“I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.” – Rodney Dangerfield
For years, there have been a number of advocates and detractors of fighting in the sport of hockey. The game’s most idiosyncratic element was so frowned upon, that it even reached a point where fighting had to be taken out of video games. Uh-huh. In 1993, fighting was erased from your control, despite having been a staple in games since Blades of Steel, and, hell, even a few years before in Nintendo’s original Ice Hockey.
To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the classic NHL 94‘s banishment of fights, EA Sports proudly delivers a game that simply doesn’t know how to stop throwing a punch. You’ll wind up in more fights in a single game in NHL 14 than you perhaps had all of your last video game season. Fighting this year, at the very least, looks great, feels great (due to the more intuitive Fight Night controls), and feels far more exciting than it’s ever been. Most fights won’t happen without a reason, either. Take out the opposing team’s goalie, and there’s no doubt you’ll have a 255-lb. enforcer breathing down your neck. Devastate their star player with a highlight smothering against the boards, and here come the goons. Some fights will happen on a whim, while others will happen more methodically, with some players opting for a little shake and dance — ala Milan Lucic style — in order to beg the other team’s tough to go at it — hence, the more traditional drop of the gloves. You can see a live game if you check out some NHL tickets on this website and enjoy the action.
The fights are exciting. Of course, EA’s latest and most improved NHL series addition doesn’t come without its share of problems, however miniscule. A lot of the fights in NHL 14 appear to go “too clean,” as most punches land on the button each and every time. Anyone who watches hockey on a regular basis knows those instances are completely rare. Hockey fights are messy, dirty, and chiefly consist of a lot of stupid, wild punches being thrown and high cases of awkward “wardrobe malfunction.” Not to mention, the punches in the game sound like they are being landed by boxing mitts, due to the cheesy Fight Night sound effects added to every overhand and uppercut. Still, coming from the mean streets of Boston, you know I love my dirty water and you know I love my hockey fights.
That brings me to a couple of special guests we have at this time, two fellow video game-playing clergymen out of Beantown and, of course, a pair of wicked Bruins diehards, “Pastor” Bill Ammon and “The Ecclesiastic” Kyle Hall.
“Monsignor” Travis Moody: Gents, welcome to GHG. Did either of you catch the “Eye of the Tiger” playing this year’s NHL game, or what?
“The Ecclesiastic” Kyle Hall: EA Sports finally upgrade their fighting engine to make for a more realistic fight. I bet Shawn Thornton is happy with that news. We can’t forget the tip of the cap to NHL 94, where it all began…if you technically dismiss NHLPA 93. Also, while the usual career modes will keep you busy and entertained, there’s a new mode I’m thrilled with, Live the Life. This enables you to build your dream hockey player (why, me, of course) and begin a lustrous career, starring in the minors and working your way to the Hall of Fame. So, now you’re telling me there’s a chance! Not only can you play — or watch from the bench and penalty box, where Moody is used to — but you can also face the media and answer simple questions. But, be careful; some answers can hurt your draft grade, team moral, and even your family.
“Pastor” Bill Ammon: The new fighting engine has definitely improved and is a highlight. I like how you can just mindlessly hit players on the other team or shoot the puck at the goalie after the whistle (I know we all do) without consequence. One touch deking is pretty sick, as well, although it’s going to take some time to master. Overall my gut instinct this year is that I am playing NHL 13 with harder hits and more fights. Unfortunately.
Moody: Hence the “Round Deus.” Though that’s more in reference for the divinity of our love for the sport and EA’s long-running franchise, than the “deuce” factor of NHL 14 merely replicating the last edition. With that said, want to tell the congregation out there just who you guys are and why in God’s graces I chose you to talk about this game anyway?
Kyle: For those getting the rink chills from the ice-cold pews in the stands, I was one of Mr. Moody’s co-stars on the VH1 reality dating show, “Making Mr. Right.” Or, more like Making Mr. Wrong/Wong, where I was eliminated in the 4th episode. But, hell, for my one hockey period of fame, I met some great people a long the way. Now I’m back in Boston and frequently making trips to LA for work (where’s the podcast invite, Monsignor?). But, hey.. I’m still scratching my head as to how I got the call up to blog, but who doesn’t love talking EA Sports all the while jaw-jacking about one of the greatest sports known to man. Well, at least in Canada…
Bill: Longtime Bruins fan and Boston native. Been playing NHL since 2010 on Pro with all the sliders skewed to my favor; you know, so I can go undefeated in GM Mode and win the Cup every year. Unfortunate stepbrother of Moody and diehard GTA and Skyrim fan. 1000+ hours on that, at least — combined with NHL. Bring on the Blackhawks this year ’cause Bergy has Ignila and Eriksson. Oops. Someone learned how to score..
