NHL 94: 2023 Edition by Adam Catalyst
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2023 05 14 - Version 4.4



Hello there friendly strangers,

Here is the latest version of my 2023 ROM. The goal is to try to provide the most refined and realistic up-to-date versions of this all-time classic game. I'm thrilled to be able to share this with you. Here are the top reasons you might want to give it a try...

New in â€™23
800 players obsessively rated, up-to-date rosters, and realistic lines, based on extensive 2020-2023 regular season player data and analytics. Team colours, banners, uniforms, and logos all improved to be as realistic as possible, along with numerous other graphical refinements throughout the arena.

Gameplay Revisioned
The gameplay has been adjusted for a more realistic modern hockey feel, with harder to score goals, easier to hit crossbars and posts, more realistic speed burst, fewer penalty calls, custom energy depletion and recovery rates (balanced for more realistic line rolling and shift length), and player rating distribution curves that have been carefully calibrated for more realistic gameplay on the ice.

Graphical Refinements
Hundreds of other refinements have been made including title screens, banners, player photos, scoreboard, audience, face-offs, player sprites, nets, ice markings, coaches, scorekeepers, Zamboni driver, and more. The goal is to bring the most graphically refined version of NHL 94 ever made, while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original art direction.

And so much more
Of course there is the weight bug fix, but also a custom weight scale, less variance in Hot/Cold rating randomization, immediate goalie control by pressing the (Y) button with a six-button controller, a custom 3-Stars of the Game rating formula, a Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg Menu & Player Cards crash fix, andâ€¦

Every single change is documented below. I would love it if you would give it a try, and leave me any feedback!

cheers,

-Adam



p.s. If you are interested in anything NHL 94 related, check out nhl94.com for the best classic EA Hockey ROM hacks, leagues, tutorials, and just about everything you could think of.



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About Me

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I've been discreetly creating an eclectic array of professional-quality media content for the Internet for decades. Whenever possible, I make sure that everything I produce is available for free, no strings attached. If you ever see anything with the tag "-AC" or my handle "Adam Catalyst" being bought, sold, or traded, please let me know at adam.catalyst@proton.me. Also feel free to just say hi anytime! And if you ever want to leave me a tip to help with my living expenses, I'd greatly appreciate it. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/adamcatalyst





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Features & Modifications

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Under the Hood
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- ROM Header: Updated to indicate support for Japan region, 6-Button Controller, both domestic & foreign ROM names, and updated checksum.


Title Screens
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- Title Screen: Opening Logo screens display time reduced by 30%.
- Graphics: EA logo screen heavily modified.
- Graphics: High Score Production screen slightly modified.
- Graphics: Splash image updated with my personal 2022 MVP vote.
- Graphics: Masthead re-drawn to match EAâ€™s current NHL23 lettering.
- Graphics: Title screen Logos removed.
- Text: Credits re-coloured & edited.


Main Menu
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- Settings: Default teams set for the 2022 Stanley Cup finals.
- Settings: Playoff brackets updated to the 2023 seedings.
- Settings: 7-minute period length option added.
- Settings: Line Changes & Penalties defaults set to on "On," because that's how I roll.
- Graphics: Team Banners & Logos updated, with consistent up-to-date official colours relatively mapped to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive colour space.
- Graphics: Team Banner names removed, and replaced with "VISITORS" and "HOME" for clarity.
- Graphics: Player Photos all updated with official NHL headshot images, custom cropped & colour graded.
- Graphics: Error removed from the selection box.
- Hack: Player Photo carousel cycling order modified.
- Hack: Bug that would causes crashes upon cycling through the Player Photos for Vegas, Washington, and Winnipeg has been eliminated. Please note, this comes at the cost of preventing saved stats from showing under player names.
- Text: Re-wording of a couple menu options for greater clarity.
- Typesetting: Player names centred vertically.


