NHL Hockey
System: Genesis
Release Date: August 1991
Developer: Park Place Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports
Thanks for watching and keep your stick on the ice because we’re playing NHL Hockey! Every hockey game until this point is trash in comparison to this. While we may not have the Players Association license, we do have all NHL teams and their players represented by numbers, which is more than we have ever had in a hockey game. Take your favorite team and go all the way to the Stanley Cup!
You can play an exhibition game, do a single elimination tournament, or a best of seven tournament for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Of course, I chose the Detroit Red Wings. I figured on the backs of Stevie Y and Sergei, I could win it all. My first game against the Blackhawks showed that they were considered the much better team. I figured it would be an uphill battle, but took it to the ice. Faceoffs are won with a timely press of the B Button. Without the puck, you can check with the C Button. The rules of hockey apply, unless you turn them off, and I found myself in the penalty box a lot. Checking the other team increases your chance of a random penalty. In my second game against the Blues, I had four guys in the box before I was two minutes into the first period. Good thing I could flip the puck to the other end of the ice and waste time without an icing infraction.
If you’ve got the puck, you can pass with the B Button and shoot with the A Button. Wrist shots are handled with a tap of the button, while slap shots require a longer press. Getting a shot on goal, missing, and going for a rebound chance is harrowing. It’s not always easy to score a goal, but at least the computer controls your goalie with a bit of intelligence. I hate having to control goalies and players simultaneously and I don’t have to do it here. While there are plenty of sweet goals you can score, you also have to be wary of times when you’ll have no chance at a save.
You know what’s always a guarantee? Bob Probert getting into fights. If you want to start a fight, you’ve got a good chance of doing so by checking people after the whistle blows. But you’ll get two penalties for doing so. Fights aren’t anything super special, you can grab with the A Button, throw a punch to the face with the B Button, and a body shot with the C Button. Being on a power play is a great way to get an advantage, but I didn’t get to enjoy that too often. Players do get tired and you can call for a line change when you have the puck by pressing the A Button. Be careful, though, because if you lose the puck, the other team will have a huge advantage.
At intermission, you can get to see highlights from other games, which I think is awesome. I found myself in overtime more than once and if you want excitement, it’s overtime hockey. Every shot has the potential to end the game. You need to keep your defense in top shape and not give up too many penalties, but with a bit of luck, you too can win the Stanley Cup thanks to the break away ability of Steve Yzerman. I got there years sooner than the real Wings.
Graphics: 3.0
This looks better than any other hockey game and maybe sports game out there.
Sound: 2.5
Lots of grunts, the slap of the stick on the ice, and crowd noise. They vary in quality.
Gameplay: 3.5
The depth is here for a fun game on the ice, even though we’re before the advent of a real season mode.
Difficulty: 3.0
If you play stupid, you’re going to get beat, but if you follow hockey strategy, you should pull off wins if the ice gods are on your side.
Fun Factor: 4.0
I was into my playoff series, I was excited, I breathed a sigh of relief when Yzerman took destiny into his own hands at the beginning of the 3rd overtime.
Overall Rating: 3.2
NHL Hockey earns a B+. This is on par with the best sports games to have released up until this point in time. You cannot go wrong with EA’s NHL games on the 16-bit systems.