NHL 94: 2024 Edition by Adam Catalyst

[AdamCatalyst]

NHL 94: 2024 Edition by Adam Catalyst

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v3.0 updated 2024 04 21

Hello there friendly strangers,

Here is the latest version of my 2024 ROM. The goal is to try to provide the most refined and realistic up-to-date versions of this all-time classic game. I'm thrilled to be able to share this with you. Here are the top reasons you might want to give it a try…
 

New in '24

800 players obsessively rated, up-to-date rosters, and realistic lines, based on even more extensive 2020-2024 regular season data. Logos, Colours, Uniforms, Arena names… everything up-to-date for the 2024 season. The Bench area has been completely re-designed, new puck design & animation, re-designed graphic overlays for Shoot-Outs, Penalty-Shots, Goal, Injuries, Stars of the Game, etc. and numerous other refinements.
 

Gameplay Revisioned

The gameplay has been adjusted for a more realistic modern hockey feel, with harder to score goals, easier to hit crossbars and posts, more realistic speed burst, fewer penalty calls, custom energy depletion and recovery rates (balanced for more realistic line rolling and shift length), and player rating distribution curves that have been carefully calibrated for more realistic gameplay on the ice.
 

Graphical Refinements

Hundreds of other refinements have been made including title screens, banners, player photos, scoreboard, audience, face-offs, bench area, player sprites, nets, ice markings, scorekeepers, Zamboni driver, and more. The goal is to bring the most graphically refined version of NHL 94 ever made, while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original art direction.
 

And so much more

Of course there is the weight bug fix, but also a custom weight scale, less variance in Hot/Cold rating randomization, immediate goalie control by pressing the (Y) button with a six-button controller, a custom 3-Stars of the Game rating formula, a Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg Menu & Player Cards crash fix, and…
 

Every single feature & modification is documented below. I would love it if you would give it a try, and leave me any feedback!

-Adam

p.s. I'd be flattered if you wanted to lift any of my mods for your own ROM. Anyone who contributes to making hacks or ROMs for nhl94.com is welcome to PM me, and I will happily send you source files, including Tile Molester bookmarks and palettes.

 

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Current Version 

NHL 94 [h] 2024 AC v3.0 - 2024 04 21.zip

Previous Versions 

NHL 94 [h] 2024 AC v2.5 - 2024 03 18.zip

NHL 94 [h] 2024 AC v2.0 - 2023 12 20.zip

NHL 94 [h] 2024 AC v1.0 - 2023 12 01.zip
 

Box Art

Maximum Quality: Box Art - SMD - NHL '94 [h] 2024.png.7z

 

 

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Features & Modifications

Title Screens & Under the Hood

• ROM Header: Updated to indicate support for Japan region, 6-Button Controller, both domestic & foreign ROM names, and updated checksum.
• Title Screen: Opening Logo screens display time reduced by 30%.
• Graphics: EA logo screen heavily modified and updated to reflect current Stanley Cup winner.
• Graphics: High Score Production screen refined.
• Graphics: Splash image updated with EA's NHL24 image.
• Graphics: Masthead re-drawn to match EA’s current NHL24 lettering.
• Graphics: Title screen Logos removed.
• Text: Credits re-coloured & edited.

Above: The player sprites design was revised to more accurately accommodate the wide range of colourations for all 32 NHL teams. Taped taped composite sticks complete the more realistic contemporary look.

Above & Beyond: A global colour palette for the entire ROM was built, with all key colour decisions made in this relative context. Teams have been systemically coloured to have as accurate a representation as possible, with a consistent sense of depth, and realistic colour shifts for shadows and highlights. Tests were done with demo play, and final colour decisions were made to give the most accurate impression in motion, and not necessarily what looked the best in stills.
 

Main Menu

• Settings: Default teams set for the 2023 Stanley Cup finals.
• Settings: Playoff brackets updated to the 2024 seedings.
• Settings: 7-minute period length option added.
• Settings: Line Changes & Penalties defaults set to on "On," because that's how I roll.
• Graphics: Team Banners & Logos updated and refined.
• Graphics: Team Banner names removed, and replaced with "VISITORS" and "HOME" for clarity.
• Graphics: Player Photos all updated with official NHL headshot images, custom cropped & colour graded.
• Graphics: Error removed from the selection box.
• Hack: Player Photo carousel cycling order modified.
• Hack: Bug that would causes crashes upon cycling through the Player Photos for Vegas, Washington, and Winnipeg has been eliminated. Please note, this comes at the cost of preventing saved stats from showing under player names.
• Text: Re-wording of a couple menu options for greater clarity.
• Typesetting: Player names centred vertically.