Pre-Game
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- Graphics: Banners have been refined to have better typesetting, and colours modified & dithered to look closer to the colours used in the menu screens.
- Graphics: The Pre-Game Announcer's picture frame has been altered to be more consistent with the design of similar elements throughout the game.
- Arena Names: All up-to-date as of January 2023. Arizona State welcomes you to Mullet Arena.
- Pre-Game: Match-up position names have been simplified to "Forward," "Defence," & "Goaltender."


Rink
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- Graphics: Colour Palette has been altered to improve the audience affect with more uniform tonal contrast, to improve the accuracy of the team banner colours, and to give the nets more realistic colouring.
- Sprites: Audience members design and animations have been refined.
- Graphics: Goal light & animation revised.
- Graphics: Instant Replay reverse view inconsistencies fixed.
- Graphics: Minor refinements throughout the arena.


Rink - On the Ice
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- Graphics: Ice Colour lightened slightly. The darker colour was giving me eye strain.
- Graphics: Centre ice logos updated, adapted from NHL Rewind designs.
- Graphics: Face-off circles modification. (author unknown)
- Graphics: Net re-drawn to the most recent (2013) NHL proportions, with an updated goalie crease.
- Graphics: Trapezoid area lines drawn to NHL scale.
- Graphics: Glass & stanchions behind bottom net revised to be symmetrical and parallel to glass & stanchions at the top, horizontal seam in top glass has been erased, and on-ice reflections of stanchions have been fixed throughout.


Rink - On the Sidelines
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- Graphics: Bench area modifications, including the addition of coaches.
- Graphics: Bench backup goalie hack. (slapshot67)
- Sprites: Bench players "chirping" animations refined to be less cartoonish.
- Graphics: Time-keepers added in, and time-keeper area Stanchion misalignment fixed.
- Graphics: Bench, Penalty Box, & Time-keepers area Stanchions modified to be consistent with the Sideboards view.


Rink - Sideboards view
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- Graphics: Sideboards Bench, Boards, Glass, Ice, Stanchions, etc. revised. 
- Graphics: Scoreboard Banners refined to have better typesetting, and colours modified & dithered to look closer to the Menu Banner colours.
- Graphics: Sideboard Scoreboard has custom drawn NHL logo.
- Graphics: Side-boards Score-Keepers added. (Based on the SNES version)
- Sprites: Zamboni driver revised to better match the perspective of the side-boards.
- Sprites: Player in Penalty box refined.


In-Play
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- Sprites: Player design was revised to more accurately accommodate the wide range of colourations for all 32 NHL teams. Tests were done with demo play, and final colour decisions were made to give the most accurate impression in motion, and not necessarily what looked the best in stills.
- Sprites: Face-off animations revised.
- Sprites: Players given composite sticks, because grey pixels have better puck feel, more flex, and are lighter weight.
- Sprites: Goaltenders masks revised to reveal their faces.
- Sprites: Player Helmet colour patch. (Clockwise)
- Sprites: Player Eye, Boots & Gloves, and Stick Tape patches. (Clockwise)
- Sprites: Improved Checking animations patch. (Clockwise)
- Sprites: Puck and its shadow revised.
- Graphics: On-Ice Player Numbers changed to white for better legibility against the ice.
- Graphics: On-Ice Player indicator (star) for Player 1 lightened to be less conspicuous and increase relative on-ice contrast for the Player 2 indicator.
- Graphics: Penalty box player colour error fixed. (Slapshot67)


Rosters
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- Rosters & Lines: Updated based on extensive 2021â€“2023 regular season player usage data.
- Rosters & Lines: 800 total players have been included, covering the 25 players (14F, 8D, & 3G) with the most ice-time in 2022-2023 on each team. 


