ESPN National Hockey Night

"A good hockey game."

There are quite a few hockey games on the SNES. Not all of them are good, but this one is. This one has the best graphics, though. In fact, all of the Super Nintendo ESPN games have good graphics.

Graphics:
Side View: 10/10
The side view graphics are great. This is a 1994 game, and it almost has better graphics than NHL 97! The players look good, and you won't have problems seeing the puck like some hockey games. (this game has a huge puck.) However, one problem is that in 2P the nets for the goals go away, which makes it harder to score. You can even see reflections on the ice.
Vertical View:9/10
The up & down graphics are also good. The players and reflections are the same, but the nets never dissapear, and that is a good thing. You also get to see the scoreboard in this view. However, the walls are messed up because they had no 3D hardware. This is not an overhead view, it is more like Stanley Cup's view, but it doesn't rotate.

Sound 7/10
There is a little speech and music, but most of the time all you will hear is the puck hitting things. The shooting sounds are good, and the sound of the puck hitting things is average. You hear music just before a faceoff, and the speech is when you start a game.

Gameplay/Control 9/10
The controls are easy and have no problems. Scoring, a problem in other SNES hockey games, is easy in this game, which makes it more fun. Playing defense is is hard to learn, but is easy when learned. When using the vertical view, the screen sometimes has to catch up to the puck (it is not a overhead view). Playing offense is easy and that is what makes this game stand out. You can play exhibition, season, and other modes that I forgot. It is good with 1P, but it is more fun 2P.

Challenge NA
The computer has 3 difficulty levels, and you can play 2P.

Buy/Value
Since you can't rent it anymore, buy it. I found it for $2.99.

Replay Value Medium
If you are a fan of sports games, then you will like this. If not, it is just another game.

Score: 9/10 (not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/02/02, Updated 03/02/02