How do you play this game?

[Pajamas]

I picked up an NHL94 SNES cartridge a couple weeks ago, and I've been playing almost every day. I've never been this terrible at a video game before... I'm embarrassingly bad. I played both sides of a 100+ round shootout without scoring. I get shut out in at least half of my games, including one I just finished where I went 0 for 33 on one-timers. I feel like I'm skating well, I'm playing solid D (most of my games go into overtime at 0-0), and I understand the mechanics of putting shots on goal, but hardly anything is falling for me. I read the manual cover to cover, I read this page and watched all the videos, but clearly I've got some fundamental misunderstanding, because the game can't possibly be this hard. Can any of you seasoned vets explain how a guy is supposed to learn this game? I appreciate any help you can provide.

[trudatman]

wow. I'd say "come over and I'll show you," but the chances that you live anywhere near me are slim. try cut-acrosses. start in the "corner" and speed across the front of the net, just beyond the goalie's reach. hold the shooting button right before you cross in front of the netminder. also, practice the shootouts by going STRAIGHT at the goaltender and picking a side to shoot on as you crash into him. you sometimes won't even need to shoot. practice as the Allstars against Ottawa. then, practice THE move. aim for the goalie and switch the puck from side to side as you skate toward him. when he goes one way, go the other and shoot right before you would crash into him. you REALLY don't ever get one-timers in?!

[trudatman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huB5qEyB_88

while most of these are weird goals, they do show that it isn't too hard to score. the last one from the second video is a more standard goal. I'm trying to find THE move for you.

[trudatman]

start at 0:44 of this one:

that's THE move, which appears again at about 3:15.

at 2:55 (and again at 4:10) is the cut-across. plenty of one-timers in there, too. getting it, now?

Edited September 6, 2010 by trudatman

[Pajamas]

trudatman, thanks for all the info. Everything just feels... sloppier when I do it. I tried your suggestion of going straight at the goalie in a shootout while switching sides with the puck. I recorded ten rounds with me playing both sides... I did bang one off the post, but otherwise it feels like either my first move is too early so the goalie doesn't bite, or too late so my angle is too tight by the time I switch back. Is the timing really that sensitive, or am I just doing it wrong?

With respect to one-timers, I sink them from time to time, but it's extremely rare if the shooter isn't right up on the edge of the crease. I've used the instant replay feature to watch some of my one-timers in slow-mo, and even if the net is mostly open when I make the pass, the goaltender inevitably makes it back into position just in time to save it. That 0-for-33 game was unbelievable.

[trudatman]

yeah... lots of things...

you need to practice juggling the puck from side to side without moving your skater to the side. your second try with Mario needed one more move, back to the short side. you seem to be picking the harder side to shoot toward, each time. you are doing something in between the two decent methods. either don't move until the last split second and pick a side as you crash, or make one more move, back to the short side. maybe try going into the corner and cutting back across; that's a move you need to learn, too. you seem to shoot right at the goalie, too... or to the far side, rather than the short. stop trying to play as both teams. skate more straight, but flip the puck from side to side. I really want to just show you, but I cannot. that third video I posted has the keys. the move is back and forth and back and then tuck it in the short side. the cut-across is the only time you want to really try for the far side; zoom across, just out of the goalie's reach and slap it in. you have lots of time in the shootout, skate around until the net is open. you will get there; don't give up. key problem is your stick work. move the puck from side to side and then pick one side before you crash into the goalie. play ASW versus SJ, but play only as ASW... you can do it, I know you can. it will feel too easy in time.

[smozoma]

trudatman, thanks for all the info. Everything just feels... sloppier when I do it. I tried your suggestion of going straight at the goalie in a shootout while switching sides with the puck. I recorded ten rounds with me playing both sides... I did bang one off the post, but otherwise it feels like either my first move is too early so the goalie doesn't bite, or too late so my angle is too tight by the time I switch back. Is the timing really that sensitive, or am I just doing it wrong?

