For almost a decade now Electronic Arts has been the standard that all other simulation sports titles were measured. They have continuously and successfully offered increasingly real and exciting titles for a variety of platforms and genres. The latest of these games, NHL 99, lives up to its previous incarnations and in many ways shows some very intriguing and forward thinking design by its designers at EA.

Graphics [16/20]

EA did not follow its pattern of groundbreaking design in the graphics area this time. The comparisons to NHL 97 have been made, and I somewhat agree. In the lower detail settings players appear blocky and rectangular. And in the higher settings the game overlays horrid face textures. During face-offs it's disconcerting just how ugly the players are. I would recommend turning down the player detail levels a bit, it helps game performance and saves you from the possibility of NHL 99 induced nightmares. In all seriousness the graphics are not extremely impressive, but they get the job done. Ice spray and rink reflections are nice effects, and the camera pans add to the overall realism. These effects are mild enhancements at best. And as bigger and better 3D chipsets the standard by which graphics are judged is increased. While the visuals are adequate and appealing, NHL 99 does not offer graphics that are completely fresh and cutting edge.

Sound [15/15]

EA Sports games have always delivered a realistic simulation of the sounds of battle on the playing field. And whether it's in the swish of blades on the ice or the hum of a Zamboni during intermission, NHL 99 does not disappoint. Players will grumble and talk back when called for a penalty. The announcer offers more than just the typical play-by-play. He will also add color commentary when needed. Overall it just added to the immersive qualities of the game. I was defiantly impressed by the level of detail EA has added to this area of the NHL series.

Gameplay [27/30]

Where should I start? Well there are about 8 different modes of play, ranging from Exhibition, League, Playoffs, Drills, Commissioner, Quick Game, etc. What is the point? You won't get bored. Leagues can be setup and run remotely so you and your 30 closest friends can fight it out over a 120 game season. The computer AI ranges from Beginner (Goalie must be drunk and wearing a blind fold) to All-star with plenty of room for different player skill levels in between. The player AI is actually pretty good. My wingmen would move into sweet shot spots at right on time. And they are all willing to check opponents into the glass with authority. You can change the team's overall strategy on the fly during play which is a big bonus. EA really took care to preserve the fast paced action of hockey. The controls and menus are kept simple, which leaves focus of the game (ass kicking and hat trick scoring) right in your face.

Fun Factor [18/20]

NHL 99 definitely packs the mega-bang for your buck. The multiple modes of play, a smooth learning curve and tons of checks/pokes/goals guarantee to keep any sports-genre fan entertained for a long time. I recommend this game to all gamers in general, but you sports nuts are not going to be disappointed. If I were to gripe about anything it would be the lack of quick and easy multiplayer gaming options. EA Sports leaves a great title in an odd position where it cannot provide what it has been developed to, engage players in some serious hockey competition. The moral of the story is, EA has reworked and polished its hockey series into another viable release. By no means is this a 'perfect' year for the series, it has its flaws, but it definitely is worth a place on any gamers hard drive.

Multiplay [2/5]

Even though this is one of the smallest categories (percentage wise) in our reviews I truly value multiplayer. It is the saving grace of an otherwise dull and repetitive game (*cough Q2*) and lack of it can be a swift deathblow in others (*cough Unreal*). Quick and easy, low latency net-play is becoming a defining point in gaming. EA realizes this! NHL 99 is fully enhanced for remote leagues, modem to modem gaming, and a host of other connectivity options. However there are a few problems in design: for instance, for some strange reason there is no quick 1 on 1 game over tcp/ip. The process to setup and commission a league is overly complex and lengthy. Being the diligent reviewer that I am I went ahead and waded through the menus of rules, team selections, roster selections, and after maybe five minutes of clicking and dragging I stumbled upon the "waiting for connection" screen. Once my opponent connected we bother waited patiently while my choices for the league were being downloaded to his computer. After maybe five minutes he popped into my chat window, where we both wondered what next? Oh sorry we didn't tell you before, the readme said, there is no tcp/ip implementation for direct connection play. However we do realize some players might desire this mode of play, and have included a special cheat code to enable this mode of play. Excuse me? A cheat code to play multiplay? Frustrated, I entered the code, my opponent did the same, and we waded through the menus and back to the chat window. Ah hah! There was the fruit of our struggle, the start button had appeared. But guess what folks, the games too laggy to play over 33.6 modems. The readme recommend you find someone in your local calling area to play with. Mmmk...

Overall [8/10]