Anyway, getting back to the game, there is an area where NHL 07 excels over NHL 2K7, and that’s the dynasty mode. EA has gone out and licensed European (Czech for example) leagues which are great for our international friends. A dynasty mode is included; however you are limited to ten seasons in dynasty, which seems rather short.

The audio is pretty good – the only “ESPN” integration is the play by play announcers, which of course is ironic since ESPN no longer covers hockey. They do a very good job with the commentary; however I did notice some repetition with their calls.

Graphics are probably as good as can be expected on the original Xbox. I don’t think the developers could get any more juice out of the hardware as they did with NHL 07. Some might say they look exactly like NHL 06, but even untouched, they still look very good.

Online continues to be a sore sport for EA. For whatever reason, they are not a big fan of the online community. While there are tournaments everyone has to play the game at the same time (ie ‘quick’ tournament). There still are no leagues and at this point in time, that is just plain silly. The gameplay itself when online works well without significant lag.

Overall, if you haven’t made the leap to the 360, given the bargain price the game is well worth your time if you enjoy arcade hockey with plenty of scoring. It borders on too arcade for me, but I can certainly see people enjoying the game. NHL 07 does have it’s moments; however it feels like an update of last year’s game.