From: johnwu@netcom.com (John M. Wu)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: NHLPA Hockey 93 - Evaluation
Date: 29 Dec 92 05:47:34 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)


     On Christmas, Santa Claus decided to give me a copy of NHLPA
Hockey 93.  Now I've played about 12 hours worth and here are my 
impressions of it.  Most of my playing has been LA Kings vs. All
Stars East or San Jose vs. All Stars East.  I think my record
with SJ vs. ASE is (1-5-0).  With LA vs. ASE it's (3-2-0).  My
one win with San Jose was a come from behind 6-5 OT win and the
computer hit the goal post on an empty net attempt.  The computer
was on a two man advantage (one with my pulled goalie) but I scored
while two players screened the goalie.  These situations are why I
like this game.

Implementation of NHL Rules and Regulations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The refs don't call penalties as much as I would like them to. 
That's just like NHL so that's good.  I experience frustration as
Mario Lemieux trips my Pat Falloon as he breaks for the goal with
the puck.  NHLPA handles the minors and penalites > 2 on one side
situations.  There is no way to instigate a fight.  Don't fights
break out because one player wants to knock another into the
hospital?  There are no 10 minute game misconducts.  There are no
penalty shots.  My wishlist for NHLPA 94 includes:

     1)  Penalty Shots
     2)  Game Misconducts & Fight Instigation
     3)  Non-Fighting Majors (eg. knocking a player out of a     
         period due to injury -- to knock a player out of a       
         period in real life should be something pretty massive)

The Feel of Hockey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I like the way the puck sounds as it hits the boards.  It has
that wierd ice rink echo.  The music is good.  The grunts that
the player makes get annoying.  The cheering and booing is good. 
I don't think a 5 on 4 in NHLPA is like 5 on 4 in the real NHL but a
5 on 3 scares me to hell.  All the computer has to do is to shoot
it at my goalie, grab the rebound and score as I try to find
players close enough to the goal to take the other team's players
out of commission.   Goalies who suck in NHLPA 93 dive a lot
leaving an empty net shot for my opponent.  I like the siren that
goes off when there  is a goal.  They should put in cheering when
the home team scores.  One thing I really hate is that breakaways
usually don't result in a goal.  Shouldn't it be a 50/50 chance,
even for a computer playing the worst Ottawa or San Jose player? 
And then there are too many shots for a 60 minute game.  The
computer's ASE got 90 shots off (but scored only 5 goals due to
Jeff Hackett's great goaltending -- hahahahahahhahahahaha).  Then
again, he was pretty good with the LA Kings that other night
stopping 50+ shots (real life). 

The Computer
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The computer plays your goalie at all times.  If you go to the
back of the net, mix up the goalie by going left and right. 
Eventually, he'll "settle" on one side of the net and all you
have to do is put it in on the other.  So I have a self imposed
rule of not shooting when the computer goalie is playing stupid. 
Furthermore, its too easy to score on a "wraparound" so I also
self imposed a rule of not doing wraparounds except during power
plays.
  
I am satisfied with the computer's ability to score and defend
with respect to the quality of the team it's playing.  I am not
satisfied with the fact that the computer will not pull its
goalie when there are 2:00 to 2:30 left and the computer is
losing by a goal or two.  And IMHO, if there are less than 10
game seconds on the clock and a faceoff is deep in the attacking
zone, then the goalie should be pulled.  In NHLPA hockey, time
flies by faster.  Also, I would like an option to automatically
pull my goalie during delayed penalities.  The computer pulls its
goalie automatically.

Two-Player Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is where the game shines.  It's fun to check and hit your
friend to hell.

Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~~
All in all, it's a fun game.  I do have some major gripes with it
but it sure beats the hell out of Wayne Gretzky Hockey I & II on
the PC.  I would be interested in a comparison between WGH3 and
NHLPA.  I believe in the entertainment value of the game over
realism but realism is important too.

NHLPA Dispute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In one game, the computer called a delayed penalty on me.  My
friend pulls his goalie.  My friend's defenseman loses the puck
as he backs up towards his own goal.  I graciously knock him down
and the puck slides towards friend's goal.  I let the puck slide
it and knock another of my friend's defenseman to defend the
puck's progress into the goal. :-)  The computer gives me the
goal and calls no penalty.  By NHL rules,

1)  Is it supposed to be a goal for me?  (I think it should)
2)  Is the penalty still called?  (I think it should)
-- 
John M. Wu                "And if a double decker bus, crashes into us
johnwu@netcom.com          to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die"
jmw@ocf.berkeley.edu         - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
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