Long, long ago, EA still had a heavy dominance in sports gaming, but their games were once celebrated, instead of vilified. It was during this era, somewhere between the Neolithic and the Cretaceous it seems, that a tiny little game began carving out a legacy for itself. That game, was "NHL '94."
Seems like only yesterday we were watching 'lil Gretzky's head bleed, and his tiny digital legs kick and twitch, don't it?
NHL.com is taking the game's anniversary to not only reflect on the game itself, but the season the game took place during, widely considered one of, if not the best, in the history of the NHL.
The article notes a laundary list of the game's innovations, including the inclusion of all NHL logos, rosters, and teams names, better all-around control of players, the ability to shatter glass, being able to save your records, and the four modes that are now a staple of any hockey game: Regular Season, Playoffs, Best of Seven Playoffs, and Shootout.
Also introduced were team-specific organ songs played at the start of periods and after goals-examples included the Hartford Whalers' trademark "Brass Bonanza", "When the Saints Go Marching In" for the St. Louis Blues, "The Sabre Dance" for the Buffalo Sabres, and the Chicago Blackhawks theme song "Here Come the Hawks."
As NHL.com's Tal Pinchevsky writes, "Twenty years later, EA's NHL franchise remains one of the best-selling sports video games in the world. With every passing year, the game becomes more intricate and lifelike, thanks in large part to EA's team of developers and designers."
A large number of online leagues, some boasting close to 4000 members, are dedicated to still playing the game 20 years later.
Pinchevsky's article is great for hockey nostalgia, and worth a read by any sports gamer out there, so do yourself a favor, and give it a look.
