Super Nintendo
Released in 1994 by Accolade
Grade: D+
Like many games of its time, this game favors impressive presentation elements that haven’t aged well while the actual gameplay is a big mess.
Where it falls in the series
Accolade followed up with Brett Hull Hockey 95, which doesn’t seem much better. Sega Genesis also got a 95 version, which uses a diagonal viewpoint similar to NBA Live 95, but it also suffers some major gameplay flaws.
Praises and gripes
This game’s unique low-angle view isn’t actually terrible. The players look okay as they scale back and forth, although the camera shifts to the sides too far.
Al Michaels provides constant play-by-play with monotone delivery while referring to players by their numbers. “Vancouver wins the draw. Up to … forty-four. Flattened by … nineteen. He shoots! Hits the post.”
The problem is the action itself. In an effort to achieve a skating-like feel, the game goes overboard. The players have extremely loose, slippery movement that makes it hard just to pick up the puck. It’s apparently so hard that the CPU-controlled players don’t even bother with it. Several times a game, you’ll watch someone skate near the puck, only to stop and drift away from it, much like a fish might swim near your bait before realizing it’s a hook.
All that wild slipping doesn’t just affect the players, it affects the puck as well, which has a funny way of finding a long path down the ice. Your goalie can even launch a touchdown-style pass to a forward on the other side of the rink.
Passing is inexact, switching players is a nightmare, there are no one-timers, and the goal-scoring logic is suspect to say the least. You can’t always see what’s going on near the nets, but I’m pretty sure some shots go right through the goalie’s chest.
This isn’t the worst hockey game ever. I embraced its unique challenge, but it usually felt like I was battling the game engine itself rather than the other team.
Published June 29, 2022