Presented by Gary Darby

Basic Information

Game Title NHL 10

Company & Author Electronic Arts

Type of Game Sports (hockey)

Price $30 new at wse/Search.aspx?N= wse/Search.aspx?N=

Requirements Minimum Stated Hardware Requirements Actual Hardware Required The answer to both is any XBOX 360

Game Summary

Quick Overview Various game modes, but, no matter how you slice it, hockey is hockey. Playoff Mode Season Mode Be A Pro Mode From Existing or New Players On or Offline Be a GM Mode Tournament Mode Practice Mode Shootout Mode Game Modes

3 Story Lines: Pro, GM, Team Pro – Be a Pro You may begin your career by either competing in a Prospect Game and entering the NHL through an entry draft or by picking your team. Once you are on a team, you start off on the third line of the team’s AHL team. From there, by meeting certain requirements based on your chosen position, you can make your way all the up to the first line of your NHL team. – NHL Pro Same as Be a Pro except you instead start off as an existing player in the NHL. GM – You play as the GM of an existing NHL team. You can manage your team by doing things such as continuing contracts and making trades with other teams. Team – For modes such as Season Mode and Playoff Mode you play as the entire team. You have full access to making trades, changing lines, and controlling anyone or everyone on the team during games (controlling one person at a time).

Player’s Role Depending on your game mode, you either are one member of the team, the entire team, or the GM.

Installation It takes less than 10 minutes and all the user has to do is begin the installation. There are no more steps to follow.  example of what it looks like when installing a game on the XBOX 360

User Interface Very well made Easy to learn. Players are placed in a tutorial the first time the game is run. All information is easily found.

Game Play NHL 10 has remarkable Game Play. Some of the many things it does are: Provides a challenge every time Allows players to socialize through online game play Allows players to play on their own against a very well made A.I. Provides bragging rights by allowing players to gain levels, provided that they are signed onto EA Provides an emotional experience to the user through the use of instant replays and the ability to create a highlight reel to always look back and enjoy some of their favorite in game moments. Allows players to fantasize about actually being a member of an NHL team through their revolutionary Be A Pro system. The user gets to experience working their way from an AHL team all the way to the pros.

Scoring Same as any other hockey game If the puck goes over the goal line, it is a goal Some instances of this are not allowed in real life, such as kicking the puck over the line, but this is not taken into account in this game.

Artwork The character models look somewhat like the players they are supposed to look like, but it is clear that gameplay took precedence over artwork in the game. * Clarification: the character models do look good, just don’t look always look entirely like the player.

Sound and Music Sound and music is fantastic. When a player gets hit with a bone crushing hit, it sounds exactly like it does in real life. Same thing with the goal post. In some games, if you merely tapped into the post with the puck, it would sound the same as a 110 mph shot hitting it. In this game, the sound varies depending on how hard the puck hit the post. Custom Music The game allows you to fully customize many aspects of the game. For every single team in the league you can set the music you want to play for a large variety of events. For instance, when a goal is scored and the Red Wings are the home team you can have it play one song while choosing an entirely different song if they are the away team.

Special Features Battle for the Cup Mode Start off in the final round of the playoffs against a team of your choice GM Mode You can manage an existing NHL team Board Battles New Fight System First-Person fighting system with the result of a fight affecting the momentum of the teams. Hockey Shop Gear for a Be A Pro can be made available either by completing in game challenge or through purchase using Microsoft Points

Manual There is a 14 page manual that comes with the game that provides little, if any, additional information other than the Game Access Code that you use to register the game online with EA

Bugs Goalie moves on preset paths until the user takes control of them This has resulted in someone shooting a puck all the way across the ice, around my goalie, and into the net. After whistle penalties The user that initiated the after whistle hitting isn’t always (or usually) the one that gets called. When a player gets hit a few times, both teams start to hit each other relentlessly and the user is only able to keep their current player from hitting back. Jersey pull during fights I’ve never successfully been able to do the jersey pull. Board battle range Sometimes it pulls people to the boards that are far enough away were the board battle should not have occurred. Penalty Shots The game skips a bit when a penalty shot is called.

Game Review

What is good (fun) about the game? Why? Realistic Game Play The user is given a lot of control during the game play. Rather than there merely being a deke button, the player is instead given control of the players stick and able to create their own moves. The user may choose from a variety of roles (team, pro, GM) depending on which one they prefer.

What is bad (not fun) about the game? Why? Repetition NHL 10 is a hockey game that is the most realistic hockey game I’ve come across. That being said, hockey is hockey. This means that, when looking at it from a certain perspective, there are only so many different ways one game can differ from the next. Poor Ending Season Mode ends with the Stanley Cup. You are not able to continue on and play another season. You must make a new one if you want to play another one.

How does it compare to similar games in the same genre? By far the best hockey game on the market today

Why is it better or worse than similar games? Better graphics Better Game Play Better Controls Better A.I. Controlled Players Better A.I. Controlled Goaltenders Better Sounds and Music Better Fighting More Realistic Nothing worse than similar games, such as NHL 2k9

What is the appropriate audience for this game? The official rating is an E Anyone that already knows how to play hockey (the user does not need to ALL of the rules and ideas of hockey, but they do need to know there are two teams of 6 playing against each other on the ice and trying to score more on the other team than the other team can score on them). The beginning tutorial does a great job of teaching people how to play the hockey game but it does nothing to teach someone how to play a game of hockey

Are any design mistakes present? No, none of the Game Design Sins are committed.

Summary

Overall strengths and weaknesses Strengths Realistic Game Play Various Game Modes Deke System Allows for User Creativity Weaknesses Must already have a basic knowledge of how to play hockey Hockey does not change much from game to game

Is the game worth purchasing? YES

How could it be improved? Fixing the bugs Adding in broken sticks Disallowing goals that wouldn’t be allowed in real life