NHL 99

The Good
The attention to detail in reproducing the feel of network sports really floored me. Maybe I haven't been playing enough sports games in recent years, but the camera angles, wipes/fades/dissolves, occaisional stats that pop up, and the targeted announcer commentary were impressive.

The basic controls were simple to figure out. You can play entire games with just button A for passing and button B for shooting.

Finally, the puck had a darkish halo around it, which was a nice computer-game touch that made it really easy to see where the puck was (unlike real hockey broadcasts).

The Bad
While the basic controls were easy to figure out, the more complex ones, such as a third button for player selection and a fourth button for "special", were unclear as to how they worked exactly. For example, the instructions clearly stated that the third button selected the player closest to the puck, but repeated pressing of this button kept switching the active player all over the place. And after a good 30 minutes of playing, I stlil haven't figured out what "special" does.

Another "disappointment" was fighting--more specifically, the lack of it. I played with a friend for over an hour and there was just no way we could get into a fight. I know that in real life, fights are uncommon, but it still would have been nice to specifically cause one.

The Bottom Line
Considering that this game is now $14.99 at Best Buy, I'd have to say that it is, indeed, a "best buy". It's surprisingly fun, even for non-sports-fanatics like myself.

The Good
It looks and plays very well, even if it is very unrealistic at times. If you're a hockey fan, you can recognize all the players' faces, even the not-so-famous players! It's from '98, but it's highly playable today in 2002. I enjoyed the different stadiums and music in each, not to mention all the NHL and world teams! (Fights happen randomly only with two players who have high intensity and aggression levels, to answer the other reviewer's complaint... play using Colorado and Claude Lemieux will get into fights or Washington's Chris Simon... only a couple of examples!)

The Bad
The AI is inconsistent and varies too widely according to the difficulty level. You can easily score 8-10 goals per period on beginner, 4-6 on rookie, but it's very tough to score 3 or more goals on pro level. It's a bit annoying, but it never stopped me from completing a season.

The Bottom Line
Over-the-top, block-rockin' boarding puck action. For more strategic, realistic play, try Fox NHL Championship 2000 (it's not as well-produced as NHL99, but the AI is fantastic).