                  Ice Hockey Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
                                 Version 1.0

                       By PFritz21  (Paul J. Fritz Jr.)
                             pjfritz21@yahoo.com

Contents:
---------
Version History
About the Game
Starting a Game
Choosing a Lineup
On the Ice
Computer Teams
Tips and Tricks
Contact Information

Version History:
----------------
1.0 - Initial release

About the Game:
---------------
Ice Hockey was one of the first games in Nintendo's Sports Series.  Although
it isn't very realistic, it's quite exciting, especially during those close
games.  Personally, it's just as much fun as EA Sports' NHL Series.

Starting a Game:
----------------
After you insert the game into your Nintendo and turn it on, the title screen
will come up.  Using either the Select button or Up and Down on the Control
Pad, choose a 1 Player Game or a 2 Player Game.  Once you decide, press
Start.

You'll now be at the options screen.  Here, you can choose the teams, the
speed of the game, and the length of the periods.

For a 1 Player Game, use Left and Right on the Control Pad to select your
team, then Press A.  You can now select the Computer's team.  For a two
player game, both you and your opponent can use Left and Right to select a
team.

There are 6 teams in Ice Hockey.  Each one is from a different country and
wears a different color.  They are, from left to right...

USA   United States    blue
SWE   Sweden           yellow
POL   Poland           brown
CAN   Canada           green
USR   Soviet Union     red
TCH   Czechoslovakia   gray

After the teams have been selected, press Down on the Control pad to move to
the Speed option.  This controls how fast the players move and how fast the
clock runs.  Use Left and Right to highlight the setting you want.  1 is the
slowest setting, and 5 is the fastest setting.  Higher settings are more
difficult, so if you're just starting out, you shouldn't go much higher than
2.  More experienced players should play at 4 or 5.

Press Down again to move to the Time option.  This determined how long the
periods last.  You can choose from 7, 10, or 15 minutes.

If you need to change any settings, use the Up and Down to move back to the
previous options (note: If you're playing a 1 Player Game and you want a
different team, you're going to have to hit the Reset button).

Choosing a Lineup:
------------------
Once you've picked the teams, the speed, and the time, press Start to choose
your Lineup.

Each team consists of four players, and each player can be one of three
types: Fat, Medium, and Skinny.  Each one has its strengths and weaknesses:

Trait     |  Skinny  |  Medium  |    Fat   
----------|----------|----------|----------
Speed     |   Fast   |  Average |   Slow
Strength  |   Weak   |  Average |  Strong
Checking  |   Weak   |  Average |  Strong
Face-Off  |   Good   |  Average |   Poor

Player 1's Lineup is on the left; Player 2's on the right.

To choose the types of player you want, move the cursor onto a player.  Use
the A Button to cycle through Skinny, Medium, Fat.  The B Button cycles
through Fat, Medium, Skinny.

A default Human team consists of a Fat guy at the 1 spot, Medium guys at 2
and 3, and a Skinny guy at 4.  For the computer teams, it's...

Team  1       2       3       4               +---+
USA   Medium  Medium  Medium  Medium          | 2 |
SWE   Fat     Medium  Skinny  Medium          |---+---+
POL   Fat     Skinny  Medium  Skinny          | E | 1 |
CAN   Fat     Medium  Medium  Skinny      +---+ N +---+
URS   Fat     Medium  Fat     Skinny      | 3 | D |
TCH   Fat     Fat     Medium  Fat         +---+---|
                                              | 4 |
(the diagram is reversed for Player 2)        +---+

Once you choose a lineup, move the cursor to END and press A.

On the Ice:
-----------
In this section, I'll tell you about the controls and the rules.

Controls:
There are several different sets of controls: before the face-off, offense,
defense, and goalies.

Before the Face-off:
Left or Right: Exchange the guys at positions 1 and 3.
Up or Down: Exchange the guys at positions 2 and 4.
A Button: Exchange the guys at positions 1 and 2.
B Button: Exchange the guys at positions 3 and 4.
Start: Pauses the game.

Positions 1 and 3 will focus on defense; positions 2 and 4 on offense.  The
guy at position 1 will take the face-off (if there is no guy at position 1,
the closest man to the face-off circle will move in).

For position numbers, see previous diagram in Lineup section.

On Offense (when you have the puck):
Control Pad: Moves the player with the puck, controls the direction of the
             shot and the pass
B Button: Shoots the puck.  The longer you hold it, the harder the shot.
          Tap B to fake a shot.
A Button: Passes the puck.
Start: Pauses the game.

On Defense:
Control Pad: Moves the active (flashing) player.
B Button: Change the active player.
A Button: Body check, steal the puck.
Start: Pauses the game.