Ratings
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- Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per end of 2023 regular season data.
- Player Ratings: Underlying system has been changed from the default 1-6 scale to a 0-15 scale for more accurate differentiation of players. (smozoma)
- Player Ratings: Custom player ratings based on a mix of real-world data and gameplay oriented parameters. The goal is to make gameplay more contemporary, and individual player performance more realistic.
- Player Ratings: Custom overall rating formula.
- Player Ratings: Much more parity between the best and the worst of the league, with all players having a minimum 52 rating, ranging to a maximum 95 for McDavid, before Hot/Cold variance.
- Player Ratings: Weight scale modification patch. (smozoma)
- Player Ratings: Edit lines bug fix patch. (smozoma)


Gameplay
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- Controls: Goalie control can now be accessed immediately by pressing the (Y) button with a six-button controller. (clockwise)
- Gameplay: Body Checking and Aggressiveness have been balanced to reduce the penalty rate from the original, and approximate the real body checking and penalty rates of each team in the 2022â€“2023 season.
- Gameplay: Hot & Cold range of variance has been reduced by ~25%, and the frequency of variance has been reduced by ~50%.
- Gameplay: The "goal" area of the net has been reduced slightly, making it more difficult to score, and more likely that you will hit the post.
- Gameplay: Player Speed Burst set to 25% of the original, for a more realistic feel and higher difficulty. No more winning every loose puck race.
- Gameplay: Custom Stamina Depletion & Recovery rates.
- Gameplay: Weight / Checking bug fix patch. (smozoma)
- Gameplay: Second-Assist bug fix patch. (smozoma)
- Gameplay: Overtime set to 5 minutes, Penalty Shots set to 15 seconds.
- Player Ratings: Attribute rating distributions have been careful set and thoroughly tested to produce a faster more contemporary feel to puck movement & gameplay, with better goaltending throughout.
- Stars of the Game: New custom formula.


In-Game Overlays
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- Graphics: Referee & Linesmen pop-overs refined.
- Graphics: In-Game Timer logo has been re-drawn. (based on sauce's design)
- Graphics: Line Change Energy bars have been re-drawn to have inverse quasi-logarithmic gradation.
- Graphics: Instant Replay controls graphic revised.
- Graphics: Custom Stars of the Game icon and revised typesetting.
- Text: "Cross Check," "Face-Off," and "Fight Instigator" renamed to "Cross-check," "Face-off," and "Instigator" as per the official NHL rulebook.


In-Game Menus
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- Graphics: NHL & NHLPA Logos re-drawn.
- Graphics: "Hockey Night" Banner slightly re-coloured.
- Hack: Player Cards bugs that would causes crashes upon cycling through Cards for WSH (and possibly also VGK & WPG) have been eliminated.
- Hack: Player Stats now showing Checks instead of Penalty Minutes.  (smozoma)
- Text: The "Change Goalie" option for "no goalie" is now in ALL-CAPS for greater visibility.


Extras
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- Artwork: Matching box art was made! The artwork is high resolution, print quality, and stays veryÂ close to the original North American box design. You can view and download them from here:
https://forum.nhl94.com/index.php?/topic/21621-nhl-94-2022-edition-by-adam-catalyst/&do=findComment&comment=188909



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Known Issues

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* Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg Player Cards may crash if User Records are turned on, and there are stored goaltending statistics for these teams. A potential fix was being investigated, but is not at a workable state. For this reason, User Records are recommended to be left off.

* User Records may incorrectly store user data if playing with Vegas / Washington / Winnipeg.

Builds are tested with Genesis Plus 1.7.4.15 and Genesis Plus GX 1.7.5-RC1 r24-10-2021. If you are having any technical issues, you may want to try one of these emulators. If you are reporting a technical issue, please note the exact console or emulator version that you are using for me.



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Future Wish-List

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I'm not sure how much time I will have to work on this in the future, but if I did find more time, here is what I would like to focus on next...

