TV Sports Hockey was one of three sports titles of the TV Sports brand released
on the TurboGrafx-16 in the United States. They are largely forgettable, but
offer a basic sports gaming experience. This guide covers the hockey iteration
of the series by offering the basics of gameplay and is largely intended to
function as a guide on how the game is played moreso than offering any kind of
"walkthrough."
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_______// How to Play
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TV Sports Hockey offers two modes of play, Exhibition and Tournament. The first
is a single match, which can be customized to have either full rules or "easy"
rules in which there are less penalties. The latter will pit you in a single
elimination tournament against a number of other teams. Each game consists of
three rounds. If the game is tied at the end of the third round, the game will
go into a sudden death mode where the first team to score wins the match.
Each match begins with a faceoff. To swing with your forehard, press button
one. To swing with your bakchand, press button two. As you would expect, the
puck will move to the team who hits it first when it is dropped.
Once play begins, move about the rink by using the directional pad. Pressing
button two will act to either pass or have a teammate pass the puck to you if
you are on the offense. Button one is used to shoot. Hitting it quickly will
perform a quick shot, while holding it will allow you to charge up a slapshot.
Holding button one, then pressing button two before you hit the puck will
result in faking a slap shot.
If you are on defense, button two will give you control of the player nearest
the opponent with the puck. To attempt to swipe and steal the puck, press
button one. If you take control of the goalie, button one will allow you to
set the goalie into position to stop the puck from being shot into your goal.
If you are successful in stopping a shot at your goal, the goalie will control
as if he were an offensive player.
You can body check an opponent simply by running into them while on defense. If
easy rules are on this will not result in a penalty, unless a fight starts, but
on full rules you can be penalized for this. If a fight starts, pressing up or
down and towards your opponent and button one will throw a punch at that part
of their body. Likewise hitting the appropriate direction and button two will
block a blow coming at you. Interestingly in this game only the player who
loses the fight will be penalized and not the other player.
Both penalties and infractions can be called on you if you are playing with
full rules. The infractions result in a faceoff. These include offsides,
whereas you cross to the opponent's side of the rink while on offense before
the puck does, or if you pass the puck from one side of the rink to the other
(the puck crosses two divider lines). Icing occurs when an offensive player
shoots the puck at the goal from their side of the rink and it crosses the
goal line.
Penalties result in the loss of a player for two minutes. Checking or slashing
an opposing player can result in a penalty, but not always. Losing a fight will
always result in a penalty, regardless which rules you are using.
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_______// Teams and Rosters
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Given that TV Sports Hockey lacks a professional or college endorsement, the
teams offered feature nameless players designated only by letters. Each of the
players have four characteristics (rated 5-15). Speed is their relative speed
on the ice. Strength is their ability to effectively shoot and check opponents.
Stick handling is their ability to keep control of the puck. Stamina is their
ability to withstand assaults by your opponents. The breakdown on stats of each
of the eight teams is as follows:
_________
/Team USA \______________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 10 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 8 |
| Strength | 14 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Stick Handling | 8 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 12 |
| Stamina | 11 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
____________
/Team Norway \___________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 15 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 8 |
| Strength | 11 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
| Stick Handling | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| Stamina | 9 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
____________
/Team Poland \___________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 7 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| Strength | 8 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 14 |
| Stick Handling | 11 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| Stamina | 15 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
____________
/Team Sweden \___________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 6 |
| Strength | 5 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| Stick Handling | 11 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| Stamina | 14 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
____________
/Team Canada \___________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 15 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 7 |
| Strength | 10 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 12 |
| Stick Handling | 12 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 14 |
| Stamina | 8 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
_____________
/Team Finland \__________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 13 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 10 |
| Strength | 9 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 13 |
| Stick Handling | 12 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 9 |
| Stamina | 10 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
__________
/Team USSR \_____________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 10 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 8 |
| Strength | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Stick Handling | 6 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
| Stamina | 14 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
___________
/Team Czech \____________________________
| Player | A | B | C | G1 | G2 |
|----------------|----|----|----|----|----|
| Speed | 11 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 7 |
| Strength | 14 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 15 |
| Stick Handling | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| Stamina | 9 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
|________________|____|____|____|____|____|
//
_______// Copyrights
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TV Sports Hockey is (c) NEC Technologies
