bit-tech Shopping: Take 2 Interactive NHL 2K7 (PS3)

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: controls, Jumbo Joe on the cover

Weaknesses: graphics showing age, goalie control, computer AI

Summary: Just picked this title up out of the Sears clearance bin for $4 so this may be old info for most. The gameplay is really very good and controls are spot on for the skaters and how they interact (start, stop and acceleration) with the ice surface. The goalie control takes some getting used to using the tilt capability of the controller, but is very good once you get used to it. The graphics are showing their age as a year old sports title, but it won?t affect the excellent gameplay and controls. I?m looking forward to getting some friends together to play as a team in the franchise mode.

Rating: 6

Time with product: 2 Days

Strengths: -Graphics are nice

Weaknesses: -Nothing if you are a hockey fan

Summary: Disclaimer : I am not a sports fan. I do have friends that are so i bought a few sports games for ps3. One being NHL 2k7. It's actually a fun game to play with a friend. You can pick your favorite team and customize the roster as you see fit. Once in the game, the instant replays of owning your friend's goalie is always fun - as well as the fist fights. Single player wise, i think things get old pretty fast - but again, I am not the biggest sports game fan so can't really take my word for it.Overall, its definitely a game to play with a friend rather than alone for me.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: (1) Solid hockey game with believable animations and physics - it "feels" right (2) Tilt control has been added (over the 360 version) to enable better goalie control and defensive hits

Weaknesses: (1) Graphics are acceptable but do not look overly "next-gen" (2) Could use some more slickness in presentation (menus, audio)

Summary: NHL 2K7 is a very good hockey game. It also appears on the XBOX 360 but the PS3 version is special in the fact that it has some tilt-control additions that actually improve the speed, response and immersion of the game. The skaters move about at realistic speeds and animate in a believable way. The graphics could be better as the characters do not feature the high-end realism that is now standard in most current sports games. Everything looks pretty good, though. The tilt-control features really do add to the gameplay experience as you can more easily control your goalie to block a shot and can shove the controller forward to land a solid hit (which feels much better than pressing a button). Overall, this is a solid game of hockey and should satisfy any fan.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Good (not great graphics), good gameplay.

Weaknesses: Saving/profile management, sometrimes-clunky interface, music.

Summary: I'm a huge hockey fan and a PS3 owner, but after seeinbg the initial reviews of this game I passed on it at the $60 list price. Now that it's April and the NHL playoffs are around the corner, the price of this game for the PS3 had dropped form the $50's range down to $29 -- and at that price it's about as good of a deal as anythig for the PS3 has been to-date.Gameplay is decent, with an overall intuitive control scheme that sometimes feels clunky (especially trying to learn "on-the-fly" coaching and such). Possibly this is due to the game's release timeframe, but could still be improved somewhat. Options for play are numerous and manty of them worth exploring.Lows of this game are the profile saving/loading, which as with many PS3 games seems needlessly involved and pops up with annoying frequency. Graphics are good but definitely don't push the PS3 to its limits. And both the announicing and music could be a LOT better.However, at the new price it seems to be a good buy -- especially when you check the NHL's playoff schedules and see that unless you bought the NHL Hockey Premium Package from your cable provider, NHK 2K7 may be your best bet to see a first-round playoff matchup!