NHL 16

Last updated

NHL 16
NHL 16 cover.jpg
Revised cover art featuring Jonathan Toews
Developer(s) EA Canada
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NHL series
Engine Ignite (PS4, Xbox One)
Platform(s) NHL 16
NHL: Legacy Edition
Release
  • NA: September 15, 2015
  • EU: September 17, 2015
  • AU: September 18, 2015
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

NHL 16 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 25th installment of the NHL series and was released on September 15, 2015, in North America and September 17 and 18 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The game was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a separate release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titled NHL: Legacy Edition. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks is the official cover athlete, marking his second appearance on an NHL cover, following NHL 11 .

Contents

Featuring game presentation in the style of the NBC Sports Network, NHL 16 runs on EA Sports' advanced Ignite game engine and features many game modes, including one that has the player take control of their own custom player and pursuing a career in the NHL and one that has the player play as the manager of any NHL team. The fan-favorite EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL) mode, an online co-operative play mode, also returns to the game after being left out of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of NHL 15 , the game's predecessor. Upon release, NHL 16 received positive reviews and was declared an improvement over NHL 15 by critics.

Gameplay

NHL 16 contains several game modes; "Be a GM", where the player controls the general manager of a team of their choice, "Be a Pro", where the player controls their own custom player and progresses his career, Hockey Ultimate Team, where the player collects cards of real-life players, build a team, and then take on either players online or A.I. teams, and EA Sports Hockey League, abbreviated as EASHL, a multiplayer-only mode where players can use their own custom player to join other teams, also with custom players controlled by other people, and take on other teams. [1] [2] The EASHL returns after being dropped from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of NHL 15 . It features some changes in its progression system to address balance issues, including a switch to a class-based progression model similar to Be a Pro mode, and the removal of attributes and boosts. [3] A beta for the EASHL mode was available for NHL 15 owners from July 30 to August 10. [3]

Other features included are offline and online shootout modes, online team play, which has the user take control of players from real-life teams, and online versus, a simple head-to-head match. [2] Returning to the game is the NBC Sports-style presentation, which features the network's score bug, which is now updated and can now be displayed in a transparent view instead of disappearing, as well as commentary provided by Mike "Doc" Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (color), and Ray Ferraro (ice-side reporter). Emrick and Olczyk's actual selves are present during the pregame intro cutscenes. [2]

Cover

NHL 16 did not have a cover vote in contrast to the previous year's iteration. At the 2015 NHL Awards, it was revealed that Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, who had won the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, were selected to be on the cover of the game. It is Toews' second appearance on the cover of an NHL game, following NHL 11 . [4] It was supposed to be Kane's second appearance as well, following NHL 10 , [4] but on August 12 EA Sports announced that Kane would no longer be appearing on the cover of the game in light of the fact he was the subject of a police investigation over a sexual assault allegation. [5] [6]

NHL: Legacy Edition

NHL: Legacy Edition is an updated version of NHL 15 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, based on NHL 14 . There are some minor changes, such as the menu music; however, the EA Sports logo is instead shown for the album arts, the NHL Moments Live from 2013–14 is replaced by some new ones that were made available as the 2015-16 NHL season progressed, and in the "Custom Team" game mode the team name selection is improved. [7] The NHL 94 Anniversary Mode is also included.

Release

NHL 16 launched in North America on September 15, 2015, in both a standard edition and a deluxe set, which includes bonus content for use with the Hockey Ultimate Team game mode. NHL: Legacy Edition launched in North America on the same day as NHL 16, but it was released in a standard edition only. In Canada, an exclusive PlayStation 4 bundle launched with the game simultaneously, packaging both a PS4 console and a copy of NHL 16. [8]

Reception

Upon its release, NHL 16 received positive reviews from critics and received much more positive reviews compared to its predecessor, NHL 15, which received more mixed and average reviews from critics. [16] [17] [18] [19] On GameRankings, the PlayStation 4 version holds a 79.67% rating, based on 23 reviews, [20] and the Xbox One version holds an 82.23% rating, based on 15 reviews. [21] On Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version holds a 78/100 rating, based on 28 reviews, [10] and the Xbox One version holds an 80/100 rating, based on 18 reviews. [9] Critics generally felt that NHL 16 was an improvement over NHL 15. They directed acclaim at the fun gameplay of the game's wide variety of game modes as well as the return of the EASHL mode. Some criticism was aimed mainly at some lack of depth in these game modes as well as the game's menus and interface.

