<s>
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
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
on	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
1998	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
boasted	O
great	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
the	O
next	O
two	O
editions	O
feature	O
small	O
improvements	O
from	O
this	O
game	O
thus	O
making	O
this	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
NHL	B-Application
2000	I-Application
and	O
NHL	B-Application
2001	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
and	O
only	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
NHL	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
with	O
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
up	O
to	O
NHL	B-Application
2001	I-Application
there	O
were	O
very	O
few	O
large	O
'	O
improvements	O
 '	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
boasted	O
higher-resolution	O
graphics	O
than	O
NHL	B-Application
98	I-Application
,	O
but	O
the	O
framerate	O
and	O
unresponsive	O
controls	O
(	O
especially	O
in	O
2+	O
player	O
modes	O
)	O
hindered	O
its	O
playability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Daryl	O
Reaugh	O
left	O
the	O
series	O
as	O
color	O
commentator	O
following	O
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
,	O
the	O
official	O
NHL	O
and	O
NHLPA	O
licence	O
with	O
all	O
teams	O
and	O
players	O
are	O
represented	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Nashville	O
Predators	O
expansion	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AllGame	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
four	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
is	O
n't	O
a	O
Stanley	O
Cup	O
winner	O
yet	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
is	O
still	O
an	O
undeniable	O
amount	O
of	O
fun	O
to	O
be	O
had	O
if	O
you	O
're	O
willing	O
to	O
except	O
 [ sic ] 	O
a	O
few	O
flaws.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Likewise	O
,	O
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Magazine	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
similar	O
score	O
of	O
eight	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
manages	O
to	O
succeed	O
in	O
bettering	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hyper	O
gave	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
81%	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
while	O
NHL	B-Device
99s	I-Device
controls	O
are	O
n't	O
executed	O
quite	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
,	O
the	O
hard-hitting	O
action	O
combined	O
with	O
glossy	O
NHL	O
logos	O
and	O
statistics	O
makes	O
it	O
a	O
worthwhile	O
purchase	O
for	O
any	O
recreational	O
follower	O
of	O
the	O
sport.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
N64	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
gave	O
the	O
same	O
console	O
version	O
74%	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
by	O
no	O
means	O
dire.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Lackey	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
gave	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
three	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
By	O
making	O
the	O
goalies	O
behave	O
in	O
the	O
way	O
they	O
do	O
,	O
a	O
player	O
has	O
two	O
choices	O
when	O
playing	O
NHL	B-Device
99	I-Device
:	O
play	O
at	O
Rookie	O
level	O
and	O
quickly	O
learn	O
to	O
win	O
every	O
game	O
by	O
a	O
wide	O
margin	O
,	O
or	O
play	O
at	O
Pro	O
level	O
and	O
accept	O
the	O
inability	O
of	O
your	O
players	O
to	O
score	O
standard	O
NHL	O
style	O
goals	O
against	O
computer	O
super-goalies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
in	O
its	O
January	O
1999	O
issue	O
,	O
"	O
What	O
EA	O
has	O
given	O
us	O
this	O
year	O
is	O
more	O
of	O
an	O
attempt	O
at	O
a	O
purist	O
hockey	O
game	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
intense	O
hockey	O
experience	O
they	O
have	O
delivered	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
issue	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
listed	O
the	O
same	O
Windows	O
version	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
N64	B-Operating_System
version	O
at	O
#40	O
on	O
its	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
Fifty	O
Best	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
control	O
is	O
fantastic	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
has	O
managed	O
to	O
balance	O
the	O
gameplay	O
perfectly	O
between	O
arcade	O
and	O
simulation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Electric	O
Playground	O
nominated	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
for	O
their	O
1998	O
"	O
Best	O
Computer	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
won	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Hockey	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
as	O
well	O
;	O
the	O
Official	O
Broadcast	O
Overlays	O
and	O
Up	O
To	O
The	O
Minute	O
Stats	O
were	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Easter	O
Eggs	O
or	O
Extras	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
the	O
Batmobile	O
from	O
Need	B-Application
for	I-Application
Speed	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
nominated	O
for	O
PC	O
PowerPlays	O
"	O
Best	O
Sports	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
FIFA	B-Application
99	I-Application
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Sports	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
at	O
IGNs	O
Best	O
of	O
1998	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
.	O
</s>
