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What was the best hockey game of the SNES/Genesis gen?

AuthenticM

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
32,291
At Christmas of '95, my parents got me two video games for the genesis: Jurassic Park Rampage Edition and NHL 96.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf7ugfLZud8

It's funny because when I unwrapped my presents, I was more excited to play Jurassic Park. But the game turned out to be kinda not great, and in turn, I ended up playing NHL 96 way way more. I loved it.

I didn't play any other NHL game of the era except one of the SNES games that had the camera behind the player. I only briefly played it though.

I am curious to know if there is some sort of consensus on which game of the era is the best.
 
dipship31

dipship31

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Oct 26, 2017
1,221
I'd imagine NHL '94 was probably the "best" and most talked about and it was great, but maybe the later versions still improved on it?
 

ElNino

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Nov 6, 2017
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NHL '94 is often considered the best version. They even released a version with updated rosters in 2021 I believe (the year with Ovechkin on the cover).
 
RobotHaus

RobotHaus

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
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NHL 94. It still gets updates to this day (via ROM hacking) with a very active community. I feel like that was part of the reason EA released the NHL 94 rewind.
 

Deleted member 12129

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Oct 27, 2017
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NHL 94 by a mile.

I had a string of Christmases where I got that years NHL as a gift, I own 92 to 98 on Genesis as well as a few others. Mario Lemieux hockey, Wayne Gretzky hockey, some of the Sega Sports entries. But 94 is the peak of 16 bit hockey that's for sure.
 

Deleted member 4212

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Oct 25, 2017
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NHLPA '93
HwuSnO8.jpg


This is the game that taught me that 'Ottawa' was both a funny word and the name of a place
 
spool

spool

Member
Oct 27, 2017
793
I don't care about hockey, or sports in general, but I still played the shit out of several of the Genesis NHL games, and one version for the Swedish market. I loved them.
 
excelsiorlef

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
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Oct 25, 2017
74,051
My copy of NHL 95 had a fucked up non functioning battery save and it would frequently cause hilarious glitches like once teams ended up with 17 goalies each and goalies became forwards all wearing the number 0 and who would skate faster and hit harder and were just beasts and then you'd restart the game and they were all gone and everything was normal.

Only got this during one play but it was glorious
 
OP
OP
AuthenticM

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
32,291
ElNino said:
NHL '94 is often considered the best version. They even released a version with updated rosters in 2021 I believe (the year with Ovechkin on the cover).
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Seraphis Cain said:
NHL '94, Sega CD version specifically.
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RobotHaus said:
NHL 94. It still gets updates to this day (via ROM hacking) with a very active community. I feel like that was part of the reason EA released the NHL 94 rewind.
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joeygreco1985 said:
NHL 94 by a mile.

I had a string of Christmases where I got that years NHL as a gift, I own 92 to 98 on Genesis as well as a few others. Mario Lemieux hockey, Wayne Gretzky hockey, some of the Sega Sports entries. But 94 is the peak of 16 bit hockey that's for sure.
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What was so great about '94 that the subsequent games failed to replicate? I thought perhaps that every sequel, having been made by the same team (I think), would simply be better each new year. So I take it that it was not the case?
 
Goddo Hando

Goddo Hando

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Oct 25, 2017
4,977
Chicago
NHL 95 had the engine of 94 but introduced the player creator. 95 was just a fully loaded marvel to me

I remember getting 96 and the faster game engine kinda rubbed me the wrong way
 

Deleted member 12129

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Oct 27, 2017
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Goddo Hando said:
NHL 95 had the engine of 94 but introduced the player creator. 95 was just a fully loaded marvel to me

I remember getting 96 and the faster game engine kinda rubbed me the wrong way
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On the Genesis the 95 engine was different, its faster and the look and physics are not the same.

AuthenticM said:
What was so great about '94 that the subsequent games failed to replicate? I thought perhaps that every sequel, having been made by the same team (I think), would simply be better each new year. So I take it that it was not the case?
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Just the way it played was better than 95 to 98. The subsequent games felt too fast, and the physics to me didnt feel as good. If we had the 94 engine with the added features from 97 it would have been perfect.
 
oatmeal

oatmeal

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Oct 30, 2017
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Aquavelvaman said:
NHLPA '93
HwuSnO8.jpg


This is the game that taught me that 'Ottawa' was both a funny word and the name of a place
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Such an iconic box art, and a game I bought tons of for like a quarter at a used game shop in 2006 when EB games was doing a "trade any game for $5 promo and during October they did 31% bonus trade in".

I got my launch 360 for like 80 bucks.
 

CalmYeti

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Oct 27, 2017
2,308
AuthenticM said:
What was so great about '94 that the subsequent games failed to replicate? I thought perhaps that every sequel, having been made by the same team (I think), would simply be better each new year. So I take it that it was not the case?
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Can't speak for the quoted posters, but for me it comes down to player feel. There are some subtle speed and handing tweaks in 95 and 96 that throw the experience off a little. Neither are "bad," but it feels like 94 perfected it.

IMO, The GEN version of 94 is better than CD, but YMMV.
 
RobotHaus

RobotHaus

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Oct 25, 2017
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AuthenticM said:
What was so great about '94 that the subsequent games failed to replicate? I thought perhaps that every sequel, having been made by the same team (I think), would simply be better each new year. So I take it that it was not the case?
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I mean it's all personal preference, but I just enjoy the simplicity and nostalgia. NHL 95 was reworked from the ground up so it's a different game in that capacity. But honestly there isn't a 100% certain "Best hockey game of the 16-bit era".
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

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Oct 28, 2017
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NHL94.

There's a reason modern hockey games still emulate the style.
 
verygooster

verygooster

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Oct 25, 2017
8,669
New Jersey
It probably is NHL 94.

But I actually played a ton of NHL 96 on SNES back in the day. I begged my parents for it because Scott Stevens was on the cover and the Devils had won the Cup that season.
 
dubc

dubc

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Oct 27, 2017
2,502
Seattle
NHL '94 (Sega CD - but I prefer the Genesis version)

I actually am more fond of '93 as I had it back in the day, plus fighting, but '94 is the better game overall.
 
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