gilbert@grad1.cis.upenn.edu (Michael Gilbert) (12/31/90)
As I said a few days ago, I picked up Wayne Gretzy Hockey for the Mac. Now that I've had a few days to play with it, and I've had a few requests to do so, I can post a quicky review to the net. For your info, I am running it on a IIcx, 8-bit colour, 5-Mb, 6.0.5. This is a "graphical" hockey game, ported over from the PC-world (you can tell this by the names of the files for the teams). It simulates a game between two teams, and the results are based on the abilties of the players. The rated abilities are: aggression, power, injury, skating, puck control, shooting, quickness, fatigue, penalty, passing and checking. The game comes with a disk of 1988-1989 NHL teams, plus a bunch of other good teams, like the '88 Oilers and '70 Bruins (ssss). It also has a team editor, which allows you to change the given teams, or to create new teams. The game itself has an overhead view of the ice. The window size is constrained to the size of a Mac Plus window, and you can see from one end of the rink to within the blue line at the other end. The whole width of the rink can be seen. The rink scrolls nicely as play moves. Each of the players is a character about the size of a SICN. The home team is grey, and the visitors are black. It is hard to tell them apart at first, but it gets easier. Also, this is only for the B/W version. A colour version is available for $10 (and the old disks) from the publisher, and some of this might change with that, although I doubt it. Game play is for 0, 1 or 2 players. One of the players can use the mouse or a joystick, while a second player must use the keyboard (you can also use the keyboard for the 1-player game, if you choose). I've always used the mouse, and it seems to work OK, although it is hard to pass/shoot in one direction while moving in the opposite direction. There are 4 levels of play (H.S., college, junior and pro) for each team, so you can handicap good players, or make it easy on yourself in learning the game. I can play a competitive game against the computer on the pro level after only a few games of practice. You can also choose to only control a player, only coach, play and coach, or do neither. You can set the time for each period to 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes, and you can set the game to be normal (one OT), or a playoff (OT's until someone wins). There is also a "practice" mode, with only 3 skaters per team. --- PROBLEMS --- OK, so I've had some problems with the game. Nothing to completely keep me from enjoying it, however. First, and really annoying, is the manual. It is writtin for the MS-DOS version, with a delta-card for the Mac. All the play is described in terms of something called a "left-mouse button", etc, :) and there is a feature or two in the main manual not in the game or one the Mac reference card. I wish people would get into the habit of writing more generic manuals. But, I guess, it just reflects that if they simpley port MS-DOS software, they might as well port the manuals too... The game crashed on me once or twice, but it seems to have been due to INIT conflicts. After disabling all but my Disinfectant INIT and Suitcase II, it seems to work fine. I didn't bother with trying to find exactly which of my other inits was/were the actual culprit(s). The scoreboard drawn above the rink seems to have problems sometime. It is a black background with white letters on it. During play, parts of it become eaten away for some unknown reason. Not major, just annoying. Another crash occurred at a place with two dialogs in a row. I usually just hit [return] twice to get back to play. However, if I hit the 2nd return too quickly, the game crashes for some unknown reason. There are no other "program errors", but a slew of "hockey errors," such as: When a team scores a Power Play goal, all players on the ice are given a -1 for their +/- rating (I believe they should get 0). When a shorthanded team ices the puck, and the goalie of the team on the power play plays it, if the shorthanded team touches the puck, the team on the advantage is charged with icing. (!) I've had a few mystery empty-net goals charged to my goalies (one came in a 0-0 game!). After the game has ended, the "timeout menu" tells you that you are in the first period. (it doesn't go back to play, though) Goalies have been awarded assists in the stat sheet, although the "offical" score-sheet doesn't show any for them. When a team ices the puck, but the opponents goalie plays it, the icing should be waved off. However, when an opponent skater touches up, the icing is called anyway. The computer coach is quite dumb sometimes. Line changes happen at the STUPIDEST (grammar?) times. Also, I've had him pull the goalie with a minute left in a 1-1 tie! This resulted in the Flyers (me) losing 2-1 to Boston (ssss) with 0:09 left. :( During line changes while short-handed, I've had players "disappear." This leaves you 2-men short, and usually results in a goal-against. Well, that's my "short list" of problems with WGH. It's a good game, and I'm sadly disappointed to see it ruined by a poor port. Well, not exactly ruined, but it would be MUCH better if these stupid errors weren't made. I'll be sending a letter to that effect when I return my warranty card (yes, I do plan to keep the game). Hopefully these bugs will be corrected sometime soon. Feel free to ask anything I might have skipped! :) Wayne Gretzky Hockey by: Bethesda Softworks PO Box 7877 Gaithersburg, MD 20898 (301) 926-8300 [customer support] (301) 963-2002 [technical support] =============================================================================== | Mac IIcx!!! | #include <disclaim.h> | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | _ _ _ | Better the pride that resides, | | ' ) ) ) / | In a citizen of the world, | | / / / o /_ _ | Than the pride that divides, | | / ' (_<_/ <_</_ | When a colourful rag is unfurled | | gilbert@grad1.cis.upenn.edu | --- Neil Peart | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | CZECHOSLOVAKIA CHIEFS --- IGBA Champs 1984-1985 1986 1987 1988-1989 1990 | ===============================================================================