NHL 2K6 Hands-On

Turco Talks Turkey

Dallas Stars goalie and NHL 2K6 cover star Marty Turco talks hockey in this exclusive interview.

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The good folks at 2K Sports dropped by recently, bringing along two things of interest. The first was Dallas Stars goalie and NHL 2K6 cover athlete Marty Turco, and the second was an updated build of the game itself. We hadn't seen 2K6 since our all-too-brief time at E3 in May, so we were eager to get our mitts on this build to see just how things have changed since last time around.

The most obvious addition since our last look at the game is the newly introduced enforcers. As anyone who loves hockey will tell you, enforcers are a part of every team in the NHL. And few great teams exist without them. Enforcers, just as their unofficial titles suggest, are the players on the ice with whom nobody wants to mess (unless, of course, they happen to be enforcers themselves). They're the players who are known for getting rowdy and physical, all while trying their best to shut down the stars on the opposing side of the ice through sheer intimidation.

In the game, enforcers are noted on the ice with an illuminated "E" icon as they skate. They have one main purpose: to get out on the ice and put the fear of Gordie Howe into your opponent's star players. You'll want to play physical hockey with your enforcers, as the rougher you get, the more success you'll have. You may even notice the refs going easy on you when it comes to getting away with hooks and roughing calls. Of course, you won't be able to completely go Marty McSorley on someone, because the rules of the game will still apply. As a result, the refs will still be calling hooks, cross-checks, and roughing penalties. However, there will just be a bit more leeway for the Tie Domis and Matthew Barnabys of the game.

Intimidation is the name of the enforcer's game, and if you play your position correctly, your opponents players will suffer ratings hits as they become intimidated through your tough play. You'll even see a little "i" pop up to signify that your opponent is spooked. The computer-controlled players, for example, will be more eager to pass the puck than take the biscuit to the basket themselves. Furthermore, you may even save yourself a goal or two by simply getting up in the artifically intelligent players' faces and letting them know you mean business. According to NHL 2K6 producers, the entire idea of introducing the enforcer concept into the game was for players to pay attention to their entire lineups. Most players, they said, are so intent on scoring goals that they forget there's some value to be had in their fourth and fifth lines, where the bruisers typically reside. With the enforcers now in the mix, producers hope gamers will be a bit more strategic in choosing which line to put out on the ice, instead of merely cycling through in order or (worse yet) letting the computer handle line changes automatically.

Think you're going to get one past Turco's glove side? Think again.

The aforementioned Turco will be starring on the NHL 2K6 cover this time around, and it's only fitting that some new goalie controls make their way into the game in celebration. The new system, known as maximum goaltending, uses the right analog stick to give you more control than ever for when and where your puckstopper makes his move. By moving the stick left or right, your goalie will dive in the appropriate direction. Meanwhile, moving up will execute a poke check, and for getting down into the butterfly stance, you press down on the right stick. Save attempts will be as simple as pressing the Y button.