Above Right: All logos were revised or re-drawn by hand, and matched for visual weight. Official team colours were relatively mapped to the Sega MD/Genesis colour space, and banners were matched to key logo colours, with some minor re-wording in the menus.
 

Pre-Game

• Graphics: Banners typesetting improved, and colours improved for greater clarity and consistency with the team colours used throughout.
• Graphics: The Pre-Game Announcer's picture frame has been altered to be more consistent with the design of similar elements throughout the game.
• Graphics: Ron Barr image restored to be closer to original.
• Arena Names: All up-to-date as of December 2023.
• Pre-Game: Match-up position names have been simplified to “Forward,” “Defence,” & “Goaltender.”

Above: When EA released Rewind (left), they kept the same colour palette as the original, despite decades of new teams and new team colours. I've optimized this restrictive colour palette (right) so that all teams now look much closer to their authentic colours. Furthermore, typesetting has been improved in all banners to also be better than Rewind.
 

Rink

• Graphics: Colour Palette has been altered to improve the audience affect with more uniform tonal contrast, improve the accuracy of the team banner colours, and to give the nets more realistic colouring.
• Sprites: Audience members design and animations have been refined.
• Graphics: Goal light & animation revised.
• Graphics: Instant Replay Reverse view inconsistencies fixed.
• Graphics: Minor refinements throughout the arena.

Rink - On the Ice

• Graphics: Ice Colour lightened slightly. The darker colour was giving me eye strain.
• Graphics: Centre ice logos updated, adapted from NHL Rewind designs.
• Graphics: Face-off circles modification. (author unknown)
• Graphics: Net re-drawn to the most recent (2013) NHL proportions, with an updated goalie crease.
• Graphics: Trapezoid area lines drawn to NHL scale.
• Graphics: Glass & stanchions behind bottom net revised to be symmetrical and parallel to glass & stanchions at the top, horizontal seam in top glass has been removed, and on-ice reflections of stanchions have been fixed throughout.

Above: There have been hundreds of refinements to the rink design. Beyond the big obvious things like the redesigned bench area and time keepers, there are far more subtle touches like the symmetrical glass re-design at the bottom, the updated net designs, and the refined audience member designs & animations.
 

Rink - On the Sidelines

• Graphics: Bench area completely re-designed, including refined animations, and the addition of animated coaches and backup goaltenders inspired by @slapshot67. 
• Graphics: Time-keepers added in, and time-keeper area Stanchion misalignment fixed.
• Graphics: Bench, Penalty Box, & Time-keepers area Stanchions modified to be consistent with the Sideboards view.
• Sprites: Bug fixed that would stack multiple Visitors players in the Penalty box incorrectly.

Above: The original (Left) benches had floors coloured like the ice, and the players chirped with unhinged jaws, with no supervision from a coach. Over time (Centre), fantastic changes were made by slapshot67, adding a more realistic floor, fitting in a coach and a backup goaltender! I've built on this work (Right) completely re-designing the bench area, including re-designed players and refined animation, an animated coach, and more. Plus, a new more three-dimensional puck design!

Above (Botton Left): I really liked The Sauce’s wide take on the EA logo (Centre), as well as the bevelled style of the original (Left). I’ve mixed the two styles together, and refined it to better fit the allocated vertical space. The Sauce’s excellent ROM is shown here for relative comparison only, no criticism implied of his inspiring work.
 

Rink - Sideboards view

• Graphics: Sideboards Bench, Boards, Glass, Ice, Stanchions, etc. revised. 
• Graphics: Scoreboard Banners refined to improve typesetting, and colours modified for clarity and consistency throughout.
• Graphics: Sideboard Scoreboard has custom drawn NHL logo.
• Graphics: Side-boards Score-Keepers added. (Based on the SNES version)
• Sprites: Zamboni driver revised to better match the perspective of the side-boards.
• Sprites: Player in Penalty box refined, and placement revised.

Above Below: The original Zamboni driver (Left) looked like a small ruddy-faced hunchback. I re-designed him to fit the style and perspective of the scene better, adapted the design of the scorekeepers from the SNES version to match, improved the design of the player in the penalty box (who disturbingly had no lower body in the original), and have made hundreds of minor refinements to the audience, animation, bench, stanchions, the light refraction on the edge of the glass, etc.

Above Top: Beyond the improved banners, the scoreboard features brighter lettering and scores along with custom drawn a modern NHL logo.
 

