Not Coming to PC or PS2

Blend Games has confirmed that NHL 10 will not be released on either the PC or PS2. According to EA this is due to the current struggling economy and also the issues that continue to present themselves with the PC (which led to the cancellation of most other EA Sports titles last year).

When Blend Games contacted EA Canada, a spokesperson confirmed the news. “We will not be developing NHL 10 for PC and PS2 this year due to the current economic climate and the continuing decline in the sports PC market. We are going to focus on making the best possible NHL experience for the PS3 and Xbox 360.”

EA isn’t commenting on the plans for the PC in regards to the other titles yet, though Peter Moore has stated before that the ones cancelled last year would be back this year. My feeling has been they would return not as ports but as something more along the lines of the advertising and microtransaction based PC offerings they’ve had success with overseas. This news isn’t necessarily a sign that the plans for those games to return has been scrapped (this could just be the year off for NHL that the others already had) but until EA officially confirms them there will continue to be a great deal of uncertainty and anticipation surrounding their future. PC gamers can at least take some solace in that it appears 2K Sports will continue releasing their titles on the PC.

NHL 09 Patch Meaningful In More Ways Than One

Within the last few weeks EA has released another patch for NHL 09 on both the 360 and PS3. This news somewhat slipped by me as I didn’t realize just how significant it was until it came up in the recording of a Waiver Wire podcast that will be posted soon. Not only has it resulted in improvements to the game but this was a patch that no one really had any expectations for.

When you look at it this is really a terrific gesture by EA. They did not have to do this. The game is six months old and already is the most highly regarded sports game of last year winning the most Sports Game of the Year awards by far. Instead of being a necessity (which most patches are treated as) this is great way to really reward the consumers who have stuck with the game and doing so breeds loyalty. Games such as Burnout Paradise and Left 4 Dead have provided a great deal of post-release support much of which has been free. Because of that fans of those games have been enthusiastic and word of mouth has spread. Generally we don’t see that model followed for sports titles. Hopefully though this is the start of a trend.

Continue on for the list of what the patch provided.

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Reviewers Get One Right and One Wrong

The first two sports titles of the year have been released in MLB Front Office Manager and 3 on 3 NHL Arcade. Both have been hit hard by reviewers despite their lower prices. In the case of MLB FOM I had some positive hopes for it and initially liked it but a couple major issues have negated all that and with a patch unlikely there isn’t much hope of getting much enjoyment out of the game. On the other hand 3 on 3 NHL Arcade delivers exactly what it promised as a light-hearted fun offering but it isn’t being evaluated that way by the reviewers.

So this is my first attempt at a video Padrecast. I recorded my thoughts on the subject of the reviews of these two games and laid that over video of them both. It’s an experiment so feel free to leave your opinions or suggestions for future offerings. Continue on for the video.

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Further Impressions of 3 On 3 NHL Arcade

I was able to get some more time in with 3 on 3 NHL Arcade and my initial feeling on it stands. This is a fun simple game to play against live opponents that has an element of strategy that isn’t frustrating like some arcade style sports titles have attempted to implement. And the online play, though short on options, is providing quite a bit of enjoyment.

Power-up wise there are some that are I’m finding to be more advantageous than others. The rocket speed for example is of huge benefit for getting to a loose puck or catching up to someone on a break. The ice one negates an opposing player for a period of time giving you a man up. Tiny goalie is great not only for an excellent opportunity to score on them but when they make a save its almost impossible not to laugh about it. Of course the X2 score can change the outlook of a game immediately but it also puts a target on that player’s back and it is tougher to get good shots on goal with them because of it.

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First Impressions of 3 on 3 NHL Arcade

3 On 3 NHL Arcade hit PSN earlier today and will arrive on XBL next week. I downloaded it and spent some time playing through so I wanted to get some initial impressions up. Going into it I was pretty hopeful considering the enjoyment that arcade hockey games have presented in the past and the very reasonable $9.99 price that comes with a downloadable game.

For an arcade game it has a nice amount of options. Three different difficulty levels, two different camera angles, three different game speeds, “play to” scores of between 5-20, having the home team alternate direction or “always up” or “always down”, and the ability to have power-ups on or off. You can use the right stick just like in NHL 09 or use the buttons. There is Play Now and Online.

When selecting from the group of players they are laid out in three different classes. All-Around, Strong, and Fast. There are advantages to each type and how you put your team together is a strategical element of the game. It would’ve been nice to be able to create-a-player and involve them but for the most part people aren’t going to spend much time picking out players. They’re basically unrecognizable and nameless during gameplay anyway.

The first game I didn’t even score a goal but since I’ve started to pick up on some strategy like how to utilize the power-ups and taking out the opponent’s goalie. Overall the fun factor of the game definitely comes through but this is going to be primarily a head-to-head or online game for any potential longevity.

I’ll have more impressions tomorrow night or Saturday. Continue on for a screen that lays out the power-ups and a full game video.

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3 on 3 NHL Arcade Out This Week

I don’t believe it was ever officially announced, but the release of 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is this week. It’ll be out for the 360 on Wednesday (probably early AM) and for the PS3 on Thursday (probably late afternoon). This is a purely downloadable title that can be had from XBL or PSN for 800 MS points/$10.

Update: Well it figures that I would put this up and shortly after find out the game has been delayed for the 360 by a week. It’ll be February 11th on XBL. It should still be out on PSN on the 5th.

I tend to enjoy these type of games as long as the strategy element isn’t just a layer of frustration tacked on to add supposed depth. It looks like the strategy here has to do with selecting the type of players you want for your team as they have different strengths as well as the use of power-ups. I’ve had fun with the arcade hockey games in the past and I’m hoping that this one provides that same type of experience. I’ve been encouraged from watching the action in a few gameplay videos that it may do just that. At the very least it is worth giving the trial a shot before committing to the download.

I’ve added a poll below. Are you considering downloading 3 on 3 NHL Arcade? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade Videos

The first two gameplay videos for 3 on 3 NHL Arcade are now out courtesy of Gametrailers. While the release date had previously only been narrowed down to early February they list it as coming Wednesday February 4th. It is uncertain whether it will be out the same day for the 360 and PS3 since PSN generally updates on Thursdays. Hopefully some sort of confirmation on the release date comes soon.

The game definitely looks fun in the way expected. The influence from NHL 09 is noticeable and I really dig all the sound effects. It doesn’t appear to be too frantic and the power-ups along with player types add the elements of skill. Most importantly it doesn’t seem those things will lead to the frustration that some arcade titles rely on. I’m anticipating the game even more after seeing these videos.

Continue on to watch the videos and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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3 on 3 NHL Arcade Q&A

Some more details on the upcoming 3 on 3 NHL Arcade have come out through an interview with producers David Littman and Matt Mahar. Some of the topics discussed include why the game was created and the decision to make it downloadable only, the player types, power-ups, and how it could be a bridge to the yearly sim NHL title. The game is set to release sometime in February for $10 through XBL and PSN.

The player types play into the overall feel of the game, and that’s super fast. We also wanted them to play into how the power-ups work. You actually get power-ups (Super Shot, Big Player, Freeze, Banana, Super Speed, Double Score, Small Goalie, Big Goalie) by hitting guys and knocking them down. So the super strong guys help you get power-ups, while the super fast guys and the all-around guys fit more into the fast pace of the game.

It is also interesting to find out through the interview that nearly 60% of NHL 09 owners play online. Just a couple years ago the lack of effort with online play was attributed to the relatively low numbers that played online. Through modes such as Online Team Play, EASHL, and Online Dynasty along with improved performance it has been proven that what they had to do was provide a premium experience for people to have the desire to head online.