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No competition for NHL 2K6 on the Xbox 360. NHL 2K6 for the Xbox 360 is much more of a port of the current NHL 2K6 title available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox than a brand-new experience. The game does have the solid gameplay that we’ve grown to associate with the NHL 2K series but it is disappointing that there has been so little improvement, though the price has gone up $40. While other publishers have also more or less ported games to the Xbox 360, none has increased the price this much.
NHL 2K6 includes a number of gameplay modes. You’ll find a fully functional franchise mode with the ability to scout for rookies, trade, bid for free-agents, communicate between the staff and negotiate contracts. You’ll also have a practice mode, where you need to make sure that team members are used to get the most out of them. There is a chemistry system which forces you into using different types of players to have the most effective time. The game also includes 12 minigames which center on small tasks like scoring as many goals as possible. The game has a dream team ladder where you face superstars, the skybox mode with all of the stats, and the all-star weekend.
The underlying gameplay is top-notch. The game includes a new passing system that lets you accurately pass the puck to other players thanks to the right analog stick and the intuitive system that follows. The game also includes instant play calling thanks to the D pad to get your team to work on some of the more elaborate plays. You’ll also find a new enforcer system in the game. Essentially, each team has an enforcer that intimidates players on the other team. Intimidated players are marked with an “I” and take a hit in their stats, most notably speed. The system works well and encourages you to use it to gain an unfair advantage against the other team. While all of the features above are new in the sense that they’re new compared to NHL 2K5, NHL 2K6 does include a new feature that isn’t available for other versions of the game. The game lets you take direct control of the goalie through a third-person behind-the-goalie view. You’re shown a vision cone that tells you how likely you are to block the coming shot. The system isn’t totally realistic since time slows down and the puck has a red glow around it but it is fun and works well. The rest of the game is pretty realistic and remains fun.
NHL 2K6 includes full Xbox Live support. You’ll be able to participate in ranked and unranked matches online. Xbox Live manages to perform pretty well, though the games we tested ran well. The online system still suffers from clutter and an unintuitive menu design, that has been marginally improved from the Xbox version of the game.
The game’s visuals are good, overall, but somewhat disappointing for an Xbox 360 title. There have been some visual enhancements. The character models are more detailed, particularly the faces and jerseys. The ice looks a lot better and is much more reflective. Unfortunately, you rarely notice these upgrades in the actual game. You will notice in the replays and cutscenes but they’re a relatively small portion of the game. The graphics aren’t bad, but it’s a shame that 2K Sports didn’t improve them as much as they could have, particularly since they’re charging three times more for the Xbox 360 version of the game.
The game’s audio performs well. The soundtrack is comprised of mostly rock music that sounds pretty good. The sound effects capture the sounds of hockey rather well. The commentary is provided by announcers Bob Cole and Harry Neale from Hockey Night in Canada. The duo does a good job of calling the plays though they lack the insight of last year’s commentary pair.
NHL 2K6 is a solid game for the Xbox 360. It was an incredibly solid game for the original Xbox. Just keep in mind that you’re not getting a huge update from the game since the graphics are marginally better than the Xbox version. The biggest downside to this version is the cost – at $60, we really couldn’t find a reason to choose this over the $20 price of the Xbox and PS2 versions of the game. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Dec 6, 2005
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