In-Play

• Sprites: Player design was revised to more accurately accommodate the wide range of uniform colourations for all 32 NHL teams. Tests were done with demo play, and final colour decisions were made to give the most accurate impression in motion, and not necessarily what looked the best in stills.
• Sprites: Face-off animations revised.
• Sprites: Players given grey composite sticks, because grey pixels have better puck feel, more flex, and are lighter weight.
• Sprites: Goaltenders masks revised to reveal their faces.
• Sprites: Player Helmet colour patch. (@clockwise)
• Sprites: Player Eye, Boots & Gloves, and Stick Tape patches. (@clockwise)
• Sprites: Improved Checking animations patch. (@clockwise)
• Sprites: Player stick animations refined.
• Sprites: Puck design & animation revised.
• Graphics: On-Ice Player Numbers changed to white for better legibility against the ice.
• Graphics: On-Ice Player indicator (star) for Player 1 lightened to be less conspicuous and increase relative on-ice contrast for the Player 2 indicator.
• Graphics: Penalty box player colour error fixed. (Slapshot67)

Above Top Row: The original face-off animations had a linesman that was looking in the wrong direction (Top Left & Centre), freakishly long & thin stick blades, stick shadows that would overlap incorrectly (Top Left), disproportionally dark shadows that sometimes overlapped the image frame (Top Right), a frisbee instead of a puck, and some rough detailing on the players.

Above Bottom Row: I’ve painstakingly gone through the 108 possible graphic combinations that can occur during a face-off, revised every issue I could find, re-drew the sticks to be more realistically shaped & taped, and perhaps most importantly, turned the linesman’s head to face the right direction. We all need to do our part to improve NHL officiating.
 

Rosters

• Rosters & Lines: Updated based on extensive 2020–2024 regular season player usage data.
• Rosters & Lines: 800 total players have been included, covering the 25 players (14F, 8D, & 3G) with the most ice-time in 2023-2024 on each team. 

Above. 192 official NHL headshots used in-game), all individually cropped and colour graded for visual balance.
 

Ratings

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per April 19, 2024 end of regular season data.
• Player Ratings: Underlying system has been changed from the default 1-6 scale to a 0-15 scale for more accurate differentiation of players. (@smozoma)
• Player Ratings: ustom player ratings based on a mix of real-world data and gameplay oriented parameters. The goal is to make gameplay more contemporary, and individual player performance more realistic.
• Player Ratings: Custom overall rating formula.
• Player Ratings: More parity between the best and the worst of the league, with all players having a minimum 52 rating before Hot/Cold variance.
• Player Ratings: Weight scale modification patch. (@smozoma)
• Player Ratings: Edit lines bug fix patch. (@smozoma)
• Player Ratings: Hot & Cold variance is hidden from the menus, so you will have to feel which players are hot or cold through gameplay. (@smozoma)

Behind the Scenes: Rosters, ratings, and lines are based on extensive real-world data and advanced analytics. All of this is conformed to custom ratings distribution curves, which give the gameplay its unique feel. This single most important feature can't be shown in stills. You have to play it to feel it.
 

Gameplay

• Controls: Goalie control can now be accessed immediately by pressing the (Y) button with a six-button controller. (clockwise)
• Gameplay: Goalies without the puck can move slightly farther towards centre ice. (@smozoma)
• Gameplay: Goalies can hold the puck very slightly longer before the play is whistled dead. (@smozoma)
• Gameplay: Body Checking and Aggressiveness have been balanced to reduce the penalty rate from the original, and approximate the real body checking and penalty rates of each team in the 2023–2024 season.
• Gameplay: Hot & Cold range of variance has been reduced by ~25%, and the frequency of variance has been reduced by ~50%.
• Gameplay: The "goal" area of the net has been reduced slightly, making it more difficult to score, and more likely that you will hit the post.
• Gameplay: Player Speed Burst set to 25% of the original, for a more realistic feel and higher difficulty.
• Gameplay: Custom Stamina Depletion & Recovery rates.
• Gameplay: Weight / Checking bug fix patch. (@smozoma)
• Gameplay: Second-Assist bug fix patch. (@smozoma)
• Gameplay: CPU pulls Goalie with 2 minutes left when trailing by 1 or 2 goals. (@McMarkis, @smozoma, & @chaos)
• Gameplay: Overtime set to 5 minutes, Penalty Shots set to 20 seconds.
• Player Ratings: Attribute rating distributions have been careful set and thoroughly tested to produce a faster more contemporary feel to puck movement & gameplay, with better goaltending.
• Stars of the Game: New custom formula.

