NHL '94 (Sega Genesis) - The Greatest NHL Video Game of All Time?

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Besides the kid in the red sweater banging on the glass boards during a zone face-off, what is your favorite part of this game? What are your memories of this classic sports game?

[@NHL94Community]

Still making new memories :). But an old memory, laughing the first time my brother and I saw a guy get checked over the boards into the penalty box.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@NHL94Community haha yea, that was so classic to see back then. Glad people are still playing this game to this day!

[@HHSGDFootballJPD]

The crowd meter--even in the current gen the crowd doesn't always have the right energy at the right times. Being rewarded for stringing together positive plays was kind of a chef's kiss. And the scrolling intermission report with highlights gave it a true hockey broadcast feel.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@HHSGDFootballJPDforgot to respond back to this. Yes, you’re right, the crowd meter was great in this game! I actually forgot to mention it in the video 😮

[@BlusViews]

Man we played the crap out of NHL 93 thru 95 on Sega Genesis back in the day!!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Same! Such good memories

[@purwantiallan5089]

I so far owned NHL 94 and 96 on Genesis and 98 on PlayStation 1.😊

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@purwantiallan5089nice. The ps1 games are so tough to come back to today. They aged poorly lol. Still fun if you have nostalgia for it though

[@naguszed]

My first genesis games were NHLPA '93 & the first FIFA. NHL '94 was sick!! When the extended family got together at someone's house for the holidays back in the mid '90's, there'd be a line for "next game" with a 10 year difference in ages.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

That’s awesome! Love how these older sports games were so simple enough that anyone could have played them.

[@KWally]

NHLPA 93 was a banger! My first video game

[@mattya1227]

NHL '94! I wish life was still as simple as 11 year old me playing this with my brother for hours on end. Great year for games, music and movies.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I know, right? The good old days lol. And I agree, great year indeed

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

If you studied hockey by just playing NHL 94 you would think Jeremy Roenick is better that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux combined😅 Great times😁

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha yup. Roenick was a God in this game and ‘93

[@zamboniclean]

Goalies showing anger after getting scored on needs make a come back to the series.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

100% haha. Made scoring a goal that much more satisfying

[@MasteringHow-To]

Seriously great video! By far the best video on this channel. You knocked it out of the park with this one!!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thanks, bro! Glad you liked it! I should do NHL Hitz ‘02 soon for the OG Xbox. Maybe you can help me with some gameplay capture? I’ll give you a 3-0 lead to start each game… don’t want the scores to be too lopsided

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Bro next time you come over we’ll record footage for NHL Hitz 02

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@VicariouslyRetroNHL HITZ 2002? That game is as epic as REDCARD SOCCER 2003.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@purwantiallan5089 dude I love that game.. it’s so epic. My favorite 3d (modern) hockey game

[@jackgahagan3568]

3:22. Yes! Oh man i totally remember rewatching awesome goals over and over. Ugh, this really makes me long for those simpler days

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yup! It’s what made the game that much better. And I agree, you don’t get gaming experiences like this anymore. Glad we experienced it

[@Ayy_Minus]

NHL hockey aka 92 is still my all-time favorite. I own two complete copies. Also love 93 and 94. 95 and 96 were also fun.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I’ll have to pick it up. Like I said in the video, it’s the only one I don’t own. I might as well pick it up and complete the whole set lol. Was ‘92 the one you grew up or did you just happen to like it after playing another one first? Just curious

[@Gnashadelphia]

Fantastic video. I missed these games as a kid, I was only 4 when this game came out and didn’t really get into hockey until later. It makes me really sad and nostalgic for something I never got to enjoy as a kid, but I LOVE playing this game now through rom hacks with updated rosters ❤

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thank you! I was 9 when this game came out so I was all over this. I got it when it was a year old so I had it when it was fresh and it was mind blowing for me. And yeah the rom hacks are awesome now. I love the nhl 94 rewind. I play it often

[@StRoRo]

I'm from the UK where ice hockey is not popular at all, but many of my mega drive friends has a NHL Hockey game or two.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Nice! I’m not surprised though lol. These are the best sports games on the console, in my opinion