Mat Paget of GameSpot awarded the game an 8/10. He complimented the content of NHL 16's game modes as well as the inclusion of the On-Ice Trainer, which he believes would help brand new players and would work very well in the game's Be A Pro mode. He stated, however, that the game's menus can sometimes be confusing to get around. [13] For Game Informer , Matt Bertz wrote that EA Sports are heading in the right direction with NHL 16, but he felt that they failed to bring any "game-breaking quality" in terms of gameplay. Bertz complimented the game's improved artificial intelligence system for opposing teams as well as the NHL on NBC game presentation. [11] Anthony LaBella of Game Revolution found the inclusion of several game modes to be positive for the game, but felt that some of them were not thoroughly developed enough. LaBella also enjoyed the revamped EASHL mode as well as the game's presentation. [12]

Related Research Articles

NHL is a series of professional ice hockey simulation video games developed by EA Vancouver and published yearly by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports brand. The game is developed under license from the National Hockey League (NHL), which enables the use of the league's team names, stadiums and colors in the game, and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), which enables the use of the League's player names and likenesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Toews</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1988)

Jonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is an unrestricted free agent. Toews most recently played for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), where he served as the team's captain between 2008 and 2023. Nicknamed "Captain Serious", Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the team in 2007–08 and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. The following season he was named team captain, becoming the second-youngest captain in NHL history at the time. Toews won the Stanley Cup in 2010, along with the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player in the playoffs. After winning the Cup, Toews passed Peter Forsberg as the youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club. He won the Stanley Cup again in 2013 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Kane</span> American ice hockey player

Patrick Timothy Kane II is an American professional ice hockey right winger who is an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Kane also represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

<i>NHL 08</i> 2007 video game

NHL 08 is a video game released on September 11, 2007 in North America; the Xbox 360 version was supposed to be released on the same date as the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 versions, but was postponed for a day due to shipping issues. This was the first installment to be released on the PlayStation 3.

<i>NHL 09</i> 2008 video game

NHL 09 is the 17th video game in the NHL series released by EA Sports in 2008. This was the final NHL game to be released on the PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows.

<i>NHL 10</i> 2009 video game

NHL 10 is a video game in the NHL series developed and released by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts, and is the 19th game in the series. The game debuted at Hockey Fest '09, a three-day interactive festival celebrating the sport of hockey and the Los Angeles Kings, which took place in downtown Los Angeles from August 28 to 30.

<i>NHL 11</i> 2010 video game

NHL 11 is an ice hockey video game, which celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the NHL series. The game was developed by EA Canada, published by EA Sports, and released in North America on September 7, 2010, with the game releasing in all other regions within two weeks. The game features a physics-based game engine, which replaced the old animation-based system, and was touted by NHL 11 producer, Sean Ramjagsingh, as "the biggest change in NHL 11". Other significant changes include broken sticks, which means the stick may now break when the player shoots. NHL 11 does not use official International Ice Hockey Federation jerseys, as the game doesn't have the IIHF license. The cover of NHL 11 features Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who helped the team win their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years in 2010. NHL 11 was the last game to feature the Atlanta Thrashers as they became the present-day Winnipeg Jets the next year in 2011.

<i>NHL 2K11</i> 2010 video game

NHL 2K11 is an ice hockey sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K.

<i>NHL Slapshot</i> 2010 video game

NHL Slapshot is EA Sports' first ice hockey video game on the Wii, released in 2010. It was the first game in the NHL series since NHL 2005 to receive an E rating, mainly because the game does not include fighting.

<i>NHL 12</i> 2011 video game

NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Steven Stamkos was announced as the game's cover athlete on June 22, 2011, at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game notably includes more interactive goalies, better physics engine, improved Be a Pro mode, and the ability to play the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. Along with several other new EA Sports titles, NHL 12 was made available three days prior the official release dates to purchasers of the EA Sports Season Ticket, a new digital program allowing users with a PlayStation 3 and/or an Xbox 360 to download and test the full version of new EA Sports titles for a three-day trial period by paying an annual fee of $24.99 or 2,000 Microsoft points. Users who pre-ordered the retail version of the game may have received a code for a goalie boost pack, which improves certain parts of the player's goalie in the "Be a Pro" mode. Gary Thorne (play-by-play) and Bill Clement (color) return to provide commentary for NHL 12. For the first time since NHL 96, this series featured Winnipeg Jets who relocated as Atlanta Thrashers in the summer of that year.