- Gameplay: Reduce the rebound rate of the puck to be way less bouncy.
- Gameplay: Reduce effectiveness of B-checks.
- Line-Changes: Enable line changes to be initiated without possession of the puck, preferably with a dedicated button.
- Gameplay: Prevent the goaltenders from skating into the trapezoid areas.
- Gameplay: Enable energy Recovery for players sitting in the penalty box.
- Gameplay: Improve logic for how icings and offsides are calculated to use puck position instead of player position.
- Gameplay: Program the CPU to pull the goalie when trailing by 1 - 2 goals (currently only pulls with a two goal deficit).
- Gameplay: Increase the amount of CPU Checking without increasing the amount of penalties called.
- Sprites: Redraw Sideboards Referee to better match the art style of everything else (requires "de-compressing" shared tiles.)
- Sprites: Improve the comparatively low visual quality of the on-ice officials throughout (requires "de-compressing" shared tiles.)
- Penalties: Rename "Cross-check" to the proper "Cross-checking."
- Penalties: Re-name "Roughing" period that causes an injury to "Illegal Hit."
- Player Cards: Eliminate the crash that occurs on player cards for Washington when user records are turned on, and the goaltender has saved stats.
- User Records: Restore system to be as fully functional as possible.

If you were able to help me research or implement any of these changes, please let me know!

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Credits

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This project was built decades of work by the NHL94.com community, and never would have been possible without them. I'm sure there are more contributors than I could ever possibly know, let alone acknowledge, but I will do my best...



Contributors

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This ROM contains contributions from the following individuals...

Brodeur30
- Rink & Net collision geometry logic.

chaos
- Hot/Cold variation logic.

Clockwise
- Goalie Control with a six-button controller.
- Player sprites helmet colour patch.
- Player sprites hockey stick tape patch.
- Player sprites improved checking animations patch.
- Player sprites eye colour patch.
- Player sprites boots & gloves colour patch.

Dervin10
- Roster extractor & importer tool development.

Drezz
- Team uniforms Yoke colour isolated.

kingraph
- Sideboards modification logic.
- Stars of the Game graphic hack.

slapshot67
- 30 to 32 team ROM re-structuring.
- Bench backup goalie hack and original design.
- Penalty Box player sprite colouring fix.

smozoma
- 0 - 15 Player Rating scale patch.
- Player Stats Checking patch.
- Credits editing logic.
- Edit Line Ratings bug fix patch.
- Player Overall rating formula logic.
- Player weight scale modification patch.
- Second-Assist bug fix patch.
- Stars of the Game formula logic.
- Weight / Checking bug fix patch.
- EARE tool development.

Tony H.
- Stopping & Crossover Rate logic.

wboy
- 28 to 30 team ROM re-structuring.
- Player photo logic.
- Player energy depletion & recovery rates logic.
- Speed burst rate logic.
- Rink modification logic.
- NOSE tool development.

Author unknown
- Face-off circles graphic modification.
- Team uniforms colour restructuring.



Special Thanks to...

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Drezz - original work and resources.
kingraph - tips & resources.
Sauce - resources for rosters, ratings, and lines.
Seamor - tips, encouragement, and inspiration. 
smozoma - utterly invaluable tips, resources, tools, & support.
von Ozbourme - resources and lessons.


...and everyone at nhl94.com who tested Betas or provided feedback.



Extra Special Thanks to...

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Ena - for nothing less than everything.





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Version Change-Log

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2023 05 15 - Version 4.4

"Final" Edition.

Should be the last planned update of this (post) season.

Rosters
Player Names: Some long names (less than 1%) of players contracted to be shorter. This fixes some cosmetic glitches that were occurring.

Lines & Ratings, etc
TOR: Minor updates. Major grieving.

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2023 04 30 - Version 4.3

"Be-Leaf" Edition

Roster, Lines, & Ratings
TOR: Matthew Knies added, TOR Lines & Ratings updated.

In-Play
Sprites: Goalies had minor graphics error fixed.

Rink
Graphics: Audience design & animation refined.
Graphics: Instant Replay Controller graphic revised.