[@justincase43]

totally right about having to be there to find the magic in these games. it felt so realistic with the TV/broadcast style additions

[@VicariouslyRetro]

100% man. These games were so epic back then. People who never experienced it back then can’t truly understand how great these were/are

[@JayChase-x1w]

I received many controller moon shaped bruises from this game lmao we were either laughing or screaming playing this hahaha good times especially when you said the instant replay from a huge check or huge goal

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha yup, same. Had some epic battles… some went your way, some didn’t lol. Either way, awesome memories

[@kingraph]

Loved this review! Very genuine and spot on with your observations. Cheers!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I’m glad you noticed! Freaking love this game so much

[@Supersaiyanvegeta72]

My friends and I back then made our own hockey season in which we picked 4 teams each between us 4 and played each other. We were basically in each other's houses to play the game according to the schedule and were allowed only 2 reschedules and with a forfeit loss of we didn't make it. We did the same for 95. Ahhh fun times back then. 😊❤

[@VicariouslyRetro]

God damn, that sounds awesome. Wish I had those types of tourneys as a kid. I really only played my brother and then by myself. I’m jealous lol

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

This game had a glitch. If you did a straight pass towards the goalie at Center Ice Emblem it would go right through the 5-hole of the goalie. It wouldnt work everytime but we had to ban it during games because it would happen so often. Great times😊

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha yea I remember doing that during a shootout. Hitting the b button while facing straight at the goalie. Amazing

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

@@VicariouslyRetro yup it was a 5-hole goal at least half the time. Just like we outlawed curve balls in baseball games we had to outlaw the cheap "half-rink goal pass" 🥅😆

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@ haha yup. The good old days of couch co-op/vs

[@R1Vinyl]

This is such a cool review, kudos for taking the time to give this game and all the small details that made it stand out the respect it deserved. My stepdad and I bonded playing this for years as our go-to game and this was around 2002 when it was almost 10 yrs old with newer versions available still but he also swore to the 94 nhl and the nolstagia from watching this really brought me back. Nice job man! 🫡

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thanks for appreciating it! This game holds a special place in many people’s heart, including my own. Glad this brought you back 🤝

[@zaccds]

Had the Sega CD version of this one. Can't remember the differences but it was one of the go to games for my friends and I.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Oh nice. That’s definitely the best version out there. It’s pretty much the same game as the Sega Genesis version but it has cd quality music and FMV highlights, nothing crazy.

[@jamesschulziii9098]

You as well have figured out the instant replay and remind over,and over and over 😎💯🤣

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Hahaha it’s an awesome feature

[@84cch]

"To some, It might be the game that brought them closer to their sibling..." Fucking right, dude! Every Christmas for about 4 years, I had a kind of pseudo tradition with my twin brother, where I would "gift" him the latest NHL game for our Genesis (as in I would pick it out, and my parents would be the ones to buy it for him). Back then, my brother actually played hockey, where as I was more to martial arts, and didn't really give a damn about the sport. Still, it was one hell of a good time firing up our system, and going one-on-one with him. He would usually kick my ass of course, but as you said, it served as one hell of a bonding experience. We're 40 now, and to this day, I consider him one of my best friends.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Dude that’s awesome! Love hearing that stuff cause I experienced the same. My brother and I didn’t have much in common (7.5 years apart) but it was always a tradition to play this. Even when he went to college, he would come home for winter break or something and we would always boot this up. Such a great times/memories. I’m 39 now and he’s 46 and we still play this once in a blue moon.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Sega Genesis in terms of overall game quality > PlayStation 5.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@purwantiallan5089 facts!

