Would Gordie Howe's legendary elbow be as fearsome in today's NHL?
Would The Great One in his prime dominate in 2012 as easily as he did in 1986?
As much as hockey fans love to debate these types of what-if scenarios, we will of course never know the answers. But if you're willing to settle for a video game's take on whether Patrick Roy would be a match for Sidney Crosby in a shootout, "NHL 12" can deliver -- if you're patient enough.
The latest in the popular sports series developed in Burnaby, B.C., by EA Sports, "NHL 12" largely stays the course and sticks to what made the franchise successful. The most notable addition amongst the many minor game play tweaks is the addition of such Hall of Famers as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Patrick Roy and Ray Bourque.
Also, for the first time since "NHL 96," the Winnipeg Jets are a selectable franchise. While the Jets' new logo made it into the game, the new team's jerseys did not. The Jets take the ice in either generic jerseys with the NHL logo or the classic Jets jersey used from 1979 to 1990.
The basic premise of "NHL 12" has remained unchanged throughout the series' lifespan. You pick your favourite NHL team and try to lead it to victory. You can pit your skills against the computer or a friend, either at home or online. "NHL 12" also features teams from the American Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League and several European leagues.
The controls have remained largely unchanged since they were redesigned in "NHL 07." The left analog stick controls the player's movement, and the right stick controls the player's stick. Moving the right stick left or right will perform a deke, while moving it toward the goal will take a shot. Holding the stick opposite the goal before shooting will put more power into the shot. The controls are easy enough for new players to grab the basics quickly, while more experienced players can experiment with advanced techniques saucer passes, drop passes and blocking shots.
There are several game modes to test your one-ice prowess, whether you prefer a quick one-off game, playing through an entire season, or acting behind the scenes making trades and managing a salary cap in the "Be a GM" mode. The outdoor Winter Classic is available for the first time. There's also the "Be a Pro" mode, where you can control a single player's ascent from minor-league prospect to NHL superstar.
The big addition to the game is the "Be a Legend" mode, which plays like the "Be a Pro" mode except you control a Hall of Fame superstar in his prime on the NHL team of your choice. All-star power forward Jeremy Roenick is available immediately, but all other legends need to be unlocked by meeting objectives in the "Be a Pro" or "Be a Legend" modes. The problem is unlocking some of the high-tier legends can be very time consuming, and difficult. As you play through "Be a Pro" or "Be a Legend," your player gains experience and ranks. However, one of the criteria for advancement is having a good plus-minus, so if you had your heart set on playing with a defensively weak team, unlocking other legends becomes that much more difficult.
EA says "NHL 12" boasts more than 300 game play improvements over last year's version, although many of them are largely cosmetic tweaks meant to capture the visceral nature of the sport. For example, a hard check can now send an opponent's helmet flying off his head, or launch him into the player's bench. Although development on the game began before the Brendan Shanahan era in the NHL fully took root, these additions are likely not enthusiastically received by a sport trying to clean up its image and deal with the spectre of head injuries.
Goaltenders are no longer the immovable objects they once were, meaning you can bowl them over as you charge into the crease. The end result -- a justifiable penalty for goaltender interference -- remains the same. Goaltenders can also get into fights in "NHL 12," which is amusing the first time it happens but is really not a selling point. Anyone who remembers the Carey Price versus Tim Thomas fight from last season should agree that goalie fights are hardly a staple of the NHL experience.
A neat game play mode that makes its return from last year's instalment is the Hockey Ultimate Team feature, that adds an element of card collecting to the mix. You start with a set of cards featuring players from all the available leagues and build a team from the available players. You then take that team into online and offline tournaments to earn currency to buy better cards. You can also put cards on the trading block or bid on cards in an auction.
"NHL 12" is another excellent instalment in the series, and is highly recommended for those who are just getting into the series or who haven't bought a version of the game in a few years. If you have "NHL 11" there may not be enough new features here to warrant a purchase, but if you're a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, want updated rosters or are interested in the new legends, it's worth a look.
"NHL 12" is rated E 10+ and is available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
