Thanks to a solid control scheme the game is a breeze to pick up and play. Using the two analog sticks for most of the action, they skips traditional hockey controls; although there are both 'classic' and old-school, two-button 'NHL 94' schemes here too. Your shooting and dekes are controlled with the right stick. Wrist shots are done with a quick flick forward, and slap shots require a pull back to wind up before firing forward with the shot. Shots location is very accurate, and it is still easy enough to pull of one-timers. The dekes do not fare as well, as the left or right motion feels too basic to pull off truly skilled moves. They get the job done most times, but are not overly impressive to look at. The right trigger passes, or changes players on defense. The right stick turns into a weapon on defense, as pushing it in the direction of the opponent lands a body check. The checks could use a little tightening. Being slightly off in your direction will throw a cross-check that could result in a careless penalty. Holding the left bumper opens your Defensive Skill Stick controls, giving you full control of your stick to block passes or poke check the puck away.
Those sad souls without a gold subscription will find enough content offline to keep pretending that Live is not worth paying for. There are four different tournaments with specific themes, including one with the prize of playing against the all-time Montreal Canadians' centennial team. Shootout is the standard NHL tie-breaker, and forces you to try your hand at goalie. Controlling the goalie feels a bit too easy, as it is hard to get yourself out of position; even when panicking and thrusting the stick in the wrong direction. Even though the right-stick save controls are fantastic, it should require more skill than it does. Performance tracker keeps tabs on incredibly detailed statistics for your character. My Highlights allows you to save videos and screen grabs of your games and put them on your character's playing cards or online for the community. Those with a flair for coaching will enjoy the play creator. By manually moving players one at a time, the game records player movements and compiles them for you to test as the puck handler. The on-ice lines are similar to a receiver route in football, and are useful in keeping track of your progress. Your saved plays can be used in games both online and off.
The concept of manually increasing a player's attributes with earned experience carries over to the dynasty mode, with each player gaining valuable experience points to increase their skills. The ability to finally control how your players develop in your organization is a brilliant concept. With all else the game provides, the lack of a fantasy draft is puzzling. Still, your control over free agent signings, trades, minor league call-ups, and the waiver wire give a number of ways to mold your team as you see fit. You also have the ability to actually play your minor league games and send scouts to look at draft prospects. The list of upcoming free agents at the end of the year is a useful tool for those who really sink their teeth into the general manager role, plotting roster moves with an eye to the off-season. The large clunky calendar which lays out all games and off-season events feels like a dinosaur at this point, but gets the job done.
The presentation outside of games is one of the few negatives. It is generally lackluster, with small muddy font on little menus. Navigating through the game's various menus and modes can be an issue, but one that you quickly get over once the game begins. NHL 09 is quite simply the best looking hockey title yet. The gorgeous player models, right down to the stitching on the jersey logos, and smooth animations make for gamer eye-candy. The stadiums and fans look equally impressive, until the camera zooms in a bit to reveal the duplicate fans a few seats away. The in-game action runs very smoothly, but the cut-scenes showing reactions and player spotlights suffer from some occasional slowdown. The game sound feels a bit light, but the announcing team of Gary Thorne and Bill Clement make up for it with excellent commentary.
While the camera for regular games is a stable vertical view that scans up and down the ice, the camera focuses on you for anything involving ‘Be A Pro’. The camera constantly spins around attempting to give you a good view of your immediate surroundings. It works well enough offline, since your A.I. teammates have a solid understanding of the blue line. Sadly, while gamers usually understand what 'off sides' is, learning how to move without the puck takes practice. Some offside calls are bound to happen as overly excited players race ahead. These typically correct themselves by the end of the first period, but the camera angle causes other issues. When your team is rushing down the ice together to the offensive zone, the puck handler and teammates may not be able to see each other on the screen. The result is a handful of split-second offside calls a wider angle would prevent.
NHL 09 is hands-down the best sports game yet. The solid dynasty mode and online leagues would have made most gamers happy, given how good it looks. The 'Be A Pro' mode and innovative EA Sports Hockey League give this game replay value unheard of in an annual release. NHL 09 is the new gold standard of sports simulation videogames.
