NHL ’09

Ice Hockey might be a decidedly niche sport here in the UK but, as with American Football, it’s also one with which gamers are surprisingly familiar.

Electronic Arts’ yearly console updates for the NHL series have informed generation after generation of gamers of the intricacies of pucking, barging and on-ice fisticuffs and NHL ’09, as you might expect, is the best yet. Indeed, for those older players who have fond memories of battling it out head-to-head in NHL ‘94, there’s even the option to revert to a classic controller configuration that mimics that first seen on the Sega Megadrive.

For those wanting the modern configuration the game builds on the ‘skill stick’ system as seen in the previous two iterations. Here your right analogue stick acts as your hockey stick. Pressing left or right will deke the puck, up will execute a snap shot, down then up a slap shot and to the side and up a wrist shot. With us so far? It might seem a little overwhelming on paper but the system lends your character a pleasing level of control that ensures, when you do manage to skate around the defence and blast one past a befuddled goalie, the sense of achievement is great.

Defence control is just as nuanced. You can deliver poke checks; stick lifts (which if timed correctly will knock the attacker’s stick away from the puck) and even pull your opponent’s skates from underneath him. These additions to the skill stick control system certainly make for a more realistic game of hockey, forcing genuine strategy on the part of the player to both attack and defend effectively. Indeed, it’s a lot harder to score in this title than it has been in previous iterations and, truth be told, the game is all the stronger because of it.

The tutorials that guide you through the control scheme's complexities are well designed and informative, explaining strategy as well as the basic interactive techniques. And remember, if it all gets a bit too much you can set the game to NHL ’94 mode and shove the realism.

Be A Pro mode is a new addition in which you create a character, assign him a team and then try to work your way through the ranks of unknown to legend. Experience points earned during matches can be spent on upgrading his abilities and, as with Madden’s similar Superstar mode, it’s a lot of fun for those with the time to build an RPG-style character.

Excellently realised player models and smooth animations ensure NHL ‘09 looks the part while ESPN presenters Gary Thorne an Bill Clement commentate on the action with astounding believability. By raising its game across almost all play areas NHL ’09 establishes itself as the sport’s leader in hockey games, another jewel in EA’s ever-improving crown of sports titles.