Avian Gamers Network

Not sure if we have many hockey video game fans here but I figured I'd post my impressions of the latest EA Sports iteration anyway.

New this year:
- Be A Pro mode - create your own player, select an AHL farm team, and start playing. You are evaluated on different criteria based on the type of player you make (e.g. snipers are expected to score more golas, playmakers to get more assists, etc.). If you do well, you'll move up from the AHL 3rd, and eventually to the big NHL team. Basically the process that any young Canadian kid dreamed of. The gameplay is decent and you have to play smart, timing your line changes according to your stamina bar and where the puck is. Making a change when the opposition is on the rush, and you end up giving them a 3 on 1 will not put you in the coach's good books. Great mode.

- EA Sports Hockey League - Essentially Be A Pro but 100% online. You can join a team of up to 50 other human players and play against other human teams. Essentially, it is a hockey MMO. Full 6 on 6 human games is a lot of fun. EA is having some issues with their servers still given it just released last week but I have faith they will rectify these issues since they are heavily touting this feature.

- Improved offensive and defensive controls. I love how the game handles this year. Plus they give the option to use retro NHL 1994 controls that minimize the buttons used. Very nice for the noobies out there.

Here's a link to the easportsworld.com site where you can upload screenshots and videos taken from the instant replay feature. This one is my little sniper laying out a bid defenceman. My checking stat is only 55/100, which is why I found this hit so amusing. Keep your head up junior!!
http://www.easportsworld.com/en_US/video/622600

Overall, a very solid sports title that I am sure will be in the front running for sports game of the year.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

Cheap hit. Elbows were up and it was also a possible charge. I would have called it.

Pretty dang cool that you can post stuff like that though. Looks pretty promising.

Charge, pffff. Two strides.

Actually, I was glad that the guy turned to face me slightly otherwise I likely would have gotten called.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

Is this about that ice skating game the weird people in that place north of wisconsin play with sticks?

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

so how is the be a pro mode compared to Maddens abysmal mode?

In case you've never played Maddens consists of a lot of game planing/scored practice sessions (8-10) a week that effect your performance on Sunday and are not very realistic as score avg matters so if you do any running plays it kills your score...and then you get to play the game...

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Ryric Krael
Former Vice President AGN
Former Director, Section 6
Former Head of Department of the Treasury
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Ask not what your PA can do for you, but what you can do for your PA
"Gone Section Five"

It's played here in the states, but not really much in Wisconsin.

The game looks pretty good, and it's an awesome series, still fire up the 93 and 94 versions with my brother from time to time. Got a Genesis at my dads house!

I have never played the Maddon equivalent, but it very different from what you describe. There is no off-ice training to be done. You create your character, selecting which player type to be, and that provides you a static template of stats (i.e sniper better shooting, dangler better puck handling, playmaker better passing, etc.). Then you sign with the farm team of your choice and get to playing. You get points to increase your stats solely by playing in games and how you rank in the coach's assessment of your positioning, team play, and stats. Simple.

As I mention, you can't play a full period as your have a stamina bar that depletes, but when you sit on the bench watching your teammates, you recover very fast so there is little down time. I find the timing perfect to have a couple bites of snack and a swig or two of beer, and then I am back in the action.

PS - Up to 1st line centre on the AHL team now. C'mon coach, gimmie a shot at the big leagues!!

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"