Though EA Sports transfers their hockey madness to the small screen, the hits, fights and saves remain larger than life!
Anyhoo, when you first start out on this game you'll encounter a large number of options on the main menu. The first of these options is called "Play Now" and is the quickest method of getting in to the game. Upon selecting it you will then be asked to pick which teams you want to square off against each other (as well as selecting what jerseys they will wear), then you determine a small number of settings (skill level, camera angle, rules and period length) before hitting the ice to play your chosen game of hockey! At this point it's important to mention that there are a large number of teams represented in this game, including all 30 NHL teams + 4 different All-Star teams, 21 National teams, 12 Swedish Elite League teams, 14 SM-Liga (Finland) League teams, 14 DEL (Germany) League teams, 14 Extraliga (Czech) League teams, as well as any custom teams you create.
The second option from the main menu is called "Game Modes" and is where you'll find the real core of this title. It is broken up in to seven sub-options, the first of which is the "Multiplayer" mode. Here you have a chance to go online and play against friends and strangers in either the "Ad Hoc" (local multiplayer) or "Infrastructure" modes. As is usually the case with my online experiences I can't find anyone to play with so I can't really tell you much more than this.
The second sub-option is the "Dynasty Mode" game mode. Here you manage a team over multiple seasons and take care of all the day to day operations of a professional hockey team, not just the on ice play. When you first select this mode you have to pick which hockey league you want to play in, then you determine a number of settings (league name, skill level, period length, rosters, tiebreaker, all-star game). After this bit of business is out of the way you select your team, then set your GM profile (enter your name and preferences). Once your Dynasty is created you are taken to the Dynasty mode menu. This is where you manage all the functions of your Dynasty. The options presented on this menu include "Day-to-Day" (play next game, sim game, calendar, team reports, save, exit), "GM Options" (trade players, free agents, upgrades, finances, scouting report, contracts), "Coaching Options" (edit lines, minor league management, jersey numbers, strategy, practice schedule, progress reports), "Stats Central" (team standings, team stats, player stats, awards) and "Rules & Options" (rules, gameplay settings, display settings, sound settings, configure controls). Do you have the patience and attention to detail this mode requires? I sure wish I did!
Third is the "Exhibition" game mode, which is simply a meaningless one-off game similar to the "Play Now" mode. Once you select Exhibition you'll then pick the two teams that will be combating (as well as their jerseys), determine the settings (skill level, camera angle, rules and period length), and then you're off to the game.
Next up is the "Season" mode, which has been my personal favourite ever since they first introduced it in the early/mid 1990's. Here you get to control a team (or even more than one team) over the course of a regular NHL season as well as the playoffs, if you qualify. When you first select this mode you will be asked to pick which league you want to play in, then you'll have to determine a number of settings (league name, skill level, period length, season length, rosters, tiebreaker, all-star game). The last task is to select which team(s) you want to control over the course of your season, once decided you are taken to the Season mode menu. From this menu you will manage all of your Season functions, the options presented include "Day-to-Day" (play next game, sim game, calendar, save, exit), "GM Options" (trade players, free agents), "Coaching Options" (edit lines, minor league management, jersey numbers, strategy), "Stats Central" (team standings, team stats, player stats, awards) and "Rules & Options" (rules, gameplay settings, display settings, sound settings, edit user teams, configure controls). This is the meat and potatoes mode of most video hockey games for as long as I can remember, the most efficient way to experience the game!
The next mode we come to is "EA Sports World Tournament", where you can take the national team of the country of your choice in to a tournament similar to the Olympics and other such world competitions. When you first select this mode you will be asked to determine your settings (league name, skill level, period length, number of teams, number of round robins, starting rosters), then you pick the team you want to control. Afterwards you will be taken to the EA Sports World Tournament menu, where you manage all of your tournament's functions. From this menu your choices are "Day-to-Day" (play next game, sim game, calendar, save, exit), "Coaching Options" (edit lines, minor league management, jersey numbers, strategy), "Stats Central" (team standings, team stats, player stats) and "Rules & Options" (rules, gameplay settings, display settings, sound settings, edit user teams, configure controls). This mode is all about pride, baby, pride.
The sixth sub-option is the "EA Sports Free For All" game mode. Here you are taken to an outdoor rink in the downtown core of some major city, and play on just one half of it, tasked with putting as many goals as possible past the goalie in a one on one style competition. When you first select this mode you are tasked with choosing which skater you want to take in to the action (the goalie you will face is chosen automatically by the computer). Then you select the game type, your choices are either "Score Drive" (competition ends after either 5, 10 or 15 goals are scored) or "On the Clock" (competition ends after either 2, 5 or 10 minutes have been played). At this point you also choose how many defensemen you want on the ice trying to impede your progress (0-2), and if you want to play with big heads on/off.
