'NHL 09' (Xbox 360)

Also available on: PlayStation 3, PC, PlayStation 2
Genre: Sports
Developer: EA
Publisher: EA
Release Date: September 26, 2008 - Xbox 360

Autumn. The days are shorter, crimson leaves line the ground, children play conkers and Electronic Arts releases a bucketload of annual sports titles. Fortunately, NHL 09 is a game worth putting your skates on for.

With the NHL series, EA has always done a fine job in giving gamers what they crave; on the one hand you have fast-paced arcade action, and on the other you have a deep simulation of the ice hockey experience. NHL 09 is no different, only this time there's even more goodness to sink your teeth into.

The big new feature in NHL 09 is the Be A Pro mode. Be A Pro lets you assume the role of one player and play as him from the third line of a minor league team to the number one guy in the bright lights of the NHL.

As the game loads up you are prompted to create your character. As you would expect from an EA title there are lots of options to make your character look just like you. You can create a beefy Adonis with a chiselled jaw or a little fat bloke with a beard, it's completely up to you. You then choose a position and the type of player you are and following a quick tutorial you start your career in a lowly AHL team.

During each game you call for the puck with the right trigger and prompt your teammates to shoot with the right bumper. The computer gives you advice on positioning with the aid of an arrow and your coach gives you an evaluation of your performance every time you come off the ice. Just like a real game, you are part of the line changes and have to watch the game from the bench until you are fit to go back in. If you get carried away and start misbehaving you will get banished to the sin bin to do some time, complete with a rollicking from the coach for giving away penalties. As well as being realistic, taking time out from the ice gives you a chance to re-group, read the game and come back stronger. You become aware of your strengths and weaknesses and know what areas you need to work on when you come back on, which ultimately makes you a better player.

The camera in Be A Pro mode presents one of the few flaws in the game. No camera angle fully allows you to see what is going on at all times; even the zoomed out camera is no good if the puck is at the other end of the rink. For the most part this isn't a problem, but occasionally you become unaware of where the puck is and where your teammates are, which can be frustrating.

Be A Pro is a major investment of time. In order to advance you have goals to complete and you gain experience after every game. Experience can be used to upgrade your player's stats. Every stat upgrade costs a lot of experience, so it will take gamers a long time to become the next Wayne Gretzky.

For those wishing to play a traditional version of the game, fear not, all the game modes of old are present. The Franchise mode is still as deep as ever and there are tournament and exhibition modes for anyone looking for a quick fix. As well as allowing you to control all the players on the ice, the regular modes allow you to tamper with the pace and rules of the game and means that, unlike the Be A Pro mode, you can have more of an arcade experience.

The controls are as good as ever. The left analogue stick is used for skating and aiming and the right analogue for shooting and body checking. For those who find this system too tricky, there is the classic control system, which places more emphasis on the face buttons. If you're really stuck you can revert to NHL 94 controls for the ultimate in two-button simplicity.

There is no doubt that NHL 09 is the best ice hockey game on the market. The Be A Pro mode is a stroke of genius and can also be played online. The controls are smooth and can be customised to suit any player. Like the best sports games, it can be as deep or as shallow as you want it to be, so newcomers and veterans will feel at home. If EA tweaks the camera and the fighting, (which is still a bit poor) then next year's inevitable sequel will be the perfect ice hockey experience. As it is this comes very close.