<s>
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
is	O
an	O
ice	B-Application
hockey	I-Application
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
Canada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1997	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
NHL	B-Application
97	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
,	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
,	O
or	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
took	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
ahead	O
by	O
introducing	O
full	O
national	O
teams	O
,	O
although	O
EA	O
could	O
not	O
get	O
the	O
Nagano	O
Olympic	O
Tournament	O
license	O
due	O
to	O
lack	O
of	O
IIHF	O
license	O
,	O
which	O
Gremlin	O
Interactive	O
acquired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
version	O
also	O
has	O
Mario	O
Lemieux	O
in	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
MBL	O
Research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
met	O
with	O
resoundingly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
with	O
critics	O
hailing	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
return	O
to	O
dominance	O
for	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
after	O
the	O
'	O
96	O
PlayStation	B-Device
edition	O
was	O
cancelled	O
and	O
the	O
'	O
97	O
edition	O
was	O
so-so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
IGN	O
and	O
GamePro	O
both	O
cautioned	O
that	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
could	O
not	O
be	O
called	O
the	O
best	O
hockey	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
until	O
NHL	B-Application
FaceOff	I-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
complete	O
,	O
they	O
assessed	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
[	O
EA	O
Sports' ]	O
best	O
hockey	O
title	O
since	O
its	O
16-bit	O
glory	O
days	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
board-battering	O
good	O
time	O
"	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
NHL	B-Application
'	I-Application
98	I-Application
is	O
a	O
very	O
good	O
game	O
and	O
just	O
that	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
competition.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Lee	O
Nutter	O
of	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
and	O
Dan	O
Hsu	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
both	O
razed	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
port	O
as	O
a	O
slipshod	O
conversion	O
which	O
lacks	O
the	O
elements	O
that	O
made	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
PC	O
versions	O
so	O
highly	O
regarded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
high	O
resolution	O
textures	O
,	O
translucent	O
and	O
reflective	O
effects	O
,	O
scoreboard	O
,	O
names	O
on	O
jerseys	O
,	O
goal	O
celebrations	O
,	O
and	O
referee	O
were	O
all	O
cut	O
from	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
,	O
which	O
nonetheless	O
runs	O
at	O
a	O
frame	O
rate	O
so	O
choppy	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
almost	O
unplayable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
his	O
sole	O
praise	O
being	O
for	O
the	O
play-by-play	O
commentary	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
,	O
Nutter	O
dubbed	O
the	O
port	O
"	O
A	O
shambling	O
mockery	O
of	O
its	O
former	O
self	O
"	O
and	O
recommended	O
Saturn	B-Device
owners	O
get	O
NHL	O
All-Star	O
Hockey	O
'	O
98	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Hsu	O
's	O
three	O
co-reviewers	O
,	O
while	O
acknowledging	O
the	O
port	O
's	O
faults	O
,	O
still	O
felt	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
to	O
be	O
by	O
far	O
the	O
best	O
hockey	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
,	O
and	O
even	O
Hsu	O
said	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
nearly	O
as	O
bad	O
as	O
NHL	O
All-Star	O
Hockey	O
'	O
98	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1997	O
"	O
Sports	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Baseball	B-Application
Mogul	I-Application
and	O
CART	B-Application
Precision	I-Application
Racing	I-Application
(	O
tie	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
called	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
"	O
the	O
latest	O
and	O
best	O
 [ ... ] 	O
in	O
EA	O
's	O
awesome	O
action-oriented	O
"	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
 '	O
1997	O
"	O
Personal	O
Computer	O
:	O
Sports	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
FIFA	B-Application
:	I-Application
Road	I-Application
to	I-Application
World	I-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
