What can I say..this game is nothing short of incredible. If your not even a big fan of hockey be a pro mode and the EASHL online will still be a ton of fun for you. The game is a lot like 08 just a much more polished version in and out with the addition of a terrific defeseive skill stick and stick lifts which work great for playing people online who love to use one timer after one timer. The addition of be a pro mode makes a already great hockey game incredible, when you start your game for the first time you will create your hockey player and basically its all about you and what type of player you want to be, you play from the minor league and up in hopes of making it to the big NHL club. You also take you created player and play in the EASHL and can join a club to build up your stats and go after the first ever EASHL Stanley Cup..its all about team play and you will be graded so be a team player and don't worry about the hat tricks or you will never get to see your real name on the Xbox Live NHL 09 leader boards. My only complaints about this game are the usual with EA, in be a pro mode there are times when the play slows down a little bit in the heat of the moment but nothing too bad to really make a differance, the fighting took 1 step forward and two steps back this year..they actually listened to us compalining about how bad the fighting is went in and changed it and it still feels awkward and clunky and just not real at all..its VERY disapointing that this keeps happening every year because if they got this thing right and actually captured the intensity within the game as it happens instead of pointless horrible fighting I would give this game a perfect 10 hands down its very frustrateing and a shame because of how good this game already is, how can you create a grinder and try to come up to the NHL without useing that very thing and fighting your way into the NHL?? Hopefully next year its fixed for good. Again, go out and buy this game it will take over you life as you know it, I have never to this date had so much fun playing a game online as I had playing this game with my friends together its incredible and has to be experianced to understand how good this game really is.
Last years NHL game was a huge step forward, and for once EA has continued that forward trend with NHL 2009. While I have not played everything in great depth thus far, I have touched upon most of the game aspects to for... Read Full Review
*** NHL 09 *** THE GOOD -Very realistic hockey action -Solid controls -Excellent multiplayer -Be A Pro mode is addictive -Superb graphics and sound THE BAD -Online connection issues -Confusing menus ... Read Full Review
