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From Pee Wee to Pro only on the Wii.

EA knows NHL action and has proven their success time and time again on the 360 and PS3. Gamers on the family friendly Wii console ask the question, where's the love for us? Well EA has graciously submitted a title that not only brings a great playing NHL game to the Wii console, but tosses in enough casual aspects that will appeal to the Wii audience who want everyone from little Johnny to Grandma Josephine to join in the fun. Introducing NHL Slapshot, a game that takes what EA has done well on the 360 and PS3, but mixes in a little casual fun that should appeal widely to the Wii audience. With Wayne Gretzky gracing the cover of a hockey game for the first time since a hockey game appeared on a Nintendo console over 10 years ago, NHL Slapshot isn't just a hokey party game, or a dumbed down version of the NHL 11 franchise, but a whole new experience that will hopefully see future integrations.

Packed in for added excitement for starters is a hockey stick controller attachment that helps you get the feeling of making that wrister or slapshot and interacting in the game as you would expect from a title made especially for the Wii. This isn't just a gimmick add on either as it really provide a better experience and feeling for getting the right touches to hit the twine behind the goalie, whether you wanna go down low or top shelf, this additional free attachment will help you feel the shot more accurately than if you just waggled the controller. Moving the stick about, you can deke, check, and shoot at will and literally do everything you would hope to do on the ice virtually in NHL Slapshot.

Visually the game looks very clean and has some brilliant animations that replicate the action on ice as you would hope from the EA Sports development team. The same atmosphere you'd come to love from this series is here, but livened up with a more arcade look with flaming trails from the puck and flash bangs off of body checks that really put the game over the top and more welcome to fun loving gamers. What's impressive is that the game looks even spectacular when using the pee wee players and toss in the fact there are no penalties in that league, you can have fun just knowing you won't held back or having the pace slowed down in this mode. All the same presentation goodness is present as well as the commentary is strong, the sound effects have a big impact, and the cut scenes and TV style camera action fills the screen even on the Wii console.

As aforementioned, the game isn't just a party game either as you will have a great amount of depth and modes to enjoy in NHL Slapshot. You have the modes you would expect on the Wii such as shootout, 2 on 2 drills, mini games, and more that gamers who just want some quick thrills can get a hold of, but it's the surprising depth of certain modes that show that EA just wasn't banking on a Wii party game to cash in the NHL franchise on this console. You have a full fledge season mode, complete with trades, line changes, CHL integrations, 150 teams, real players, rosters, and even updates via Nintendo's network. Toss in a fun Pee Wee to pro mode that allows you to create your beginner youngster and take them all the way to the pros to become the next "great one" like the cover athlete himself Wayne Gretzky. Sadly, EA has omitted having an online play option which makes sense because of the restrictions Nintendo has on their online play, but if they continue this franchise on the Wii, I would hope to see it in future version of the title as the game, like any sports title, is always more enjoyable against a real human rather than the CPU.

To say I was surprised how well NHL Slapshot turned out is an understatement. I was really just expecting a Wii version of the NHL Arcade game released on the XBLA and PSN last year, but to see that EA put a lot of love and care into this game and made it a game all on its own, without feeling like a dumbed down version of the 360 and PS3 games was very welcome indeed. Anyone who loves the NHL or hockey action and has a Wii should surely pick up this title, even if you have it on the other consoles, NHL Slapshot is a unique experience that everyone from Hockey veterans to newbies will come to enjoy. Like their cover athlete, Wayne Gretzky, NHL Slapshot is a "great one" indeed.