• Posted September 11th, 2008 at 12:00 EDT by
• 15 Comments

The pinnacle of video game hockey has always been NHL 94. Delivered by EA Sports almost 15 years ago, NHL 94 offered an amazing balance of gameplay, entertainment and replay value that most sports games seem to lack…until now. Finally, EA Sports has truly done it again. With the release of NHL 09, gamers will once again ascend into hockey heaven with wings spread wide. If you felt NHL 08 was an outstanding improvement a year ago, you haven’t seen anything yet. NHL 09 literally raises the bar on every aspect from its predecessor in terms of game modes, replayability (which is saying something) and true value for your dollar.

The moment you turn the game on, you’re presented with the greatest addition to sports gaming since Franchise Mode. You’re immediately prompted to create your own player, whether it is a defensemen, forward or goalie. You choose a name, position, height, weight and other assorted attributes until you’re finally complete. From there, you’re given a brief overview of the analog control system, which offers seamless play for both first time and veteran players. It’s from this point forward that the all-new Be A Pro mode truly shines.

Be A Pro puts you in the shoes… no skates, of your created up and coming superstar in order to work your way through the AHL (American Hockey League) up into the NHL (National Hockey League). Here, you’re finally given the opportunity to fully customize your player from head to toe. This will include several licensed hockey sticks that allow you to choose the flexibility of your shaft and the curve of your stick. On top of this, you’re given an ample supply of helmets, gloves, color choices, skates, and much more in order to create a truly unique character.

From this point, you’re stuck with the decision of which team you’d like to play for. This is where your career will start but not necessarily end, depending on how well you perform. Once you’re set with a team, you’re ready to increase 3-4 player attributes before starting. This is where the game earns its longevity. You’ll notice that each attribute has to be raised individually and sometimes takes upwards of 250 experience points to budge. Experience points themselves will come in numbers that range from roughly 14-30, meaning you'll have to put in a considerable amount of game time in order to crack the higher-end skills. As such, Be A Pro mode will likely have you hooked for months, something of which many other sports titles have failed to achieve.

Much like Superstar mode in Madden, the camera will be fixated on your position alone. While there are some instances where the camera obscures your view of the puck, it does little to hamper the experience, with the overall camera work bringing a certain dynamic quality to the title. There is also a ton of strategy in order to advance yourself through the ranks. If you’re a goalie, you’re going to be splitting time, however if you’re a player, you’re going to start off on the third line. In order to move up, you must impress the coaches in Team Play, Positioning and Stats. You’re given a grade numerous times throughout a game and though the coach’s remarks will become tiresome, they’re severely accurate. Positioning is scored on how effective you’re able to follow your assigned arrow to get to where you need to be; stats are scored through your goals, assists, wins, shutouts and are sometimes hard to come by, while team play is judged on your ability to stay onside, not take long shifts (that’s right, you have to line change on your own) and to make great passes without too many turnovers.

One thing in particular to make sure you take note of is the difference between jumping from the AHL to the NHL. Be prepared to feel like a boy amongst men from the very get go. It’s that realistic.

The next relevant step for Be A Pro mode is to be able to take your very own Gretzky online. Conveniently this process is releasing with NHL 09 also. EA Hockey League online will allow 12 players ... (continued on next page)