NHL 2006

This game looks great on the surface: good graphics, nice depth of creating your own team, playing as a dynasty franchise, etc. but then you actually PLAY a game & everything rotten about this game just calls out 2 you:

A) I won a game the other night 16-12! There is absolutely no defense or goaltending in this game, the previous reviewer was right when they said that the game is nothing but a continuous stream of end-to-end rushes.

B) The absurd flashy & obnoxious deking. I had been warned by older NHL fans that Commissioner Gary Bettman hates hockey & would rather change the league into the NBA, & playing this game makes me believe that his advisors had a major role in influencing Electronic Arts down this path.

When have you ever watched a real NHL game & seen the first 2 lines of a team perform a dozen deke moves a piece? COME ON, the deking crap is way out of proportion. On a real NHL team maybe one or two players maximum would attempt moves like this & I doubt that they'd even do them once on average in a single game, but in this game it is deke, deke, deke, all the time & it goes on & on & on.

Then when one of these deking forwards finally scores of course his face has 2 contort & he has 2 move around real showboating/flashy. The entire tone of this game is totally obnoxious & intentionally LOUD & in your face garbage designed 2 appeal 2 the lowest garden variety of meth-head teenager!

Now what can your goalie possibly do against an entire forward line of "magic hat" dekers? ALMOST NOTHING, the goalie flops down on the ice & begs 4 mercy as soon as the puck gets anywhere near the slot area which strangely enough your so-called Defensemen sure as heck aren't standing there, & as a matter of fact they don't do anything at all besides "hope 2 check" one of the forwards which is pretty difficult considering that the dekers hop around like an acrobat & as soon as they see you coming they put on another move or pass it 2 their circus deker buddy. How many teams have these magic dekers? ALL OF THEM!!

Doesn't matter which team you play against they've got a bunch of deking garbage 2 entertain you with & run your scores up to. One night I got lucky & INJURED Colorado's first two lines of forwards & I won the game 17-1, yes I scored 17 goals because once again not only do you not have any defense but the computer opponent doesn't either. And don't bother thinking that it has anything 2 do with the Goalies, a 95+ overall goalie in this game still gives up at least 7 or 8 goals a game, & if you think you have a prayer of winning a game with a goalie rated an overall under 80 you might as well just empty your net because he isn't going 2 stop the puck.

C. The create a team mode is interesting & deep although it too is made foolish by a tremendous error that doesn't remove the players you choose from their original team. How stupid is it? Really stupid, I saw my brother playing a game with his created team & his Kovalchuk got a penalty 4 slashing Atlanta's Kovalchuk, & there was another game he played in which Joe Thornton played against Boston 4 his created team & he injured Joe Thornton out of the game. Want something even lamer? For my created team Cale Hulse got in a fight with himself on Phoenix. Yep, Cale Hulse fought himself!! IDIOTIC!!! And there was no reason that EA had 2 do this, each roster holds 40 players, so if I select Cale Hulse 4 my Created Team just remove him from the Phoenix roster, is it so impossible 2 do?

D) If you create a team they don't actually have their own original stadium, you are forced 2 pick from a list of pre-existing arenas. I was forced 2 play my home games at the Air Canada Center with huge Toronto Maple Leafs banners hanging over the ice even though my team was the Prince George Lions from British Colombia who played in the Western Conference!

E) The moronic 3 fight limit per game, so wait a minute? I can only have 3 fights a game but I get 2 see 500 dekes, how about a 3 deke limit EA? Make that limit, you pinheads.

F) The fans in the crowd, oh please, take a close look at the fans behind the net & notice that their faces are turned around, their eyes are literally on the back of their heads, what is this? A 1990 video game? PLEASE SPARE ME, there's no excuse 4 that kind of pathetic error from a game made in 2005!!!!!

I bought this game as a gift 4 my brother 4 Christmas. He is 26 & loves it. He plays it when he has a break from med. school. Im not sure how easy it is 4 kids 2 play. The ordering & shipping process was easy & on time!

Gave as a gift but he said it wasn't what he thought it was.

Where do I start? The persons involved in the making of this game, should actually try & watch hockey. Lets start out with the rediculous scores, I score over ten goals a game, in dynasty mode, on the difficult level. The game will get into little spurts where the computer is totally unstoppable. I will give you a hint, it all starts when you try & check a player & they will not fall down, even if they are gang checked. Needless 2 say a few short seconds after this the computer scores, what most of the time is a goal from the book of Doug Henning magic tricks. Also the speratic passing that the computer seems 2 control, in order 4 it 2 get back in the game when falling behind, such as the forward pass that 4 some reason goes in reverse into my zone. Then the computer player sprouts jets & lets say, a player such as Mike Modano, cant catch them, sometimes it even feels as if they are being held back by a force field & just wont skate. Are you starting 2 get my drift here? this game is terrible & causes me many hours of swearing at the T.V., as a matter of fact I just got done playing a dynasty game, in which I led 9-1 in the second period, & had 2 hold on 4 dear life 2 win 11-9. I saved by biggest complaint 4 last, whats up with the goalies? when an AI player gets behind the net, it seems like the defense on my team part like the red sea, & you know its coming but you cant defend it oh yeah the raparound. When this occurs the goalie flops 2 opposite side of the net, & the AI puts into an empty net. This all seems 2 happen while my defensive players I'm not controling are hanging out at picnic or something. If your going 2 buy it save your money & your hair, because it aint worth losing it over. And just an idea 4 NHL 2007, besides revamping the whole game, hows about something new like a broken stick during a onetimer or slapshot, & making the player go 2 the bench 4 a new stick, that would cause some odd man rushes aye? gotta go i've vented enough frustration.

I absolutely love this game! I'm not even sure I liked hockey that much before this game. This definately quenched my thurst 4 an awsome sports game! I would even say its my favorite game ever!!!!

NHL 2006 gives you a chance 2 hit the ice & take complete control of every scoring opportunity. Express your shooting style with the new Sniper Stick - fire off pinpointed slap shots or execute sweet backhanders in a precise location with the flick of the stick. All-new deking control adds 2 your arsenal by letting you skate arond, between, & through opponents while maintaining full puck control. Shoot & score like never before with NHL 2006.