NOTE: Not currently compatible with 1st Gen iPhone, iPhone 3G or original iPod Touch devices.

It has been a while since we've had a chance to dive in to an ice hockey title and it's great to see 2K Sports release of  NHL 2K11 up on the App Store.

Ice hockey titles haven't done spectacularly on iDevices to date and it's interesting to see 2K Sports keeping the gameplay in the arcade-style with a basic virtual stick and three button setup for pass, shoot and sprint. What makes this title really stand out is the level of polish in these simple controls, with players being able to smoothly move their way up the ice while still needing to consider their positioning for striking the puck to prevent it going wild.

2K Sports have also gone a little overboard on the visual options, with an incredible number of camera settings including eight styles, multiple zoom levels and several default positions. This does give you the opportunity to play in a way that suits you perfectly, but it would have been great to see that dedication placed in the gameplay as matches tend to feel more like a free for all without much control over the action. Players can also transfer and modify teams to their liking, but a simple in-game option to update rosters to those matching the NHL would have been far better.

As arcade style ice hockey games go, NHL 2K11 has its charms, but it misses a lot of features needed to make it a serious sports title including the absence of a multiplayer mode. Worth checking out if you're a fan of ice hockey, but don't get your hopes too high.