NHL 2K9

Sports games and I go together like Pete Doherty and good hygiene, or Amy Winehouse and, uh, good hygiene. Madden just makes me feel stupid and unless I’m playing digi-sports against an in-person friend, my attention span wanders, probably because I lose. A lot. Or rather, I did lose before I discovered my Wii hockey abilities. I don’t doubt this is a dumbed-down version of NHL 2K9 but for a dumbed-down player like myself, it was pretty perfect. And I don’t even care much about hockey — I originally hail from Van City, where the ponds don’t freeze. But I know enough to realize that the motion-sensitive Wii waggling fits this slap shot-centric sport like a hockey glove. It makes passing a breeze (just aim at who you want to get the puck) and works very well for gesture-based goaltending during shootouts. And though I wish it were a little easier to get into an on-ice dust-up, when you do put up your dukes, those Wii Boxing moves you’ve honed will come in quite handy. Sure, the between periods Zamboni mini-game is pointless after a couple go-rounds and the graphics are pretty half-assed (they apparently dialled-down the 360 version rather than making Wii-specific graphics). The hardcore hockey fans will also no doubt balk at the game’s lack of depth, preferring to play the more traditional versions on the PS3 and 360. But whatevs — now my Vancouver Canucks can mop up the ice with those dastardly New York Rangers, thus getting revenge for that tragic game seven loss in 1994 without having to riot. Also, there’s "pond hockey,” so I can finally feel like a proper Canadian.