Moody: Oh, the Townies! And just like that, GHG is Faneuil Hall all over again: a good ol’ fashion sausagefest. Glad for you to all be a part of our suitable-as-ever Face-Off. It’s the first time we’ve had 2 newcomers involved in the same article. But, there’s something more important that I’d like to get to right away, guys. Why do you think EA aborted sending NHL 14 to next-gen? Why no PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions of the current franchise?
Kyle: With the PS4 and the X-One scheduled for release on November 15 and 22, respectively, EA opted not to give NHL the royal next-generation treatment this season. I believe this will not deter EA to cut any corners — such as a simple graphics upgrade — and only motivate them to make a better game for the current models. If you look back to NHL 2006, it came out 2 weeks before Xbox 360 and they never made a next-gen until NHL 2007. Fact of the matter is, if people still want a hockey game they will buy NHL 14 for their current option. Period. It stinks, but I take it 15 will be worth the wait.
Bill: NHL has made some massive improvements this year and doesn’t entirely have to rely on a next generation version to keep their reputation afloat like Madden 25 (you can read all about the disappointment here), which did no more than crank out a 360 version to double dip and put all their concentration into the next-gen. Yeah, thanks EA for the sleazy gesture. Appreciated. Let’s also not forget that the start of the season for the National Hockey League is right around the corner, so the release was nice. More than anything, I say screw the next-gen, 360 is not going anywhere. Can you say GTA V?
Moody: I can, and I will. This weekend, GHG will have a wildly epic Grand Theft Auto V podcast! But let’s get our focus back to the action on the ice. We seem to have our differences in opinion concerning EA’s hesitation to package NHL for the new consoles. EA is basically aiming at potentially better-selling franchise’s, where NBA Live has returned (we think?), and now UFC has taken over that final spot in popularity. I really, really, REALLY *Miz voice* hope EA finally answers the fans questions about finer TV presentation. Gary Throne and Bill Clement have become staples in the franchise for some time now, and have arguably the best commentary of any sports video game this side of NBA 2K‘s Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr and Kevin Harlon — and their additional 50+ hours of juice each season.
Still, the NHL booth is getting a little stale.
Iceheads, again, have no choice but to become battered by repetitive calls, cheesy commentary (i.e. “Bread and butter is no longer on the menu”) and lack of score overlays (i.e. NCAA 14?) from around the league, as well as no halftime or pre-and-post-game studio reports. If you want me to play 82 games for the 2nd year — I skipped a full season with NHL 13, since the gameplay was practically identical to 12 — you’re going to have to win me over with more than just mere fine-tuning to the presentation. I mean, the older NHL games on Sega Genesis(!!) showed highlights from around the league! I know, I know. I’m sorry for having this rant nearly every time I review an EA game. But, hey, at least “next whistle” goal replays are a nice addition, as well as a neat Net Cam during huge saves and collisions into or in front of the goal line. EA also was smart enough to keep custom arena music in NHL 14, an addition Madden desperately could use.
Kyle: Having never been a fan of Madden, I’ll give them credit with the training camp and more 1v1 mini-games. Can’t EA bring the All-Star Weekend Skills Competition back to NHL 14? There’s got to enough technology to pack that with the rest of the new editions, no? Heck, even in NHL 2k — remember that one? — you can ride the Zamboni around the ice. Also, I’m starting to see EA blend some games together. In the EASHL they took the FIFA promotion/regulation system for your created club, in addition to the aforementioned new fighting techniques from Fight Night. Am I sensing something?
Moody: Not exactly. EA is known for presenting new features and then taking them away. What was even stranger was seeing Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton on the B’s. Seguin was traded to the Dallas Stars and Orton signed with Columbus, all while the Bruins snatched up Jarome Iginla from the Pen’s. Yup, the same free agent we coveted before the season and consequently swept in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Usually last-minute roster changes are forgiven, but since these transactions happened months ago, this is just lazy. Although, as all diehahd Bruheads, we’ve got to feel good about the feel of this year’s TD Garden in NHL 14. The “Let’s Go Bruins!” chants and organ music sound more authentic than ever before. Although that ad for Tim Horton’s is a little strange when you think we all practically live(d) for Dunkin’ Donuts!
Bill: Dude, you have to run the roster update; all the NHL trades and transactions are fixed once you run that.
Moody: But, what if I didn’t have Xbox Live (or the smarts to copy them on USB via Operation Sports)?
Bill: It would suck to be you, then! One of the primary factors this Pastor can approve of this year’s edition is the challenge of the new face-off — and I’m not talking your demented questions. If you are like me, you were losing every drop of the puck until you watched the tutorial.
Moody: I am like you. We are, after all, brothas from anotha motha!
Bill: Absolutely! LOL… Learning the new tricks of the Face-Off and watching the rest of the tutorials is my #1 recommendation for every parishioner buying this game, due to the number of controls that have changed. Also, learn how to do a hip check. When playing defense, its pretty key to take out the player before they get over the line. Finally, if you are playing in the EASHL watch out for the hawking elites that will be mixed into the games you play. If you are playing the game on the 2nd day of release and there is a person who has already played 100 EASHL games, you know to stay away from them. They are going to hit hard and intercept your passes like a lonely woman at a dive bar.
