Swinging Your Twig at the Biscuit

NHL 10 Xbox 360, PS3, £39.99, EA, out now

For many 1991 was all about the first Gulf War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, Michael Schumacher's first F1 race, or the release of Nirvana's Nevermind. However, for a select crowd with different priorities, '91 was chiefly the year when Ice Hockey swept the UK. Not watching it, you understand, nor actually donning skates – it was playing NHL Hockeythat took hold, providing the single best reason for buying a Sega Megadrive. The rules may have been a mystery, but the swift-flowing game play, and of course the fights, were enough to entrance a generation. Now, 18 years later, EA has produced the best hockey sim yet.

The polish of this year's offering is superb. It looks and sounds brilliant, both the tooth-tingling noise of scraping ice as blades turn swiftly on freshly Zamboni'd (laid) ice and player likenesses are captured accurately – although with Wayne Gretsky not present, an average UK gamer might just struggle to notice.

Handily, for the non-North American audience, the game plunges you straight into a tutorial on start-up, teaching the basic stick and skater controls. Shoulder buttons switch players and make passes, the left stick deals with the player's movement, while the right stick is either for swinging the twig (stick) at the biscuit (the puck) or for slamming into opposing players.

The shooting mechanic works nicely, satisfying dekes (dummies), wrist and slap shots can be pulled off with aplomb, and you'll soon be sweeping the biscuit into the basket (net) at the end of a flowing passing move. Equally, boarding opponents (hitting them into the boards) never gets boring, and is complemented nicely by the new board-play mechanic, which can see play realistically bogged down on the sidelines.

Body checking opponents after the whistle is also a good way to ensure mitts are dropped (a fight). The camera then moves to a first person perspective, as punches are aimed at the enemy's bucket (helmet). However, beware pitting your play maker (Ronaldo) against the other team's meat wagon (Vinnie Jones).

NHL 10 has all the modes one could hope for, full season, play-offs, or just the Stanley Cup, as well as excellent online play, and the Be A Pro Mode – familiar to anyone who has played recent Fifa games. And for a final flourish, EA have even included the option to play with old-school Megadrive style controls – excellent for any benders (poor skaters) who can't handle the pace.