POWER PLAY HOCKEY

 POWER PLAY HOCKEY: USA VS. USSR is an ice hockey simulation inspired by the
1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. The game is written by Dennis Kirsch and
Mark Madland, distributed by Electronic Arts, and offers as many as ten players
moving onscreen, three levels of difficulty, checking, fights, penalties, line
changes, joystick control, and my favorite: "advanced programming." The
Commodore 64/128 version is the basis of this review.

 The instruction manual points out that the advanced coding techniques used
create HOCKEY might produce intermittent graphic glitches. Indeed they do, in
ways no one involved with the project seemed to think were important. The
occasional screen flicker, as well as the occasional flicker of details, is not
constant; in fact, it is barely noticeable. These "intermittent graphic
glitches" don't really detract from the game: Ten players moving on the ice do,
however.

 Although there are five players on a side, you'll control only the center; in
theory, he wears the darker (red or blue) jersey. Should you successfully
complete a pass, you might as well sit down because play passes to the computer;
if the computer doesn't take over, it certainly seems to. With ten players
moving frantically about, it's not always easy to know which player you're
controlling, unless of course all movement ceases -- which is pointless, since
advanced coding was used to create a lot of movement in the first place.

 What's more, the advanced coding results in offsides violations that aren't
called; it also keeps players fixed in one spot on the ice (their sticks
flailing wildly at nothing), or skating as if on a rink full of Jell-O. This is
not advanced coding: It's a trick that adds up to goals by your opponent. POWER
PLAY HOCKEY is not fun.

 From the Option Screen, you can set up a game by way of the following menu
selections: Junior, Minor, or Olympic difficulty level, 1-on-1 or 5-on-5 team
size, computer or human opponent, USA or USSR, and periods 2, 8, or 20 minutes
in duration. Junior is the easiest level; Olympic is the most difficult. During
a 1-on-1 game, two centers vie for the puck and goals; a 5-on-5 game involves
advanced coding.

 Selecting Single pits you against the computer; selecting Double sets play
against a human opponent. The blue USA team is controlled with a joystick in
port 1; the red USSR team is controlled with a joystick in port 2.

 Periods can be two, eight, or 20 minutes long. Regardless of which length you
select, when a period ends, you'll see a Stats Screen listing shots attempted
and goals scored for each player.

 Offensive moves include passes, wrist shots, and slap shots. Defensive
maneuvers include body checks, poke checks, and slide blocks; occasionally these
moves are indistinguishable from outright tripping. Crosschecking and roughing
penalties can be called (in HOCKEY, the referees are stingy about calling
penalties), and can lead to 4 minutes in the penalty box -- a lengthy visit.

 The C64 screen display consists of a hockey rink, which scrolls left or right
as the teams move toward either net. The crowd at each end of the rink cheers
when a goal is scored. Above the rink is the scoreboard, which shows the current
score, period, and time remaining in the period. Penalties are indicated. Each
team has three lines which are depicted on the scoreboard by numbers and a
shrinking fatigue bar. A white dot above the bar tells you which line is
currently on the ice.

 HOCKEY is controlled with a joystick. Moving the stick in a direction moves the
player likewise, and the different offensive and defensive maneuvers are
accomplished in various ways. Holding the button down, moving the stick in a
direction, and then releasing the button sends a pass or a wrist shot; this can
be done while skating. A slap shot, which must be done while gliding, is sent by
centering the stick and then pressing the button.

 On defense, you can do a body check by holding the button down; poke checks are
accomplished by repeatedly clicking the button. Frantic clicking can send you to
the penalty box.

 The "H" key toggles the Pause feature; "F5" aborts the current game or the
demo; the Up/Down cursor key changes the USA line, and the Commodore key changes
the USSR line.

 The HOCKEY game package includes an instruction sheet that unfolds into a
poster of Gorbachev wearing a hockey suit and helmet.

 For the most part, POWER PLAY HOCKEY looks good on the Commodore; everything is
visible, though not perfectly clear. A center, who is supposed to have a darker
(red or blue) jersey, looks much like the rest of the team; that is, the jerseys
appear alike -- a definite hindrance during all the screen action provided by
advanced coding.

 Moving ten players on the ice is accomplished through indirection: All ten
players aren't always moving at once -- they're not even on the screen at the
same time. Send a pass the length of the ice, and you're liable to see one of
your players cowering behind the net. Keeping lots of moving objects onscreen is
laudable, I suppose, but it definitely detracts from play.

 Someone once said: Sports are important, games aren't. POWER PLAY HOCKEY
verifies this. The game is not fun to play. It's confusing to watch and even
more confusing to control. The computer handles far too much of the action. The
inspiration for the game -- the stunning victory of the U.S. Hockey Team at Lake
Placid in 1980 -- is about as valid as a gambling game inspired by Pete Rose.

 POWER PLAY HOCKEY is a run-of-the-mill sports simulation, rendered unplayable
by coding methods unsuitable for the Commodore 64. Skip it.

 POWER PLAY HOCKEY: USA VS USSR is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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