Above Right: The Timekeeper design has been adapted from the SNES version, and modernized with touchscreens. The players in the penalty box have been re-designed (and errors fixed), the puck & animation have been redesigned along with a "translucent" shadow, and the scorebox has been nudged off to the side.

Above: Note how in the original (Left) the player one indicator is distractingly very high contrast, while the player two indicator is much more difficult to see with low tonal contrast. Brightening the colour of the ice (Centre) helps, but then the already muddy looking player numbers become very difficult to see. I’ve re-balanced the colours (Right) so that the player one indicator is quieter while still being easy to see, the player two indicator is equally easy to see, and the the player numbers are much clearer to see against the ice. The excellent Naples ROM is shown for relative comparison only, no criticism implied of their superlative work.
 

In-Game Overlays

• Graphics: Linesman & Referee pop-overs refined.
• Graphics: In-Game Timer logo has been re-drawn. (based on @Sauce's design)
• Graphics: Score Clock and Line Change overlays relocated.
• Graphics: Line Change Energy bars have been re-drawn to have an inverse quasi-logarithmic gradation.
• Graphics: Overlays for Shoot-Outs, Penalty Shots, Goals, and Injuries revised.
• Graphics: Instant Replay controls graphic revised.
• Graphics: Stars of the Game overlay re-designed.
• Text: "Cross Check," "Face-Off," and "Fight Instigator" renamed to "Cross-checking," "Face-off," and "Instigator" as per the official NHL rulebook.

Above: Various evolutions…

1. Updated ice markings, including a to-scale trapezoid area and crease.

2. The Net has been re-drawn to closely match the current NHL proportions, and to slightly reduce the scoring area.

3. Improved sprite designs, including details like the Goalie’s mask now showing a bit of their face underneath (Right).

4. The Stars of the Game overlay has been redesigned, along with the underlying selection formula.

In-Game Menus

• Graphics: NHL & NHLPA Logos re-drawn.
• Graphics: "Hockey Night" Banner slightly re-coloured.
• Hack: Player Cards bugs that would causes crashes upon cycling through Cards for WSH (and possibly also VGK & WPG) have been eliminated.
• Hack: Player Stats now showing Checks instead of Penalty Minutes. (@smozoma)
• Text: The “Change Goalie” option for “no goalie” is now in ALL-CAPS for greater visibility.
   

Extras

• Box Art: Matching box art was made! The artwork is high resolution, print quality, and stays very close to the original North American box design.
• Player Ratings: The distribution includes a CSV with all the player ratings.
• Thumbnail Art: The distribution includes thumbnail artwork for popular emulators.
  
   

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Known Issues

1. The Main Menu and Player Cards do not show saved User Records, in order to prevent crashes that on these pages with Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg.
2. User Records may incorrectly store user data if playing with Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg.

Builds are tested with Genesis Plus 1.7.4.15 and Genesis Plus GX 1.7.5-RC1 r24-10-2021. If you are having any technical issues, you may want to try one of these emulators. If you are reporting a technical issue, please note the exact console or emulator version that you are using for me.
 

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Future Wish-List

I'm not sure how much time I will have to work on this in the future, but if I did find more time, here is what I would like to focus on next…

• Interface: Alter the range of displayed values for player ratings.
• Gameplay: Increase the wrist shot speed.
• Gameplay: Increase the puck ice friction slightly.
• Gameplay: Reduce the force with which pucks rebounds off the boards, etc.
• CPU play: Increase the goaltenders lateral stopping abilities, reduce five-hole stopping effectiveness.
• Gameplay: Enable line changes to be initiated without possession of the puck, preferably with a dedicated button.
• CPU play: Prevent the goaltenders from skating into the trapezoid areas.
• Gameplay: Decrease accuracy of One-Timers.
• Gameplay: Reduce the passing speed slightly.
• Gameplay: Reduce the energy cost for each time a speed boost is used.
• Gameplay: Enable players in the Penalty Box to re-generate energy as if they were on the bench.
• Gameplay: Improve logic for how icings and offsides are calculated to use puck position instead of player position.
• Graphics: Redraw Sideboards Referee to better match the art style of everything else (requires "de-compressing" shared tiles.)
• Graphics: Improve the comparatively low visual quality of the on-ice officials throughout (requires "de-compressing" shared tiles.)

If you are able to help me with any of these changes, please let me know!

 

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Credits

This project was built decades of work by the NHL94.com community, and never would have been possible without them. I’m sure there are more contributors than I could ever possibly know, let alone acknowledge, but I will do my best…

Contributors

This ROM contains contributions from the following individuals…

Brodeur30

• Rink & Net collision logic.

chaos

• Hot/Cold variation logic.
• Team Attribute bonus logic.

