EA Sports NHL 12: Is It the Video Game Hockey Fans Have Been Waiting For?

Today is Friday and everyone at work is counting down 'til the clock strikes 5:00 pm. If you are on your lunch break, bored at home or just interested in reading about something interesting, then this is the article for you.

Many hockey fans at one time or another have envisioned or fantasized about playing in the NHL. They have thought about lacing up the skates, skating a shift and scoring that big goal.

Every year, EA Sports releases a new incarnation of their NHL franchise game. This year they will release NHL 12 on September 13th. Steven Stamkos will grace the cover as this year's cover athlete.

Each and every week producers and technicians have released blogs, vlogs, updates and tweets about elements of the game.

The biggest feature they are boasting about this year is a revamped be-a-pro mode. In this year's edition the tag line is "Be The Next Legend". This mode allows you start your career as a 15-year old in the CHL, advance to the AHL, and then skate on an NHL team.

In order to give past players an incentive, there will be a profile migration available to carry over stats from the previous year's game. For those who scored X amount of goals and points in NHL 11, they will be rewarded in NHL 12.

This was a great move by EA as fans will now have more of a reason to hold onto their '11 copy before trading it in for NHL 12. This update will be very popular and successful for the hardcore gamers that love its realistic elements.

Some of these elements include in-game challenges to earn your ice time. Throughout the game, your coach will ask you to do certain things to earn additional ice time. This includes killing penalties, scoring goals, blocking shots and additional tasks to earn the coach's praises.

Late last night EA stepped things up a bit. They released a trailer featuring Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky, Chris Chelios and other unnamed legends for a brand new "legends" mode. In this mode you can add these legends to your team to create some fantasy lines and experiences.

This is a personal favorite off mine since in the past, I would attempt to create the teams of the past for some great matchups. I can only wonder who the next legends to be revealed will be.

Additional features include an updated be-a-GM mode which adds tweaks in the trading logic so elite players will be harder to aquire.  The game also features updates to the EASHL and HUT, a feature where players build up their teams with player, arena and statistical trading cards.

All in all from what I have seen this should be a good game. The inclusion of realistic elements like increased puck physics, helmets popping off, broken glass, goalie bumps and goalie fights will be sellers for the hardcore fan.

The features are great and the improved gameplay looks good but unless online play and EA servers are improved, online gamers will continue to complain about "boosters" and "glitchers." 

I don't know about you but I have had the game pre-ordered for about a year and will be lined up for the midnight release on September 13th.

What do you think about the game? How could EA improve it? Will you be buying it? Leave a comment in the section below to get the conversation going.

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Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist and New York Rangers Featured Columnist,

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