NHL 2K6 Review

Features and Modes

As far as modes go, NHL 2K6 is absolutely packed with stuff to do. You’ll find quick game, season, and franchise modes just like you’d expect in a hockey game along with a dream team ladder mode of teams built by NHL stars, and skills competitions from the NHL All-Star weekend. You’ll even find some neat and surprisingly well implemented minigames such as air hockey and shuffleboard. Simply put, there is a ton of stuff to do here and each and every mode has been created with a lot of care and attention to detail. The franchise mode is particularly good and incredibly deep and plays out more like a real season than any hockey (or sports game period) ever has before. Player morale that changes during the season and team chemistry that affects the way your team performs are just some of the little things that NHL 2K6 does that make all of the difference.

No modern sports game would be complete these days without an online mode and NHL 2K6 doesn’t disappoint. Quick games, tournaments, and league play are all available and very solid all around. The gameplay is also very smooth and lag free. Good times.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, NHL 2K6 is a nice looking game. The player models look decent and the animation is the best in the business, but the ice, arena, and overall look of the action isn’t quite as nice as in EA’s NHL 06. Also, the menus and overall presentation suffers a bit with the loss of the ESPN license. The whole experience outside of the actual hockey itself just feels sort of bland and uninspired. It isn’t that big of a deal, but we have been spoiled the last couple of years and the differences between 2k5 and 2k6 are pretty shocking.

Sound is an area that is pretty disappointing in NHL 2k6. The sound effects for hits, slapshots, and everything else happening on the ice are really subdued and nothing ever sounds quite like it should. I like to hear a solid smack as the puck rockets away from a stick and meaty thuds when there is a check, but it just doesn’t sound that way in 2K6. Also, the commentators are a big step back from last year as the great Bill Clement and Gary Thorne from ESPN have been replaced with the bland and boring duo of Hockey Night in Canada announcers Bob Cole and Harry Neale.

Bottom Line

NHL 2K6 is yet another outstanding hockey game in a long series of great games. The gameplay is as good as ever and even though the presentation is a bit off, the game still plays like a dream and that is what is important. It is filled with features and modes and a great array of options that let you adjust the game to play at whatever speed and style you want it to play as. And best of all, you can grab this great hockey game for just $20. At that price, it is hard to turn down. Rent it first if you are unsure, but at this price I highly recommend it for a purchase.