[@richm8379]

I had this game. My cousin and I played it often 2 players on same team. What a classic! (No off-sides & lessen the penalties ) if I remember correctly

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Nice! Such a good couch co-op/vs sports game. And yup, no offsides and no penalties was the way to go

[@kumbaon]

It has to be mentioned - up to this day we do not have organ music in modern hockey games. The way these games captured 90s NHL hockey was literally like playing real life hockey night in Canada

[@VicariouslyRetro]

That is a solid point. It’s all soundtracks now. The organ music really added so much to the game, it’s a very underrated part of the overall experience

I just picked this up two weeks ago. I loved this game since it came out.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Awesome. Love hearing that people still play this. Like I said in the video, this is my favorite Sega Genesis game ever

[@Sportscardhustlers]

Great game! My son and I still play it!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

That’s awesome. I have a newborn son now and I’m excited to show him this game 5/6 years from now lol

[@Sportscardhustlers]

@ We love the retro nhl 94 version on the ps5 which came with the 2023 version I believe? It’s great and has all the current players as well. I wish they would make a retro version but you are able to select any player from history you want or maybe at least any team you want from whatever year. That would be awesome!

[@krellzon]

Great game and a great video about it to. Good work sir. I rebought this game for the genesis after watching this video ^^

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thanks, bro! Glad this video brought this amazing game back in your life 🤘🏻

[@Dulcimerist]

I have the Sega CD version of NHL '94. This one was more challenging than the versions that came afterwards. (Later versions had cheap goals that could be had by shooting from the blue line by the boards and aiming for the feet of the goalie on the near side.)

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I gotta get a Sega CD, mainly for the NHL ‘94 version. I never played it before but I heard it’s the best version. And yes! I remember scoring those type of goals in NHL ‘97. A slap shot from the blue line from a left winger. It was like almost a bug in the game.

[@Dulcimerist]

@@VicariouslyRetro NHL '95 and '96 had the slap shot from the blue line as well. Go down the left side with a lefty player, or down the right side with a righty player. Slap shot right after crossing the blue line next to the boards, aim for the low corner of the near side of the net.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@Dulcimerist I never noticed it in 95, just 96/97. I’ll pop it back back in and try it with 95 🤙🏻

[@Dulcimerist]

@@VicariouslyRetro There's a chance that I loved '94 so much that I never bought '95, so I might be wrong about '95. I think all of my Sega games are within 10 feet of where I'm sitting right now, but barricaded behind a bunch of stuff. If I could get to them, I'd check to see what I have.

[@turuspekkao]

@@Dulcimerist I've religiously played 95 since Christmas '94 and in all these years have scored maybe once on a slap shot from the distance. It just flat out doesn't work. My favorite thing about 97 when I got it two Christmases later was that finally I had the chance to do that, even if otherwise I still preferred 95.

[@turuspekkao]

Nice tribute! Glad you mentioned 95 and the many upgrades they added to that. Clearly that one was for me a similar kind of formative experience as 94 was for you (first game: brother with Kings, me with Jets. First goal: Teemu Selänne, but it was an own goal by my bro). I've only played 94 as an adult and it always feels like it's lacking a ton of important features and the controls are pretty difficult as they feel much more slippery. Nonetheless 94 is a massively important game, I just prefer the next one that kept building on its foundation.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thanks, man! Haha Teemu was so nasty back then. But yea, I love NHL ‘95 so much. Nowadays, I play it a lot more than ‘94 cause it’s a better single player experience than ‘94. I just have so much history with ‘94 that I will always put it as my #1, but I can never argue with someone when they say they prefer ‘95. Plus it also has my ‘94 Devils, who lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Rangers in the ECF

[@taylorwilliamm]

I play this on an emulator thats been modded for current 2024 NHL rosters. It's awesome!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

That’s awesome. Love how this is still being modded. Just goes to show how awesome the game was/is

[@purwantiallan5089]

Is it possible to mod the entire roster from 2024 into NHL 94 via PS3 RETROARCH?

[@purwantiallan5089]

All NHL games from SEGA GENESIS from NHL Hockey, all the way to NHL 98 including NHL 94, are equally fantastic!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

For sure! Even though some aren’t as “good” as others, they’re all amazing games at the end of the day. Like even if you only had NHL ‘97, you had a blast with it. It didn’t matter which one you had. Hands down the best best sports series on the Genesis

[@francescosmith7859]

Yep, an absolute masterpiece. I had NHLPA 93 first and I thought that game was fantastic but outside of losing the fights (which was a bummer) NHL 94 just took everything that next level with of course the one timer being such a tremendous part of the fun.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Absolutely!

