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Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98 for Nintendo 64
Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey ’98 for Nintendo 64 combines ice hockey with rapid bursts of speed, hard body checks and shots fired straight from a pass. You choose an NHL club and try to create space between the defenders and goalkeeper. The puck does not stay glued to your stick: a well-placed check can immediately reverse possession. Passing to an unmarked teammate therefore often offers more than skating straight at goal yourself.
In Arcade, each side fields three skaters and a goalkeeper, with no penalties. Simulation lets you play with three, four or five skaters plus a goalkeeper and gives you control over the rules. You also choose between a smaller arcade rink and a larger ice surface. A practice section lets you work separately on attacking, defending or shooting. During games, you can change camera angles for a better view of the puck and the space in front of goal.
You can play a single game alone or with up to three other people on the same screen, each using their own N64 controller. You can team up against the computer or face each other. There are also seasons and playoffs for following a team over a longer period. A separate Controller Pak stores statistics and season data, among other things. The game also offers passwords to resume a season, so a memory card is not the only way to carry that progress forward.
Region and language
Our Nintendo 64 games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose cartridge for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98 for Nintendo 64, you receive a loose cartridge. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98
Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey ’98 appeared in North America in late 1997 and in Europe in 1998. Midway built on Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey, which had moved from arcades to Nintendo 64 in 1996. The sequel retained the emphasis on fast ice hockey and physical contact. The NHL and player licences connect that exaggerated action to recognisable clubs and athletes from the original period, rather than fictional teams.
The combination of Arcade and Simulation shows how the game placed two playing habits side by side. A small rink and three skaters per team keep distances short, while larger teams and stricter rules demand more attention to positioning and infringements. That did not turn the sequel into a completely different kind of sports game. Its foundation remained a three-dimensional match in which acceleration, passing and a first-time shot can follow each other rapidly.
Away from the ice, there was room for a longer competition, viewing player cards and tracking statistics. The manual also pays attention to Gretzky’s own career figures. Such data firmly places the cartridge in its own sporting era. The edition described here is the separate sequel with 98 in its name, not the first N64 game or Olympic Hockey 98 with national teams. No present-day teams or current internet services have been added.
Similar games for Nintendo 64
Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey already places the same emphasis on fast skating, forceful checks and short passes towards goal. The 1996 game is therefore the most direct comparison with ’98. The sequel continues that existing approach as a separate release with revised data from its NHL period. Do not expect a move to a completely different control system; it is precisely the familiar arcade foundation that remains recognisable.
Olympic Hockey 98 also uses fast three-dimensional ice hockey action with little distance between a pass and a shot. The difference starts with the teams: there, you choose nations in an Olympic setting, whereas Gretzky 98 revolves around NHL clubs and their players. If you want to follow a club season, this therefore provides a different framework. The similarity lies mainly in the direct skating and physical contest on the ice.
NHL 99 also lets you take NHL clubs through a season, but places more emphasis on organising a complete hockey team and its attack. Gretzky 98 can likewise be set to five skaters with rules, while its Arcade option uses three skaters and no penalties. This lets you deliberately choose shorter distances and freer contact without first having to recreate a full competitive match.
NHL Breakaway 98 links games to team development: victories earn points that can improve coaching and recovery, among other things. Gretzky 98 also has seasons and statistics, but does not make spending such development points the same part of its competition. Both let you follow a club for longer. In Gretzky, the emphasis is more on the immediate game settings and executing passes, checks and shots.
NBA Hangtime translates basketball into two players per team, turbo and spectacular dunks. Like Gretzky 98, it keeps the action close together and lets several people share the same television screen. On the ice, however, you must account for sliding, a freely moving puck and the goalkeeper. In Hangtime, jumps, rebounds and the position of a single regular partner instead determine where the next attack begins.
