This is either gonna be pretty cool or terrible.
Being as its the first year of the series on Wii, my bet is on terrible. Sports games have potential on this system but they seem to need some time to get it right.

MLB 2K8 on the Wii had some problems and it didn't look very good but they nailed the controls and because of that you could have fun with it. If NHL 2K9 fits that description I'll happily buy it.

After going back and reading it again it says Visual Concepts is doing the game. That's their primary sports team. If it's actually them working on the Wii version and not some tiny no-name studio they outsourced it to I'm a lot more confident in this game.

It's about time.  I except it to have some issues, but I will be purchasing this regardless.  I have waited since launch for a NHL game. 

Were the controls really that good? I got the Bigs and was confused and disapointed by the controls. I decided to give up on MLB 2K8 (after a few abysmal years on 360 and lack of faith in the Wii version) this year and instead went with what I'd term as "the safe bet" and broke out my PS2 to fufill by occasional baseball game urge and I bought MLB the Show 2008 because its more similar to the greatest modern baseball game (MVP Baseball 2005).

But anyway, I really hope this game is good but my hopes aren't too high. I hope Visual Concepts brings their A-game because a good hockey game for Wii would be awesome.

The Bigs used full motion controls like Wii Sports, right? MLB 2K8 didn't. Pitching uses the pointer to aim the pitch, the analog stick to select which pitch, then you hold down a button, lean the remote back, and flick it forward to throw. Batting is just swinging your arm, mostly based on timing. Normal fielding and baserunning are just buttons, no motions. It could probably be better but it works quite well as it is. I have doubts about using the remote as a stick but I hope for the best and if it's not good I still have Ice Hockey and Blades of Steel on the VC and my old Genesis NHL games. They've lasted me this long, they can last me another year.

I was very adverse with golf games before Wii sports came out, now I can tolerate the sport. Can NHL 2k9 do the same thing? I'm surprised no one else stepped up to the rink and made a hockey game up to now.

I can imagine using balance board support if you're the goalie along with the Wiimote as your stick. If not this year, maybe next...

Good. The Bigs had the most asinine pitching controls that were harder to perform than the real pitches. It was a nice attempt but I'm glad 2K wised up and realized that wasn't quite going to work.
While I'm still not going to bother with this year's iteration, I might be trying MLB 2K9 for Wii next year.

And I don't think Sega Hockey (EA Sports Hockey from the 90s) will not be trumped easily although from what little I've played of newer hockey games they seem to have remained quality over the years.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with this.  NHL 08 on 360 was great with the implentation of the skill stick, and I can see them doing something very similar with the Wii Remote.

This could be very exciting if properly executed.  One of the limitations of previous hockey games was being stuck with a single pass option or shot direction.  Hockey is all about quick passes to catch the opponent out of position and tick-tack-toe plays.  Before you couldn't make more than one pass at a time because the first player receiving the pass wouldn't be positioned properly to continue the play.  If you could use the remote to direct with quick directional gestures, you could move the puck with much more control.  It would also be sick if you could hold down A, for instance, and stick handle the puck with small gestures.  God damn it I want to drag the puck around a defenseman and release it into a backhand top corner!

If someone can make a baseball game in which fielding isn't such a drag, I might consider buying it.

Cool. I'll look forward to this one.

So basically you want Pro Evo Wii on skates, eh?

Where the Hell are IceCold and Ian?  They constantly complain that there aren't any Hockey games on Wi, and now they don't even have the decency to post in the thread?  ;D

Well the idea is quite similar, although the faster pace of hockey will rely more on quick gestures and less on pointing.

You can basically do this on 360 with the right stick, but it's f'n hard.  It's the old Madden-style "Hold the left stick to the left while holding the right stick top-right diagonal, and then hit A and hold the left trigger while shaking the controller and standing on one foot" sort of thing.

SWEET JEBUS OF NAZARETH.

I'm all over this. Good thing I checked NWR today.

This is SO going into my budget

I hadn't noticed there wasn't a hockey game. :)  I don't pay much attention to sports games.  I just assumed EA's NHL game would be available and that I wouldn't be interested in it.  I'm surprised it took this long.

The most recent hockey game I own is Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey for the N64.  I'm overdue for upgrading but the problem is I need a hockey game that my brothers and friends will want to play with me and none of them are hockey fans.  Yes, that's right.  I live in CANADA and yet none of my friends watch hockey very often if at all.  I must be one of the only adult males in the entire country with such a problem.

My apologies.  I guess IceCold just bitches so often about the lack of hockey games I assumed he had company.  ;D

If you have a 360, you need NHL 08 stat.  Best hockey game I've played since NHL 95 on the Genesis (they've been garbage in the interim).

Where are you from, Ian?  I'm originally from London, Ontario (a.k.a. home of the London Knights a.k.a. best OHL team ever).

I was born in Langley, British Columbia but have since moved a town over to Abbotsford, British Columbia.  Langley is a suburb of Vancouver but Abbotsford *technically* isn't.  Neat, huh?

NHL 96 is way better than NHL 95, and the Erie Otters may suck lately but they could easily take the London Knights.