[@dktha]

I played NHL94 on the MD, usually 5 minute matches each day until something happened and the screen went green and everything got reset. Before that, I had played over 3000 matches.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Wow! Haha you wore out the cartridge. Impressive lol

[@mattya1227]

You have Outlander on your shelf! Haha great game!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha that’s awesome that you spotted that. Game doesn’t get talked about at all

[@marshallbeggs]

Preach it, man. NHL Hockey and NHL 93 were just as good, except for.... wait for it... ONE TIMERS. That was the finishing touch. I will never understand why they ruined the mechanics in NHL 95. If that thing had a season mode with accumulated stats, I would have never left the basement.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Amen, bro! The one-timer was such a game changer. And yes, the one-timers in ‘95 weren’t as clean/smooth as they were in ‘94. I’ve always said to my buddies that if NHL ‘94 had a season mode like in ‘95, it would’ve been beyond epic. It’s an epic game, no doubt, but a season mode?? Christ lol. Would’ve been Michelangelo’s David.

[@Dulcimerist]

NHL '97 is when the franchise went bad. That one was rushed, and had so many errors in it. For example, having Brett Hull be left handed.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea man, I can agree to that. I kinda felt the same way about NHL ‘96, honestly. I do love NHL ‘96 cause it has my ‘95 Devils in it, but the gameplay felt too fast and flat in my opinion. ‘97 too. I didn’t know that about Brett Hull, cool fact! As you and I both know, they were obviously focusing their attention on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions. I will say NHL ‘98 on the genesis wasn’t bad. They added game speed to the game which helped out the gameplay (slow was the way to go). Still, it wasn’t as good. I really feel NHL ‘95 was the last true 16-bit gem for the NHL series

[@Dulcimerist]

@@VicariouslyRetro 1998 was when my friend who always came to my house to play NHL on Sega got a Playstation. We began playing NHL at his house after that.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@Dulcimerist haha yea. I never enjoyed the ps1/saturn hockey games. Way too clunky. Wayne Gretzky hockey on the n64 was pretty good though

[@Paul-uo1vw]

I thought the decline started with 96. Agree that 97 was bad too. 93-95 the best (with 94 being #1)

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@Paul-uo1vw yea I agree. Once ‘96 hit, it was obvious that the series had started to overstay its welcome. I always feel ‘95 was the last great 16-bit release

[@Ray-oe2fd]

Yes the best NHL game ever , i grew up on that ... That game was awesome... I rem the trick to score like all the time

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Amen, brother! 🤝 Haha yea the wrap around goal was a classic part of the game

[@steveulinski98]

My favorite NHL game on the Genesis and my favorite Genesis game of all time. I always played as the Detroit Red Wings (my favorite team) or the Western All Stars!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Same! It’s my all-time favorite too. Your Red Wings of the 90’s were such a powerhouse. I’m a Devils fan so I’m glad we won that ‘95 matchup 😁 I’m still stunned they won that year. Love hearing that this game is your favorite on the console, it’s so epic

[@steveulinski98]

@VicariouslyRetro Very true with the 95 season! Your team had Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur and mine had Steve Yzerman and Chris Osgood (ironic i mentioned Stevens and Yzerman since they were on the cover for NHL 96) and I'm glad we took the cup later in 97 and 98! Thanks for the response! Love your reviews, and you earned a subscriber!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@steveulinski98 yup! I always played NHL ‘96 just cause it has the ‘95 Devils. But yea, those 97/98 red wings teams were soooo good. Thanks for watching and the sub!

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@steveulinski98all NHL games from 1990s to 2010s (until 14) are all masterpiece. Shame NHL went permanently downhill ever since the PS4 NHL 15 came out.

[@steveulinski98]

@@purwantiallan5089 you got that right. I prefer NHLPA 93 and NHL 94-98 for Sega Genesis than NHL 22-24 on my PS5. They keep dropping the ball.

