DESCRIPTION

Acclaim's second and final hockey game on Nintendo 64 retains the same features and play modes as found in NHL Breakway 98. New additions include updated rosters, schedules, jerseys, and the Nashville Predators expansion team. All 27 NHL teams feature stats and ratings from the 1997-98 season, as players choose from the following five game modes: exhibition, practice, season, shootout, and playoffs. Adjustable settings range from difficulty level and game speed to injuries, fatigue, fighting, and penalties. On the ice, players can call multiple offensive and defensive sets for key situations such as power plays and penalty killing. Lines can also be edited so teams have the right personnel for the right situation.

Seasons can be set to 25, 41, or 82 games as teams strive to win the Stanley Cup. Winning managers earn points that can be spent on upgrading a team's injury therapies, player development, and coaching staffs. Free agents can be signed and released, while trades support as many as six players at once. Of course, players are still free to create their own star athletes, whose names will be displayed on jerseys. The developers also incorporated each featured athlete's height and weight measurements in the motion-captured 3D player models. High-res graphics and advanced lighting effects help bring the arenas to life, as players decide on the best camera view out of eight possible options. New cover star Steve Yzerman offers in-game scouting reports and strategy recommendations for those new to the sport. ~ Josh Babich, All Game Guide