14 DAY TRIAL // 2K Sports has announced that NHL 2K9, which will be available sometime during fall, is going to become the first hockey game which has official licensing and backing from the NHL and NHLPA to make its debut on the Nintendo Wii gaming console. The game was developed by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports hopes that all hockey fans that were not into gaming until now will take a look at the new game and thoroughly enjoy it.
NHL 2K9 has had a troubled history, with the main developer behind the series going to work for Activision just before development got started on the title. There were rumors that the game, alongside the new MLB 2K, might even get canceled and skip a year. But 2K Sports could not afford to lose all sales that such titles usually generate and marched ahead with the development.
The Wii version of the game will be played with the Wiimote used as a hockey stick. The player will be able to mimic the movements of a hockey player to shoot the ball, pass it around and try and block the opposition. It sounds like an interesting approach to a sports game, with the natural motions that the players perform taking the place of button mashing. The one unanswered question thus far refers to how the on-the-fly changes to the team will work with the Wiimote and how they can be accomplished without interrupting the flow of the game.
Christoph Hartmann, the president of 2K, stated that "It's our goal this year to bring the fun back to hockey video games. NHL 2K9 for Wii includes the full feature set as available on other platforms, and added Wii Remote controls and other exciting features specific for the Wii console will allow dedicated fans the opportunity to fully enjoy and embrace NHL hockey in a brand new experience."
In the first shot of what is likely to be a drawn out advertising war with a rival EA Sports backed title, Mario, the most well known Nintendo symbol, walked the red carpet at the 2008 NHL Awards to announce that NHL 2K was coming to the Wii.