Olympic Hockey 98 - for N64

Olympic Hockey 98 takes the Nintendo 64 to the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. Developed by Treyarch Invention and published by Midway Home Entertainment in 1998, it carries the IOC license for those Games, so the ice belongs to fourteen national teams playing for medals instead of club sides. Anyone who knows the system will spot the family resemblance straight away: Olympic Hockey 98 is built on Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey, with the twenty six NHL clubs replaced by national squads and an Olympic tournament dropped in on top.

On the ice it is arcade hockey rather than simulation. Skating is fast, hits land with a thump, and the controls are simple enough that a newcomer can be scoring inside a minute. Matches are short, goals come often, and the camera keeps the puck readable at all times. The Olympic tournament runs from the group stage through to the medal games, and single matches are there when you want something quick. Up to four players can take to the ice at once, and that is where Olympic Hockey 98 really comes alive. One detail worth knowing: the license covered the tournament but not the athletes, so skaters from outside the NHL carry generic names.

Players still love Olympic Hockey 98 for the same reason they love its sibling: it is immediate, loud and funny, the kind of game that turns a quiet evening into a shouting match. The national team setting gives it a character the club game cannot match, and there is real pleasure in carrying a small country all the way to gold. For collectors, it is one of the more unusual sports cartridges on the Nintendo 64, a snapshot of a single winter in Nagano, and a neat companion piece to the Gretzky game on the same shelf.

• Genre: Arcade Hockey
• Players: 1-4
• Region: NTSC
• Release Year: 1998
• Developer: Treyarch Invention

Cartridge Only: No Box or Manual
Please note that this listing is for the game cartridge only. The original box, instruction manual, and any other accessories are not included with this purchase unless explicitly stated in the listing. What you receive is exactly what you need to play: the cartridge itself, tested and confirmed working.

Condition & Authenticity
This game has been tested and is fully functional. We do not authenticate or certify originality, and listings are intended for players and everyday collectors rather than professional grading or authentication purposes.

Images & Regional Differences
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