Every year EA Sports releases a pretty good hockey game, each one offering modest improvements over the last: buffed visuals, tweaked (not necessarily improved) gameplay mechanics, additional play modes, and, most importantly, updated rosters and rules (eg: two line passes, yes; free range goalies, no). While this inevitably relegates each previous iteration to unapologetic obsolescence, at least EA is setting the price point below average these days, jumping on the 2K Games' "value pricing" wagon to remain competitive.

As expected, this year's version, NHL 06, does all that and then throws in a sack of pucks for good measure, adding some remarkable double-thumb dekes and plausible fake-outs to the skills arsenal (for select superstars, anyway). Cool too are the artificial defensemen that actually show jurisprudence by delicately mauling the guy with the puck, rather than just going for broke with a hit-or-miss hip-check or flying tackle. Not a major overhaul, just the expected puff and tweak, leaving room for improvement so you'll buy NHL 07 next year--maybe the goalies will stop acting like overzealous prat-fall clowns when confronted with a dribbling puck? One can hope.

Meanwhile, 06 retains the "Dynasty mode" from last year, which presumably appeals to armchair GMs, but for everyone else the actual hockey still feels overtly fast and furiously fun, downplaying the simulation aspect and going for wide-open, West Coast style gameplay that can actually net you a Stanely Cup instead of just a Red Mile of unrequited fan enthusiasm.