The 1998 editions of EA Sports’ yearly sports simulations are looked on with more than passing sense of nostalgia. FIFA, Madden, and more all had breakthrough years with many claiming (with the aid of rose-tinted glasses) that it hasn’t been quite as good since.
I have been in that camp where NHL is concerned because, and this might be a slight exaggeration, NHL 98 is probably the greatest sports game in the history of gaming. Or at least that’s what my memory wants me to believe. Judging by the footage below, sometimes it’s best to leave memories as they are.
After playing my way through countless matches on 98, I developed a small obsession with ice hockey. Being British, opportunities to support teams and watch games are pretty damn slim – it’s way behind in the pecking order for the most popular sports in the country. Without wanting to offend, a popular badminton star has more chance of being a poster on some kid’s wall than Wayne Gretzky or Patrick Kane.
Luckily, I did manage to catch one (just one) game when I was growing up. The Isle of Wight Raiders battered a young Portsmouth side by something like a twenty goal deficit, probably because they knew it was my birthday. Ice hockey threatened to overtake football as my true sports love, but then it just went away. NHL 98 had burned a metaphorical hole in my PlayStation through overuse before I just one day never played it again.
Two decades later and a passion for ice hockey is starting to come to the fore again, all thanks to the five hours I have spent with NHL 17 so far. It’s been an absolute joy so far and a game that has very quickly brought back a lot of memories of my youth. It might sound like a stretch for an NHL game to do that, but do that it has.
The sheer fun of NHL 17 is what instantly hooked me. Whereas something like Madden NFL 17 requires a bit of background reading on rulebooks before you really know what’s going on, NHL is far simpler – use the stick, occasionally punch someone in the face, put the heavy Oreo in the goal, laugh at the drunk man in the crowd dancing his problems away.
It also helps that it seems to run buttery smooth so far – jumping into a game only takes a matter of seconds and navigating through the minimalist menus is almost like flicking through a catalogue at a furniture shop. You know where everything is and you’re still spoilt for choice. The amount of modes available in NHL 17 would keep the eight year old Jimmy happy and free of any social obligations for a long time.
Someone also must have known that there would be a few rusty players returning this year as the in-game trainer is designed to lead you by the hand through the game’s many different buttons, their uses, and why you should probably stop tripping people up every five seconds. Ice hockey is a simple sport that can easily be approached by anyone: it’s basically indoor soccer on ice when you strip it down to its basics. The trainer was simple and effective in rekindling a lot of love for ice hockey on my part.
Then there’s the fighting, which is superbly absurd once you sit back and think about it. EA Canada have created a pretty intuitive system to punch people in the face with, granting you energy boosts for coming out on top. Learning to duck out of the way of blows, when to start fights and when to not, as well as the best way to knock someone’s helmet off their head, is ridiculous yet also magical.
I still have plenty of time to invest in the game before I give it my full review, but if you’re an ice hockey fan or just want to see what all the fuss is about, NHL 17 is something you ought to look at based on my early impressions.
Buy NHL 17 on Xbox One and PS4.
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