NHL Breakaway 98 is a 1997 ice hockey video game for the Nintendo 64. It was the first hockey game to come from Acclaim Entertainment. The Nintendo 64 version has Rumble Pak support. It was followed by a sequel, NHL Breakaway 99, released the following year. NHL Breakaway 98 has a momentum-based checking system. Players can out-skate and out-muscle each other, depending on a player's size and speed. Some players are small but fast, while others are slow but possess strength and size. If a large, fast player such as Eric Lindros gets moving at high speed, the power behind his check is greater than what someone like Pierre Turgeon could produce.

Two players can compete in the Versus mode. If a player is edited, the name and number appear on the player's back. The game does not feature play-by-play announcers, but there is a public address announcer that only speaks when penalties are called, and when a player scores a goal, the name and number are said.