NHL 2K8 Preview

On the upside, the game looks way better than last year’s, as the player faces and menus have been significantly upgraded graphically. Plus, face-offs are more realistic as players will tie each other up before the puck goes to either team.

But the real separator for this year’s game from previous ones is the new Superstar Moves ability, which can be done in-game by holding the left trigger, followed by a button combination. It’s likely too Tekken for most, but the chance to imitate Owen Nolan’s point-and-shoot from the All-Star game years ago, or the genius "Sweden ’94" move that Petr Forsberg scored on, is good fun, especially in a shoot-out.