Clockwise

• Goalie Control with a six-button controller.
• Player sprites boots & gloves colour patch.
• Player sprites eye colour patch.
• Player sprites helmet colour patch.
• Player sprites hockey tape patch.
• Player sprites improved checking animations patch.

Dervin10

• Roster extractor & importer tool development.

Drezz

• Team uniforms Yoke colour isolated.

kingraph

• Animation block logic.
• Sideboards modification logic.
• Stars of the Game modification logic.

McMarkis

• CPU Goalie pull logic. (+ Smozoma & Chaos)

slapshot67

• 30 to 32 team ROM re-structuring.
• Bench backup goalie hack and original design.
• Penalty Box player sprite colouring fix.

smozoma

• 0–15 Player Rating scale patch.
• Checking / Weight bug fix patch.
• Credits editing logic.
• Displayed Ratings bug fix patch.
• Goalie range of motion.
• Goalie puck hold time before whistle.
• Period lengths logic.
• Player Overall rating formula logic.
• Player Stats Checking patch.
• Player Weight scale modification patch.
• Second-Assist bug fix patch.
• Stars of the Game formula logic.

Tony H.

• Stopping & Crossover Rate logic.

wboy

• 28 to 30 team ROM re-structuring.
• Default settings logic.
• Player photo logic.
• Player energy depletion & recovery rates logic.
• Rink modification logic.
• Speed burst rate logic.
• NOSE tool development.

Author unknown

• Face-off circles graphic modification.
• Team uniforms colour restructuring.
   

Special Thanks to…

@Drezz - selflessly sharing original work & resources.
@Jkline3 - tips, resources, & candor.
@kingraph - tips, resources, & encouragement.
@naples39 & @Sauce - inspiration.
@Sean - tips, encouragement, & inspiration.
@smozoma - utterly invaluable tips, resources, tools, & support.
@von Ozbourne - brainstorming, resources, wit & wisdom.

…and everyone at nhl94.com who tested Betas or provided feedback.
 

Extra Special Thanks to…

Ena - for nothing less than everything.

 

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I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 01:15 PM by AdamCatalyst
Updated incorrect date on latest release.

[AdamCatalyst]

Change-Log

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2024 04 21 - Version 3.0

Playoffs High Edition.

This updates rosters, lines, ratings, and playoff match-ups for the end of the 2024 regular season.

Main Menu

• Settings: Playoff brackets updated to the 2024 seedings.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & ratings updated as per April 19, 2024 final regular season data.
• Player Ratings: All player ratings updated with April 19, 2024 final regular season data.
• Rosters: All 32 teams updated.
• Lines: All 32 teams updated.
• Photos: Updates to COL, DAL, DET, EDM, LAK, MIN, NSH, PHI, SJS, SEA, VAN, WPG.

Gameplay

• Gameplay: CPU will now pull the goalie with 2 minutes left when trailing by either 1 or 2 goals. (Thanks to McMarkis, Smozoma, & Chaos)

 

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2024 03 18 - Version 2.5

Salary Cap Circumvention Edition.

This updates every single team’s rosters and lines for the trade deadline 2024.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & ratings updated as per March 17, 2024 regular season data.
• Rosters: All 32 teams updated.
• Lines: All 32 teams updated.
• Photos: Updates to ARI, CAR, CBJ, CHI, CBJ, DET, NJD, PHI, PIT, SJS, TOR, VAN, WPG, WSH.

 

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2024 02 16 - Version 2.4

Post All-Star Break Edition.

This update covers the last month of trades, waiver claims, signings, and players returning / leaving from injuries.

Main Menu, Pre-Game, In-Play, etc.

• Graphics: COL blue colour darkened to appear more accurate in-play.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & ratings updated as per Feb 11, 2024 regular season data.
• Rosters: ARI, BOS, BUF, CAR, CBJ, CGY, COL, EDM, MIN, MTL, NYR, NJD, OTT, SJS, VAN, VGK, WPG
• Lines: ARI, BOS, BUF, CAR, CGY, COL, EDM, MIN, MTL, NYR, OTT, SJS, VAN, VGK, WPG
• Photos: ANA, CAR, CGY, DAL, MTL, SJS, VGK, WPG

 

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2024 01 16 - Version 2.3

Batting Cleanup Edition.

Mainly fixes attribute rating mistakes in the previous release(s).

