Somewhat confusingly, there should be two NHL games out for the Saturn within the next few months, but Sega have stolen a march with their game on EA's NHL '96. The first American contender to the Sega Sports label makes a considerably better showing than Victory Goal, which suffered from a lack of knowledge and instinct of football. The programming of NHL, on the other hand, displays a remarkable grasp of the atmosphere of the game and the psyche of the average fan, by adopting the style of a TV Sports show, complete with famous (in the US at least) presenters, and broadcast-quality presentation.
The stadium is presented from one of several virtual angles, that make the most of the surroundings, with high-banked seats and a convincing glass protective shield. The ice looks superb too, with super scaling and detailed markings. Although the player sprites look flat and blocky by comparison, the graphical effect on the whole is superb.
Sound is even better, with fantastic effects, responsive crowds and the echoing voice of the announcers mixed with a limited commentary. There's even a warning against smoking in the stadium! Gameplay-wise, things are a little less clear-cut. It takes a while to get used to the controls, which are less instinctive than 16-bit hockey games, and the high inertia on the players makes the game slightly slower and less arcade than you might wish. You'll have to invest a large amount of time before feeling satisfied with each game.
Nevertheless, the stupendous multi-player mode and host of other options - including a role-play mode and half-time dissections from your coach, make this a package suited to hockey fans and sports game officianadoes.
1st January 1996
