Random Gaming Thoughts

[MrPopo]

EA hasn't made a decent hockey game in thirteen years.

That sounds about right. NHL 98 was perfection.

[Snatch1414]

I was a sucker for the first NHL that had the HUT mode. I thought that had a good suite of modes. Not perfect, but good. The next year I was so excited for more HUT, but it was just too same-y for me. I passed this year because, as excited as I was for NHL on a next gen console, I'll be damned if I'm paying full price for half a game. It was a day one purchase for me until I found out they were just going to half ass it and still charge full price.

As for the series currently, the only thing stopping it from being the best sports game out there is EA Sports' typical laziness. The GM mode is a mess. I follow hockey religiously and couldn't figure out the salary cap and roster management. I appreciate that it's as accurate as possible, but I'm not a capologist. You kinda have to explain this shit.

The biggest problem though is the AI. I'm not going to go into all the reasons I think it should be much better and realistic at this stage, but if nothing else it should be much more dynamic. After a few lengthy sessions the AI is just way too habitual, to the point of being inexcusable given how long the series has been around. If nothing else at least get the fundamentals down. Things like both Dmen leaving the front of the net is proof they're either very lazy or just plain stupid.

The last great hockey games in my opinion were the 2K games. I feel that way about football too. Oh well.

[Luke]

I have all the games from 1992-2014, and besides 92, 94, and 2002 I don't like the rest of them and have no clue why I haven't sold them. I never play 'em. I will be returning 2014 as it is terrible.

2006 isn't bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to 2002.

The "classic" controls aren't the classic controls in the recent games. There's no poke check, no good way to hold or intentionally cause a penalty, and at least I can't figure out how to aim a shot on net.

Using the "nipples" on a controller to shoot and deke is unnecessary. Having the players look like micro machines ruins the game, and the other camera angles are just as bad. And they haven't gotten the flow of a game correct since 2002. Line changes are sloppy no matter how you time them, AI offensive and defensive strategies are also sloppy, and they don't even get the size of the rink correct.

I'm being critical because this franchise is based on being a sports simulator, and has done an incredible job at times, but is now a simple sports game.

[Snatch1414]

I agree. It seems for all the 'detail' they add, I feel like it's as much an arcade-y experience as it's ever been. I don't get the shooting either. When I aim my shots it seems like sometimes it kinda sorta goes in that direction.

They also still haven't figured out how to overcome fast players trumping everyone else. Sure, speed kills, but there should be WAY more accounting for size and strength. I don't see what's so hard about having tough players have some more friction to them when trying to skate past them, just for example. On a related note, 95% of the stats each player has mean nothing.

This is the kind of stuff they could've tuned to perfection over the last 10 years instead of adding a hundred modes that most people don't care about. I'd much rather the game play better than it did a decade ago as opposed to having a shootout mode no one plays, a "go straight to the Finals" mode, or even being able to play AHL games. Get your house in order before you start building more.

[Luke]

I agree. It seems for all the 'detail' they add, I feel like it's as much an arcade-y experience as it's ever been. I don't get the shooting either. When I aim my shots it seems like sometimes it kinda sorta goes in that direction.

They also still haven't figured out how to overcome fast players trumping everyone else. Sure, speed kills, but there should be WAY more accounting for size and strength. I don't see what's so hard about having tough players have some more friction to them when trying to skate past them, just for example. On a related note, 95% of the stats each player has mean nothing.

Well put. It is more like NHL HITZ than what it used to be.

The commentary in 2002 is silly and funny, but the game feels like hockey.

And even twenty years ago the stats did matter and you were responsible for most of it. Ray Bourque could shrug off a check from Steve Yzerman, because in an actual game Ray would. Even Ice Hockey on the NES had physics related to the players.

I'm very opinionated (no, seriously...) but to me it's all been downhill for hockey games since 2002 (kind of like how Tony Hawk games went downhill since downhill).

And Gosh Darnit, we need the Mutant League series to have a revival. Take the existing Madden engine and just add goofy players, names, plays, and fields. How fun would a modern MLF or MHL game be? Pretty fun would be my guess.

[Snatch1414]

Well put. It is more like NHL HITZ than what it used to be.

The commentary in 2002 is silly and funny, but the game feels like hockey.

And even twenty years ago the stats did matter and you were responsible for most of it. Ray Bourque could shrug off a check from Steve Yzerman, because in an actual game Ray would. Even Ice Hockey on the NES had physics related to the players.

I'm very opinionated (no, seriously...) but to me it's all been downhill for hockey games since 2002 (kind of like how Tony Hawk games went downhill since downhill).

And Gosh Darnit, we need the Mutant League series to have a revival. Take the existing Madden engine and just add goofy players, names, plays, and fields. How fun would a modern MLF or MHL game be? Pretty fun would be my guess.

Yeah Mutant League seems like it will always be high on everyone's "forgotten franchises" lists. Of course these days our best chance is they come out with some downloadable version that's shit.

I was playing those 2K games in the early to mid 2000s so I wasn't privy to what NHL was doing. I didn't hate NHL or anything I'm not sure why we switched over but no one really regretted it. I have no doubt they were comparable though.

It's funny you mention Hitz. In a way I find those games more fun than NHL anymore, simply because I know what I'm getting into. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not, where as NHL kinda does. You can play NHL exactly like you play Hitz and stand a chance, and that should never be.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Yeah Mutant League seems like it will always be high on everyone's "forgotten franchises" lists. Of course these days our best chance is they come out with some downloadable version that's shit.

Not everyone, apparently...

[Luke]

Agreed.

Play Rock The Rink if you haven't. The graphics are dated, but it is still tons of fun.

[pepharytheworm]

Abraham ben Jacob.

I gave your post the time of the day and responded to it politely after you interjected in the conversation so it's very rude for you to drop a difuse, meaningless one-liner in response.

If you want to argue, you are free to do so, but at least respect my time, please.

It's only meaningless if you don't know who he is. What era he is from and what he is known for. I didn't realize there was a word quota I was suppose to meet. But if you don't think writing "then what's there to excuse" isn't rude I don't know what to tell you. You're not as polite as you're making yourself out to be.

But if you aren't being rude in that question I will answer. If someone asked why your game lacks diversity and your answer is we aren't all American, we are a very white area, and we are an oppressed people, that comes off more like an excuse. Nevermind the fact that during the 10th to 17th century many people non-white were in contact with Poland. That Poland fought wars with countries that were mostly non-white. That trade was being done. That they bought non-white slaves. That alot of styles and even food were inspired by non-white foreign elements.

Even modernly, though not a large portion of the population, there are around 40,000 Roma and over 8,000 nigerians and other peoples from Africa.

[Luke]

Returned NHL 14 and at the feverish encouragement of an employee I exchanged it for Borderlands 1 & 2, GOTY editions, which supposedly already have the DLC included.

You guys seem to like the game, so I'm pretty excited about trying the first one out.

I'm also excited to get two games and an extra ten dollars of cash back.