NHL 10 throws down in September

Annualized sports simulations aren't typically regarded as among the best overall games during any given year. However, EA Sports achieved that feat last year with NHL 09, which was deemed GameSpot's Best Sports Game of 2008 and Game of the Year finalist, thanks to its standout Be a Pro single-player mode, immersive online play, and accurate animation, physics, and artificial intelligence.

Making its bid for back-to-back championships, EA Sports today announced that NHL 10 will arrive for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this September. EA Canada has once again been tasked with development duties on the hockey sim, promising more than 200 gameplay tweaks over last year's edition. Notably, NHL 10 introduces a first-person fighting engine to the proceedings as part of EA Sports' push toward a more physical on-ice experience.

As highlighted in GameSpot's fresh interview with series producer David Littman, that focus on physical play will also be seen in new board-play mechanics, where on-ice players will now vie for control of the puck along the walls of the rink. Other tweaks to the title include new puck-control mechanics, interactive crowds, and increased player-movement versatility.