Video Game Vintage Title: NHL 12

NHL 12

NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was released between September 8�13, 2011, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo . Steven Stamkos was announced as the game's cover athlete on June 22, 2011, at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game notably includes more interactive goalies , better physics engine, improved Be a Pro mode, and the ability to play the 2011 NHL Winter Classic.

Along with several other new EA Sports titles, NHL 12 was made available three days prior the official release dates to purchasers of the EA Sports Season Ticket, a new digital program allowing users with a PlayStation 3 and/or an Xbox 360 to download and test the full version of new EA Sports titles for a three-day trial period by paying an annual fee of $24.99 or 2,000 Microsoft points. Users who pre-ordered the retail version of the game may have received a code for a goalie boost pack, which improves certain parts of the player's goalie in the Be a Pro mode.

Like NHL 11, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement provide commentary for NHL 12.

Reception
Like most recent games in the series, NHL 12 received very positive reviews. As of May 2012, Metacritic has an aggregated review score of 87/100, while GameRankings' aggregated score for the game is 89/100. GameTrailers gave the game a 9.2/10, stating that the gameplay "just feels more alive," but were somewhat frustrated that they "did manage to find a technique to score a little too often," and also noted that the game "looks almost identical to last year's effort." They praised the EA Sports developers however, describing them as a team unwilling to believe that an "amazing" product is enough. The "Be A Legend" mode, however, did not get much of the same praise; Gametrailers said that the mode "feels like a missed opportunity."

PlayStation Universe (PSU) gave the game a 9.0/10, while their average user score is 8.0/10. Their reviewer, Adam Dolge, described it as "yet another terrific hockey game, and well worth the attention of any puck fan." They mainly praised the gameplay improvements, noting the A.I. and the physics engine, which has been enhanced as well. They also praised the revamped presentation of the game. However, PSU agreed with Gametrailers that the new "Be a Legend" mode is not well thought-out, and also criticized the Be a Pro camera angle. They also believe that the Be a GM mode needs to be revamped.