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2023 04 19 - Version 4.2

There's something about New Yorkâ€¦

Miscellaneous
- Pre-Game: NYR was accidentally given home ice-advantage over NJD in v4.0 & v4.1. This has been fixed.

Rosters, Ratings, Lines, etc
- Lines: Non-playoff bound teams lines finalized.

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2023 04 17 - Version 4.1

Apologies to Carolinaâ€¦

NYI was accidentally given home ice-advantage over CAR in v4.0. This has been fixed.

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2023 04 16 - Version 4.0

Opening Night of the Playoffs Editionâ€¦

The roster, lineups and matchups are ready for the play-offs, and the remastering of the rink graphics are almost done now, with an updated colour palette, a new net design, refined audience animations, and more.

Under the Hood
- ROM Header: Updated to indicate support for Japan region, 6-Button Controller, and both domestic & foreign ROM names.

Title Screens, Menus, & Pre-Game
- Title Screen: Opening Logo screens display time reduced by 30%.
- Graphics: EA logo screen refined.
- Graphics: Banners typesetting refined.
- Graphics: Banners for MIN & SEA colouring revised.
- Graphics: Main Menu selection frame minor tweak.
- Pre-Game: Playoff matchups updated for the 2023 seeding.

Rosters, Ratings, Lines, etc
- Rosters: Every team has had their rosters finalized.
- Ratings: Final ratings for team attributes, and minor ratings changes to some players.
- Graphics: Player Photos updated to support roster moves, with additional improvements to MTL.
- Lines: Play-off bound teams had their lines finalized (non-playoff teams lines to be finalized in next update).

Rink
- Graphics: Colour Palette has been altered to improve the audience affect with more uniform tonal contrast, to improve the accuracy of the team banner colours, and to give the nets more realistic colouring.
- Graphics: Numerous refinements to the sideboard view.
- Graphics: Audience & animation further refined.
- Graphics: Net re-drawn to the most recent (2013) NHL proportions.
- Graphics: Crease revised.
- Sprites: Players Snow Spray animation restored to original.

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2023 03 13 - Version 3.0
Trade Deadline Day is now a Week Long Editionâ€¦

Beyond the requisite trade deadline updates, the work on refinements to the area has continue with hundreds of minor little refinements, with particular focus on the sideboards and the audience.

Title Screens
- Graphics: Custom EA logo screen, combining a revised version of the EA logo from the original, and iconography from â€œRewind.â€

Playoffs, Sideboards, & On-Ice Teams
- Graphics: DET & MTL banner text centred.
- Graphics: SJS banner reversion to include the black stripe.
- Graphics: WPG banner colours changed to Blue on Blue.
- Graphics: DAL uniform and centre ice logo colours adjusted slightly. 

Rosters, Ratings, Lines, etc
- Rosters, Lines, & Ratings: Every team has had their rosters, ratings, and lines updated for the trade deadline (March 3, 2023.)
- Graphics: Player Photos updated to support roster moves, with some minor improvements.
- Hack: Main Menu Player Photo carousel cycling order modified.

Rink
- Graphics: Sideboards Bench, Boards, Glass, Ice, Logo, Stanchions, etc. revised. 
- Graphics: Sideboards missing audience animation frame restored.
- Graphics: Sideboards Player in Penalty Box revised.
- Graphics: Rink & Sideboards Audience and animation revised.
- Graphics: Rink & Sideboards Time-Keepers revised.
- Graphics: Trapezoid area lines re-drawn to NHL scale.
- Graphics: Nets revised.
- Graphics: Glass behind bottom net revised.
- Graphics: Glass & stanchions behind bottom net revised to be parallel to glass & stanchions behind top net.
- Graphics: Coach slightly revised.
- Graphics: Goal light animation revised.

Gameplay
- Gameplay: Goalie lateral movement range without the puck reverted to default.
- Misc: Stars of the Game formula revised to increase value of Assists by 10%.