Title Screens

• Graphics: High Score Production has been refined to be both closer to, and arguably better than, the original.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: PP & PK attribute bonuses for each team were incorrectly applied in all previous versions. This has been fixed, thanks to @Chaos.
• Ratings: All Defencemen were accidentally rated -1 for speed, with other minor rating errors. This has been fixed.

 

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2024 01 11 - Version 2.2

Cut'er Loose Edition.

This is mainly a roster update, covering the Drysdale trade and everything in-between.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & ratings updated as per Jan 11, 2024 regular season data.
• Rosters: Up-to-date as of 2024 01 11 (updates to ANA, CHI, MTL, PHI).
• Lines: Updates to ANA, CHI, PHI, WSH.
• Player Photos: Updates to ANA: Gudas, Zegras, CHI: Beauvillier, Kurashev, DAL: Heiskanen, Hintz, Oettinger, Pavelski, Robertson, COL: Makar, Rantanen, EDM: Skinner, MIN: Fleury, NYR: Panarin, WSH: Kuznetzov.

 

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2024 01 04 - Version 2.1

New Years Refinements Edition.

This revision contains cumulative roster updates, and numerous minor visual refinements to existing revisions.

Title Screens

• Graphics: Splash image (& masthead) dithering and anti-aliasing improved.

Rink - Sidelines

• Graphics: Players in Penalty Box have been further refined.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Weighting formula adjusted for PP, PK, Home, and Away.
• Team Ratings: Team attribute & ratings updated as per Jan 4, 2024 regular season data.
• Rosters: Up-to-date as of 2024 01 04 (updates to CHI, TOR, SEA, WSH).
• Lines: Updates to CHI, SEA, MIN, TOR, WSH.
• Goalie: Updates to ARI, EDM, SJS.
• Player Names: Condensed to 19 characters max (affected 3 players).
• Player Photos: Minor updates as needed.

Gameplay

• Gameplay: Goalies can hold the puck very slightly longer before play is whistled dead.

In-Game Overlays

• Graphics: Face-Off animation overlays have been refined to match newer revisions to the player design.
• Graphics: Overlays for Shoot-Out and Penalty Shot revised.

Extras

• Box Art: Box Art revised with a minuscule change to one screen-cap.
• Thumbnail Art: Thumbnail Art for emulators now included in the distribution.
  
   

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2023 12 20 - Version 2.0

Holiday Roster-Freeze Edition.

This revision is exclusively dedicated to visual refinement, focusing on re-designing the bench area, along with revisions to the associated graphics and animation.

Title Screens

• Graphics: Splash image (& masthead) dithering and anti-aliasing improved.

Rink - Sidelines

• Graphics: Benches area completely re-designed.
• Graphics: Players on Bench have been revised.
• Graphics: Players on Bench have missing animation restored, alongside the newer Goalie animation.
• Graphics: Coaches now have (slight) animation.
• Graphics: Players in Penalty Box have been re-designed.

Rosters, Ratings, & Lines

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per Dec 19, 2023 regular season data.
• Rosters: All up-to-date as of the roster freeze at midnight 2023 12 19.
• Player Ratings: Minor changes to a few players.
• Lines: Updates to BUF, CHI, COL, DET, PHI, SEA, SJS, TOR.

Gameplay

• Gameplay: Goalies can hold the puck very slightly longer before play is whistled dead.

In-Game Overlays

• Graphics: Overlays for Shoot-Out Winner, Goal, PP-Goal, Hat Trick, and Injuries revised.

Extras

• Downloadable: Box Art released, with custom screenshots that mimic the original.
  
   

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2023 12 01 - Version 1.0

Initial Public Release

The biggest change this year is be invisible to you as a user. I restructured parts of the ROM, and re-built my tools in order to be able to deliver roster and rating updates much faster this year. The goal will be to have an update out within a day of any traded players having their jersey number confirmed.

Title Screens

• Graphics: EA logo screen updated to reflect VGK Stanley Cup win.
• Graphics: Splash image (& masthead) updated with EA's NHL24 image.
• Text: Credits re-coloured & edited.

Main Menu

• Settings: Default teams set for the 2023 Stanley Cup finals.
• Graphics: Team Banners & Logos updated for BOS & PHI.
• Graphics: Player Photos updated as needed.

Pre-Game

• Graphics: Banners colours updated for BOS & PHI.
• Arena Names: FLA updated.

Rink - On the Ice

• Graphics: Centre ice logo for BOS updated with their real centennial genre ice logo. PHI logo colours updated.

