Several great games released during September, but only one truly set the bar higher for games within its genre. EA Sports’ latest trip around the rink felt like a fresh pair of sharpened skates before the big game. With its laces tight and new tape on its stick, the plan was set in motion and anyone who threw down the $60 for NHL 09 went home happy.

With EA providing enough improvements over the already impressive NHL 08 edition, NHL 09 implemented a well-rounded Be A Pro mode for both offline and online play that satisfied even the harshest critics. Being able to throw on the pads of your favorite player or just creating your own in hopes of hoisting up Lord Stanley’s Cup is a refreshing feeling that many gamers have never experienced. The company didn’t stop there, though, as you can still enjoy full franchise modes, online team play, shootouts and plethora of other options to get your fair share of time on the ice.

You guys know I loved it, so I decided to take it to the forums to see what other users thought of the title.

“This title is so much fun to play it should be in any gamer’s library regardless of your knowledge of the sport. Be A Pro mode is an interesting addition to the franchise and should definitely keep you busy until NHL 2010. It's a great purchase and has tremendous lasting appeal with Be A Pro and the online leagues. To answer your question, this game is absolutely worth the buy!” –TheDon23

Obviously, the enjoyment and ever-changing environment and expectations of Be A Pro mode will surely satiate your taste buds, as other users expressed the same pleasure for the mode in question.

“Definitely a must buy if you are into hockey and hockey video games. I was kind of hesitant because I bought NHL 08 and that was okay. The new Be-A-Pro mode is pretty awesome. And the Dynasty mode is pretty in depth. When playing in the regular mode (i.e. Dynasty) the game action feels much more realistic. I'm playing it in the All-Star skill level and I can tell you that the animations look a lot more realistic and the AI is pretty good at picking the puck off of you. I really like the stop and turn animations which are very realistic if you have ever played real hockey.” -Jonlps3

Unfortunately, October is going to prove difficult when picking out just one title to shine the spotlight on. This month will see the release of LittleBigPlanet, Fallout 3, and even Monopoly from EA (who knew!). It could go any way, right?