<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
is	O
an	O
ice	B-Application
hockey	I-Application
video	O
game	O
by	O
EA	O
Sports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1996	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
NHL	B-Device
96	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sixth	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
both	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Panasonic	B-Device
M2	I-Device
version	O
was	O
in	O
development	O
and	O
slated	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
launch	O
titles	O
for	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
never	O
happened	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
uses	O
a	O
full	O
3D	O
engine	O
,	O
with	O
motion	O
captured	O
polygonal	O
players	O
(	O
PC/PlayStation/Sega	O
Saturn	O
versions	O
only	O
,	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
and	O
SNES	B-Application
versions	O
retained	O
similar	O
graphical	O
values	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
further	O
enhanced	O
animations	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
also	O
introduces	O
play-by-play	O
commentary	O
,	O
provided	O
by	O
well-known	O
announcer	O
Jim	O
Hughson	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
introduced	O
a	O
skills	O
competition	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
pick	O
players	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
drills	O
such	O
as	O
hardest	O
shot	O
,	O
goalie	O
2	O
on	O
0	O
,	O
and	O
accuracy	O
shooting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Teams	O
that	O
have	O
third	O
jerseys	O
for	O
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
are	O
Mighty	O
Ducks	O
of	O
Anaheim	O
,	O
Boston	O
Bruins	O
,	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
Kings	O
,	O
Pittsburgh	O
Penguins	O
,	O
St.	O
Louis	O
Blues	O
,	O
Tampa	O
Bay	O
Lightning	O
&	O
Vancouver	O
Canucks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Along	O
with	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
SNES	B-Application
versions	O
,	O
both	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
versions	O
made	O
their	O
debut	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
shot	O
speed	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
versions	O
is	O
so	O
slow	O
that	O
some	O
skaters	O
can	O
beat	O
a	O
slapshot	O
down	O
the	O
ice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
was	O
the	O
most	O
recent	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
goaltender	O
on	O
the	O
cover	O
until	O
Martin	O
Brodeur	O
was	O
chosen	O
for	O
the	O
cover	O
of	O
NHL	B-Application
14	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
market	O
research	O
firm	O
PC	B-Device
Data	O
,	O
NHL	B-Application
97s	I-Application
Windows	B-Application
version	O
was	O
the	O
20th-best-selling	O
computer	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
the	O
year	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
surface	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
seems	O
very	O
familiar	O
,	O
but	O
NHL	B-Application
'	I-Application
97s	I-Application
killer	O
new	O
features	O
build	O
added	O
depth	O
into	O
the	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GamePros	O
Major	O
Mike	O
was	O
less	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
,	O
commenting	O
that	O
"	O
instead	O
of	O
supplying	O
sharp	O
new	O
features	O
as	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
did	O
,	O
this	O
NHL	B-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
is	O
almost	O
identical	O
to	O
last	O
year	O
's	O
fine	O
offering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviews	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
were	O
also	O
more	O
mixed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Next	O
Generation	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
graphics	O
and	O
animations	O
,	O
while	O
impressive	O
in	O
absolute	O
terms	O
,	O
fall	O
short	O
of	O
those	O
in	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
competitor	O
NHL	B-Application
Powerplay	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
found	O
the	O
control	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
smooth	O
and	O
intuitive	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
,	O
and	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
unfavorably	O
to	O
NHL	B-Application
FaceOff	I-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Air	O
Hendrix	O
of	O
GamePro	O
agreed	O
that	O
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
,	O
while	O
graphically	O
impressive	O
,	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
FaceOff	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
lack	O
of	O
strategy-oriented	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Scott	O
Alan	O
Marriott	O
stated	O
in	O
Allgame	O
,	O
"	O
All	O
in	O
all	O
,	O
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
is	O
still	O
a	O
fun	O
game	O
to	O
play	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
presentation	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
few	O
key	O
issues	O
keep	O
it	O
from	O
being	O
the	O
definitive	O
PlayStation	B-Device
hockey	O
experience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Air	O
Hendrix	O
made	O
much	O
the	O
same	O
comments	O
of	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
as	O
he	O
had	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
the	O
previous	O
month	O
,	O
save	O
that	O
he	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
are	O
not	O
as	O
sharp	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
's	O
,	O
though	O
still	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
any	O
hockey	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
this	O
time	O
he	O
concluded	O
that	O
while	O
NHL	B-Application
Faceoff	I-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
would	O
be	O
more	O
appealing	O
to	O
strategy-oriented	O
gamers	O
,	O
most	O
would	O
prefer	O
NHL	B-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rich	O
Leadbetter	O
of	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
contrarily	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
although	O
the	O
EA	O
effort	O
is	O
probably	O
superior	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
presentation	O
and	O
optionary	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
I	O
prefer	O
the	O
Virgin	O
title	O
(	O
ever-so-slightly	O
)	O
when	O
it	O
comes	O
down	O
to	O
graphics	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
regarded	O
NHL	B-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
as	O
a	O
strong	O
title	O
in	O
absolute	O
terms	O
,	O
citing	O
the	O
believable	O
3D	O
graphics	O
,	O
the	O
strong	O
sense	O
of	O
real	O
skating	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
control	O
method	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stephen	O
Poole	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
criticized	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
's	O
difficult	O
passing	O
,	O
nearly	O
infallible	O
AI	O
goalies	O
,	O
and	O
illogical	O
button	O
configuration	O
when	O
using	O
a	O
Gravis	B-Device
Gamepad	I-Device
,	O
but	O
nonetheless	O
considered	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
downright	O
exciting	O
sports	O
titles	O
I	O
've	O
ever	O
played	O
"	O
for	O
its	O
lifelike	O
graphics	O
and	O
animations	O
,	O
comprehensive	O
licensing	O
,	O
customizable	O
settings	O
,	O
and	O
audio	O
commentary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
complimented	O
the	O
control	O
,	O
selection	O
of	O
views	O
,	O
comprehensive	O
modes	O
,	O
and	O
true-to-life	O
AI	O
,	O
and	O
summarized	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
The	O
best-looking	O
,	O
fastest-moving	O
,	O
hardest-hitting	O
hockey	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
honored	O
with	O
a	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
award	O
for	O
Best	O
Sports	O
Game	O
by	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
as	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Pluss	O
1996	O
sports	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
,	O
and	O
won	O
the	O
same	O
title	O
at	O
the	O
1996	O
Spotlight	O
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
