I look forward to the NHL’s opening day like fat girls look forward to the new Twilight baby making movie. I hear in this one he knocks her boots so hard she trades her Timberlands in for a wheel chair. That being said, it should come as no surprise that the one video game title I look forward to the most is not the one where I’m fighting dragons with my wizard stick but the one where I’m slamming the opposing teams leading scorer into the side boards. September 13 could have not have come soon enough. Or so I thought. . . . .
If you purchased NHL 12 and have made any attempt to play the game online, then you are already familiar with the freezing bug that has yet to be addressed by EA Sports. On the game’s release day, forums across the internet were flooded with angry posts from players all over the world complaining about the freezing bug that stretched across all platforms. The game’s most popular modes, “Be A Pro Mode” and “Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT)”, were the most plagued. I was unable to play more than two games at a time in either mode without the game freezing up, forcing me to restart.
Luckily, two days after the game’s release, someone was able to figure out a quick install/delete/restart trick that has helped me to avoid any freezing problems since. Instructions can be found here http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/7534597.page) . The overall consensus is that games “New Tuner Set” is to blame for the freezing. It’s insane to me that a such a small feature could cause such a huge problem. Hey EA! Get better testers! People are going to buy Madden no matter what. Move some of the reliable guys from the FIFA department over and have them run through some exhibition games. Better yet, answer my friggen emails. I will test the crap the out of a hockey game.
With the freezing issue solved, I was able to enjoy the game the way I hoped I would.
Because I was forced to wear woman’s shorts and kick a soccer ball around for damn near 16 years I have thoroughly enjoyed the games “Be A Pro Mode” since it’s addition a few years ago. BAP allows to either create your own or choose an existing player and control them through their career. Your coach will start you out with limited ice time, but as you complete tasks from your coach your playing time increases allowing you more chances to raise your numbers. When you finish your shifts on the ice you can sit in on the action or choose to simulate to your next shift. BAP is definitely a fan favorite and with the additions they made this season I can’t imagine popularity will take a hit.
New this year is the “Legends in NHL 12” feature. By completing player specific tasks within the game you can unlock a few of the NHL’s most famous players. Steve Yzerman, Borje Salming, Patrick Roy, Jeremy Roenick, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios, and Wayne Gretzky can all be added to any team once they are unlocked. Strangely enough, yelling at Chris Chelios soo much he asks another player on the ice to switch spots with him, will not gain you an XP in the game. Yeah I did that. Bitch Chelios. I didn’t play in any of the Cup Final games that lead to Detroit’s last championship either. Can I have a ring too?
A new physics engine makes this installment the the smoothest yet. Every hit is different, the puck seems more “live”, and the animation of the goalies is nuts. If you are a hardcore hockey gamer there is no reason not to jump all over this game. With a growing online community of competitive players, I really think the NHL gaming community is one of the best out there. I have yet to encounter any overly racist, homophobic 12 year old’s. That’s a huge plus for serious online gamers.
If you are remotely interested in trying your hand at a hockey, maybe you should try out last years model instead of dropping the $60 on a game that has yet to be patched. With the adjustable difficulty levels on both versions you can jump in where ever you feel comfortable and learn the basics before deciding to update to NHL 12. But if you’re like me, you’ve already earned Gordon Bombay like numbers and had a killer time doing so. Despite the in game freezing, Ea has once again proved why 2K should stay on the court and out of the rink.
If anyone out there wants to lace up and skate it out, hit me up on Xbox Live, Patrick 3009.