I just traded in a few games and picked up the long-awaited NHL 98 by EA
Sports.  Here are my early impressions (I've played about a half-dozen
games in Exhibition and Season modes).

Note:  Until now, I've been playing (and enjoying) Powerplay 98.  I gave
that game favorable reviews and I still feel it is a good game (see my
review at the Playstation Galleria, www.vidgames.com).  So I may make
some comparisons between these two games.  I also have not yet played
Breakaway, so I can't make any comparisons there.

Graphics:

I'm usually don't pay much attention to the FMV intros of games.  Until
now, my favorite was Triple Play 98 (I like the song).  Well, the FMV
intro on NHL 98 is so damn good, it should win an award (do they give
Oscars for PSX cinematography?).  It will look somewhat familiar to TP
98 owners.  It begins with the line "Would you donate your body to
hockey?"  As the music plays, highlights from last season are shown,
including Forsberg's (I think) goal as he spins and lands on his knees,
Ron Francis deflecting a puck into the net between his legs, an
incredible glove save by Jim Carey, and many other memorable moments
from the 96-97 season.  The highlights are interspersed with some
excellent graphics.  It is easily, hands-down, the best video/graphics
display I've ever seen on a PSX - maybe that I've ever seen, Period. 
Seriously, it is much better done than many things you would see on a
Fox or ESPN broadcast.  But enough about that.

The menu graphics are very well done, also.  There is also a cool option
to view the masks of many of the NHL goalies - you can rotate them, etc.

I think it is fair to say that the graphics are entirely new in 98. 
When I loaded my first game, I have to admit, I was stunned.  After the
loading screen, which is a night shot of the particular city skyline,
with an announcement of the teams and arena, etc, the game opens with a
view from the rafters (yes, you can actually see the rafters, and
banners).  I hate to sound like I'm drooling over this game's graphics,
but the view inside the arena looks like it belongs on a 3d-accelerated
PC.  Simply put, the best looking, most realistic arenas (including
basketball, baseball, and football) EVER in a game.  The only drawback
of the arenas is that the crowd is very pixelated and not animated, but
if I hadn't told you, you probably wouldn't have noticed for a while.  I
can't say enough about the arenas.  Look close at the Jumbotron - ads
for Coca-Cola, the clock, score, shots, etc.  Not only that, but it
actually works.  If you watch the Jumbotron during a replay (which is
very easy to do) you can see the seconds ticking off, etc.

The rink, boards, glass, nets, etc. are also the nicest I've ever seen. 
The ice graphics (team symbols, etc.) are not the highest resolution
I've seen, but that's understandable with all of the other details
included.  Talk about realism, there are many corporate ads throughout
the game.  There's two big Dodge Ram symbols on the MSG ice! Also
Mastercard, Easton, Powerade, and probably many more that I haven't seen
yet.  It's hard to believe that this game and Madden 98 are by the same
company.  Wow...

Now, the in-game graphics.  The players are, again, the most realistic
I've seen.  The jerseys (yes, there are third jerseys) are very well
done, with names and numbers.  Some players wear visors which is
rendered just like the glass, some don't.  Like NHL 97, the players all
have the same face, but they are sized according to real life.  The
sticks, gloves, helmets, goalie gear, etc. look very realistic.  You can
even see where the leather on the palms of the gloves is worn from
holding the stick!  There is a goal light up behind the net, but I don't
think it actually lights up.  There is a ref on the ice at all times. 
The net looks good and is the right size. The puck is finally normal
size - the swelling has gone down, so to speak.  The puck has sort of a
halo/shadow around it.  It kindof looks like the Fox Trax thing, but
don't worry, there are no red comets.

The animation in this game is what might upset some players.  With all
the talk in the NGs about framerate, frame-skipping, and the like, NHL98
is likely to annoy some and infuriate others.  I, for one, notice the
frame-skipping, but I am not all that concerned or disappointed by it. 
But others will be, trust me.  Frankly, the animation is rather choppy. 
But like I said, some people won't be bothered, others will be totally
pissed, and many won't even notice.  What the game lacks in terms of
frames of animation it totally makes up for in the quality of the
graphics and the variety of the animations. To be honest, the only time
this aspect bothers me is right after the faceoff, when there is a
split-second freeze before someone skates with the puck.

Gameplay - what it's all about:

Since this is an early review and it takes a while to really get to know
the gameplay of a particular offering, I'll just try to relate what I've
seen so far with the disclaimer that I haven't seen everything yet. 
Certainly, my opinion regarding the gameplay of NHL 98 will take a while
before it is fully formed.

It appears as though the claim of an entirely new engine is true.  At
best, this game is a distant cousin of NHL 97.  If you, like me, were
disappointed by last years offering, then this is a good thing.  The
players move faster, the puck moves faster.  The speed of the game is
fast enough to satisfy those who felt that Powerplay 98 was too slow,
yet not so fast as to alienate those who thought that Powerplay's speed
was accurate.  There are 8 in-game camera angles.  All of them are cool,
a few of them are truly useful.  The rink seems properly proportioned. 
The players might be slightly small, but they are close enough to the
correct scale that it isn't an issue.  Like I said, the ref is always
there, and he can get in the way.  Supposedly, the glass can be broken
with a hard check or slapshot, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

