From: rdunkle@aal.itd.umich.edu (R. M. Dunkle)
Subject: NHLPA Hockey '93 Review (LONG)
Originator: rdunkle@richards.aal.itd.umich.edu
Organization: Campus Computing Sites, University of Michigan
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 05:14:47 GMT

 
        First things first: the differences between NHLPA Hockey '93 and
the immensely successful original NHL Hockey. The use of real players and
a stat-keeping facility are the obvious (and well-advertised) enhancements.
All 24 NHL teams (including the two expansion teams) have full rosters of
real players, rated in 13 categories: Agility, Speed, Offensive Awareness,
Defensive Awareness, Shot Power, Shot Accuracy, Pass Accuracy, Stick Handling,
Weight, Endurance, Aggressiveness, Checking, and Fighting for skaters; 
goalies are rated in 10 categories.
        These are combined to get an overall rating, which, as with the rest,
can be viewed at any time during the game. This is another new feature of 
NHLPA - no more mysteries. Player ratings are easily available for review, 
which is quite helpful when choosing lines. 
        This is another welcome enhancement - the player can set whatever 
lines he or she chooses, and can save lines (for one team only) with the 
battery backup facility. The default lines, as with NHL Hockey, seem 
somewhat arbitrary, not reflecting the true tendencies of the NHL teams. 
Thankfully, that is no longer a problem. 
        Changing lines is done at the pause menu, which contains many more
options than in NHL Hockey, and is the gateway to the enhanced statistical
features, as well. Viewing Game Statistics gives much the same information
as in the earlier game, with "Faceoffs Won," "Body Checks," and "Passing" 
added. Passing is given as the percentage of completed passes.
        The Player Stats feature allows you to view pertinent statistics
for the game in progress, for either team. Goals, Assists, Points, Shots-on-
Goal, and Penalty Minutes are available for the skaters, with Shots and 
Goals Allowed for the goalies. The D-Pad is used to scroll through the 
players and categories, with players ranked by the highlighted category.
        Also available is a complete scoring summary, penalty summary, 
Team Roster, other scores from around the league, and "Crowd Meter," which
apparently measures the excitement level of the game.
 
        The changes in game play are more dramatic than expected. Improved
goalie play was badly needed (the NHL Hockey goalies can be beaten 
consistently by skating across the goal mouth), and was implemented quite
fully. Rebounds are up, but goalie placement and movement are much improved.
Goalies now dive to cover up the puck, and there will be no more games of
"push the goalie out of the way while I score" - the programmers put in a
full-fledged interference penalty, and the refs aren't afraid to call it.
        The refs aren't afraid to call much of anything in NHLPA - partly 
because the moves have changed. The 'A' button is still used to clutch and
grab, and the 'C' button shoots and gives a burst of speed, but the 'B' 
button - formerly just used to "poke check" and try to snag the puck - now
poke checks quite a bit more dramatically, knocking players off-balance 
(a new feature, the players wobble for a moment) and even flooring them. 
        The 'A' button also gives a more dramatic hook than it used to. The 
new controls take a bit of getting used to, but are more realistic, and 
close enough to the original that transition shouldn't take more than a game
or two. 
        Fighting's been revamped, as well, though only minorly - the computer
opponent won't fall for the "punch-and-back-off" routine any more. 
        Injuries were added to NHLPA, and this might be the only new 
feature that could have been left out comfortably. Not the injuries 
themselves - they add more realism to the game, and come about as frequently 
as one would expect. What is not as welcome is the graphics that go along
with the injuries: the injured player falls to the ice, and lies convulsing
as a pool of blood spreads from the area of its head. Anyone who's seen 
the more serious injuries in the real NHL may find this more disturbing 
than it needs to be. 
 
        Lastly, the battery backup seems somewhat under-utilized, but is 
still a very nice touch. As mentioned above, a set of lines may be saved.  
Additionally, the current playoff tree is saved, along with the full 
accumulated statistics for the team the player is controlling. There is 
no full, regular-season replay facility, but an entire (maximum) 28-game
playoff season can be saved. Only one set of playoffs can be saved at one
time, and it's done automatically. Regular-season games may be played 
without losing the saved data.
 
        NHLPA Hockey '93 seems relatively free of bugs, but there are a 
few: goalie saves for a playoff series don't accumulate correctly - after 
reaching a certain point, it appears they exceed the maximum for the 
memory they are alotted, and revert to a fixed value thereafter; a few 
graphics glitches have made appearances - the white "reflection" stars
going up and down the sides of the ice turned black (looking like 
holes in the ice...), and a goalie turned invisible for a few seconds (the
puck suspended eerily).
 
        In all, NHLPA Hockey '93 is a worthy successor to the original
NHL Hockey, an admirable effort, and will likely win all of the awards the
original did.
 
                                - Brian Dunkle
 
 
 
 
 
-- 
	Brian A. Dunkle               |          "Dig Zebrox!"
	rdunkle@aal.itd.umich.edu <---|--->    bad@emunix.emich.edu
	[Now residing in fiery Tucson, Arizona...Life is strange..]
	[Lizards are our friends. If only they could talk to us...]