NHL 99

How can you make a game better when it’s almost perfect, hugely popular and totally addictive? I don’t know how you do it, but EA Sports seems to do it again, and again, and again, every year. No, I’m not talking about Madden 99, although the same goes for it; I’m talking about NHL 99. This game is as good as it gets. Ever since EA introduced its NHL series into the sports-gaming arena, there has always been a place in my gaming collection for it. What’s funny to think about is that there’s really no competition for this game; there are only a couple of others on the market, Actua Hockey and a hockey game Virgin makes. OK, so now that I’ve got all of that out of my system, let’s talk about what EA did this time to improve the game. First, EA enhanced the graphics, with more polygons per player than ever before. They enhanced the AI, so now if you pass the puck to another player who isn’t facing the goal, he’ll turn before shooting instead of taking a wild shot through his legs. One thing you may not have noticed is that the sounds were improved. And as usual, EA updated the stats and team rosters with the current NHL stats and rosters.

You’d think gameplay couldn’t get any better than it was in NHL 98, but somehow it has. Just look at some of the new features: beginner play for the first-time user, realistic physics, new puck physics, analog joystick control, hot and cold streaks for players, international ice size, international rules, a slap-shot meter, a hit meter, arena lights reflected on the ice, more animations than ever before, new coaching strategies, offensive strategies from behind the net, defensive strategies, collapsing defense, and ice spray from players’ skates. Besides adding all these new features, NHL 99 polishes up some existing ones. In the game you’ll notice odd-man rushes, more realistic breakaways, and you’ll be able to tell how mad players are when they’re put in the penalty box. Personally, the best addition is the improved fighting: you now have three punches, the hook, the jab and the haymaker, and on top of that you can grab your opponent and also duck to avoid punches.

Graphically, the game adds a few new things, but the real improvement is with the players. Their faces no longer look like static images; they now smile when they make a goal and frown when a wrong call is given, and you can tell by their facial expressions that they’re mad when they get stuck in the penalty booth. There’s now better support for 3Dfx and D3D cards, and more polygons per player. The ice now reflects the lights and players, ice sprays from the players’ feet, and it all runs at 30fps. Overall, the graphics are awesome, to say the least; 99 did improve over 98, but 98’s graphics already pushed the envelope about as far as it’s going to get with this generation of 3D cards.

The sound was great. You’ll hear the normal organ sounds, sometimes certain tunes depending on which city you’re playing in. Every single sound makes you feel as if you’re in the stadium, with the sounds echoing around you. The commentary is a let-down for me; it makes you feel as if you were watching a game with rookie announcers, sort of like a game on FOX. But all in all, the game’s sounds and music are beautifully mastered.

NHL 99 is the best sports game I’ve played in ages. I have not played a sports game that had such good gameplay, perfect graphics, awesome sound and an overall fun factor. This game is a must-buy for all sports fans out there. If you don’t want to buy this game, you must have some kind of brain fade. I will definitely still be playing it when NHL 2000 comes around.