[@brjohow]

i got really good at this game. i should pick it back up. once n64 was out i spent more time there than with the genesis and snes.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea you def should lol. Yea same thing with me, man. I kinda skipped (but played a lot still) the n64/ps1 era and played PC non-stop. Warcraft 2, StarCraft, Diablo, X-Wing series, etc. But I eventually made my way back to Genesis years later

[@MaverickMustaine]

It was good on the SNES as well

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha for sure. But the Genesis version is definitely better from my experience

[@MaverickMustaine]

@@VicariouslyRetro sound and graphics better on SNES

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@MaverickMustaine for me, the gameplay is significantly better on the Genesis. I own both versions and the Genesis just has a better overall feel to it. If you grew up with the SNES version, I can see why you like it more. But the general consensus is that Sega has the better version overall. The Sega CD is def the best version.

[@whataboutrob442]

​@@MaverickMustaineNHL 94 on the SNES was just NHLPA 93 ported from the Genesis. They just updated the rosters. Sports games on the Genesis were much better.

[@whataboutrob442]

​@@VicariouslyRetroread my comment below.

[@welshfowler27]

I played this game for hours and hours. I always went New York Rangers 🙌🙌

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha I would play them a lot in NHL ‘95, just to play as the Stanley Cup ‘94 team

[@backinthedaygamer]

I think I have 96 bc I’d heard that’s the best. Whichever I have I barely played it. That being said, this is one hell of a good review!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I love NHL ‘96 too. As a NJ Devils fan, it helps that the ‘95 Stanley Cup team is in it too lol. NHL ‘96 is great but it’s almost “too fast” for my liking. Not saying that’s a bad thing cause it’s cool that the game is different than NHL ‘94, but I do think the speed of NHL ‘94 is perfect for overall best gameplay. Again, you’re comparing an A+ game to an A game. And thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@krisfrederick5001]

As 80's/90's kids, endless memories with this. My cousin and I lost our sh*t the first time we broke the glass. The replays were great! Love from Detroit. The Red Wings were amazing... P.S. I believe our greatest devastation was 64-2 against Buffalo. That's just not right

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Love hearing stories like this. Yea my brother and I replayed the glass breaking on the instant replay like 20 times the first time we saw it. At first, we thought it was a glitch lol. Yea the Red Wings were SOOO nasty back then. As a Devils fan, I’m still stunned we won the ‘95 cup, but you guys made up for it in ‘97, ‘98 and ‘02. 64-2?? Haha Jesus

[@krisfrederick5001]

@@VicariouslyRetro We had the newspapers from the Stanley Cup wins and fights with the Avalanche taped on our walls. Honestly I think I still have a video saved on my phone of the famous glass. But we played everything together. Mario 3, DOOM, Wolfenstein Zelda, Contra and on and on. Appreciate sharing the memories brother.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@krisfrederick5001 god those fights were so epic, especially with Patrick Roy. Miss that period of hockey and gaming with my brother so much. Classic memories. Thanks for sharing as well 🤙🏻

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@krisfrederick5001dont forget Alien vs Predator on Atari Jaguar.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Game is epic lol

[@Thergood]

Greatest sports game of all time.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Amen, bro! Amen!

[@zamboniclean]

3:45 Bravo good sir, Bravo 👏

[@VicariouslyRetro]

😆

[@purwantiallan5089]

Ice Hockey on NES also equally a masterpiece and legendary like NHL 94.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@purwantiallan5089 yes! Friggin love that game. So much better than Blades of Steel imo

[@404EyedAce]

Sega Genesis was the shit. I still had mines put up. Might just blow the dust off it and play NHL.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

You’re never too old to play some Sega genesis, my man! So many classics. For me, nothing beats playing on original hardware. But that’s just me. You still got a copy of NHL ‘94?