Rink - Sidelines & Sideboards

• Sprites: Bug fixed that would stack multiple Visitors players in the Penalty box incorrectly. Now Visitors players in the Penalty box are seated top-to-bottom (Rink view) and left-to-right (Sideboards view) like in ’92.
• Sprites: Players in the Penalty box have had their placement slightly modified in both Rink & Sideboards view.

In-Play

• Sprites: Uniforms updated for BOS, PHI, & PIT.
• Graphics: Puck design & animation revised.
• Sprites: Stick animations refined.

Rosters & Lines, & Rating

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per Nov 30, 2023 regular season data.
• Team Ratings: New rating system, every player re-rated for this season.
• Player Ratings: New overall rating formula.
• Player Ratings: Hot & Cold variance is now hidden from the menus and displayed ratings are static, so you will have to feel which players are hot or cold through gameplay. (smozoma)

Gameplay

• Gameplay: Goalies without the puck can move slightly farther towards centre ice.

In-Game Overlays

• Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per Nov 30, 2023 regular season data.
• Graphics: Score Clock and Line Change overlays relocated.
• Graphics: Overlays for Shoot-Outs, Penalty Shots, Goals, and Injuries revised.
• Text: “Cross Check” renamed “Cross-checking” as per official NHL rules.
• Graphics: Stars of the Game overlay re-designed.

Extras

• Player Ratings: A CSV with all player ratings is now included in the standard distribution.

Edited Sunday at 11:11 PM by AdamCatalyst
Updated for v3.0

[von Ozbourne]

Alright, I get that we're supposed to be smack talking each other, but you did some pretty interesting things here and I literally did a double take when I saw the rearranged 3-Star text. I may need to see how you did that.

[kingraph]

Not only does this ROM looks SICK (those player photos...🤤), I absolutely love the style of your posts.  The layout and attention to detail, so perfect, thank you. 

[AdamCatalyst]

8 hours ago, von Ozbourne said:

Alright, I get that we're supposed to be smack talking each other, but you did some pretty interesting things here and I literally did a double take when I saw the rearranged 3-Star text. I may need to see how you did that.

Lol - thanks for checking it out! You should load up a Shoot-Out to see an even more dramatic change to the overlays. I’ve got a bunch of unfinished, unpublished tutorials for the site. I’ll make sure I get to posting “Stars of the Game” editing first.

[Deckard]

Impressive effort @AdamCatalyst thanks a lot! Even Patrick Kane is on the Red Wing's roster!

[AdamCatalyst]

45 minutes ago, Deckard said:

Impressive effort @AdamCatalyst thanks a lot! Even Patrick Kane is on the Red Wing's roster!

Thanks man! Zadorov is on VAN as well. Going to try and stay *really* on top of any trades etc this year. 

[AdamCatalyst]

11 hours ago, kingraph said:

Not only does this ROM looks SICK (those player photos...🤤), I absolutely love the style of your posts.  The layout and attention to detail, so perfect, thank you. 

Thank-you. I really appreciate the support from you, from my very first ROM post.

[profit90]

Top quality work here.... as always.

Bravo Adam !

[AdamCatalyst]

18 hours ago, von Ozbourne said:

Alright, I get that we're supposed to be smack talking each other, but you did some pretty interesting things here and I literally did a double take when I saw the rearranged 3-Star text. I may need to see how you did that.

For anyone interested, here is how to customize that "Stars of the Game" layout

.

[von Ozbourne]

Okay. I really like that new Shootout window layout, but I have to say it.

15 seconds is not long enough!
I feel like I'm at the start of a Mario Bros. level and that "hurry up" jingle is playing before I even get to move! Then I'm rushing and setting myself up for failure! I only won 2-0!
Totally bogus! 7/10.

[77]

jesus christ man... you make us all look like slackers

[Jergo]

14 hours ago, Deckard said:

Impressive effort @AdamCatalyst thanks a lot! Even Patrick Kane is on the Red Wing's roster!

I know I cant believe it ! wow!

[nastynacho]

Once again great work 👍🍕😎

Thanks for your time and efforts all these years i always look forward to your release every year

[AdamCatalyst]

21 hours ago, von Ozbourne said:

Okay. I really like that new Shootout window layout, but I have to say it.

15 seconds is not long enough!
I feel like I'm at the start of a Mario Bros. level and that "hurry up" jingle is playing before I even get to move! Then I'm rushing and setting myself up for failure! I only won 2-0!
Totally bogus! 7/10.

OK, here's the deal I can extend it to 20 seconds in the next release, but if I catch a *whiff* of you putting on a costume, bringing props, or inviting celebrity guest, so help me gawd, I will drop it down to 10 seconds in a heartbeat, and you can walk home!

