NHL 09 set the bar so high for EA Vancouver that it made life for the next in the series that much more difficult to go through in the eyes of fans. And, quite frankly, it made life even more impossible for the NHL 2K team as well. NHL 10 arrives hot on the heels of easily the most critically successful hockey title in the history of video games. It's a bold statement, for sure, but NHL 09 won Sports Game of the Year awards all across the board from almost every publication (even Kombo). So NHL 10 has an even bigger train of hype and expectation in front of it than 09 picked off of 08.

Since 07, with the introduction of the Skill Stick, the NHL series has dynamically changed the game of video hockey... and that's for the better. The experience has become more natural, more immersive and even more user friendly. I can't even conceive of going back to the button press method of shooting after I've spent three years with the stick.

And after 09, I don't think I'll be able to enjoy a team sports title again unless it comes with its own massive league and community like the EASHL.

So, like I said, this is one hell of an act to follow.

But then up skates NHL 10...

I was able to get some private time with a recent build of NHL 10. The demo I played sported the Penguins and the Red Wings in playoff atmosphere hockey. As soon as I stepped up to the console I was greeted by a member of the EA team. The first thing out of this guy's mouth was something that the previously released trailer already indicated: NHL 10 is about the emotions and physicality of hockey.



There's just so much in the sport of hockey that doesn't translate entirely to its virtual counterpart. From the role of enforcer players to the emotion and intensity of die-hard fans, video hockey has been completely devoid of this type of experience. It just hasn't been honestly present in any iteration of hockey for any console.

EA is looking to fix that here. And while the demo I received was absurdly short lived, the emotion and intensity within the arena was several notches above that of 09, 08 and 07. Crowd members wave towels, they scream and yell and carry-on just like any fan base should. Take the puck into the boards (more on that later) and fans close enough stand up and bang on the glass. It's this type of stuff that EA uses in order to recreate that amazing hockey atmosphere that brings so many fans to the game.

It didn't come up in the demo, but the spec sheet they provided us even told tales of crowd members booing star opponents. I'm a Pens fan; I'm all too familiar with the antics of haters throughout the NHL. Whenever Crosby touches the puck, fans from almost every city aside from Pittsburgh start to boo. Hell, when Crosby's on the bench, folks start up the "Crosby Sucks!" chant. I managed to catch every Pens game this season, and I honestly think opponents booed Crosby almost as much as they cheered on their own crew (WOOOOOOO--ahem). But bring this into video game hockey? Yeah, that'll both get me psyched and pissed off at the same time. And that's some of the emotion EA's talking about. Every hockey fan knows the feeling of joy and wanted to throw up incredibly well. It's a long season for the NHL; ups and downs happen to every team.

Gameplay also saw about 200 changes between this year and the last. In the exceptionally brief amount of time I spent with the game, there were a few big changes that had me thinking.

Board play is in the game. Fans of hockey know already that scrappy scrums along the boards are a key focal point in any game. If a loose puck winds up along the boards, players will rush up and battle for possession. Winning the puck might take as much as an outlet pass to an open defender, it might take the poke check from a teammate and it might even require a quality kick pass. Board play makes dumping the puck a more legitimate strategy. Players will find themselves more inclined to play along the boards as opponents will wind up out of position enough leaving room for quality shots and puck movement.

The first person fighting mechanic was also a big deal in the session. You'll use one hand for fighting and the other to pull and push your sparring partner in and out of range. The system works fairly well and feels relatively familiar as the fighting controls are mapped to the sticks, a little like in 08. Honestly, I won't be able to offer a solid judgment on the fighting mechanics within until I see them in action through the EASHL. But the realistic presentation and the scrummy/scrappy fighting system that is so much a part of hockey is present. This feature, while it may seem like an unnecessary change, can really become another source of fuel for emotion in NHL 10.



What I was most impressed with in the new fighting system was how the event happens. If you go after one of the opponents' finesse players or goal scorers, you typically won't fight them. Instead, grinders and enforcers from the same line will jump into the fight and take over. You'll start out by messing with one player and you'll typically wind up fighting someone else. Unless, of course, you pick on the enforcer to being with. The choice of fighting, the outcome and the reasoning will all lead towards changing your team's momentum and energy. Winning does not necessarily mean you'll be the only one getting boosted either. The losing team may gain some momentum by showing some life.

This past season, the EA Sports team has been gunning for the community members' input. They've been looking for suggestions, requests, fixes and things that the fans love or hate. And, as a testament to EA as a publisher, they've listened and implemented a ton of changes accordingly. The one taste of those additions, removals and tweaks we received was the change in the passing mechanic. In NHL 09, and previous versions, passing the puck is as simple as pressing the pass button. Now, players have a bit more control and presence as far as passing is concerned.

It's difficult as all get out, but now passing is entirely dependent upon the player. Players choose the exact direction of their passes by pressing the control stick in the direction of their target. The system, as of now, is very unforgiving. I found it exceptionally hard to work out of dekes, the neutral zone and post checks through passing. It used to be that having the puck, squeezing the trigger and gesturing towards a general position on the ice would do the job. Now? You'll have to direct the puck deliberately. I lost possession nearly a dozen times because of the new passing system. I'm not too hot on it just yet, but it is a system that will force players to consider passing in the neutral zone, and it will force players to develop a more skilled presence with the puck itself. However, once you approach this game, you'll be greeted by a steeper than normal learning curve because of the passing mechanic. It's because of this curve that some players may feel over challenged.

I didn't get to spend too much time with NHL 10. The moments I did enjoy with it were ones that will have me looking forward to its fall release. What's remarkable here is that the game feels different. From the brief time I had, the play atmosphere felt thicker and more developed. There's a lot more emotion and strategy in NHL 10, which is something hockey fans around the world will love. As long as this one remains on track, we're looking at another winner in the NHL line.