[@404EyedAce]

@@VicariouslyRetro Facts and yes I still have NHL 93-95 along with Madden and NBA Live. My brother and I used battle it out.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@404EyedAce nice! Yea same. My brother and I would battle it out with NHL ‘94, Madden ‘94, NBA Live ‘96 and MLBPA Baseball. Such great memories. Nothing beats old school sports games

[@404EyedAce]

@@VicariouslyRetro Absolutely nothing. Isn’t crazy that retro games didn’t have the best graphics but gameplay was everything. Fast forward to today. Excellent graphics but lacking in gameplay. Retro gaming still on top.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@404EyedAce bro, so true. I say this all the time to my buddies. I would rather play NHL '94 than NHL '24. Even the new Madden games. They're def fun and look amazing, but I still have more fun playing the old school simpler games. The gameplay is just so much better than the newer in-depth games. I agree, Retro gaming still on top!

[@zamboniclean]

5:20 apparently I never needed a bathroom break because this is news to me.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha yea some people have told me that they never this was a feature. Always loved watching them

[@WerewolfOvWallachia]

I can't remember which one it was, quite possibly NHL '96, but I once hit an NPC so hard it said he was out for his career... only happened once in my years of playing 16 bit NHL games by EA.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Hahahaha. Must’ve been playing the full season mode. I think it might be ‘96 cause I remember playing that a lot cause it had my ‘95 devils in it and I kinda recall seeing something ridiculous that like. ‘94/‘95 def didn’t have that

[@NHL94Podcast]

Yes, it is. I ended up creating a podcast dedicated to the game :)

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I’ll have to check it out. Love this game, as you can tell by the video lol

[@kuruptzZz]

Lol I remember this. I used to troll my brother and abuse one timers, until he would end up fighting me IRL Edit: Hahaha I posted this comment before even starting the video. It seems we had very similar childhoods

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Hahaha amazing. Game brings back such great memories

[@jackgahagan3568]

If im not mistaken Paul Coffee was the fastest player in this game.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

You might be right

[@budwyzer77]

6:55 I won't lie- it's extremely jarring to hear NHL 95 menu music when watching an NHL 94 video. It's like watching Swingers and listening to them talk about making Gretzky's head bleed in a game with no blood (94, they were playing 93 on screen). 95 is my favorite. From what I recall, the Create Player feature had bugged stickhandling stats. If you set the stat to 99 it instead reverted to 43 or something. But if you set it to ~54 (always go for the lower part of the range) the stat would instead read as 90. Maybe ~72 would get it to 99?

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha, I knew someone would say this about the ‘95 theme lol. I just wanted to keep the NHL series music in it (like pay homage to it). I just thought it fit well with the part. I love NHL ‘95 too, it’s my second favorite. I actually didn’t know that about the create a player bug. I’ll try that out, thanks!

[@budwyzer77]

@@VicariouslyRetro come to think of it, try 81 as the stickhandling stat. That might hit 99.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@budwyzer77 I’ll give it shot 🤘🏻

[@TodaysNHLaction]

'97 had the skills competitions though

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea that was a cool feature. I remember not caring too much for it when I was younger though, but I did play it recently and it is a solid feature

[@TodaysNHLaction]

@@VicariouslyRetro sweet bro, just checked your videos, good stuff, kariya and selanne in '97 were just glorious to play with

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@TodaysNHLaction thank, man! Haha yea, Teemu was always one of my favorites to play with in NHL ‘97

[@scottcasey9240]

Best game ever made. 92-94

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Amen! 🤘🏻

[@crazy4rc]

Was good, so was 97 on pc and then 2000 on Snes ? I think ? It may have been ps1 which would have pushed it up to 2001.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Nah last 16-bit release was ‘98. Although ‘97 was the first 32-bit (3d) release. I owned ‘99 for the PC and had a blast with that

[@troygeiges]

Nes ice hockey still reigns

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I can see why that game is your favorite. It’s beyond epic.

[@movieclipz5034]

I still think '93 is the superior version, with fights, and blood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Hahaha I can’t blame you for liking ‘93 better. It’s an A+ plus game.

