I did a preview a few months ago with an “unfinished version” and if you want to read that click here: http://www.sportsology.info/EA-Sports-NHL-12-A-Winter-Classic-Wonderland. Otherwise let me start to tell you how amazing this game is (on the PS3), because it is.

The Opening is Spectacular - I covered last year’s Winter Classic and this was perfection! I felt like I was watching the game all over again, the snow( ok it didn’t snow last year but we all wanted it to!), the excitement, the fireworks, it gave me chills, really! What a way to start the game!

Hearing Gary Thorne and Bill Clement together was terrific and Bill used the term “firewagon hockey” which was a staple in the 70’s and 80’s. The dialogue was so good that I never heard a repeated phrase and this was the smoothest play by play that I have ever heard in any videogame.

Before you get started play along with the tutorial. I felt like it really helped my game, like a training camp. With cool tunes playing like “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” by Judas Priest it really helps you get into the game. I did improve as a result.

The all-new be a Legend mode has Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Jeremy Roenick, Gordie Howe, Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios, Borje Salming and Steve Yzerman, wow! Based on your performance is when you can start unlocking these stars (this mode had Drop Kick Murphy’s music!). I was able to snag JR right away and use him in “Be a Player Mode”. It’s a great mixture of playing the legend and simming the rest. It’s a game within a game, a role playing sports addition and you are always playing your legend, priceless.

The Pre-Game is Spot On – Stellar intro walking from the MSG locker room to the ice. All of the fanfare, the fans clapping and everything else is just amazing and the best I’ve ever seen.

The gameplay is super smooth. The charts and graphs and settings are mind boggling. I love that you can fist pump when you score a goal, actually there are a lot of different goal celebrations.

The overhead camera for face-offs is to die for and the multiple replays after you score a goal are sweet. The dark visors are legit and so are the player’s faces.

Goalies can really stray out far but be careful; if he’s not a good stickhandler then the puck will certainly end up in the back of your net. Plus now the competition can run the goalie so be aware of that as well.

It’s cool that the refs walk over to the player that’s being penalized and after they point to them their shoulders sink. The player reaction from the penalty box is funny as well if the opposing team scores. I like the slam of the stick to the floor.

Tip: Try and go back door for a give and go type play that works getting behind the “D” and getting a prime scoring chance. Also try and shoot off face-offs, it works a lot and it sets up a scoring chance.

I give this game 5 out of 5 stars. I can’t remember a time when I thought the NHL franchise was a better game than the Madden franchise, and I thought that was terrific, but I believe they have climbed that mountain top. EA should be proud!

This just in:
A simulation run by EA SPORTS™ NHL® 12 predicts that Sidney Crosby, despite missing almost 17 games during the regular season, will lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a second place finish in the Eastern Conference standings (100 points) and their fourth Stanley Cup® Championship. Crosby will be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Penguins take home the Stanley Cup in a decisive 4-2 series win against a resurgent Chicago Blackhawks team. The Vancouver Canucks will capture the Presidents’ Trophy in back-to-back years with 114 points during the regular season. The EA SPORTS NHL franchise has a history of successful simulation predictions, accurately selecting: the Chicago Blackhawks as the 2010 Stanley Cup® champions; the Vancouver Canucks® as the 2011 Presidents’ Trophy winner; and the 2011 Stanley Cup Final matchup of the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.

I will add an online component to this in the near future.