Moody: Preach! You’re not fooling about doing more training this time around with the amount of physicality poured into this year’s installment. And, now with realistic collision detection, you can definitely feel the hits (skating into opponents at a high-speed will now dump them to the ground, but watch out for “charging” penalties), and find grittier puck battles along the boards — an element that’s truly never been in a hockey game before. Have you guys tried the Winter Classic (with the option of playing in the last two), or the NHL 94 Anniversary Mode? It doesn’t even have the old teams! But, at least the Classic has the baseball stadium feel to it with heavy shadowing and distant cheering, and an assortment of rink workers walking around looking like hooded aliens from “The X-Files”.
Kyle: Is it The Ecclesiastic One’s turn to speak, or do you guys need to take this one outside Lansdowne Street? Ha. I’d have to agree about this year’s Winter Classic mode, seeing how it indeed has a prettier, more natural outdoor feel. However, the skills competition would be the icing on the cake…and who eats cake without icing? Did any of you fellow clergymen see how many copies of NHL 14 have sold so far? I’d be curious to see which EA sports game takes the top spot. Still, I’m clueless as to why they a lot of the same music from the older NHL games (the 20th anniversary gives you an excuse for repetition?), the plethora of “locked out” jerseys (I have to unlock the San Jose Sharks “Away” jersey, really?), and the lack of names for the new NHL division alignment. At least we can now see Patrick Roy as coach…
Moody: Ha! Lots of changes in the NHL and EA Sports fails to keep up. And, how dare they not include arguably the most mesmorizing NHL menu song ever, Queens of the Stone Age’s “No One Knows” from NHL 2003? Fail! As far as sales are concerned, Madden will always rank numero uno since the NFL is easily the most popular sport in the United Stated; the franchise always ranks up there at the top with Call of Duty in terms of selling discs. But, according to Operation Sports (the ONLY source you should go to for all your rosters, custom music, and sliders — cause Lord knows right out of the box, this game needs to be slowed the eff down), the sales for EA’s NHL have ranged in the not–too-shabby 1- to 1.5-million range the last three seasons. For hockey, that ain’t bad. I know FIFA has been kicking major ass in sales, too, and that’s primarily a result of the soccer game always being so stellar.
Bill: Haven’t tried the new Winter Classic but it sounds fantastic. There is so much more room for EASHL player improvement and this Pastor isn’t a fan of having to purchase packages with Xbox points. It seems that no matter what game, EA has been really getting greedy with the “selling points” on all game fronts. And what the heck are the golden pucks? It would be nice if there was some sort of explanation of what they are. Look, regardless, I will probably play the heck out of this game despite it performing like more NHL 13.1. Overall, I would give it 3.5 (out of 5) Pucks due to the lack of — ring in David Bowie — cha-cha-changes and no next-generation guarantee. The fights are great, and the new hits give you plenty of time to lay someone out, but I wouldn’t go crazy on buying just for roster updates…unless you’re Pastor Bill Ammon, of course.
Moody: Alright, boys. I’m going to make the safe assumption here and assume you all play regularly with the Killa B’s. I have owned the B’s in NHL games for several years (while also alternating with the Sharks), but I’m actually going to take a gander with the Minnesota Wild. I like their young roster and, despite our Bruins reaching the Cup 2 out of the last 3-years (I won the Cup in my season in NHL 12), I’m going to have to retire them for a while. And, that’s even if I eventually decide to go through with a season at all. While NHL games are always “wicked” fun to play every year, I’m just not sure how much I’m going to take of the same presentation 3-years in a row. Hell, that’s why I’m glad the NFL is only 16 games. I also dangled with Be A Pro mode (aka Live the Life), and, while a nice change from the usual career modes, it felt ancient in comparison to 2K basketball’s My Player mode (which recently announced Bron-Bron’s Path to Greatness), which has offered sneaker endorsements and far funnier post-game chatter with the media. That, and Live the Life was often frustrating to just play when you’ve got to depend on a bunch of half-ass nitwits from the AHL. Just not sure the bigger hits and wilder fights make up for all the misses this year, fellas! 2.5 Pucks.
Kyle: Damn, I may have to listen to the great QOTSA as I type this (Yup, it’s playing.) I’ll give NHL 14 the 4 Puck treatment, based on the improvements we talked about, and just the overall genuine feel I get from playing this game in comparison to TV. I know you guys got in your jabs, but this franchise has unquestionably gone through massive leaps in technology and EA at least deserves some credit for that. The only thing stopping me from adding another puck for the perfect score is, beyond all the changes to fighting, hitting and team play, little has shifted from last years copy. But, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. While you guys are off sending your misery to WEEI’s “Winer Line,” I’ll be looking to create my own Hollywood Hall, getting drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins, winning the Stanley Cup, and hearing all the puck-sluts call my name. Keep it up, EA.