[AdamCatalyst]

20 hours ago, 77 said:

jesus christ man... you make us all look like slackers

funny enough, that's exactly how I feel when I check out my colleagues fantastic work. lucky to be part of a community sharing so much hard work with each other.

Edited December 3, 2023 by AdamCatalyst

[George]

sega cd msuic when? 😛

[Bobr9988]

Спасибо большое за ром и за проделанную работу, я блогадарен за то, что вы оставили в коламбусе вратаря Тарасова, спасибо огромное)

Edited December 4, 2023 by Bobr9988

[nastynacho]

2 hours ago, Bobr9988 said:

Thank you very much for the rum and for the work done, I am grateful that you left goalkeeper Tarasov in Columbus, thank you very much)

Thank you very much for the rum and for the work done, I am grateful that you left goalkeeper Tarasov in Columbus, thank you very much)

 

I think google translator is drinking vodka lol 😆 if not can i get some Rum please 👍😎

Edited December 4, 2023 by nastynacho

[Bobr9988]

Это гугл

[The Dopefish]

Incredible work as always @AdamCatalyst! I'm looking forward to winning the Cup with the Penguins again this year! (Even if they aren't going to in real life...)

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by The Dopefish

[AdamCatalyst]

15 hours ago, George said:

sega cd msuic when? 😛

lol - I think I have given up on that. Too much other stuff to do. What we need is *someone* motivated enough to collaborated on such a thing.

[AdamCatalyst]

2 hours ago, The Dopefish said:

Incredible work as always @AdamCatalyst! I'm looking forward to winning the Cup with the Penguins again this year! (Even if they aren't going to in real life...)

 

Thanks man! I had to change the PENS uniforms up a bit this year to keep them differentiated from BOS, but I think they look better in motion now, even if they are less technically correct in still. In real life, I'm still not counting out the PENS. But then again, Im a Leafs fan, so what do I know.

[Smashville]

13 hours ago, nastynacho said:

Thank you very much for the rum and for the work done, I am grateful that you left goalkeeper Tarasov in Columbus, thank you very much)

 

I think google translator is drinking vodka lol 😆 if not can i get some Rum please 👍😎

Rum and nachos make an explosive combination.

[nastynacho]

Sry for ? But how to i change my N to a picture thanks 👍 

Edit: found it so sry to bother 

Edited December 5, 2023 by nastynacho
I was ignorant

[The Dopefish]

On 12/4/2023 at 11:41 AM, AdamCatalyst said:

Thanks man! I had to change the PENS uniforms up a bit this year to keep them differentiated from BOS, but I think they look better in motion now, even if they are less technically correct in still. In real life, I'm still not counting out the PENS. But then again, Im a Leafs fan, so what do I know.

What would it take to convince you (as a Leafs fan) to take Jake Guentzel off our hands for William Nylander? 

[nastynacho]

I don't know if this would help anyone but i set video image size to custom @ 1.5 on Galaxy tablet and it is almost perfect imo that was using md.emu 

Shhhhhh don't tell i may or not play during 'bathroom breaks"

 

Edit:i don't want to spam both Ozzy and your posts with copy, paste but jt might help someone in other thread idk

Edit2: Is there a way to keep the after goal music playing uninterrupted it sometimes happens when there is no penalty or icing but it is a rare snack 🥨

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by nastynacho
? Added

[AdamCatalyst]

1 hour ago, The Dopefish said:

What would it take to convince you (as a Leafs fan) to take Jake Guentzel off our hands for William Nylander? 

Ughhhh… how about five first round picks?

I was someone who thought the Leafs should have made an example of Nylander when he was a contract holdout the first time. A year later, I ate my words. Despite his defensive shortcomings, he has the skill, confidence, and drive to be a game changer. I'm fully on board with giving him $10.5 million for whatever term he wants in TO. 

[AdamCatalyst]

12 minutes ago, nastynacho said:

Edit:i don't want to spam both Ozzy and your posts with copy, paste but jt might help someone in other thread idk

Edit2: Is there a way to keep the after goal music playing uninterrupted it sometimes happens when there is no penalty or icing but it is a rare snack 🥨

 

I've never even touched the music system, and I don't expect to, just because there is so much else on my to-do list. There are some notes on this forum regarding the music system, but I've not read them. You know, you could check them out yourself. You can always customize your own version.

[The Dopefish]

23 hours ago, AdamCatalyst said:

Ughhhh… how about five first round picks?

Sold!