NHL 11 - Out now!

Yeah, I was surprised by the lack of deals for this game. Maybe with Halo Reach right around the corner they just figured the people who would have any interest in this game would buy it no matter what, so why bother? I also received my boost pack code from GS.com on Friday...but so far, my game hasn't shipped yet, which doesn't bode well for release date delivery. Looks like I might be doing the old switcheroo with Gamestop after all.
 
I just ordered mine from Gamestop cause I'm a sucker for there pre order bonus. Same thing with Reach. I'm a sucker for pre order goodies instead of credit :(
 
Last year, Gamestop gave me the Kane boost pack card when I put down my preorder money. This year, the same guy at the same store refused to do the same thing. All I know is that I won't be able to pick up the game till around 6 P.M. (9 Eastern) on Tuesday, and if they say they ran out of code cards, I'm going to literally going to chokeslam that dude through a display setup. The whole reason I didn't order from Amazon, which would have saved me tax and gotten the game delivered to my door several hours earlier, is because of the boost pack.
 
[quote name='Matt Young']Last year, Gamestop gave me the Kane boost pack card when I put down my preorder money. This year, the same guy at the same store refused to do the same thing. All I know is that I won't be able to pick up the game till around 6 P.M. (9 Eastern) on Tuesday, and if they say they ran out of code cards, I'm going to literally going to chokeslam that dude through a display setup. The whole reason I didn't order from Amazon, which would have saved me tax and gotten the game delivered to my door several hours earlier, is because of the boost pack.[/QUOTE]

Probably because this year is different.

Ive noticed the last 3 or 4 games Ive gotten (in the last 6 months) the Gamestop preorder bonuses have all been printed on my receipt. This includes EA Sports and 2K titles for sure.

I have a nagging doubt that the game will be in when they open in less than an hour with Labor Day kicking that chance in the balls, but am hopeful for a different result.
 
[quote name='archibishopthedoge']Well surprised me, game was instock at 10am at my local Gamestop, easy.

PS: The Bonus pack for 11 preorders is on a receipt, no rave card.[/QUOTE]

Yea, the game was already on shelves at the local Target when I headed into work this morning. With the holiday I'm sure they had their shipments in early. I think some of the local GS/EB's had midnight launches too, but not 100% sure on that. I didn't see anyone on my FL playing last night though.

It would make sense for them to give up on the rave cards because they are managed horribly at most stores. Having the code on the receipt or delivering it via email is the way to go.

[quote name='n8rockerasu']Yeah, I was surprised by the lack of deals for this game. Maybe with Halo Reach right around the corner they just figured the people who would have any interest in this game would buy it no matter what, so why bother? I also received my boost pack code from GS.com on Friday...but so far, my game hasn't shipped yet, which doesn't bode well for release date delivery. Looks like I might be doing the old switcheroo with Gamestop after all.[/QUOTE]

Did you check GS.com for order status? I checked Friday and it had said it shipped on their website and had a UPS tracking number, but I never received an email confirmation with that information until now. It might be worth it checking.

Finally for those who want to pick it up here are the deal options:

Kmart - $20 gaming coupon. Usually these expire within 30 days. You could also PM this deal at BB or Target if you have one in the area.

Target - $10 Gift Card, Kmart price match possible

Best Buy - Nothing, Kmart Price match possible

TRU - B1G1 50% off on select games

Amazon - $57.99, + no tax in most states

GS/EB - As of now nothing, but you might be able to score one of the Boost packs if they actually do have rave cards (which seems unlikely based on archibishopthedoge's post above). Never hurts to ask though. :)
 
Yup, I've been checking GS.com every time. Mine has still said "pre-order - ships 9/7/10". I guess I didn't get an automatic bump up to overnight shipping. For those who did get their game at GS though, there's no special "Gamestop exclusive" packaging is there? Like no GS logo on the case or anything? I figure not since they're not doing "in case" bonuses anymore...but I just wanted to make sure. I'm thinking about picking up my "loaner" copy from Wal-Mart just for the ease of return...but I want to make sure all copies of the game look the same. I appreciate the info. Should be able to grab mine in a couple hours!
 
[quote name='moojuice']Got mine from GS, looks like a regular copy to me.[/QUOTE]

Awesome! Thanks, Alan! I'm glad the "GameStop Exclusive" cover art was a very short-lived fad. That had to be a pain in the ass to special print certain covers for only one store. Loaner from Wal-Mart it is then! :)
 
Anyone get a notable player from their free HUT packs?

I got Boychuk from the Bruins in one of mine, but that was about it.
 
