The game has the same basic one-button controls for passing, shooting, and checking and the same sluggishness. I understand that momentum is a pain in the butt and it's hard to control yourself when skating on ice. But it's pretty hard to make a three pointer while being blocked by an NBA pro, or throw a forty-yard touchdown pass against an NFL defense. Somehow these other game types make it work. Why is this game so special?

Passing can be infuriating because the default behavior is to pass in the direction of the analog stick. Well, I don't know about you, but I use the analog stick to move the guy with the puck towards the goal. If I execute a default pass, I am in effect, passing the puck to the other team's goalie. The alternative is massive hand cramps as a result of using the L trigger to specifically target a recipient while steering with the analog stick. I'd much rather throw away the puck than pass to the guy closest to me. You could argue that passing like that lets you dump the puck to facilitate a line change, but if that were the case, why have a specific dump button.

Shooting is fairly responsive, even if it comes down to chance and statistics for the most part. Whether the goalie blocks, whether he catches the puck or reflects it back out or whether it blows by him seem entirely governed by chance. Which basically means scoring is governed by chance. You may be able to use assists like "one-timers" to increase your odds, but by and large I don't feel like I have much to do with the points I score.

If the controls aren't bad enough, the game AI is basically useless. More often than not, instead of them helping you to score points they are offsides doing who knows what and suspending the game play. Nothing makes your hair fall out like working your fingers to the point of calluses to get possession of the puck and then having one of your own teammates go offsides making your hard work and suffering pointless. Though individual ref calls (offsides, icing, two-line pass) can be turned off, it still serves to highlight the fact that the AI is not doing what it should be.

The camera angles in the PSP version of the game are as frustrating as ever. Basically traditional or coach camera modes are the only ones remotely useful. These two let you see enough of the action to be effective at passing, but the characters are so far away that it takes a major toll on the game's aesthetic qualities as well as any potential influence you have while shooting.

The Season game play mode is lacking just like the game's counterpart on the PS2. You are basically allowed to sign as many free agents as you have free spaces on your team. There is no regard to salary or deals or anything like it. You just fill your team up with the top ranked free agents and then go about your business. Trading is at least a little realistic in that you can't trade crappy players for good ones. Good luck figuring out how to get a good deal though, because the computer promptly rejected every trade I suggested that didn't involve me giving up something better than what I got.

The one obvious improvement they did make was the elimination of the terrible announcing. Whether it was done because of space considerations or because someone out there is actually reading our reviews doesn't matter. It is gone. The only thing left is the sound of sticks hitting pucks, players checking players, referees making calls and the crowd going nuts whenever something cool happens.

So what's our new bottom line? It's similar to that of the PS2 version. If you are a fan and are hockey starved because of the lack of a 2004-2005 season, then this very well might be the game for you. If you are the type of fan that would be bothered by some of these minor details or you disliked the original Gretsky NHL 2005, you may want to wait until there is a tad more competition before investing your forty bucks. And if you don't happen to fit into either of those categories, just go back to playing Lumines. You know you want to.