2K Sports' NHL 2K franchise made its next-generation debut a couple of months back on the Xbox 360 with NHL 2K7. If you want to get technical, NHL 2K6 was on the 360 as well, though that game was a glorified port of that year's Xbox game. 2K7 finally delivered a game that felt like it belonged on the new generation of consoles, especially in the realm of presentation. Now, 2K7 is on the PlayStation 3, and for all intents and purposes, this game is identical to its 360 counterpart. A couple of amusing Sixaxis control functions are the only real bonus to the package this time around, though they're certainly not anything special enough to make you consider the game again if you've already bought it this year. But for hockey fans that were holding out for the PS3 launch, NHL 2K7 is worth adding to your launch purchase list.

The NHL 2K series makes its PlayStation 3 debut in NHL 2K7.

The biggest, most elaborate change to this year's game involves the excellent new on-ice presentation system. Titled "cinemotion," this optional feature strips away the normal game-time TV broadcast setup and audio commentary in favor of a more dramatic interpretation. A rousing orchestral score pipes up from the moment the game begins with the coach delivering his opening pep talk to the team. From there, it moves to the ice, changing distinctly in tone depending on what happens. If you're well behind in the game, the tone is more somber. If you're on the comeback, the music kicks in to higher gear. And if you win, you get the sort of happy, inspirational score you'd expect from the end of a good hockey movie.

While the music might sound a touch cheesy, it's added subtly enough that it never seems over the top. It's more Miracle than Mighty Ducks in its tone and delivery. In fact, if anything, it could stand to be a little more in-your-face. The default audio levels for the music are rather quiet, and sometimes it's tough to hear the music over the din of typical on-ice action. It's not a volume issue so much as understated musical sequences. But when it swells up at the key moments, you notice it, and it's an interesting and cool change of pace from the typical TV broadcast. It makes the on-ice cutscenes more entertaining, too. If for some reason you really miss the commentary but don't want to give up the music, you do have the option of turning the commentary back on via the options menu.

On top of the cinemotion feature, 2K7 also includes a new default camera angle that might just be the best one ever put into a hockey game. This parametric camera comes down at more of an angle than the typical top-down camera view, and turns and zooms ever so subtly depending on where you are on the ice, and what's happening. It's the sort of thing that casual fans might not even notice or take note of initially, but dedicated players should certainly appreciate this change, since it gets you just that much closer to the action without sacrificing any level of control or visibility.

These are all great changes, but from there, the additions begin to get fewer and further between. On the gameplay front, just about every feature from last year's game, including the crease control, icon passing, enforcer, and on-the-fly play-calling systems return once more, and they're all basically the same (save for some PS3-exclusive control options, which we'll get to momentarily). The few additions to the gameplay engine include a new drop pass button, and the new pressure control scheme. The drop pass is assigned to the R1 button, and by pressing it, you'll pass the puck back through your legs to a nearby player. With the pressure control system, if you find yourself having particular trouble with on individual opponent, you can order your teammates to pressure them by holding down the L1 button and pressing the right analog stick in the direction of that opponent. You can set the level of pressure via taps of the L1 button. A single tap applies light pressure, a double tap applies more physical pressure, and repeatedly tapping sends your players in for a very hard check. You can cycle through opponents easily enough by simply tapping the right stick around while holding the button.

These new controls, much like many of the previously mentioned gameplay control systems from last year's game, aren't exactly amazing by themselves, but when combined with the wealth of other available options, they help make NHL 2K7 one of the smartest games of hockey around, if not the flashiest. The basic gameplay engine hasn't really changed dramatically in the last couple of years, and those familiar with how 2K hockey plays will find yet another game of 2K hockey in this year's offering. Of course it's hard to call that a bad thing, since the depth of play, especially in the defense and core strategies of the game of hockey, is unmatched by any other available hockey title on the market. But when it comes to some of the faster and more exciting aspects of hockey, like scoring, offensive moves, and fighting, little has changed, and these aspects of the game engine are starting to show their age.

The new parametric camera angle is excellent, putting you closer to the on-ice action without creating visibility problems.

If you're wondering how the PlayStation 3 version of the game differs from its Xbox 360 counterpart, it's the addition of a couple of Sixaxis functions that give this version a bit of extra oomph. When playing defense, you can shove the PS3 controller forward to check another player. The timing is a bit strange at first, and for the first hour or so of play, you may wonder if it's even working. The trick is to line up your check very carefully and then time the push forward to lay it in. When it works, it's satisfying, though it isn't any more fun or useful than just pushing the check button on the controller. However, the crease controls are considerably more fun. As was the case in NHL 2K6, by pressing down on the R3 button, you can switch to a behind-the-back camera view and take direct control of the goaltender. The same functionality applies in this version, but with the PS3 version, you can move the goalie back and forth and pull off the various goalie moves simply by turning and tilting the controller. Again, it's not necessarily a better option than the previous analog stick movements, but this does work considerably better than the checking. The movement sensitivity is also just right.