With respect to one-timers, I sink them from time to time, but it's extremely rare if the shooter isn't right up on the edge of the crease. I've used the instant replay feature to watch some of my one-timers in slow-mo, and even if the net is mostly open when I make the pass, the goaltender inevitably makes it back into position just in time to save it. That 0-for-33 game was unbelievable.

I'm a Sega player, but the problem is you are doing this...

deke to the outside,

bring stick back into the middle of the net

shoot right at the goalie who is also in the middle of the net

since you're back in the middle of the net, you're just shooting straight into the goalie's pads.

do a 3rd move towards the post when you're close to the goalie, then shoot it. the first 2 get him moving. the third one brings the puck around the goalie (who is in the centre of the net), and you shoot when the puck is outside (to the left or right of) the goalie.

also you could try not skating straight down the middle.

line yourself up with the right post. deke right a bit. deke left a lot. deke right a lot when you're close to the goalie. shoot.

[trudatman]

watch the four plays I mentioned in that third video, again.

the cut-acrosses happen again at: 5:30, 8:00

the move comes around again at: 8:18 -- study that part.

[trudatman]

he's right about the angle, but it's hard to explain. you want a slight angle, still aiming right at the goalie... fake toward the far side and then stuff it in the close side. work on the cut-acrosses and then focus on THE move once you have the cut-across down. you seem to follow the concept well, but you need more practice. good luck.

[trudatman]

you'll be sinking 5000% of your shots soon enough!

add a little bit of skill to a decent team...

there will be frustrating times when you allow goals without hitting the ice nor facing any shots...

and everybody gets scored on, occasionally...

but, overall, this game is tons of fun.

[mav]

using your true scrubs hack anyone would be able to do that with the local pros team

[trudatman]

agreed. so?

[Pajamas]

Good lord... I've finally got a handle on it. Thanks to trudatman and smozoma for all the advice. It turns out that I've picked up two bad habits that mess everything up. I tend to let my thumb slip off the up arrow on the D-pad, so when it feels like I'm rolling left to right, the puck doesn't actually move. Also, I often shoot too soon after making my last move, rather than waiting for the puck to actually switch sides, so I shoot right into the pads. I haven't broken myself of it just yet, but when I'm really paying attention, I can now actually pull off "the" move fairly often. What a relief.

Back to those video tutorials for a minute... is there some magic to the five-hole slapper, or is it just kind of a fluke? I've launched a whole lot of slapshots, and not once have I seen one go five-hole.

[trudatman]

five-hole goals are a Genesis thing. did you work on the cut-across, too?

[Pajamas]

five-hole goals are a Genesis thing. did you work on the cut-across, too?

Huh, go figure. I've read about the "weight bug" too... are there other differences between the platforms?

I've landed a couple of cut-acrosses, though I'm still sloppy. It's so relieving to actually understand the mechanics now. Pretty good game.

[trudatman]

the biggest difference is that the Genesis version was hurried and has more bugs and mistakes, but there are a lot of little differences like the way they skate and the ways the goaltenders react and stuff like that. with the Genesis version, cut-acrosses are easier and THE move is harder.

so... are you winning games, yet?

[smozoma]

the biggest difference is that the Genesis version was hurried and has more bugs and mistakes, but there are a lot of little differences like the way they skate and the ways the goaltenders react and stuff like that. with the Genesis version, cut-acrosses are easier and THE move is harder.

so... are you winning games, yet?

NHLPA'93 on the SNES was the hurried one. A bad, bad port of the Genesis version was all it was. It couldn't even play organ music and sounds effects at the same time.

NHL '94 on Genesis is the pinnacle of the original EA hockey engine. Give it a try, it's good. Most of the leagues on this site use Genesis '94, and maybe there is a reason for that..

