The 7 Greatest NHL Games Ever Made - Article
by Craig S , posted on 04 February 2021 / 9,111 Views
The following is a guest editorial.
At the moment, there's no NHL hockey due to the pandemic, and fans have been making do using their consoles to play hockey instead. While there's obviously a lot of difference between the two, most fans are happy to get their playing urge fixed virtually. EA Sports in particular has long allowed fans to simulate their favourite sport and increasingly enjoy a realistic hockey experience. If you've been thinking of playing hockey games during a lockdown, here are seven of the best NHL games ever made.
Blades of Steel
Blades of Steel is not just one of the best hockey games that has ever been developed but also one of the best arcade titles of all time. The game debuted back in 1987 in North American arcades, before being released on the NES a year later, in 1988.
A highlight of the time was that it had voice samples and you’d occasionally hear the announcer say “BLADES OF STEEL!”, but arguably the best thing about the title was the inclusion of fighting. During these fights, players can choose to punch low, high, or block. This inclusion of fighting elements added a novel twist to the gameplay that made it incredibly addictive even for non hockey fans. Blades of Steel is still enjoyable to play even 30 years after its release.
NHL 94
NHL 94 is notable for helping to usher in a wave of realism to sports titles in the early 1990s that had never been seen before, at least not in such a polished manner. As a result of its ability to make players of the day feel like they were in control of a real NHL broadcast it quickly became a fan favourite and is considered one of the best sports titles ever made. New game modes for what was then a relatively new game series, as well as a shootout mini-game, were the cherry on the top. It's proved so enduringly popular that EA offered up NHL 94 Rewind as part of its NHL 21 release.
NHL Hitz 20-02
NHL Hitz was a fun game not because of its ability to simulate hockey to the most realistic standard of its time, but because it was an intentionally more relaxed spin on the sport, offering up arcade-like gameplay, plenty of fighting (with perma-knock outs), and power-ups. All of this made it a very fun multiplayer title.
NHL 2K2
While most people remember the NH2K series for the things it failed to accomplish, NHL 2K2 was one of the series' highlights. At the time this Dreamcast exclusive was considered so realistic that it made people want to bet on the outcomes of some of their matches (and if you're interested in betting on NHL you can learn more about NHL betting websites here). The level of realism, thanks primarily to the game's strong graphics, as well as its authentic replication of the sport and its rules, made NHL 2K2 a fan favourite that more than lived up to its pre-release hype.
NHL 11
NHL 11 is one of the more modern entries on this list, as well as being one of the highest rated entries in EA's NHL series. The re-designed physics engine meant a complete revamp of the series' animations and enabled players to score goals from anywhere on the ice. It also led to major gameplay changes and advances in realism, so that for example players could break their sticks while making defensive shots.
NHL 2004
NHL 2004 was a turning point for the NHL franchise, boasting a huge number of changes and new features, including an improved checking system, reworked franchise mode, and realistic puck control. NHL 2004 proved so popular that, to this day, it's still updated by a dedicate group of fans. And in an era of annual sequels and the constant pushing of graphical and gameplay boundaries that shows some impressive longevity.
NHL 09
NHL 09 was another great entry in EA's powerhouse franchise. The skill stick feature returned in improved form and, together with defensive styles, notably improved the player experience. It also introduced a player creation system, with creations being usable in online 6 vs. 6 matches, and some light RPG-esque mechanics. Alongside NHL 11 it remains one of the highest rated games in EA's NHL series.
So those are our picks for the seven best NHL games ever released. What are your personal favourites, and did we miss any major releases out? Let us know in the comments.
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I have so many memories of Blades of Steel over the years. From having to pick teams based on how they would look on a black and white TV, to my friend trying to make the game freeze when he was losing, it's nice to see it getting some love!
I absolutely loved Blades of Steel growing up, but the article should have been titled "The 7 Greatest Hockey Games", because Blades of Steel had no access to the NHL license. Therefore, only city names could be given for the teams, and only 8 out of 21 cities that had NHL teams at the time were even represented. Much like how the first Tecmo Bowl didn't have the NFL license, and only included 12 out of the then current 28 NFL cities. I don't deny that it was an absolutely great game for its time though.
The best hockey game is Ice Hockey on the NES.
2 skinny 1 medium and 2 fat players for the win! :)
The article seems like it was written a while back, but still, it is a very interesting topic for me. The NHL series has been probably the single player franchise that I have played the most. Particularly during the early 2000's. That is why I have to say that NHL 2002 for PC was a great game for me. In particularly I liked having the little arcade boosts of shooters and defensemen. As well as the extra points you would win for particular actions like winning a faceoff or scoring a hattrick. It had many elements that helped with replayability.
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