Graphics are improved from the previous version with the players being less angular, and thanks to 3Dfx support, with less pixels showing in the textures. The in-game presentation follows a TV-style script, zooming in players while displaying stats during clock stoppages.As far as game modes go, in the year of the first Olympic Tournament with professional players, NHL 98 introduced the first real international competition, with 18 International teams to choose from. Other game modes include Season (option to pick between 25 or 82 games) and Playoff (best of 1, 3, 5 or 7 matches) and a Penalty Shootout mode.