"To coincide with the launch of the Xbox 360, 2K Sports published a port of NHL 2K6 for the system in a fairly quick-and-dirty fashion. Sure, it retained the excellent gameplay of the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions that had been released a couple of months prior, but it also retained practically the same visuals and features of its Xbox counterpart, leaving you with a three-times-as-expensive update of a game you probably already bought. Fans can breathe a sigh of relief that with NHL 2K7 for the 360, they haven't been dealt another cheap port. 2K7 is a game that seems to have been developed specifically for the 360 hardware, and it revamps the presentation of the game significantly, both on the ice and off. However, while presentation is the name of the game this year, the gameplay is mostly the same as it was last year. That's hardly an indictment, since for the last few years, 2K hockey has been the gold standard in this regard, but with so much emphasis on the presentation and with the competition making long leaps forward with its gameplay engine, NHL 2K7 won't offer you too many surprises.

The biggest, most elaborate change involves the excellent new on-ice presentation system. Titled "cinemotion," this optional feature strips away the normal game-time TV broadcast setup and audio commentary in favor of a more dramatic interpretation. A rousing orchestral score pipes up from the moment the game begins with the coach delivering his opening pep talk to the team. From there, it moves to the ice, changing distinctly in tone depending on what happens. If you're well behind in the game, the tone is more somber. If you're on the comeback, the music kicks in to higher gear. And if you win, you get the sort of happy, inspirational score you'd expect from the end of a good hockey movie."

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