NHL '94 on SNES is a decent rewrite, taking the game in a new direction (probably re-written due to how terrible SNES '93 turned out -- the consoles have different stengths/weaknesses, so recreating a game exactly is not always a good idea (see NHLPA'93!)

The main differences I found were:

Genesis: skaters don't turn as quickly, so it's more about flow..

SNES: skaters turn on a dime (which also makes deking really easy).

Genesis: passing is harder, you're good or lucky if you can get 60%+ consistently

SNES: passing is easy

Genesis: the big bug that detracted from the game was the Weight Bug that made light players the best checkers.. but that's been fixed now.

SNES: no Weight Bug

Genesis: smooth 60 frame per second video

SNES: 30fps?

People generally prefer the one they grew up with.. since you're a blank slate, hurry to the Gens side before you're stuck on a system that lacks good hacks and leagues

[trudatman]

wow. so many things neglected here...

I have played MANY games of the Genesis version and it is like most hockey video games: it's fun and it's a decent game, overall. the SNES version, however, has a level of control that makes it a nearly perfect experience; it just feels right. the only time you yell at the game is when your opponent pulls off something amazing, where the Genesis version is an exercise in frustration for those used to the precision of the SNES game. it amazes me that people like the Genesis version so much more, but, then again, the world is full of religious people and violent people and meateaters and... well, anyway...

big flaws in Genesis:

-no defense control buttons

-no stand-back-up button

-no instant goalie control button

-weight error ridiculousness

-individual players playing for multiple teams

-line-change button forces a puck dumping

-seemingly random computer takeover of your puck-carrier

-generally slow button/response time

minor issues with the SNES version:

-line fatigue doesn't reflect substitutions

-no personal stats

-not as popular

s h i t' date=' I'd rather have to hold down pass than hold down switch to goalie. worst sports game flaw ever. most frustrating experience in all of life. hold for goalie killed my mother.[/quote']

Edited September 10, 2010 by trudatman

[smozoma]

try it and see, if you want to bother with emulators (Pajamas). But I think you said you got the actual cartridge..

Anyway, about those big flaws:

-no defense control buttons - not all that necessary, since the nearest guy gets selected

-no stand-back-up button - there shouldn't be one anyway, stay down if you get checked

-no instant goalie control button - being the goalie takes skill and timing, like the guys who can harass you with a defender while holding down B to get control of the goalie when they need him (or letting go early if they don't). that's skill.

-weight error ridiculousness - it's fixed and made roenick a videogame legend anyway

-individual players playing for multiple teams - doesn't really bother me, since this only happens for expansion teams. "Oh no, my opposition is icing Robin Bawa, that's so not fair, he's on another team"

-line-change button forces a puck dumping - this would be nice to have, but you can still 'dump' the puck off the back of your own net to get a line change and keep the puck.

-seemingly random computer takeover of your puck-carrier - that's just funny and very rare (although the stuck as goalie glitch can be annoying if your opponent scores a cheap one on you)

-generally slow button/response time - it's normal/quick. passing is instantaneous.

It's cool that SNES has a dedicated button for lots of stuff (but why not play NHL '11 since it's got even more buttons?).

For me, though, the Genesis version just has something special. The swooping skating that no other game has used. The unpredictable passing. The feeling that you may be too late getting the goalie, but you get him just in time and stone the guy on a deke. The "BLOOARGH!" check sound. Rifling the puck at an 80 degree angle up and 200 miles an hour into the rafters if you shoot from right outside the post and miss the impossible angle. It's a hilarious game.

Try both if you want to get into 'the scene' and are starting new.

Better than the whole gameplay bug SNES has

[beavers33]

it amazes me that people like the Genesis version so much more, but, then again, the world is full of religious people and violent people and meateaters and... well, anyway...

guess THAT'S the reason i like gens more...

[halifax]

guess THAT'S the reason i like gens more...

just for that...say 10 Hail Marys and 5 Our Fathers and you will be forgiven.

Amen.