I never thought it would happen, but I'm finally getting into sports simulation gaming. I've stubbornly avoided the genre for the better part of my twenty-six year existence. Perhaps it's a blessing that my first foray into modern sports sim gaming is NHL 11, a massive game stuffed beyond its bursting point in quality content.

NHL 11 looks wonderful, but like in all great games, it's the little things that amaze. The rinks and character models look superb. The glassy sheen of the ice gradually gives way to a dull hunk of frozen filth in dire need of attention from a Zamboni. However, the magic is in the real-time physics engine and animation work. Hockey sticks fly and break. Smart artificial intelligence keeps track of every physical detail that could possibly allow (and influence) a full-fledged emergent moment. If you choose to engage in a little board play with a cornered opponent, there are several factors that affect what you end up seeing. If you're a lightweight playmaker, you run the risk of being shrugged off very quickly. If you're a tough guy, you'll squash the puckholder like a bug. My created character from Be a Pro Mode is a badass enforcer. When the perfect head-on full body check presents itself, I can't help but feel a little giddy. And when the impact happens, there's always something subtly different about it. I suppose this is what EA means when they run with corny taglines like "Any moment can be a wow moment." All of this visual goodness is wrapped up with a clean presentation and user interface.

Having reviewed EA Canada's recent Wii offering (NHL Slapshot), NHL 11's soundtrack gradually began to get on my nerves. Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping Up to Boston" never gets old, but 2 Unlimited's "Twilight Zone" definitely does. Danko Jones' "Full of Regret" is a fantastic choice, but Foxy Shazam's "Unstoppable" kind of betrays the tough-guy aspect of ice hockey. This isn't a soundtrack review, though. The rest of NHL 11 sounds wonderful. Bill Clement and Gary Thorne's commentary is spot-on and usually quite accurate. It's nice to hear them stand up for your team when the referee makes a questionable penalty call -- but when the replay shows your player deliberately boarding an opponent, they will take you to task. Body checks sound nasty and painful, and skates grind away at the ice with lovely "shhhk" sounds. Slapshots play with arena acoustics, and scored goals for the home team result in blaring horns.

Fully-featured doesn't even begin to describe how much content is included in NHL 11. If you've even the slightest interest in virtual ice hockey, this game has got something for you. Want to create a skater and boost him through the ranks, earning experience and building your skills? Be a Pro Mode is waiting. Want to recreate a match-up and finish it the way you want to finish it? You can do that, too. If you've ever fancied yourself as a General Manager in the NHL, Be a GM Mode might be your thing. If you want to cut the crap and get straight to the action, the ever-reliable Play Now option is always available.

NHL 11's newest addition comes in the form of EA Sports Ultimate Hockey League Mode. This is a huge gameplay mode that allows you to create a team from scratch and handle just about every aspect of your growing dynasty. You can pick your players and assemble your lines, but be careful; statistics and player chemistry greatly affect what happens on the ice. All of this is handled with a card-based system, which may put off several players. To be honest, it put me off, but I've got a feeling that this mode will have a solid audience.

There's a lot to do in NHL 11, and regardless of your play style, you're bound to find something cool. It may require a bit of digging for some, but it can't be argued that EA Canada didn't try to reach as broad an audience as possible.

At the end of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, a central character gets a lengthy face-to-face with infinity. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my first few hours with NHL 11 made me feel a sort of kinship with Astronaut Dave Bowman. If you haven't been keeping up with the new additions that EA Canada has made to its flagship sports series over the years, this release will overwhelm you. Big time. Let me put things into perspective. The last NHL game I owned was NHL '95. When I decided to try out NHL 11's EA Sports Ultimate Hockey League Mode, I was breathing in and out of a brown paper bag within minutes. Okay, so that's a lie, but I can say with all confidence that neophytes and inexperienced players will find themselves intimidated by this mode. I also can't imagine casual hockey fans getting into Be a GM Mode. Why? Because I couldn't. I'm not going to knock this game because of how it caters to hardcore hockey fans; rather, I will praise it. You just need to know what kind of player you are, and by extension, where your boundaries lie.

The rest of the game's challenge level depends on your skill level and your chosen difficulty setting. If you don't understand how hockey works, just play a bunch of exhibition games; eventually, you'll learn how to avoid icing and offsides calls. Furthermore, playing in a single position in Be a Pro Mode will teach you the ideal field position for each player during every conceivable hockey situation. Assist lines do a good job of putting you in the right place at the right time -- at least, until you learn how to do it on your own.

NHL 11's controls work so well because many of your inputs correlate naturally to the on-screen action. This has been a staple of EA Sports titles for the better part of a decade now, but it's worth mentioning. The Left Analog Stick controls your player, while the Right Analog Stick controls your hockey stick. Want to take a wrist shot? Flick the hockey stick upwards, while aiming the movement stick towards the part of the goal you want to hit. Naturally, slapshots require a back stroke. They may feel a bit unwieldy at first, but then again, think of the effort required to execute one under that kind of physical pressure. Coordination takes some learning, but after a handful of games, you'll be setting up assists and making good on them at the same time.

Depending on what kind of person you are, fighting in ice hockey is either a proud tradition or a blemish on professional athletics as a whole. NHL 11 doesn't take sides on this debate, but if it didn't include fighting, it wouldn't be an accurate depiction of the sport as we currently know it. The genre descriptor at the top reads "Simulation," so it's a good thing the fighting works well. It's all done in first person, and it vaguely resembles the "near-knockout" mechanic from Fight Night Round 3. If you've seen a hockey fight, you'll be glad to know that you can tug jerseys, throw uppercuts, and turtle up.

Gamers with even a passing interest in ice hockey should check out NHL 11. Whether you're a casual fan or a hockey junkie, this one's guaranteed to have something you'll like. In NHL 11, learning the ropes and trying new things is a continuous and rewarding adventure. What more could anyone possibly want from a sports game?