Finally we come to the "Shoot Out Mini-Game" game mode, which takes place is the exact same setting as the EA Sports Free For All. This one however is a competition between multiple shooters to see who can score the most goals instead. When you first select this mode you will be asked to choose which skater(s) you want to take in to the competition (1-4), again the goalie is automatically chosen by the computer. Next you determine your game type, either "Score Drive" (competition ends after either 3, 5 or 10 goals have been scored) or "Shots Drive" (competition ends after either 5, 15 or 20 shots have been taken). At this time you can also determine if you want to play with big heads on/off.
Phew!! Heading back to NHL '07's main menu the third option we come to is "Rosters", where you control all aspects of the players in this game and who they play for. This option is broken up in to six sub-options, including "Roster Management" (view rosters for all teams in all leagues, as well as move them from team to team as you see fit), "Edit Lines" (view the rosters for all teams in the game and edit their individual lines as you see fit), "Minor League Management" (view prospects for all teams in the game and manage when and where they will play), "Set Default Rosters" (reset all team rosters to the original factory settings), "Jersey Numbers" (alter the jersey number for any player in the game) and "Save Rosters" (save any changes you have made to NHL '07's rosters).
Fourth from the main menu we come to the "Creation Zone" option. Here you can not only create just players, but entire teams as well. Creation Zone is broken up in to three sub-options, the first of which is called "Create Player". When you select this sub-option you will first enter your player's personal details (name, birth date, home city, position), followed by his characteristics (height/weight, draft year, number). Then you set his face and equipment, and finally determine his skill attributes. Once finished you add him to the free agents list where you can then assign him to any team in the game. The second sub-option is called "Create Team". When you select it you will first enter the team's generic information (city name, team name, abbreviation, arena), followed by determining the look of your team (logo, home jersey, away jersey). Your final step is to select which players you want to fill out your squad, from any and all players available in the game. The final sub-option here is "Player Editor", where you can edit the personal details (name, home city, number, etc.) of any and all players in the game.
Next we come to the "Rules And Options" option. It is divided up in to seven sub-options and is where you control the default master functions behind NHL '07. The sub-options include "Rules" (determine period length, penalties, fighting, offsides, icing, 2 line pass, hero rating, injuries, tie break, and assistant coach edits lines settings), "Settings" (consisting of gameplay settings [set skating, shooting, passing, defense, intensity, dumping, and injuries sliders], difficulty settings [set skill level between beginner, easy, medium and difficult, your choice alters the speed, scoring, checking and opposition sliders accordingly], display settings [adjust/toggle camera, auto zoom, home team perspective, score clock overlay, control indicator and shot aiming targets settings], and sound settings [toggle between stereo/mono audio, toggle on-ice sound on/off, as well as adjust commentator, menu music, arena music, sfx, crowd, rink speech and goal horn volume sliders]), "EA Sports Trax Jukebox" (view/play all 17 music tracks included in the game, as well as toggle them on/off), "Configure Controls" (view your current control scheme and make any changes you feel are necessary), "Language Select" (set game language between English, Francais or Deutsch), "Save/Load/Delete" (save, load or delete game rosters and settings) and "Enable/Disable Autosave" (pretty obvious).
Sixth on the main menu is the "Credits" option. To view the names of all the talented people who know that hockey is the best sport in the world and brought this wonderful game to life for us, press here.
The seventh and final option from the main menu of NHL '07 is "System Link". I'm not sure what this is exactly, I think it lets you link up with another PSP system or something. Needless to say I made no use of this function.
As for the game screen, it is pretty sparse and simple, as usually befits a sports game. In the top left corner a bar of information starts and stretches across the top of the screen. In most modes the information displayed begins with abbreviations for each of the two teams playing in the current game, as well as their respective scores. Immediately to the right of this you will see the game clock as well as an indicator for which period the game is currently in. During play messages will pop up from time to time and be displayed in the top right hand corner of the screen, such as when a play is in jeopardy of going offside or an icing charge is in effect. When you change lines your line options will also be displayed in this area. Also, when you decide to alter either your defensive or offensive strategies, those changes will be displayed in the bottom left and right hand corners of the screen, respectively, as you make them. Finally, when you play either the Free For All or Shoot Out Mini-Game modes, the display bar across the top of the screen changes to suit these games, displaying individual goal tallies instead of game information. As for the game's pause menu, it contains five options including "Resume", "Replay", "Take A Timeout" (only an option during a stoppage in play), "Pull Goalie" and "Exit". During the Free For All and Shoot Out Mini-Game modes this menu is reduced to just "Resume" and "Quit".
