NHL 10, NHL 2K10 in stores

Two hockey games are in now in stores vying for your love, affection, attention and game buying dollars. EA’s NHL 10 and 2k Sports’ NHL 2K10 are available in North America now for various platforms. NHL 10 is available for PS3 and Xbox 360, while NHL 2K10 is available for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2.

Featuring 2009 Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winner Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as its cover athlete and spokesman, NHL 2K10 promises fast-paced action and fun of the NHL without actually getting your teeth knocked down your throat.

Catering to both die-hard NHL fans and casual players, NHL 2K10 offers pick-up-and-shoot controls, authentic gameplay, all the teams and players from the NHL and variety of on- and off-line multiplayer modes. The Wii version of the game, a first for the series on this platform offers Mii competitions, Mii support and controls refined for the Wii remote and nunchuk.

Developed by 2K Sports’ Visual Concepts studio, NHL 2K10 is rated E10+ by the ESRB . Learn more at www.2ksports.com/games/nhl2k10.

Available for PS3 and Xbox 360, EA SPORTS NHL 10 promises a new, physical brand of hockey to match the physical and emotional intensity real-world players endure in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. New gameplay innovations include first-person fighting, all-new board play, Battle for the Cup and Be A Tough Guy modes, and new ways to score. NHL 10 features more than 200 gameplay refinements that promises to “replicate the skill and finesse of hockey.”

NHL 10 was developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C and is rated E10+. You can learn more about the game by visiting http://www.easports.com/.

NHL 2K10 Feature List

If you are interested in what new features NHL 2K10 brings to the table, then we’ve got some wonderful news for you from 2K Sports: they want to tell you all about it - including specific features for the Wii. NHL 2K10 launches on September 15th for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, and PlayStation 2 for those of you that care.

At a glance these new features include improved gameplay mechanics, enhanced defensive controls, a new defensive skating model, better AI, and plenty of other features that (they hope) will deliver a better looking game with a huge emphasis on social gaming. You can check out 2K Sports’ list of features after the break:

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Patrick Kane covers NHL 10

20-year-old Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks will be the new face of the NHL 10 videogame from EA SPORTS, if you care about such things. Kane is the youngest player ever chosen for the cover of the NHL franchise, reckons EA, who says that his image will be on the front of all packaging when NHL 10 is available in North American retail stores this September.

EA SPORTS has also signed Canadian junior hockey scoring sensation John Tavares, expected to be the top pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, to promote the release of NHL 10. Tavares will join Kane, the first overall draft pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, as spokespersons for NHL 10.

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom was earlier named a cover athlete on NHL 10 packaging in Sweden. Additional regional cover athletes for Finland, Denmark and Switzerland will be named at a later date.

NHL 10 will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in September of this year.

NHL 10 Pulls No Punches

Electronic Arts wants the next hockey game it releases to offer you some realisms - or at least the illusion of it. Its EA sports division today announced that NHL 10 will offer first-person fighting. Why? To match what it calls the “toughness and emotional intensity real-world NHL players endure in pursuit of a Stanley Cup Championship.”

The new first-person fighting engine enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy - on the ice in the skates of an NHL player. When the game thrusts you into such a fight you’ll have to throw and dodge punches to win the fight. You’ll also be able to grab and tug an opponent’s jersey to land a punch which in turn ignites excitement in the crowd. Sounds like Fight Night on Ice.

NHL 10 will be available in stores this September for the PS3 and Xbox 360 for $59.99. It is developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. and has not been rated.

NHL 09 Ships

Electronic Arts has released NHL 09 has shipped to retailers worldwide for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and as you can probably tell I’m not all that excited about it. This is not because I think the game is bad, I’m just complacent about most sports titles - but don’t let that diminish your excitement for EA’s annual NHL game update…

This year’s update brings a new mode called Be A Pro, an improved online experience and refined controls. In the new Be A Pro mode players get what EA Sports calls an “authentic NHL career” – which one might expect would include having some of your teeth knocked out. Create your player, choose your position and jump onto the roster of your favorite team. Players can star in the AHL and their way up into the NHL, though for a real authentic experience, you could just pick a fight with someone at your local biker bar.

For online play, NHL 09 introduces the EA SPORTS Hockey League - a fully-human controlled 6 vs. 6 online hockey experience. Finally, the Skill Stick System and the all-new Defensive Skill Stick round out the changes to this year’s controls.

Look for NHL 09 in stores beginning today.

NHL 2K9 Gold, in Stores Sept. 9

2K Sports passed along word today that its latest hockey video game, NHL 2K9, has gone gold and is heading to the Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 and PlayStation 2 on September 9 in North America. This year’s game features user-friendly controls, expanded superstar moves, friendly Zamboni competitions, a revamped fighting engine, custom Stanley Cup celebrations, and six-on-six online capability.

A free demo is now available for download through Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION Network. On a personal note, let me at that freaking Zamboni!