<i>NHL 13</i> 2012 video game

NHL 13 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada published by EA Sports. It is the 22nd installment of the NHL series. The game was released on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, featuring Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux on the cover. The game was featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012, which took place between June 5–7, 2012. The demo of the game was released on August 21–22, 2012, at the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.

<i>NHL 14</i> 2013 video game

NHL 14 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 23rd installment of the NHL series and was released in September 2013. However, the game was released on September 7, 2013 for subscribers of the EA Sports Season Ticket service.

<i>NHL 15</i> 2014 video game

NHL 15 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 24th installment of the NHL series and was released on September 9, 2014 in North America then three days later in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The game serves as the debut entry in the series for eighth generation consoles, receiving releases on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.

<i>FIFA 17</i> 2016 video game

FIFA 17 is a football simulation video game developed and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It was released in September 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. This is the first FIFA game in the series to use the Frostbite game engine. Borussia Dortmund player Marco Reus serves as the cover athlete on the game.

<i>NHL 17</i> 2016 video game

NHL 17 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 26th installment in the NHL game series and was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in September 2016.

<i>NHL 18</i> 2017 video game

NHL 18 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 15, 2017. It is the 27th installment in the NHL video game series and features Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid on the cover.

<i>NHL 19</i> 2018 video game

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<i>NHL 20</i> 2019 hockey video game

NHL 20 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It was released globally on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 13, 2019. It is the 29th installment in the NHL video game series and features Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the official and North American cover athlete, and would return as the cover athlete in NHL 22. Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks was named the cover athlete for the Swedish cover, and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets was named the Finnish cover athlete for the second year in a row.

<i>NHL 21</i> 2020 video game

NHL 21 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It is the 30th installment in the NHL game series and was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One consoles in October 2020.

<i>NHL 22</i> 2021 video game

NHL 22 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It is the 31st installment in the NHL video game series and was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on October 15, 2021. It is the first entry in the series to use the Frostbite engine, and utilizes the new game engine on all four platforms. The game features Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the cover athlete for the second time in the series, after being the North American cover athlete for NHL 20.

References

  1. ↑ Richards, Dean (May 20, 2015). "NHL 16 Full Feature Set". Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 EA Canada (2015). NHL 16 (PlayStation 4 / Xbox One). EA Sports.
  3. 1 2 "NHL 16 gets series' first-ever beta next week, for revamped EA Sports Hockey League". Polygon. July 22, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Blackhawks stars Toews, Kane named cover athletes for 'NHL 16' video game Wednesday, 06.24.2015 / 9:05 PM / News". NHL. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "EA Sports pulls Patrick Kane from 'NHL 16' cover amid reported rape investigation". NESN. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ Gold-Smith, Josh (August 12, 2015). "Blackhawks' Patrick Kane removed from 'NHL 16' cover amid investigation". The Score. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ EA Canada (2015). NHL: Legacy Edition (PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360). EA Sports.
  8. ↑ "Canada: NHL 16 PlayStation 4 Bundle Available September 15th". PlayStation. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "NHL 16 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  10. 1 2 "NHL 16 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Bertz, Matt (September 15, 2015). "A Much Improved Second Shift – NHL 16". Game Informer . Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  12. 1 2 LaBella, Anthony (September 15, 2015). "NHL 16 Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  13. 1 2 Paget, Mat (September 15, 2015). "NHL 16 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ Blair, Matthew (September 15, 2015). "NHL 16 Review Text". GameTrailers. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ Macy, Seth (September 15, 2015). "NHL 16 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ "NHL 15 for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  17. ↑ "NHL 15 for Xbox One". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  18. ↑ "NHL 15 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  19. ↑ "NHL 15 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  20. ↑ "NHL 16 for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  21. ↑ "NHL 16 for Xbox One". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
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