[@whataboutrob442]

Definitely the silver age of gaming was 1990 on the Sega Genesis and the last of the NES. I am talking sports games of course.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea, such classic titles

[@SeanGrady90]

It's sad how badly they messed up 95-98 IMO. The player movement is just so stiff and awkward looking, like it was designed by someone that's never seen anyone move on skates. NHL 94 plays so smoothly and perfectly. Like just keep making that same game, with added features! Why "fix" what isn't broken? EA messed up.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea I hear ya, man. I will say this about 96-98 as the skating seems off/too fast/clunky almost. NHL ‘95 is faster but it still has amazing gameplay, imo, but it wasn’t as flush as ‘94. I think all the games are solid but ‘94 is just so much better than all of them. Like you said, smoother and plays perfectly

[@Greg_Huff]

The only change I've seen with newer NHL games is they've made them unnecessarily complicated with all the timed button combos and weak hits. That's just my opinion.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea exactly. They’re still “fun”, but too complicated is accurate AF

[@toyfarmer2129]

It really is the best.only thing that would have made it 110% is if there were fights like NHLPA 93' .i think there was a problem with the NHL licenseing

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea that would’ve been the cherry on top. And yes, the NHL said that they wouldn’t give the license if they had fighting in it. Hence why ‘93 has the players in it and not the teams.

[@toyfarmer2129]

@@VicariouslyRetro yep.your right.i still play it often especially over the winter months.just a few weeks ago, there was this crazy music glitch at the start up screen that I've never heard before.man I wish you could hear it.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@toyfarmer2129 ahh I’m not familiar with that. That’s on NHL ‘93?

[@PossumMagic99]

We certainly dont have Ice Hockey in Australia but i remember NHL 94 and 95 being insanely popular. I prefer 95, please dont send me death threats 😅

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha that’s cool to know that it was popular down under. And trust me, I LOVE ‘95, I don’t blame you lol. It has more features

[@TimBitten]

I never understood the hate for the later SNES/Genesis NHL games. To me, they just kept getting better and better, and the next console gen is when it all went to crap.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea I still love all the NHL games on the Genesis. They’re all A games. I just place NHL ‘94 and ‘95 a slight tier above the rest. But that’s like saying Ocarina of time is better than Twilight Princess. You’re comparing a great game to another great game

[@VicariouslyRetro]

And yes, the series was terrible on the Saturn/PS1

[@whataboutrob442]

Great video, new subscriber. I thought NHL 95 was better.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Thanks, bro! Yea I can’t argue with you on that lol. I love NHL ‘95. I actually play it more than ‘94 through single player cause it’s more in-depth, has more options like a full season/trade and the AI is stronger. But when playing with buddies, it’s always ‘94. I always say ‘95 is a better single player experience and ‘94 is better for multiplayer

[@swebber1981]

IMO, I would have preferred 95-98 if players looked like the 92-94 style. Felt they looked too cartoony.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Yea the animations of the players were not as good as the earlier ones, I agree

[@ShaneLavigne-ke2rh]

For me the games don't have the fun nowadays all they have is the graphics I think old school games is the best

[@VicariouslyRetro]

100% There's something about those retro style hockey games that are so much more fun than the new ones. Obviously the new ones are amazing and realistic, but I always have way more fun playing the older ones with my friends. Such simple, fun arcade style

[@TrevorLahey1]

I'm sorry about you being a devil's fan. Take it easy bud

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Haha all good. I was born in the mid 80’s so I got to watch them be good for a whole decade between 94-04

[@MasteringHow-To]

Remember when I beat you 12-0?

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Hahaha, yea right!

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Bro stop by soon. Gotta record a 20 min period game and upload it

[@LeonDOro-i6r]

EA Sports games on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis were/are awesome, man. you're right regarding today's retro gamers dissing 90s Sports games, but to hell with them. what do they know anyways, and it makes these games more special since those morons don't ruin them with their bs. they've ruined a lot of classic games for me with the retro crap. anyway, awesome video. I love NHL '94 too. that and FIFA '95. both are the stand out EA Sports games on Sega in my book

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Exactly, man. Only the ones who grew up with these can truly understand the greatness. I love FIFA '95 too. Its amazing.

