The NHL Series from EA is the only hockey game on current consoles, but once upon a time, there were a ton of options for gamers. Old School Gamer’s Patrick Hickey Jr. breaks down 10 hockey games that influenced the future or made a statement.
NHL All-Star Hockey: This game was featured in Kevin Smith’s cult-classic, “Mallrats.” That’s the only reason why it made this list. People who never have and never will play a hockey game remember Brody’s exploits in the game.
Ice Hockey: The best hockey game Nintendo has ever produced. It’s simple in approach, but the gameplay is a blast. The character sizing before each game is a stroke of genius. Sure the goaltenders are a joke, but it could easily devour hours of your time.
NHL 94: The best hockey game on the Sega Genesis, possibly of the ‘90s. Ironing out the crappy AI from NHLPA 93 and adding more options, it was the deepest hockey game of its time.
Blades of Steel: An arcade fan’s alternative to Ice Hockey on the Nintendo. The fighting was awesome, the graphics were nearly identical to “Tecmo Bowl” and the pucks never left the ice. But it was insanity.
NHL 2K: Easily one of the best hockey games ever. Sure the AI was weak, but it was beautiful to look at and was fantastic with friends. It also forced Electronic Arts to take a look and their franchise. For the first time in a long time, possibly ever, the NHL series had true competition.
NHL Faceoff: Sony’s first hockey game wasn’t a classic by any means, but it began a healthy competition with Electronic Arts, that proved there was a big enough market for two company’s to thrive. It’s safe to say without Faceoff’s marginal survival that the 2K series may have never existed.
NHL Faceoff 99: The best title in the mediocre franchise. Graphically, it may have been comparable to NHL 99, but it still had a way to go in the gameplay department. Developer 989 studios could never get the game on a decent sheet of ice.
NHL Stanley Cup: Nintendo’s answer to Ice Hockey for its SNES base. Too bad it was a joke. The camera shifts, thanks to their Mode 7 technology, were near seizure inducing. Regardless it means something when Nintendo makes a sports game. In the end though, this proved they don’t make them very well.
NHL 2008: The best hockey game of all time. The skill stick technology alone makes it memorable, but the improved character models and plethora of options make it the one game every hockey fan should own.
NHL 2K5: The last great hockey game from 2K sports, it was also uber-realistic. While the character models were dated and looked horrible compared to NHL 2005, it was a far superior game. Post 2005, the 2K series was never the same.
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Old School Gamer Magazine