NHL08 = Damn Impressive

Last night, I had the fortune of trying out EA Sports's NHL08 for the PS3 on a massive flat-screen HDTV.

Talk about impressive. Damn!! Nothing has ever come so close to mimicking the look, sound, and feel of an NHL game, as this game does.

Now, I've played a lot of NHL07, and it was far from the best in the series. Despite the addition of European leagues (a HUGE plus), the game had way too many setbacks.

All little guys were fast and all tall guys were slow. Yes, a 6'5" giant with 99 speed would always skate like he had a 50lbs weight on his back. The 5'5" guys were all little rockets.

The physics looked bad, especially for goaltenders. During slow motion replays, the goalies had the worst looking movements and the game just didn't look impressive for the year it was released.

Defensive AI = headless chickens. No matter what strategy you chose, you could be sure that your team would skate around and do very little defensively. It was frustrating trying to stop opposing attackers when you had to do everything yourself.

NHL 2008 seems to have improved on the first two elements with a giant leap forward. The goaltending physics, even on slo-mo replays, were just spectacular and very real. Even Luongo's 'style' seems to have been imported into the game, and it really felt like it was him saving my bacon (I beat Calgary 2-1...neener neener).
The control of goaltenders was the best it's ever been, and the players seemed to be more 'real' in their skating, forechecking, and puckhandling. Getting rid of the stupid speed burst, too, is something that is much welcomed.

I have to say, in the 45 minutes that I got to spend with the game, that I was awestruck, impressed, and jealous all at the same time. NHL07, and many previous incarnations, didn't leave me all that impressed. Many of them felt like the same game with more cartoony bullshit and different rosters.

NHL08, kids, is a giant leap forward in hockey gaming technology. Damn, if only I had $600 for a PS3 and the game. Maybe I should start taking donations.

Jason Spezza Nets NHL 2K8 Cover

Eric Staal was the lucky one to get his face on EA Sports' NHL 2008.

Well, Jason Spezza earned the 'other' cover, as he'll be the face of NHL2K8.

2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. announced today that Jason Spezza, first-line center for the Ottawa Senators, has been named cover athlete and official spokesman for NHL® 2K8, 2K Sports' top-rated NHL video game for five years in row*.

"It's a great honor to be the NHL 2K8 cover athlete," said Jason Spezza. "The NHL 2K series has always selected some of the best players in the NHL and I'm really excited to follow in their footsteps of representing the finest hockey video game title this year."

The Canadian-born Spezza was only the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a 16-year old. The first round choice of the Ottawa Senators and second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, his great skills were apparent very early in his career. Reinvigorating the sport with his raw talent and enthusiasm, his magnificent performance in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres made him one of the most exciting players in the next generation of NHL stars.

"We are thrilled to have Jason Spezza as our cover athlete for NHL 2K8. Spezza is a player that truly embodies the spirit of hockey which is something that we pride ourselves in with the NHL 2K series," said Graeme Bayless, President of Kush Games. "We are very pleased to be working with a cover athlete that is such an avid gamer and who is committed to contributing valuable insight to the authenticity and development of the NHL 2K series."

Let's face it, Staal is not the most charismatic player, while Spezza loves the spotlight and is generally a great interview. If I am going to choose someone to be on the cover of my game, I'd rather they have more personality than a cardboard box.

Kudos to NHL2K8 for getting Spezza on their cover. Now, if only they'd have Slovak league teams...