NHL 2005

NHL 2005, EA's yearly update of what I believe is dubbed 'The Coolest Game on Earth' - Ice Hockey. So what does this year's instalment yield? For a start there are all of the up to date rosters, teams and standings of the NHL. There are also some other national leagues thrown in for good measure, but you probably wont recognise any of the teams so I'll spend no more time on them. The main attraction of this game is the titular National Hockey League of North America, so that's where our attention shall focus.

As mentioned, all of your favourite teams are present and correct, along with all the players and stats you could ever wish for. Want to know the birthplace, height & weight and eye colour of your favourite player? Then check out NHL 2005. The wealth of gameplay options included in NHL 2005 is quite impressive. As you'd expect there is the usual Exhibition mode, but there are also World Cup and league options, as well as some more interesting modes, which we'll look at a little later. First off, the World Cup mode is a relatively new addition to the NHL franchise and as you'd expect lets you choose one of the leading forces in world hockey and challenge for the title of World Champions. All the major players are here - Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden and Kazakhstan (?!). The league mode is similar in that it does what is says on the tin.

More interesting modes include the Free For All option where you and three friends all control a single 'superstar' and there is one computer-controlled goal tender. It's a bit like the football game you played as a youngster where the fat kid went in goal and everyone else was against each other in a battle of flair, wit, guile and determination. Or 'Wembley singles' as it was known in my neck of the woods.

The other interesting mode is the Dynasty option where NHL 2005 gets a bit 'Player Manager.' You are appointed as a general manager of an NHL team of your choice, and are given objectives to complete by the owner. It's then up to you to choose your managerial style (people person/financial demon/winner etc) and embark on a ten year campaign to become the undisputed Daddy of the NHL. Dynasty mode does offer a good dollop of entertainment value and gives you a lot of options to play with. It's up to you to manage the actual team rosters, edit lines and the like; but you also get to have some fun with the financial running of the outfit. You can allocate funds for supporter giveaways, increase or decrease ticket prices, secure TV deals and a whole host of other money related things - all the while trying to keep the fans happy. It's quite an enjoyable aspect of NHL 2005.

Out on the ice, NHL 2005 fairs quite well. The graphics are pretty impressive and as with all EA Sports titles the presentation has been laid on with a trowel. When the teams come out, you get a tunnel view and the camera pans around onto the jubilant crowd who are all individually (albeit slightly crudely) modelled. There are shots of the managers giving pep talks to the team (the facial expressions are very good, by the way) and of course the obligatory national anthems and team line-ups. However, your original feeling of 'wow, this is pretty cool!' will give way when the camera zooms in to the American flag and stays there, transfixed while the organist belts out the Star Spangled Banner. Pure cheese.

That cringe worthy moment aside, things pick up again when the referee throws down the puck and the action kicks off. It's fast and it's furious (although don't worry - Vin Diesel aint in here), and the crowd effects and outrageous (but well recorded and realistic) play-by-play commentary only add to the atmosphere. The gameplay is as smooth and solid as it's always been and the classic camera angle that harks back to the old Mega Drive days is back for another innings. The body checks have real 'oomph,' the passing is smooth and the slap shots ring through the binary air like bullets. If you've played any ice hockey game before - you'll know what to expect here. If there is one criticism I must give to NHL 2005, it's that the goalies are a tad hard to beat ala NHL 2K / 2K3 on the Dreamcast. You can go for entire periods peppering the opponent goal, but the 'tender will just soak up every wrist and slapshot you can throw. Annoying, but persevere and the goals will come.

In comparison to every other ice hockey title out there at the moment, I would say that NHL 2005 is one of the best, although Sega's NHL 2Kx and ESPN games boast superior graphics (even the Dreamcast version's players had more detailed jerseys). That aside, you can't get a more enjoyable slice of hockey for the Gamecube than this.