2k6 to 2k11

[18 eighty 5]

I have recently re- purchased 2k6 and 2k8 (still hunting for 2k7 but have the demo) and have had 2k9 and 2k10 since release. I have deliberately gone back to 2k to experience what they offered back in the day. Retrospective observation is a funny thing eh, because I can see things about these titles now that are really great innovations and features that I just didn't appreciate or even notice back then.

With 2k6, the level of presentation was pretty cool, tailing on the back of 2k5 and without the espn license the game intros and other cut scenes still added a decent layer of tv style presentation. Watching fans walking out by the concession stands sporting big foam hands in team colours again is really quite...charming. Also the gameplay additions were great, the advanced passing system and defensive options to name two.

When 2k7 came out I got it but I was really taken more with NHL 07 and the innovation of the skill stick. Despite the terrible frame rate and silly goalie blunders and even the CPU boosting, I was enamoured with the skill stick and this became my game of choice. The time I put into 2k7 was rather cursory and I ended up missing a key feature that 2k7 offered that I have only just noticed coming back to it. The noticeable differentiation in the arenas. The parametric cam shows off the end to end variances of each teams arena. I loooove this! Playing in Buffalo looks different to playing in Edmonton. I guess now, with the only available title focussing on gameplay enhancements to the detriment of quality presentation, seeing how 2k delivered visual differentiation back then is somewhat of a shock and a surprise.

I chased down a copy of 2k8 and only found one last week (i live in Australia and hockey games are rare especially one this old). The arena differentiation is still there following on from 2k7 which is fantastic as is the novelty of cinemotion but the addition of the pro stick and the skating in general feels good. Whereas the skating in 2k6 was old school, the pro stick and the skating really make for a more authentic experience. Though the hitting is too high even with the slider zeroed and the oddity of having to use both LT & RT to skate backwards, the game feels so good to play. Admittedly, when it released back in 2007 I found the control layout awkward and often made mistakes pressing the wrong buttons but even then the feel of the game resembled real life hockey closer than any other hockey title to date. I didn't hang on to my copy of 2k8 for long because of the franchise freeze glitch and I was getting into EA's game more (until I had enough of 08 and ejected the disk and snapped it in half in frustration, a low point for sure and silly of me yes but it was perhaps indicative of what was to come with this series). Returning to 2k8 after years of intense gaming over a diverse range of genres it is surprising to find that the shot stick layout which so baffled and boggled nearly five years ago is now just so easy to use, and largely aids the intuitive nature of the sport.

I actually enjoyed 2k9 a lot, but that is because I developed my own way of playing it where I would sim to the playoffs and take control of every team beginning each game as one team building up a lead, switching teams half way through and trying to beat the lead I had created. It made for a fun playoff series against myself which eliminated issues with the ai. The one thing about 2k9 which I think does better than any other hockey game in any series is the look and feel of backwards into sideways skating. This was changed in 2k10 and no matter what tinkering I do to the sliders I can't recreate it.

2k10 offers great goal variety, the kind of stuff that mimics real life action with some of the freakish ways the lamp can be lit. By and large no two games are the same and a great deal of this has to do with the felt difference between player ability on the ice. Speedsters are just that and their pace is a noticeable advantage on the rink, puck handlers can finesse and small guys can get pounded and the highly adept like your Malkins, Ovechkins etc can be real super stars but when they aren't producing and your team is failing you get a real sense of being shutdown and the thrill of getting your top players into the game increases as well as taking note of other potential lesser types who might step up to be heroes. I find that I do actually take into account the attribute strengths of players on the roster for game specific situations. 2k10 is not without it's faults but it is my hockey game of choice these days.

I think one of the best innovations 2k made with both 2k9 & 10 is file sharing. This alone is helping 2k10 continue to evolve into a better iteration of itself and even to a point of showing that if enough tools are provided for skilled and dedicated users to access new retail versions aren't always necessary to advance a series.

I have only played 2k11 on iPad want to get a copy on the Wii with classic controller.

Looking back through the series it is noticeable that a lot of effort went into presentation and gameplay enhancements. I must admit I didn't appreciate any of them at the time or even notice them. Perhaps I might say the same about the EA series at some point in the future.

[savoie2006]

Good write up and I agree with alot of what you said. 2K10 did a great job on the different arenas as well. I've also considered collecting the different hockey titles through this gen, just for nostalgia. I've always said if you were to marry the strengths of both 2K and EA hockey, we would have the near perfect game. It's almost like they both had different strengths intentionally.

[TjJunior]

most everything in 2k8 was ahead of its time. the arenas, the skating, the stick control on offense and defense is still unmatched. If only the incidental contact stick jostling and a.i. improvements could be imlemented somehow. Wishful thinking obviously, but I love 2k sports games, too bad they got rid of kush for hockey and baseball, they should have just collaborated with VC.

[daflyboys]

Having a PC version would have been tremendous. The mods would have put this game over the top on a PC.