Goalies:
Control Pad: Moves the goalie, controls here the puck goes when it's cleared.
A or B Button: Clears the puck.  If you do not clear the puck after a few
               seconds, your goalie will automatically dump it off.
Start: Pauses the game.

Rules:
There are a few rules and important terms you should know in Ice Hockey.

Games consist of three periods of equal length.  Teams switch ends after the
end of each period.  After the second period, both teams will go to the
locker room and three ice resurfacers will come out and smooth out the ice.

The ice is divided into three zones.  The area between the two blue lines is
the neutral zone.  The side of the neutral zone that your goalie is on is
your defensive zone.  The side of the neutral zone here you're trying to
score on is your offensive zone.

Icing occurs if a player sends the puck past the opponent's goal line
(farthest back red line) from behind the centerline and an opponent player
(anyone but the goalie) is the first to touch the puck.  A face-off will be
held in the defensive zone of the team that committed the infraction.

When two players from opposite teams fight over the puck for a relatively
long period of time, a fight will break out.  Players from both teams will
join the fight.  After a few seconds, the ref will sort it out and send
someone to the penalty box.  The teams who had their player sent to the box
will be shorthanded, while the opposing team will be on the power play.
After the penalty has been awarded, a face-off will be held at one of the
four face-off circles just inside the blue lines (usually on the side of the
team that committed the penalty).  Penalties end when the teams on the power
play scores or 2 minutes are up, whichever comes first.  A team cannot have
more than two players in the penalty box at a time.

If there is a tie at the end of regulation, the game will be determined by
alternating shootouts and 2 minute overtime periods.  In a shootout, each
player from both teams (the team defending the left end will always go first)
will have a one-on-one chance of scoring against the opposing goalie.
Whoever has the most goals after all 4 players from both teams have went
wins.  If there is a tie, the teams will switch ends and play an overtime
period.  In overtime, teams play as normal, except there are no goalies.  The
team leading at the end of overtime will be the winner.

Computer Teams:
---------------
While all 6 computer teams may play the same way, there are some minor
differences in how they play.  This section will go in-depth into each team
so you can exploit their weaknesses.

USA - United States     Color: Blue       Difficulty: Medium
Default team:     Medium, Medium, Medium, Medium
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Medium/Skinny

The boys is blue have no major advantage or disadvantage over any other team.
They'll put up a good match, but they just don't have the skills to be a
threat throughout an entire game.  However, they really don't like the
Russians and will fight them to the death.  When building a team to play the
Americans, make sure you have an overall size advantage.  Constantly use your
Fat guys to check the Americans, then move him into position for the shot.

SWE - Sweden            Color: Yellow     Difficulty: Easy
Default team:     Fat, Medium, Skinny, Medium
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Medium

The Swedish are not a very good team.  The game should be out of reach for
them after the first period.  Again, build your team for the size advantage.
The faster the Speed setting, the bigger you should go, but don't use more
than two Fat guys.

POL - Poland            Color: Brown      Difficulty: Easy
Default team:     Fat, Skinny, Medium, Skinny
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Medium

The Polish are the worst team in the game.  They have very little size to
their advantage, so any team with at least one Fat guy will have a definite
advantage over them.  You maybe want to pass more often, since Skinny guys
can swing their sticks the fastest during a battle for the puck.

CAN - Canada            Color: Green      Difficulty: Hard
Default team:     Fat, Medium, Medium, Skinny
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Medium

It's not surprise that Canada is the best team in the entire game.  They DID
invent hockey.  However, if you build a bigger team than theirs, you
shouldn't have a problem.  Just make sure you keep scoring goals and stay at
least 2 or 3 goals ahead of Canada.

USR - Soviet Union      Color: red        Difficulty: Medium
Default team:     Fat, Medium, Fat, Skinny
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Medium

The Soviets are the #3 team in the game.  They are just slightly better than
the Americans (why do you think they call it "The Miracle on Ice"?).  They
are very aggressive, and they hate the US team.  Unlike previous teams, you
should prepare for the Russians by compiling a faster team.  My suggested
team should do just that.  Make sure you can run the clock down when you can
to neutralize their shooting power.

TCH - Czechoslovakia    Color: Gray       Difficulty: Hard
Default team:     Fat, Fat, Medium, Fat
Suggested team:   Fat, Medium, Medium, Fat

Some people will argue that the Czechs are the hardest team in the game.  To
a certain extent, they are.  They have such a huge size advantage that you
can't pound them into submission like other teams.  However, experienced
players exploit their lack of speed.  This is more difficult at higher
levels, but still doable.  My team of 2 Fat guys and 2 Medium guys are able
to hold their own physically, while still being able to outskate the Czechs.
Also, make sure you focus more on defense, or their power shots are going to
kill you.

