PlayStation 1
Released in 1996 by Sony Computer Entertainment
Grade: B-
This followup to NHL FaceOff retains the simple, speedy fun of the original, and adds a few minor improvements and a few minor drawbacks.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the second of six FaceOff games for PS1. There were two more FaceOffs on PS2, then two more with the Wayne Gretzky name.
Praises and gripes
The gameplay is fast and smooth and exciting. Defenders are quite aggressive, and you’re in a constant state of moving the puck or trying to get it back.
Goals are scored in a variety of ways, with the occasional fluky goal here and there, which I like. Breakaways happen far too often, however, and they’re too easy to score on.
This edition adds some strategy settings to help make individual games different. And there’s a few new controls, like give and go, drop pass, fake shots, and hooks. On the downside, defenders now skate backwards more often, which is actually annoying.
The 2D sprites that I loved in the original are back again (and for the last time, as the series “progressed” to choppier 3D models for 98). The ice surface is more textured, which I suppose looks more realistic, but I think the simple ice in the original is more pleasing to the eye.