NHL 971996

NHL 96 was the first EA Sports game to feature Virtual Stadium technology, which resulted in a 3D feel and multiple camera angles. The NHL license ensures that real teams and players of the era are included, with a full league and playoff system. Many game options can be toggled - the infamous fighting is option, as are the penalties and offsides. The control system makes it possible to execute one-touch passes, and several special trick moves to quickly advance the ball. As a bonus feature, it included 'Hockey Card' profiles of every player on CD, and interviews with the stars of the game.

The second part in Electronic Arts' hockey series. It features the NHLPA license (so it has real player names), but not the NHL license (so it doesn't have NHL team names). Gameplay is altered only slightly over the predecessor. Regular season and Playoff modes are available. Goalies have improved AI, there are more foul play options and the game now features detailed statistics.

From the opening Face-Off it's six on six pro-style hockey at its best. Their are eight teams for you to captain: Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Minnesota, Toronto and Chicago. You can challenge a friend, or take on a multi-talented computer squad. You can also choose from three difficulty levels - Junior, College and Pro. Throughout the game, you'll constantly be tested by every intense element of championship hockey, from Penalty and Overtime Scenes to Knockout Smash-Hit Fight Scenes. Speed, strength, quickness and instinct are talents you must possess if you plan to prevail, especially when the anger flares, gloves come off and fists start flying. It's hard hitting action at its toughest. And you'll soon learn that in this league nothing's ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals - you have to score them. You've gotta master the artful skill of a finesse player and the bone crushing brutality of an enforcer. You'd better be versatile as well, because you must skillfully control your forwards, centers, defensemen and even the goalie, who'll defend the net against unrelenting Power Plays (which will occur if you lose a fight and have your battered carcass banned to the Penalty Box).

NHL FACEOFF '97 has all the basic features you've come to expect from a hockey game. All 26 NHL teams from the 1997 season are included, and you'll find all the players as well. The Season mode lets you take a team through a full slate of games while you keep an eye on how the rest of the league is doing. Players can be traded from one team to another, and created as well. This is Sony's first PlayStation hockey series, and graphically it is considered one of the best-looking hockey games ever to appear on the system. You'll find all the action of the real game here, including wicked slap shots, hard body checks, and plenty of fancy skating and stick handling. Up to eight human players can duke it out via a multitap. So if you're looking for a complete hockey simulation, look no further than NHL FACEOFF '97.

NHL 98 features much faster and refined gameplay (now using four action keys instead of two, removing the need to double-tap to perform some actions), along other new features such as "in-the-fly" tactics developed by Marc Crawford, then manager of the Colorado Avalanche and new commentary lines from Jim Hughson and Darryl Reaugh and a re-worked interface. Graphics are improved from the previous version with the players being less angular, and thanks to 3Dfx support, with less pixels showing in the textures. The in-game presentation follows a TV-style script, zooming in players while displaying stats during clock stoppages. As far as game modes go, in the year of the first Olympic Tournament with professional players, NHL 98 introduced the first real international competition, with 18 International teams to choose from. Other game modes include Season (option to pick between 25 or 82 games) and Playoff (best of 1, 3, 5 or 7 matches) and a Penalty Shootout mode.

Take on "The Great One" again in this hot sequel to the smash hit voted "Best Sports Game" of '96! With more great features, such as new hidden teams and improved, hard-hitting AI, Gretzky '98 packs a wallop! Includes all 26 teams, each with 17 available players on their actual NHL teams, and you can make player trades or line manipulations to create a powerhouse team of your own. Play 3-on-3, 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 games on either arcade or regulation size hockey rinks, plus exhibition games, full 82 game seasons or a best-of-seven playoff series with full statistic saving capability.

You can choose from all of the NHL teams, including the expansion Atlanta Thrashers. Play an Exhibition game to work on your tactics and strategies, and when you are ready for long-term competition, try to endure an 82-game Season, or just skip straight to the Playoffs. While in the game, you will have to learn when to make line changes and determine when it's a good time to pull the goalie. In addition to these tactical decisions, you must also deal with penalties and infractions including offsides, two-line passes, and icing. However, you can customize the game by turning off certain rules and setting the referee's strictness. In addition, there are three different difficulty levels. Will you be able to claim the Stanley Cup? The only way to find out is by playing NHL 2000.

As opposed to the more realistic hockey gameplay seen in Electronic Arts' NHL series, the game featured a more unrealistic arcade-style of gameplay, featuring moves such as "power saves", which caused the goaltender to briefly transform into a brick wall, "power shots", which would set the net on fire or knock the goalie into the net, and "power checks", which would send an ambulance across the top of the screen. It featured high-scoring games and over-the-top fights. There was also a simulation mode for those looking for more realistic gameplay. The game allowed the creation of profiles and would keep track of important individual and team stats, including goals, assists, and wins, among others.