Does this look familiar? Niedermayer, Pronger and Alfredsson.

I know this isn’t anything related to the Ducks, but I have been stalking the Internet for months waiting to hear about this game. I had the PC version and never got to play it on the XBOX360, then they had the nerve to not make it for the PS3, so I was left out of that whole skill stick thing. In 08, they will have a PS3 version, so I will be saved from the god awful, down right worst gaming purchase I have ever made, mistake of a game that is NHL2k7. I can not even express how bad that game was.

Eric Staal is the cover boy this year, at least in North America, it wasn’t listed for the European release yet.

The skill stick has been polished as has the look of the game, which is expected when you develop an innovative control system, it will be buggy for the first year or so. I think the coolest part of the new version will be the AI. I have always wanted better AI in the hockey games, because going coast to coast or flying up the wing and taking it to the crease was just too damn easy.

You will be able to set up in the offensive zone and work the puck around. Because of the much tougher defensive AI in the slot [just try carrying the puck into the slot…we dare you], you will actually need to do this in order to get scoring chances.

This better be true, because I have heard that before. You could kind of set up in NHL 07, but it was more of a desire to dick around with the other team then it was a necessity to actually need to do it because the AI was good. I want to know that my guys can stay in front of the crease and pound someone who walks out in front without me having to control them. I also want scrums after the whistle if the situation arises, then some control of that too, where I can start to push or push back. If someone wants to drop the gloves, then you go with that too. A face wash or a hard slash gets you a penalty, you know, hockey stuff.

We have implemented a new skating engine for NHL 08 that addresses all of your NHL 07 skating issues. You will have 100% control of your players. If you move your left stick 10%, your player will move at 10% speed. If you tap the left stick quickly, your player will quickly move a few feet. If you hold the left stick 100%, your player will skate at 100%

Wont that be nice, we can actually move at the speed of intention, control the finer lines. Though this might be a learning curve, I know a lot of us are used to jamming that analog stick all the way and hitting a speed burst button, the one that can’t get Paul Kariya to a loose puck before Hal Gill when they both start at the same point. There is the feature of a defensemen walking the blue line, fine tuned cross overs to keep your speed while maneuvering.

Some more realistic checking is in the works as well. Based on angle of contact, speed and size of players. Using the same example above, Paul Kariya could level Hal Gill but Gill couldn’t always knock down Kariya. Make the passing a little more realistic and don’t let everything through as well, I don’t think I read anything about that.

All and all, this looks like it is going to be a solid release, but I thought that after NHL 07. I have been told that the difference between the PC/PS2 and XBOX360 versions are pretty big, so I will give EA a little break for that. Check out the links below for more about the game and some galleries. No videos yet, but those are in the wings I am sure.