This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Sean Kearney.

After a year of waiting, NHL hockey is finally back in stadiums and on televisions across America and Canada, and though the sport never took a break from the consoles, now is as good a time as any to pick up a Dual Shock 2 controller and hit the ice, as Gretzky NHL 06 has just been released exclusively on the PlayStation 2, with new features, new game modes, and the chance to play as “The Great One” himself.

The first thing that stands out about this game is its presentation. Gretzky NHL 06 looks and sounds like a television broadcast. Each game begins with the last few bars of the National Anthem of the respective home team’s country, then follows both teams onto the ice during introductions, and finally passes over the screaming crowd as the game’s two commentators, Mike Emrick and Darren Pang, discuss the match up of the two teams. If you are patient enough to hold out for a few seconds longer, the commentary goes on to highlight the goalies from each team while a graphic appears on the screen showing the stats for each goalie. This opening sequence lasts about a minute and a half, but is well worth sitting through, as it proves to be a very entertaining way to open each game. Once the game begins, the presentation remains just as stylized and interesting to watch, as automatic replays appear after the stop of play, introduced by a motion graphic containing the name of the team and the player involved, and feature commentary specific to the replay. The replays aren’t limited to just goals, but follow big hits and outstanding saves as well. All in all, the presentation of this game is nearly flawless.

The sound in the game is also nearly flawless, from the excited screams of the crowd to the voice of announcer Mike Carlucci; the sound of the game really keeps you involved. The sound of every slapshot, body check and save is strikingly realistic, and really lends itself to the strength of the games presentation, keeping you in the game from beginning to end. Even during practice, the sound stands out every time the puck hits the side of the net. And just try and contain your grin when the crowd goes absolutely nuts when you score a goal in a playoff game. The sound in Gretzky NHL 06 is solid.

The controls are extremely responsive and intuitive; your skater stops and switches directions on a dime, making it easy to use the left analog stick to weave around opponents to setup for a wristshot. The right analog stick is also used, as a way to perform deke moves to maneuver the puck around opposing players, although beware that using such a move at an incorrect time leaves you open to having your puck stolen. The easy to use controls give a very arcade-like feel to Gretzky NHL 06, although the use of the D pad for on-the-fly play calling lends a little of the simulation element to the game as well.

A new mode added to Gretzky NHL this year is Wayne vs. Wayne Mode which also lends an arcade feel to the game. A little similar to the GameBreaker mode in NBA Street Vol. 2, this mode works by awarding amounts of “99 Time” to each team for stellar goals, saves, and hits. You can save up your “99 Time” until you feel like unleashing it by pressing L1 and R1 at the same time. Once the buttons are pushed, you are treated to an all-star substitution as Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky fills in for one of your team’s players. Gretzky, of course, dominates the ice when handed the puck, giving his team an added advantage on the ice. He remains on the ice until all of the “99 Time” you saved up runs out, giving you a limited amount of time to make that desperation goal you need in the end of the third period.

The expanded rivalry mode in Gretzky NHL 06 proves to be an interesting two-player component to the game. In this mode, you can pick two teams and begin a rivalry between them, playing up to 101 match ups, as the game keeps track of more statistics comparing the two teams than you can imagine. This proves to be a very successful way to settle ongoing arguments with your roommate or best friend who believes he is better at scoring one-timers than you. The attention to presentation is not lost in this mode, as the crowd noise is significantly louder and filled with more jersey-adorned fans in a rivalry game than in a regular match-up.

Another new feature to this year’s game is the addition of Team Chemistry. Team Chemistry rewards points for scoring goals, making assists, making big hits, and winning games. These points make it easier for a team to excel on the ice. The interesting thing about Team Chemistry points is that they are not given exclusively to the entire team, but are also given to individual lines, making it possible for certain lines to play better together than others. This feature adds a bit of depth to the game, as you find yourself playing better with certain lines, and passing the puck around with different players, rather than sticking to the same superstar, in order to build your team chemistry.

Although the look of the game is rather polished, some of the graphics in the game could use a little tweaking, most noticeably those of the rink. While the stadiums are very nicely rendered, and the player graphics look impressive as well, you spend much of the game watching these well-designed players skate on a solid white rink, as the graphics on the actual ice is lacking. For the most part, the ice is solid white, with very little definition, and though the occasional quick turn will cause some ice to fly into the air, details such as this don’t happen nearly as much as they should. To the game’s credit, an interesting detail that appears in the game is the ability to break the glass with too many checks against the boards, and the ability to knock a player (or have a player knock you) over the boards into the penalty box.

Occasionally during the game, a player may check you a little too hard, or more likely; you might check an opponent a little too hard. At these moments, an icon appears on the bottom of your screen asking you to press down on the D pad if you want to start a fight. If you choose to engage in such a battle, be forewarned, you are not entering into a Fight Night style battle. Not even a Punch Out style battle awaits you. The fighting in Gretzky NHL 06 is incredibly simplistic, offering you two options, punch or block, and nothing in the way of movement or dodging. The fights are incredibly easy to win despite the fact that the block button doesn’t seem to work very well.

The franchise mode in Gretzky NHL 06 isn’t necessarily bad. It features all of the standard characteristics you have come to expect from that of a professional sports game, it just seems to lack the attention to detail and presentation that the on-ice elements seem to have such a great amount of. All of the features are present - you have the ability to play through multiple seasons, draft players, trade players, and play games, all the while keeping your team sharp by practicing shooting and passing, and keeping your finances in order. Unfortunately, while the excitement and presentation of the elements on the ice keep the game exciting, the screens you have to navigate through while checking up on news from the league, or balancing your team’s finances, are bland and take away from the otherwise exciting atmosphere of the game. They do, however, get the job done, and thus the franchise mode in Gretzky NHL 06 doesn’t lack any real significant gameplay elements that would make the franchise mode unplayable. It just lacks some of the polish that makes the on-ice action that much more exciting to watch.

Gretzky NHL 06 is a great hockey game. It might not be the game for you if you are looking for an in-depth hockey simulator, as its ultra-responsive controls and breakneck pace may be a little exaggerated, but for the player who wants a game that’s a little more on the arcade side of hockey, Gretzky is definitely a game you should check out. The Wayne vs. Wayne Mode is an extremely addictive addition, and the improved Rivalry Mode could keep you and a close friend posted in front of your PS2 for hours at a time. The addictive gameplay, combined with an astounding presentation make Gretzky NHL 06 a very entertaining game. If you’re a fan of hockey or a fan of sports games in general, you definitely want to check this one out. 

The game features responsive controls, and plays at a very fast and exciting pace.

The players and arenas look great. The ice does not.

This game sounds great. That is all I have to say.

Wayne vs. Wayne Mode is addictive, Rivalry Mode is fun for two, but sim fans may be irked.

The replay value of Rivalry Mode alone is impressive and the online stuff adds more.