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2023 02 10 - Version 2.0
Remastered Colours Editionâ€¦

Team uniform colouring has been restructured (thank-you Drezz!) and all team banners, logos, and uniforms have been reviewed and adjusted for greater consistency & authenticity. This was a major undertaking, building a global colour palette for the game, that holistically considers each real-world colour being depicted. Furthermore, lots of little rink revisionsâ€¦

Rosters, Lines, & Ratings
- Rosters, Lines, & Ratings: Up-to-date as of Feb 10, 2023.

Teams
- Pre-Game: Playoffs & Sideboards Banner colours adjusted.
- Sprites: Almost all team uniforms updated for greater accuracy.
- Graphics: Many centre ice logos have been adjusted to accommodate the revised uniforms.
- Graphics: Player in Penalty Box revised.
- Miscellaneous: VGK Home Uniforms changed to Gold.

Rink
- Graphics: Bench has new custom Coach sprite. If it looks like Sheldon Keefe, well, thatâ€™s because it was based on Sheldon Keefe.
- Graphics: Bench & Penalty Box area Stanchions modified to be consistent with the Sideboards view. 
- Graphics: Timekeepers centre Stanchion misalignment fixed.
- Graphics: On-ice reflections of Stanchions fixed.
- Graphics: Goal Light & animation revised.
- Graphics: Instant Replay Reverse view inconsistencies fixed.

Miscellaneous
- Title Screen: Original Credits tweaked for clarity.

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2023 01 17 - Version 1.1
Weight Watchers Editionâ€¦

Player weights and catching/shooting hand are now using an automated database lookup (NHL.com with EliteProspects as a fallback) to significantly reduce human error and more easily keep up-to-date. Hundreds of other minor updates were made, mainly to player ratings.

Title Screen
- Graphics: Splash image minor refinement.
- Graphics: Masthead refined for better visual balance.
- Credits: Credits copyright year updated.

Rosters, Lines, & Ratings
- Rosters: BUF, CGY & EDM updated.
- Lines: COL & DET updated.
- Lines: COL line order fixed.
- Rosters: Names updated for Chris Tanev & Nicholas Paul as per NHL media guide.
- Rosters: Jersey Numbers corrected for 12 players.
- Ratings: Catching/Shooting hand corrected for 2 players.
- Ratings: Weight updated for ~250 players.
- Ratings: Miscellaneous minor updates to hundreds of players.

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2023 01 10 - Version 1.0
Initial Public Releaseâ€¦

This first version for 2023 is built on top of the final released 2022 ROM (2022 06 12 - Version 6.0). All changes in that version are intact, with the following updates:

Title Screens
- Graphics: New Splash Image.
- Graphics: Masthead updated.
- Credit sequence updated.

Main Menu
- Graphic: EDM & SJS banner & logos updated.
- Graphics: Player Photos added for new players, and some old photos have had minor improvements.

Pre-Game
- Graphics: Playoff banner colours adjusted for SJS.
- Arena Names: Arizona has been updated.

In-Play
- Graphics: CAR Home uniforms, and on-ice logo updated.
- Graphics: EDM Home & Away uniforms, and on-ice logo updated.
- Graphics: SJS Home & Away uniforms, and on-ice logo updated.
- Gameplay: Goalies given very slightly more lateral room to move without the puck.

Rosters, Lines, & Ratings
- Team Ratings: Team attribute & overall ratings updated as per January 1 2023 season data.
- Rosters & Lines: Every team is up-to-date as of January 8, 2023.
- Ratings: All skater ratings reviewed, and most, if not all players have been revised.
- Rating: New statistical model for goaltender ratings.
- Ratings: New statistical model to set CPU behaviour for shot attempts, body checks, and penalized infractions.

Extras
- Matching box art was made. https://forum.nhl94.com/uploads/monthly_2023_01/image.png.83c32ce86e620d7b194c74b60f9e9a4c.png

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I hope you enjoy!

-a




