This NHL 12 preview gives a quick look at what can be expected from EA Canada’s upcoming sports title!
NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports.
The game is being released between September 8–13, 2011, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. In Europe, the game was released on September 8, instead of the official September 9 date, in certain countries.
NHL 12 Line Producer Sean Ramjagsingh has a lot to say about NHL 12 in this E3 interview!
All bases are touched upon in this official features video.
Check out the “Be a Legend” Gameplay.
And get to grips with the game in this stage demo from EA’s 2011 press conference!
Key Features of NHL 12
Here is a list of key elements that will be available in EA Canada’s NHL 12 based on news and announcements made so far.
Per one of the NHL 12 producers, over 300 parts of the gameplay have been changed.[5] Notable new features are listed below.
Goalies
Players have the ability to hit the goalies and vice versa. Goalies are, for the first time with the current game engine that was introduced in NHL 07, able to fight players and each other.
Be a Pro Mode
The Be a Pro mode is more authentic. New additions include the ability to start in the CHL and play there for up to four seasons, play through 18 career levels, be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, get tasks from the coach, simulate games to the player’s next shift, and break historic records.
Improved Physics
Improved physics allow for more realistic hits with helmets coming off, players being hit into the bench, knuckleball shots, shattered glass, and improved puck movements. Also, players don’t as easily lose total balance if they’re hit as with the previous games. For example, a player might use their hands or stumble to his knees to regain balance if hit.
Be a GM
In the Be a GM mode, players are able to use retired jerseys. For this reason, certain jersey numbers may be excluded to the players. The Be a GM mode is more authentic with things like salaries designed for rookie players, and more accurate injuries.
The “Action Tracker”
An all-new feature, the Action Tracker, tracks games’ every occurrence and allows players to intervene in simulated games when needed.
“Legends” Feature
For the first time ever, NHL legends are included in the game and are fully functional in any modes. The legends are Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios, Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy, Jeremy Roenick, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Börje Salming and Wayne Gretzky. A “Legends” team is included in the game as part of the legends feature.
Leagues
NHL 12 includes seven professional leagues: the National Hockey League (NHL), American Hockey League (AHL), Czech Extraliga, SM-liiga, Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Elitserien (SEL), and National League A (NLA). The game also includes the Canadian Hockey League, which comprises the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL). Although the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is ranked as the top professional European league,[14] it has never been included in the NHL series (though the former Russian Superleague was included in NHL 09), nor is it included in NHL 12. In the CHL, the game also includes the teams in the 2008 CHL Top Prospects Game, “Team White” and “Team Red”. As part of the new legends feature, there is a “Legends” team that statistically has 100% in both offense, defence, as well as goaltending. The game also includes national teams, but because of lacking rights to the IIHF license, official jerseys for the national teams are not used. This also means that no international tournaments are included in the game.
Overall Presentation
The presentation has been revamped, as explained in interviews of players’ improved appearance, improving the player’s personality on the ice. Over 100 new faces have been put in place into the create player feature, including 2 female faces. A new graphical user interface (GUI) is included.
Check out the “New Features” trailer!
Eagerly anticipating the newest NHL installment? Don’t forget to leave a comment and share your opinion.
Be sure to check out our NHL 12 Screenshots Gallery!