Smooth controls and simple yet fun hockey action and mutliplayer make Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey a real winner.
The bad: Com Players on your side screw you up a lot.
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Tilt: 9/10
Average Score: 9.7/10 (A)
Notorious as the first ever four player game for the Nintendo 64, Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey is probably the best hockey game ever made! Midway did a great job of porting an already excellent arcade classic into a beloved Nintendo 64 classic. Just one of the many, many, MANY classics the 64 has made, I can't think of any other time I've had this much fun playing a sports game since NFL Blitz on the Nintendo 64. When I saw this game at my friend's house, I couldn't resist playing it. The 2nd I did it, I was hooked, scoring goals every second that counted. Then my friend's brother who's in college came back to play with me, my brother, and my friend. We played it for eight matches straight! It was awesome!
I'm not even a fan of hockey (I live in Cleveland), yet this game turned me on the second I laid my eyes on it. The B button is to pass , while the A button lets you shoot. 3D Hockey offers all of the C buttons to use. The right button lets you deck people, and the down C button lets you speed up. When you hit your opponent a certain number of times, you get to fight him. This breaks down the action, but it is extremely fun and hilarious to do, as well as watching your defeated opponent get knocked to the ice!
The unrealistic gameplay ages like wine. Shots you can take include ones that knock the net over, and even SETTING THE GOAL ON FIRE!! That is the coolest thing I've ever seen on the 64! What's funnier is that the goalie is more worried about THE GOAL HE GAVE UP INSTEAD OF THE FIRE! I LOVE IT!!! Tackles send your opponents flying and smacking to the ground to get jacked up, and you can even replay them getting whipped! This game has everything!
As with the COM, facing him is challenging but never frustrating, and is always a jpy to play, something most people don't play alone with games intended for four players. I lost all my games against him, but had a good time no matter what the outcome. That's what's so great about this game; you can never be so bored of it.
I have a few minor complaints with the game. The COM on your side shoots randomly, and is completely useless. The fans in the stadium looked like paper, and it seems that only a few of them are actually watching the game. Finally, if you used the wrong name for your player, you can't go back and restart it.
The graphical animation is blurry but extremely smooth. The ice looks beautiful, and the goals and fighting animation are extremely stunning. The commentary isn't up to NFL Blitz standards, but it provides a few laughs. The Super Nintendo style music sounds awesome, possibly bringing memories to gamers who miss the 2D age.
Smooth controls and simple yet fun hockey action and mutliplayer make Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey a real winner. There must be over 150 games for the 64 I can give at least a 9 for, and this is one of them. Innovative and classic, it would be extremely difficult to find a better hockey game on any console.