Game controls for NHL '07 are well laid out and easy to use. To move your player around the ice simply use the analog button. The X button is used to pass while on offence, or to switch to the player closest to the puck while on defense. The Square button is used to perform a wrist shot while on offense, or to poke check while on defense. Triangle makes your player perform an auto deke while on offense, or to throw a body check while on defense. The O button lets you rip a slapshot while on offence, or you can use it to hook/tie up an opponent when on defense (also to punch during a fight). The R button is used to engage a temporary speed burst. Now, as for the L button, it is used in conjunction with a number of other buttons to perform more advanced controls. First, press it and then press the X button to perform either a drop pass or to block a pass, press the Triangle button to perform either a spin deke or to dive/block, press the O button to either cancel a shot or switch to manual goalie, press Left on the control pad to activate open ice support, or press Right on the control pad to activate open ice control. Speaking of the control pad, these buttons on their own also perform other functions. Press Up to make line changes, Down to accept a fight invitation, Left to cycle/change defensive strategies, and Right to cycle/change offensive strategies. And that's all there is to it! Much simpler than, say, a game of football.
As is usually the case EA Sports is bang on with their interpretation of professional hockey in NHL '07, as the presentation in this title is just fantastic. At first I thought the conversion to the small screen might hurt it as some detail could be lost, but this was in fact quite the opposite. This game is just as well represented graphically as any of it's brethren are on the consoles. The players and the movements they make on the ice are all quite realistic, even the cutscenes that take place between stoppages in play are true to life, usually these can be a bit goofy and embellished. I especially love the goalie animations, their movements and some of the saves they are able to come up with are really cool. As usual it's a very colourful game with all professional teams represented as well as their various uniform selections. The only thing that wasn't fleshed out too much was the individual arenas (they were a bit generic less the markings under the ice and the banners hanging in the rafters) and the appearance of the crowd (which takes on a bit of the "cardboard cut-out" type of look). But these are just fringe details, you barely even notice it as the core action takes place inside the glass, down on the ice. The graphics are close to perfect and very highly detailed, and with a healthy number of camera angles to choose from the action unfolds in a manner you are most comfortable with. As for sound, once again EA hit the nail on the head with a great soundtrack including 17 aggressive, hockey appropriate songs from real life bands. Of course the game sounds are spot on also. All of the sound effects are authentic, from a massive collision between a defenseman and an onrushing forward to the sound of the puck ringing off the crossbar, this game sounds 100% hockey. And with Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson calling the play by play action, it can be Hockey Night in Canada every night (fitting given this Bettman induced lockout we're suffering through right now, thanks dill weed!!). Finally, like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the controls behind NHL '07 are simple, intuitive, and quite easy to use. Audio-visually this title is a treat to behold, it just screams hockey!
The pros to do with this game far outweigh the cons. On the plus side the game looks and sounds great as I just discussed, controls great, and offers a number of game modes that range from being quite complicated with Dynasty Mode, down to something as short and simple as the Shoot Out Mini-Game. I also enjoy how many different teams and leagues are represented, it's not just an "NHL" title anymore. Another favourite of mine is the plethora of alternate jerseys you can utilize for most teams, they really stirred up some great retro memories from when I was growing up! The only con I can think of for NHL '07 is that there is no unlockable content to be had. In previous versions of the game there were those NHL Cards that you could unlock by earning points for achieving certain objectives. It was a nice little side diversion while you were playing through the game that added a bit of value. Something like this is not essential, but I think it could have helped take an amazing game to perfect instead.
There aren't really any tips or tricks I can offer anybody new to playing NHL '07, other than to get in to it and practice, experiment with dekes and moving the puck around the zone in different ways and getting different types of shots on net. Perfect your craft! This isn't going to sound all that great, but if you've played any games in EA Sports' NHL Hockey franchise before, you'll be able to get in to this one pretty quick and easy. This isn't necessarily to say that the games are all the same, but they do all share the same general mark of consistency with regards to layout, controls, etc. This should actually be looked upon as a positive for the franchise, consistency and excellence of this type can only be dreamed about my most video game franchises.
To summarize, the hockey action served up in NHL '07 wasn't necessarily that new and ground-breaking for it's time, but it is realistic, exciting, fun . . . and bone jarring! This is just another perfect chapter in the long and illustrious history of EA Sports and their grand hockey juggernaut. Keep 'em coming, guys!!