Tips and Tricks:
----------------
Here are some codes you can use to change the rules and the game easier or
more difficult and some little known secrets to balances things out against
the computer...

Play without Goalies:
If you want to play an entire game with empty nets and no goalies, hold A and
B on both controllers, then press Start on controller 1 while on the Title
Screen.  This works for both a 1 Player Game and a 2 Player Game.

Winning the Face-off:
Winning a face-off can be a big momentum booster.  Whether you want to set
the tone of the game early, score on the power play right away, or get the
puck out of your own end, you have to win the face-off.

To win a face-off, press A as rapidly as possible.  Use the control pad to
control which direction the puck goes.  Make sure you try to send it back
into your defensive zone co you can solidify control.

After you win a face-off, you can control how the game progresses for several
minutes.  This momentum is very crucial, since it could be the difference
between a win and loss.

Increase Your Shot Percentage:
While playing a 1 Player Game, the computer's goalie will usually stop a shot
if you take it right away.  However, there is a way to increase your chances
of scoring.

The best spot to score from is right in front of the net, just between the
face-off circles.  Wind up for the shot and take it right after the goalie
makes his move.  This way, the goalie will be out of position to stop the
shot, and you'll have a free goal.

Also, you can use Up and Down on the Control Pad to aim your shot.  You
usually have a better chance of scoring when you aim for the corner that the
goalie is not guarding.

Guarding the Net:
If you opponent has the puck in your defensive zone and is threatening to
score, the best thing to do is to pull as many of your players in front of
the net.  This will increase your chances of deflecting the puck away from
the goal.

Press B repeatedly when your opponent has the puck in his offensive zone
(your defensive zone) to move your guys in front of the net.

After the puck has been deflected, do anything and everything you can to
scoop up the loose puck.

Getting the Power Play:
During a fight, the team that "loses" the fight (has the most players bounced
out of the pile) will be awarded the power play.  In a 1 Player Game, the
computer always loses the fight.  Until now.

During a fight, press A and B together as rapidly as possible.  This will
cause your guys to be bounced out.  If you have more guys bounced out than
the computer, you will get the power play!

Do this during a 2 Player Game to really upset your friend.

Run Out the Clock:
Don't want to risk giving up a small lead?  No problem.

After you gain possession of the puck, pass it to a Skinny guy or a Medium
guy, skate into your defensive zone, and continuously go around your own
goal.

The computer will usually send one guy in at a time to try to steal the puck
from you.  Always stay on the opposite side as the opponent, and go around
the goal in the same direction as him.  If they send a faster guy in, try to
make smaller loops around the goal.  If they send a slower guy, make your
circles larger.  And always change direction when he does.

After about a minute, the computer will guy out the current guy and send in a
different one.  Don't worry about it.  Just keep going.

For help, one of your teammates will stay in the neutral zone.

If the computer has two or more guys on your guy, either try to split the to
men, or pass to your teammate in the neutral zone.  If you split the guys,
continue around the goal.  The computer should pull out one guy.  If you
pass, bring the new guy with the puck back into the defensive zone and keep
going.

You can also pass the puck to your goalie.  This can help if you're being
pursued by Fat guys.

Continue running down the clock until the game is over.

Pump Up the Crowd:
The crowd will usually cheer on a goal, after a fight, or if the ref calls
icing.  However, in a close game, the crowd will get into the game.

With two minutes left in the game, reduce the difference between the two
teams to one goal (either by scoring goals to catch up or letting them go
by).

The crowd will continue to cheer if either teams has a one-goal lead or the
game is tied.  As the crowd is cheering, both teams will muster up their last
ounces of energy and play harder.

To quiet down the crowd, increase your lead to two goals.  You don't want to
lose the game by accidentally letting your opponent gaining momentum and
making a comeback.

Edit the Computer Team:
Want to change the computer team to increase the difficulty of some of the
weaker teams?

If you'd like to change the players on the Computer team, you must first beat
all 6 teams on a Speed setting of 5.  Afterwards, start a new game.  Select
the teams, the speed, and the time, then go to the Lineup screen.  Customize
your team, then highlight END and press A.  You can now customize the
Computer's players.  Use this to increase the difficulty of weaker teams,
like Sweden and Poland.  Or you can make the Computer even worse and see how
high you can run up the score.

Contact Information:
--------------------
Via e-mail: pjfritz21@yahoo.com
Via AOL IM: PFritz21

I welcome any questions or comments concerning this guide.  If you do e-mail
me however, please include "Ice Hockey" in the subject line.

This guide can be found at...
*** My web site (http://www.geocities.com/pjfritz21/)
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If anyone else has this guide on their site without my permission, please let
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