Tech Blog

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The NHL 2K series has seen better days, and for the first time, there will be no 2K hockey on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. But the Wii version will carry on, and the new emphasis placed on development by 2K Sports seems to show some promise. Vancouver Canucks defenseman, Kevin Bieksa, who was on hand, helped me try it out.

Sadly, 2K didn’t release this game with a Wii stick peripheral like EA is planning to do with their version. I guess it won’t matter as much if you’re able to play 2K11 with that stick anyway, but it is just a thought. Though teammate Ryan Kesler is the poster boy for the game, Kevin Bieksa was on hand to help promote the game on this stop of the 2K11 Tour. He and I played to a 2-2 tie over two periods of play before he had to sign autographs and pose for photos.

Luckily, I had gotten the chance to play the game more before I got to sit with him at the event. My initial impressions are that the game has more polish than ever before. It doesn’t look fantastic, but it’s definitely an improvement over last year visually. The controls take some getting used to, as I haven’t played last year’s game in eight months, but once you start getting the hang of it, you feel good about the moves and dangles you can pull off.

The key is in managing the buttons with the motion of the remote and nunchuk, and then timing their execution. Bodychecking requires that you push both the Wiimote and nunchuk forward, but it only really works when you have a good line on an opposing player. One hilarious move is juggling the puck in the air with your stick using the Z button, which is pretty much useless during a game, but fairly easy to do in a shootout, for example.

I didn’t get a chance to try out the 2-on-2 pond hockey-style game, nor the Road to the Cup mode that fuses a more arcade style of game with the use of Miis, instead of actual pro players.

The game comes out on August 24, so fans won’t have to wait long to see what NHL 2K11 is about, but from the little bit I saw today, it’s got a chance to shine on the Wii.