Frozen Paradise

Never one to rest on its laurels, software publisher 2K Sports is always coming up with something new and interesting for athletic fans. This season's pleasures already include NBA 2K6 and College Hoops® 2K6 for basketball buffs and Major League Baseball: World Series™ Edition, designed with those who follow America's national pastime in mind.

Good news for hockey fans too: You can now add NHL® 2K6 to the list. Available in upgraded and expanded form for Xbox 360™, the game builds upon the foundations established in its current-gen cousin, tacking on numerous audiovisual improvements and bonus features guaranteed to wow potential buyers.

Stick and move.

Total Control
Starting out, you find the game's interface has been given a revamp. As multiplayer enthusiasts happily note, the title now supports seamless online league play, stat tracking, and friends list setup via Xbox Live®.

The action itself also gets a nice boost from the so-called ProControl system. While on offense, press down on the right stick until it clicks to cause small icons (corresponding to various controller buttons) to appear underneath teammates' feet. Tap a button once to pass to the designated individual. Executing a double-tap also prompts a pass, yet makes the receiver take a shot the second they gain possession of the puck.

While using these functions, which improve game flow and let even beginners pull off advanced combos on command, you can also dump or protect the puck with a flick of the right stick.

A striking simulation of one of today's most popular sports.

Anyone who's ever wished they could join the Tampa Bay Lightning or New York Islanders' starting squad will also dig Crease Control™, an option which lets you directly manipulate goalies. Click the right stick and you instantly jump to a view behind the net. By controlling a colored cone of vision (green if you're facing the puck, red if you're looking away from it) with the left stick, you can track the puck and move the goalie around the net. Once a shot is taken, the action shifts into slow-motion and you get precious seconds to line up an aiming reticle with a target-shaped icon (or watch opponents score).

Guard your goal.

Extra Special
Developer Kush Games introduces a staggering array of enhancements as well. On-the-fly coaching capabilities let you issue orders to teammates using the D-pad and switch strategies at a moment's notice. Crash the net, go for a breakaway, or call for help; the ability to issue any command is literally right there at your fingertips.

Teams can also build up momentum by caning the competition with increasingly flamboyant stunts, thereby actually preventing opponents from accessing certain abilities like goalie dekes and one-timers.

Player chemistry is important to boot: Pick and choose lineups skillfully, and all your athletes' abilities get a boost.

Look out for enforcers, too. Bigger and meaner than your average jock, these power players—indicated by a red circle and an E underneath their skates—are afforded more leeway by refs in terms of being aggressive. They can even intimidate rivals, causing opposing performance to drop. In short, the more you slam up against a certain adversary, the less likely they can retain their composure, making this a clever way to effectively neutralize otherwise troublesome foes.

Note the family resemblance.

Cool as Ice
Graphically, NHL 2K6 does not disappoint. Character models animate with grace and fluidity. Rinks are full of cheering 3-D crowds who stand and clap in their seats. The ice underfoot becomes increasingly scarred throughout the course of competition as skates carve the surface to ribbons.

The in-game audio is solid to boot. The slap of sticks, the hollow thump of pucks striking the goalie's glove, the constant buzzing of screams and chatter from the stands … It all comes through in 5.1 surround sound.

Put everything together and you have a strikingly effective simulation of one of today's most popular pro sports. With player-controlled fistfights, provisions for pimping out a Skybox, and even party-style mini-games (e.g. Freeze Tag or Super Smash contests), it's hockey heaven. Those who already own the title for the Xbox® are readily encouraged to make the upgrade. Those who don't—slap on the snow tires and burn rubber for a nearby retailer, where the hottest thing on skates awaits.

Article by Steve Richter