Wow. Just wow. NHL 11 is one of the best sports games, and the best hockey game, I have ever played. As a hockey player, I can tell you that this game is the most realistic hockey experience you will ever have in a video game. The hitting, although sometimes too brutal, is very real. The way that smaller guys can't run over everybody and the way speedier guys are able to create plays and open up the ice is awesome to finally see in a game.

So far I have tooled around with Play Now, HUT, BAP, Be A GM, and OTP. Evey single mode feels like it was created with the game in mind and not just as a throw in. OTP is faster than I thought and heck of a lot of fun with decent players on either side. HUT is awesome as well. I need to spend more time with it but it feels like it will be a huge time waster and that's awesome lol. BAP/GM are great as always!
 
[quote name='AK85']Anyone get a notable player from their free HUT packs?

I got Boychuk from the Bruins in one of mine, but that was about it.[/QUOTE]

I got Svatos. That's about it.

I really like those drop in games with the EASHL or whatever the acronym is. Its a lot of fun playing 6 on 6
 
[quote name='VipFREAK']Whoever picks the music need to be fucking murdered....[/QUOTE]

yeah, they basically are using songs you hear in every NHL stadium.
 
I pre-ordered/canceled/pre-ordered/canceled/pre-ordered/canceled this repeatedly. Yesterday I finally gave in to the urge and ordered it again. Finally get to wreck some guys into the boards tonight when I get home from work. I can't wait.
 
Now, here's a question for you guys. Have any of you tested out the hip check to make sure that it isn't overpowered anymore?
 
I was wondering if anyone knows if you can play an online season in nhl 11. My friend and I would like to play through a season together on the same team against the computer without any random people playing. I don't think it was in nhl 10, and does anyone know if we can do it on 11? It seems like so much of the online play is build around those build a star characters...
 
I played this yesterday and haven't missed it. I'll wait for when it's a lot cheaper.

I don't understand wtf they did with the checking stuff. It's like they go into slo mo to check, it doesn't look real at all (the speed of it) It also seems like it takes forever for the reaction of me moving the controller stick to check til it actually hits something if you do. With that said, there have been some pretty interesting hits. Most of mine seem to be "clothes line" looking hits.
 
[quote name='VipFREAK']I played this yesterday and haven't missed it. I'll wait for when it's a lot cheaper.

I don't understand wtf they did with the checking stuff. It's like they go into slo mo to check, it doesn't look real at all (the speed of it) It also seems like it takes forever for the reaction of me moving the controller stick to check til it actually hits something if you do. With that said, there have been some pretty interesting hits. Most of mine seem to be "clothes line" looking hits.[/QUOTE]

The general consensus is that this is the best hockey game ever and even a marked improvement from last year...and yet, you think it's not very good. What's wrong with this picture? :dunce:

Hey, is Battlefield 1943 out yet?
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']The general consensus is that this is the best hockey game ever and even a marked improvement from last year...and yet, you think it's not very good. What's wrong with this picture? :dunce:[/QUOTE]
Come on, you know that it's the worst game in existance and that NHL 2K7 was MUCH better.
 
[quote name='DestroVega']am i reading the manual right. you need to click the R stick to hipcheck?[/QUOTE]

Yup, if you hold it down your player will stay bent over and anyone that runs into him gets up-ended
 
[quote name='VipFREAK']Whoever picks the music need to be fucking murdered....[/QUOTE]

What's the matter? Not enough gangsta rap for you? I think the soundtrack is awesome. EA got it right for once.
 
Yeah, totally. It's a shame we don't have a CAG Team...and like specific nights where we could all get together and play or something. Man, I bet that would be a lot of fun.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Yeah, totally. It's a shame we don't have a CAG Team...and like specific nights where we could all get together and play or something. Man, I bet that would be a lot of fun.[/QUOTE]

I would settle for people just talking about this game. Everytime I play it I see a new hit that amazes me, or some shocking rebound goal or hit off a stick that goes flying. The puck physics are so fantastic....and yet then i play madden after, I have ok fun with it....But I kind of laugh when i see the quarterbacks throwing animation off and the ball leaves the hand halfway threw the forward throw. hehe.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Yeah, totally. It's a shame we don't have a CAG Team...and like specific nights where we could all get together and play or something. Man, I bet that would be a lot of fun.[/QUOTE]
Actually, how many of them are active? It's not that it's a shame that so few care about the game, it's a shame that so many glitchers care about it.
 
Have people been playing alot of the UHT mode? I played the UEFA Champions League Soccer game from EA, where this mode got its start, and ended up collecting all the cards in it, but I must say that having to maintain the contracts of 20+ players in this mode is very tedious. I just want to play games with my team so I can get pucks for packs and better players, but I end up spending way too much time looking at the edit lineup screen trying to extend contracts and fill in holes.

