NHL 07

NHL 07

Alexander Ovechkin on the cover of NHL 07
Developer(s) EA Canada (X360, PSP)
EA Montreal (PS2, Xbox, PC)
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NHL series
Platform(s) Xbox 360
Xbox
PlayStation 2
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation Portable
Release date(s)
  • NA September 12, 2006
  • AUS September 21, 2006
  • EU September 22, 2006
  • AUS October 20, 2006 (PSP)
Genre(s) Sports - Ice Hockey Sim
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer, multiplayer online

NHL 07 is an ice hockey video game, released in 2006 as the successor to NHL 06. The game improved the series' gameplay with more realistic features, such as stickhandling and a wider variety of controller schemes. The Xbox 360 version features a completely revamped game and graphics engine from the predecessor, while the other versions are left behind with the old engine. It is the only game in the series to have a PSP version, the last installment to be released on Xbox, and the first installment to be released on Xbox 360.

Features

Improvements

The game features a newly designed control setup in some versions, eliminating the need to use the face buttons. The new Skill Stick Revolution feature produces different types of shots and dekes. This was a major selling point of the game and one of the biggest redesigns of the series. Unlike previous entries, NHL 07 allowed the player to use the analog stick to stickhandle and deke by moving the stick side to side. Special movements of the stick can make the player do a creative deke. The use of the stick and triggers on the console versions eliminated the need to use the face buttons; however a classic setup can be used so that the player can still use the face buttons and skill stick at the same time if so preferred. The convenience of this allows the player to play the classic controls before becoming comfortable using the skill stick.

Gameplay features

NHL 07 features 4 European leagues - Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Sweden's Elitserien, Finland's SM-liiga, and the Czech Republic's Tipsport Extraliga.

Commentary is provided by Gary Thorne and Bill Clement for the Xbox 360 version of the game, however, Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson return for the current generation and PSP versions. NHL 07 for the Xbox 360 features analog stick control and a brand new physics system which eliminates the magnetic type possession of the puck which have been used in past NHL games.

Demo

The Xbox 360 Demo was released through the Xbox Live Marketplace on September 7, 2006. The demo features a shootout between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes. The settings allow the NHL shootout rules to be turned off, to allow the player the ability to easily learn the new control scheme. Washington Capitals' forward and 2006 Calder Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin is featured on the cover.

Stratton Whitaker

EA, in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, honored the wishes of a young 16-year-old man named Stratton Whitaker who was suffering from muscular dystrophy by placing a character based on him in the game. Stratton is available to players as a free agent center who has a starting overall rating of 81, with his potential graded at 99. Outside of user created players, Stratton is one of only two players in the game with such a rating; the other is Raphael Couture.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2PSPXboxXbox 360
EGMN/AN/AN/AN/A7.83/10[1]
EurogamerN/AN/AN/AN/A7/10[2]
Game InformerN/A7.75/10[3]N/A7.75/10[3]7.25/10[4]
GameProN/AN/AN/AN/A[5]
Game RevolutionN/AN/AN/AN/AC[6]
GameSpot7.1/10[7]7.1/10[7]7.2/10[8]7.1/10[7]8.2/10[9]
GameSpy[10]N/AN/AN/AN/A
GameZoneN/A8/10[11]8.2/10[12]8.1/10[13]9/10[14]
IGN8/10[15]8/10[15]7.9/10[16]8/10[15]8.7/10[17]
OPM (US)N/A8.5/10[18]N/AN/AN/A
OXMN/AN/AN/A8/10[19]8/10[20]
PC Gamer (US)68%[21]N/AN/AN/AN/A
The A.V. ClubN/AN/AN/AN/AB[22]
Detroit Free PressN/AN/AN/AN/A[23]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings68.11%[24]75.59%[25]74.93%[26]77.12%[27]80.34%[28]
Metacritic72/100[29]76/100[30]76/100[31]75/100[32]79/100[33]

The game was met with positive to average reception upon release. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 80.34% and 79 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version;[28][33] 77.12% and 75 out of 100 for the Xbox version;[27][32] 75.59% and 76 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version;[25][30] 74.93% and 76 out of 100 for the PSP version;[26][31] and 68.11% and 72 out of 100 for the PC version.[24][29]

The A.V. Club gave the X360 version a B and stated that "the only thing wrong with NHL 07 is that most of the other major sports inherently make for better video games."[22] Detroit Free Press similarly gave the same console version three stars out of four and stated that the game "is a bit crisper and cleaner in high-definition."[23] However, The Sydney Morning Herald gave the game three-and-a-half stars out of five and said, "The action can be hard to follow, but fans will appreciate the realism."[34]

References

  1. ↑ EGM staff (October 2006). "NHL 07 (X360)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (208): 106.
  2. ↑ Martin, Matt (December 11, 2006). "NHL 07 (X360)". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "NHL 07 (PS2, Xbox)". Game Informer (162): 94. October 2006.
  4. ↑ "NHL 07 (X360)". Game Informer (162): 102. October 2006.
  5. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (October 2006). "Review: NHL 07 (X360)". GamePro: 96.
  6. ↑ Damiano, Greg (October 25, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (X360)". Game Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Navarro, Alex (September 15, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (PC, PS2, Xbox)". GameSpot. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ Navarro, Alex (September 15, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (PSP)". GameSpot. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ Navarro, Alex (September 14, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (X360)". GameSpot. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ Abner, William (September 26, 2006). "GameSpy: NHL 07 (PC)". GameSpy. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (September 11, 2006). "NHL 07 - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Valentino, Nick (September 25, 2006). "NHL 07 - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (September 12, 2006). "NHL 07 Review - Xbox". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (September 11, 2006). "NHL 07 - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 Miller, Jonathan (September 11, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (PC, PS2, Xbox)". IGN. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  16. ↑ Miller, Jonathan (September 18, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (PSP)". IGN. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ Miller, Jonathan (September 11, 2006). "NHL 07 Review (X360)". IGN. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  18. ↑ "NHL 07 (PS2)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 87. October 2006.
  19. ↑ "NHL 07 (Xbox)". Official Xbox Magazine: 85. October 2006.
  20. ↑ "NHL 07 (X360)". Official Xbox Magazine: 82. November 2006.
  21. ↑ "NHL 07". PC Gamer: 126. December 2006.
  22. 1 2 Tobias, Scott (October 9, 2006). "NHL 07 (X360)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  23. 1 2 Huschka, Ryan (October 28, 2006). "EA WINS IN A SHOOT-OUT: 'NHL 07' stick work breaks a tie with 'NHL 2K7' (X360)". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 27, 2015.(subscription required)
  24. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  25. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  26. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PSP". GameRankings. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  27. 1 2 "NHL 07 for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  28. 1 2 "NHL 07 for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  29. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  30. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  31. 1 2 "NHL 07 for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "NHL 07 for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  33. 1 2 "NHL 07 for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  34. ↑ Fish, Eliot (October 14, 2006). "NHL 07 (PC, PS2, Xbox, X360)". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 27, 2015.

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