While no sports title is perfect, hockey fans have been continually spoiled by Electronic Arts. The gaming giant has pumped out NHL games that get better and better, peaking with the award-winning NHL 09 last year. And yet, the bar has been raised once again.

With the release of NHL 10, EA has shown that hardcore fans can still expect consistent improvements to the series. The already superb gameplay is even better, while new player animations make the action more realistic than ever. Yes, they’ve done it again – NHL 10 is the best hockey simulation out there.

For starters, the aforementioned gameplay is incredibly versatile. Depending on your preference, it’s easy to choose a style to suit your needs. NHL 10 gives gamers plenty of choices (Casual, Default, Normal or Hardcore) and each plays differently from the others. Casual, for example, brings you back to the early days of hockey gaming by allowing for huge hits and ridiculous passing plays with faster game speed and plenty of scoring chances. Hardcore, on the other hand, makes passing and hitting difficult, in a slowed-down mode that makes NHL 10 more realistic than ever before.

Beyond those options, there are still ranges of difficulty to choose from and various sliders that let you customize everything from shooting power to one-timer accuracy. NHL 10 can be tailor-made for your needs and it’s a beautiful thing.

Once you hit the ice, NHL 10 really comes to life. The presentation is sharp and genuinely feels like a real-life hockey game. Frenzied crowds and packed arenas surround the action, while plenty of teams (cough, Phoenix, cough) would be thrilled to have an in-game atmosphere like we see in NHL 10.

It looks fantastic, and there continues to be impressive use of sound in all facets of the game. You hear the dim echoes of music from the arena hallway before stepping on the ice, while Gary Thorne and Bill Clement keep up impressively with the fast-paced action. The calls are smooth and do a better job of creating storylines within the game. Yes, there may be the occasional hiccup, but NHL 10 avoids mistakes better than its football and basketball counterparts.

The game doesn’t just look good – NHL 10 plays more realistically than ever. It’s difficult, but the challenge is a huge part of the fun. Moving the puck is tough and it takes more strategy than simply passing to the furthest skater up the ice. Against skilled defensive teams, scoring chances will be at a premium, while goals will be even tougher to come by. When you get one, you’ve probably earned it, and it’s incredibly satisfying. It’s the reason NHL 10 is one of the few games that can bring you out of your seat, whether it’s for scoring a last-second goal or an overtime winner. That, more than anything, makes the title worth owning.

The complex controls are back and mostly the same, with the ability to stick-lift, crouch and poke-check on defense, and the stickhandling capabilities to make sweet music in the offensive zone. After such a successful 2009 title, EA made smaller moves in 2010, but the new features are certainly worth it.

One of the best additions is full directional passing, which adds to the realistic nature of NHL 10 and opens up endless possibilities on the ice. In older games, passes would often be accurate, going to the nearest player in the direction of the analog stick. These passes would land on a teammate’s stick with regularity, even if the gamer’s thumb was slightly off-target. There’s still the option to play that way in NHL 10, but the more challenging settings allow for complete control of the speed and direction. As in, gamers can pass to any spot on the ice.

With more flexibility, it’s possible to lead teammates, make use of the boards or simply dump the puck towards the crease. It gives you the ability to escape tough situations and allows for amazing creativity in the offensive zone, but it also creates potential problems for inexperienced players. Blind passing is now out of the question unless you want the puck in the back of your net, and breaking out of the defensive zone has never been so difficult. Yes, it’s the way it should be.

Another great feature is the addition of board-play, bringing an important element of hockey from the ice to the screen for the first time. Players can pin opponents to the glass and move the puck along the boards with their skates, creating realistic scrums in the corners. It’s an essential part of the game, and necessary to maintain puck possession with a swarming defense closing in. It works smoothly as both the puck-carrier and defender and adds another layer to NHL 10. In that sense, it’s what hockey’s all about. You work for scoring chances and get rewarded when it’s done right.

Back to gameplay for a moment – the new goalie moves are simply fantastic. Say goodbye to generic movements, as they’ve been replaced with seemingly limitless ways to stop the puck. Keepers spin and flop on the ice, making stylish saves with the swat of a hand or leg splits. Like with goal-scoring, NHL 10’s ridiculous saves will bring a guy off his couch every once and a while.

The game modes are very similar to last year’s title, with an extra feature called “Battle for the Cup” added in. It’s just one series for the Stanley Cup and works if you don’t want to go through an entire season or playoffs to have a chance at the mug.

Be a GM is the name for NHL 10’s dynasty mode and while it’s fun, the hardcore fan will crave more. Computer trades don’t always make a lot of sense, while teams inexplicably decide it’s just fine to dump their franchise player in the off-season. The real NHL sure isn’t seeing a large influx of superstar players on the free agent market, and the video game version shouldn’t either. It’s also odd to see teams sign players to big contracts at positions they already have covered, instead of saving the cash for needs down the road. It’s still fun to see realistic trades go through and build a team, but the mode isn’t worth the hassle for everyone.

Be a Pro is back too and while mostly the same, NHL 10 allows for some customization and the chance to gain skill by meeting certain goals. It’s nice to have some role-play features added, but it also bothers some to have to pay for so much DLC. In terms of adding skill to your player, it’s so much easier to buy the booster packs than to earn them through years and years of playing. At some point, it’s just too many games. The only other major issue is the way players are classified, meaning you might get stuck with linemates that don’t fit.

On the bright side, EA no longer charges you to play as an enforcer, having added the feature as an option for Be a Pro. If you’d like a break from goal-scoring pressures, it’s mighty fun to earn big bucks in exchange for dropping the gloves. Even better, standing up for your teammates has never been this much fun, with the addition of first-person fighting. From this boxing-style view, you can duck punches and throw haymakers, in what amounts to a pretty satisfying experience. On the down side, you’ll spend at least five minutes in the box, making it less exciting to go toe-for-toe on every shift. Of course, it’s well worth it in traditional game modes when you’re controlling the entire team – in that case, drop ‘em as often as you want.

Speaking of fights, EA has worked post-whistle scrums into the equation. In the old days, it was easy to beat up on helpless opponents after the play, but now they’ll fight back. Hit or slash a couple of times and watch as teammates from both sides join the fray. It’s a great way to start fights, but be careful of instigator penalties and roughing calls. There’s other ways to piss off the other team too – wind up for a slapshot after the whistle and wait for the cavalry to arrive.

As for online play, multiplayer is a solid upgrade over NHL 09. The modes are fairly similar, with one-on-one play, shootouts and six-on-six team play back for another round. The EASHL leagues returns as well, with much improved online performance. Even with full teams of human players, lag is no longer a problem.

Finally, the game interface is very solid and works in user-friendly ways, while the EA Sports Trax soundtrack is a solid mix of classic and (mostly) new rock. It’s hard to have a big problem with a hockey title that includes a range of Green Day, Scorpian and Alexisonfire, but no doubt some fans will lament the inclusion of Nickelback, once again.

Really, though, it’s tough to be negative about NHL 10. The game delivers the goods that matter most: Amazing presentation, realistic gameplay and multiple game modes. It’s a title that keeps improving every year, and that’s all fans of the franchise can ask for. It’s exciting to imagine the possibilities for 2011, but it’s already incredibly satisfying to own a game like this.