I know this mode is all about generating revenue by getting people to buy 'packs' for 160 msp each, but they are way too stingy on good cards in packs. I bought a Jumbo pack which took me about 15 games to save up enough pucks and got 1 NHL player out of 24 cards. Boosting my team to 5 stars is going to take forever.
 
[quote name='SynGamer']My first time owning an NHL game since NHL 2K7. My review of NHL 11 - http://www.whenspamattacks.com/video-games/xbox-360/nhl-11-review

Be A Pro has to be my favorite mode so far.[/QUOTE]

Nice review. A few typos here and there, and a couple of your opinions are a bit dated (since they concern things that have been in the game for years). Also, if you think the AI is bad this year, you need to play last year's game more. Sure, they're still not perfect, but they're leaps and bounds better than in NHL 10. Last year they would literally skate away from the puck, turn their back to the man they should be covering, or stop in front of the net instead of touching up a puck for icing. It's always good to have people realizing what an amazing series NHL is though. The Vancouver team seems to get much more out of their development cycle than some other sports games with bigger sales numbers.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']stop in front of the net instead of touching up a puck for icing.[/quote]

That's been greatly improved, but that definitely happeend to us last night. I'll read the review in a bit.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Nice review. A few typos here and there, and a couple of your opinions are a bit dated (since they concern things that have been in the game for years). Also, if you think the AI is bad this year, you need to play last year's game more. Sure, they're still not perfect, but they're leaps and bounds better than in NHL 10. Last year they would literally skate away from the puck, turn their back to the man they should be covering, or stop in front of the net instead of touching up a puck for icing. It's always good to have people realizing what an amazing series NHL is though. The Vancouver team seems to get much more out of their development cycle than some other sports games with bigger sales numbers.[/QUOTE]

Typos, please PM them to me, I spell-checked and proof-read that thing about 4 times. As for the review itself, I tried pointing out early on that this was my first game in nearly 5 years. I'm assuming (hoping) there are others like me out there who haven't played a hockey game in a while and thus want to know if NHL 11 is worth it.
 
[quote name='SynGamer']Typos, please PM them to me, I spell-checked and proof-read that thing about 4 times. As for the review itself, I tried pointing out early on that this was my first game in nearly 5 years. I'm assuming (hoping) there are others like me out there who haven't played a hockey game in a while and thus want to know if NHL 11 is worth it.[/QUOTE]

"My team, the Colorado Avalanche, versus are our rival, the Detroit Red Wings."

"Whether it be a pile-up in front of the net or players abruptly changing angles when the put puck is passed."

"You also have an arena to call your own, home and away jersey’s jerseys, and a coach, among other items."

"The players look almost photo-realistic, and the rinks and atmosphere is are equally top-notch."

I won't even get into issues with commas or sentence fragments because that seems like a douchey thing to nitpick. But these were fairly obvious. Proof read slower. Say every word individually. And if all else fails, get someone to read it for you. If you have any background in journalism, you know this.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']"My team, the Colorado Avalanche, versus are our rival, the Detroit Red Wings."

"Whether it be a pile-up in front of the net or players abruptly changing angles when the put puck is passed."

"You also have an arena to call your own, home and away jersey’s jerseys, and a coach, among other items."

"The players look almost photo-realistic, and the rinks and atmosphere is are equally top-notch."

I won't even get into issues with commas or sentence fragments because that seems like a douchey thing to nitpick. But these were fairly obvious. Proof read slower. Say every word individually. And if all else fails, get someone to read it for you. If you have any background in journalism, you know this.[/QUOTE]

Touché good sir. I shall indeed have another person look over my reviews. I was confident after reading through four times but clearly I was too lenient on myself. That aside, this is an extremely fun game.
 
[quote name='prence']I pre-ordered/canceled/pre-ordered/canceled/pre-ordered/canceled this repeatedly. Yesterday I finally gave in to the urge and ordered it again. Finally get to wreck some guys into the boards tonight when I get home from work. I can't wait.[/QUOTE]

So.. played an EASHL game the other day and "wrecked some guys into the boards." 5 minute game misconduct for breaking someones neck and I had to sit out the rest of the game and watch from the penalty box. Pretty interesting (but frustrating) new feature.
 
[quote name='prence']So.. played an EASHL game the other day and "wrecked some guys into the boards." 5 minute game misconduct for breaking someones neck and I had to sit out the rest of the game and watch from the penalty box. Pretty interesting (but frustrating) new feature.[/QUOTE]

Yup, all the more reason that big hits = overrated. It really encourages people to learn how the game is played and to think twice before just trying to kill somebody. I like it.
 