A few words about the in-game action:  Like I said, this year's game
moves faster.  As such, it is much more realistic than last year's.  The
variety of player animations is very cool.  If you skate too fast into
the boards, you will fall down.  There are blocked shots, deflections,
etc.  The puck physics seem to be pretty realistic.  The checking
animations are pretty good, also.  There are body checks, hip checks,
etc. depending on how you are skating (you can't control whether your
player is skating forward/backwards, more on that later).  What is
really an improvement over many other hockey games is all of the extra
animation, details.  When you get called for a penalty, the ref skates
over to the box and gives the corresponding signal.  The player skates
over, opens the door, gets in, slams the door, and sits down.  Sometimes
he will bang on the glass like he's pissed off, or he may look at his
wrist like he's checking his watch, or he may just sit there.  The
players will check the tape on their sticks - there are many cool,
realistic touches.    One strange aspect of the game is that before
every faceoff, there is a quick fade-out/in.  You'll get used to it, but
its rather strange at first.  This is how they make the transition
between camera angles prior to the drop, rather than zooming/panning.

We all know EA's reputation for TV-style presentation.  This game
definitely lives up to that reputation.  It rivals the best basketball
games in this department.  In the breaks in the action, there are many
cool camera moves, isolation shots, and stat graphics (more about this
in the Sound section).  There is also an auto-instant replay for goals.

A few words about control:  In my book, Powerplay 98 has the best
control yet.  This is still the case.  Although NHL98 is vastly improved
over 97, it is still in second place in this department.  The skating is
fairly realistic, but movement of the D-pad sometimes translates into
jerky skating motions.  The shooting control and animation isn't as
realistic as Powerplay, either, but again, its still an improvement over
97.  The passing is fairly accurate, but passes get intercepted quite
often (I guess they should, if you try to pass through a defender). 
One-timers are pretty quick, and you can also one-time passes.  Here's a
quick listing of the control options available:
 Defense:  switch player, sweep/poke check, speed burst, body check,
hook, block shot
 Offense:  pass, shoot (hold for slap, etc.) speed burst, special
(signature) move
 Goalie:  save, pass, cover
As I said, there is no option for backwards skating - the players do it
on their own.

Sound:

This game is LOUD.  It's so loud, I should type this section in all
caps.  But when it comes to hockey, loud is good.  The only problem you
may have is some distortion if you play the sound through a separate
receiver with sensitive inputs.  I use a JVC Pro-Logic receiver and I
haven't had any problems.  There are separate volume sliders for the
different sound levels - crowd, FX, voice, etc.   The in-game sounds are
all fairly realistic.  The only quibble I have is that when you take a
wrist shot, it makes a slapping noise - I've always hated that.  The
crowd is quite boisterous.  The PA announcer is adequate, there is a
loud siren for home goals, and there are many musical/organ snippets.

As in Triple Play, there is also a two-man play-by-play team!  This is
the first time that this has been done in a hockey game, as far as I
know.  Once you get used to hearing nearly every single pass announced,
having the announcer is pretty cool.  The play-by-play is by Jim
Hughson, the same guy from TP 98.  I don't know who the color
commentator is, but it's not Buck Martinez ; )   EA has done as good a
job as anyone could have expected in trying to add commentary to a
hockey game.  There are many different phrases and trivia-type remarks. 
It definitely adds a big dose of realism to the TV-style presentation
angle.  I was playing as the Penguins, the camera isolated Ron Francis,
his plus-minus stats were shown on the bottom of the screen, and Jim
Hughson chimed in, "You know, Mario isn't the only Penguin to have
gotten some recognition (or words to that effect)."  "Thats right,"
interjects the color commentator, "last year, Francis was recognized for
his defensive play...etc."  Very cool indeed!  This kind of thing
happens quite often throughout a game.  In fact there is so much visual
and audible detail in this game that the PSX is almost constantly
loading info off the CD.

Overall:

All in all, this game is definitely an improvement over NHL97.  As I've
said, the graphics are absolutely incredible - NHL98 is a visual
masterpiece.  The gameplay is very good also, but it doesn't quite
measure up, in my opinion, to Powerplay 98.  However, some of the many
details and options, such as being able to select strategies on the fly,
during gameplay, might push NHL 98 to the top of the heap.

Some minor complaints:  Like in NHL97, the players sometimes shoot the
puck when they are not facing the net.  They could have their back to
the net and the puck just somehow rockets towards the net.  Another
quibble:  The slapshot windup takes a little too long.  You have to pick
your slapshots wisely or else you'll end up face down as the defender
skates away with the puck.  Also, passes seem to go airborne a little
too often.  That is, a simple pass that should glide along the ice
sometimes floats a little too much.  But overall, there is a LOT less
floating in NHL 98 than NHL97 : )

Some details I may have left out:  NHL 98 has the best fighting of any
hockey game yet - complete with power bars, jersey grabbing, and no
gloves!  It's no Tekken, but it's definitely an improvement.  Managerial
elements are very well implemented.  Though you may have 25-30 odd
players on your roster, they can't all be on your bench.  You have to
choose who to scratch and who to start.  Also, you can designate 4
forward lines, 3 defensive pairings, two extra attackers (should you
pull your goalie), two five-man powerplay units, four-man powerplay
units,  four-man penalty killing units, and three-man penalty killing
units!  There are three selectable strageties per game situation (off,
def, pp, pk) There are also three difficulty levels.  All the usual
options and stats are included.  There are also national teams.  There
is no longer just one goalie mask per team, now there are generally two
signature masks per team.

Well, I'm tired of typing.  E-mail or post any questions or comments you
may have, and I'll get back to you.  I'll also try to update things as I
become more familiar with the game,

Mike
mpackage@erie.net