I like it, but I do miss destroying guys. Well, I still can, just very rarely and not into the boards. There's plenty of room for that after the whistle, anyway. :)
 
[quote name='GLOCKGLOCK']Have people been playing alot of the UHT mode? I played the UEFA Champions League Soccer game from EA, where this mode got its start, and ended up collecting all the cards in it, but I must say that having to maintain the contracts of 20+ players in this mode is very tedious. I just want to play games with my team so I can get pucks for packs and better players, but I end up spending way too much time looking at the edit lineup screen trying to extend contracts and fill in holes.

I know this mode is all about generating revenue by getting people to buy 'packs' for 160 msp each, but they are way too stingy on good cards in packs. I bought a Jumbo pack which took me about 15 games to save up enough pucks and got 1 NHL player out of 24 cards. Boosting my team to 5 stars is going to take forever.[/QUOTE]


This is the only mode I've played while I wait for the season to start and the rosters to be more accurate, and it's addictive as hell. It does take forever to get decent players. I'm about 30 or so games in and while my defensemen are all from the NHL, I JUST got my first NHL forward one game ago (Stamkos). I had an odd points balance (240) and did buy a few packs to use them up and may buy more because I really think I'm becoming obsessed with it (good job, EA).
 
[quote name='chriscolbert']This is the only mode I've played while I wait for the season to start and the rosters to be more accurate, and it's addictive as hell. It does take forever to get decent players. I'm about 30 or so games in and while my defensemen are all from the NHL, I JUST got my first NHL forward one game ago (Stamkos). I had an odd points balance (240) and did buy a few packs to use them up and may buy more because I really think I'm becoming obsessed with it (good job, EA).[/QUOTE]

Yea, despite the grind of constantly swapping players and contracts the mode is alot of fun, it gives me a reason to play the CPU, plus they put that 'beat another 5 star team' achievement in it as well. For as long as it takes to build up the credits to buy packs spending msp isn't a bad alternative. I'm 100% against microtransactions, but for some reason this mode makes me consider buying some card packs for msp. I guess it brings me back to the days of collecting baseball and hockey cards as a kid. That is probably the reason why I ended up completing the UEFA CL album which was around 1200 cards.

I have found that you can score some decent cards late at night if you check the auctions so keep that in mind. Also EA has been running promotional packs at certain times that are a different makeup than the standard pack offerings. They only posted about it in the EA forums, but apparently they were selling jumbo packs for 5000 pucks and another pack was a players only pack and it was giving 4-6 rares per pack.
 
How much better is this game than 10? I played the shit out of 09 (recently) and just got 10 recently, so I'm just a little curious about what new features and what not are in the game
 
My friend has 11 and I have played it enough to know the basic feel during a game. I don't feel like I've missed out on anything still being on 10. When 11 goes down in price I'll happily get it.
 
Don't listen to VipFREAK. He's a documented idiot. 11 is greatly different from 10. For one, the game plays a little slower and the physics are completely different. The puck bounces and gets redirected differently. Hits are different...you can still crush a guy, but small bumps can also make him lose the puck. The AI plays more intelligently, both goalies and skaters. Sticks break and can get knocked out of your hand. If this happens, you can skate by the bench to grab a new stick or over to yours on the ice to pick it up (assuming it's not broken).

They've also added the most hilarious play ever...when a guy loads up for a huge hit, misses, crashes into the boards, and then falls over injured. This happens a lot to people online, and it will make you laugh every single time you see it. They'll also keep showing replays of it randomly throughout the game. And speaking of people being stupid online, they've also added game misconduct penalties which will force you to sit out the rest of the game if you get one. Get hit with one of these, and you'll be watching from the bench until the game is over.

On top of all this, they've added an entirely new game mode called the EA Ultimate Hockey League which allows you to create and build your own team through collecting cards. It's very similar to the modes featured in Fifa and Madden. As you play games, you earn pucks that you can use to buy card packs to earn better players, contracts, training boosts, jerseys, etc.

Honestly, it just depends how big of a hockey fan you are. To say they haven't changed a lot is asinine though. To anybody who knows what they're talking about, the game feels completely different.
 
Yeah, the new one is a huge step up, just with HUT alone... I don't even bother playing ranked games online anymore, HUT is real awesome.
 
Thanks for that n8. Quick question though - I can't get online on campus, so I'm wondering if you need to be online for the ultimate hockey leauge? I played the FIFA 09 version of that game type back in the day and loved it.. I have Madden 11 and it wont work unless i'm signed into the EA Servers? Unless I'm doing something wrong? I tried to google it but can't get any info about it. If you can play it offline though I definitely might have to make a purchase with this game.
 
Anybody have any boosts? I need some for some of players. Right now my HUT is at all 86's. I need some boosts for the guys still in there 80's. I have some other players maybe you guys need that are 79's and 78's.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top