[@LeonDOro-i6r]

@@VicariouslyRetro 1st FIFA is awesome too but adding club teams for '95 makes '95 the best. Thanks for reminding me how awesome these games are with your video. I need to rebuy some of them now after watching this. Have a Happy New Year, bro

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@LeonDOro-i6r Yea I agree. I always play '95 over the first one. Thanks, man! Glad you enjoyed it. Gotta keep the legacy of these games alive. Happy NY to you too, buddy

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

I agree. Genesis games played smoother and more fluently than the SNES. This is when I realized "blast processing" was real and more than a marketing ploy.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@pinebarrenpatriot8289 amen!

[@GoodSupply]

Sega CD is the true superior version

[@VicariouslyRetro]

So I’ve heard. Still never played that version, believe it or not lol. It’s on my bucket list. But owning a Sega cd is just so implausible these days

[@kingraph]

I still prefer the Sega version. CD is the same game with random audio/video added in, but no real change to gameplay. And when you actually play the game, there are minor pauses to let the CD load music. It's actually annoying and what the regular Sega version remains #1.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@kingraph interesting! Good to know. Makes sense about the pauses. That would annoy me

[@Sammydx1]

In my opinion. The SNES version is superior. Genesis 94 is basically the 93 version with a few upgrades. SNES 94 is a completely different game

[@VicariouslyRetro]

It is a different game but I never got into it after the playing the Genesis version. Not saying the SNES version is bad or anything like that, I just love the flow and controls of the Genesis so much more

[@Sammydx1]

@VicariouslyRetro totally understand. My cousins were genesis guys.

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

SNES sports game were slower and more sluggish. This is how I knew "blast processing" was a real thing. NES fan-boys will always defend their first love😅

[@mdiddy444]

NHL 98 is better imo

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I hear ya! NHL ‘98 is my 3rd fav behind ‘95 and ‘94. I love the fact that you can change the game speed in ‘98. Playing it on the slow mode is the way to go imo.

[@walmartian422]

Yea I agree with you guys 94 95 and 98 are the best sega games of all time it’s like the only legit competitive game on the genesis.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@walmartian422 yea the NHL series is by far the best sports games on the Genesis. It’s not even close

[@whataboutrob442]

The only thing that blows me away is people that think this is better than the newer versions. I mean, I get it.... its hip to shit on anything modern, but there is no real strategy in NHL 94 and the players vs rink ratio is way off. Great for the time, but the game just kept getting better.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

I hear ya, man! For me, I wouldn’t say these older games are “better”, cause they’re totally different. I would just say that they’re obviously more simplistic, which equates to more of an arcade style like game, which a lot of people prefer, cause it’s so pick up n play, easy, which you said before. For example, I LOVED NHL ‘09 on the Xbox 360. I played it religiously online. I never really compared it to the 16-bit games cause they’re so different. It’s like comparing a Link to the Past to Breath of the Wild. But as I said in the video, I feel like modern sports games have lost their “magic” that older sports games had like NHL ‘94/‘95, NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, Ken Griffey Junior baseball, etc. The modern games are amazing games, for sure. But you almost have to dedicate so much time to get good at them. Idk, it’s hard to describe, the older games just hit different. And I’m not really saying that because of nostalgia, cause there’s so many games that I loved as a kid that I hate now lol. Regardless, it’s a great discussion. Thanks for the comments, bro! Love talking about this stuff.

[@whataboutrob442]

@@VicariouslyRetro That's the second year where they went to the RS to control the hockey stick instead of using the ABXY buttons. '08 is where I truly fell in love with the series on the 360.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

@@whataboutrob442 ahh ok, didn’t know. ‘09 was the first NHL game that I picked up on the 360 so that was my first experience for the 7th generation. I picked up NHL ‘11 years later and didn’t like it as much as ‘09, which left a sour taste in my mouth. I actually stopped playing it after a few months and went back to ‘09 lol

[@kingraph]

There's a TON of strategy in '94 and why there are passionate fans that continue to play online leagues and in person tournaments. 94 gameplay is unmatched

[@whataboutrob442]

@kingraph bro, the players are way to big compared to the playing surface. It's not like real hockey, there are certain cheats that you learn and that's how it goes.

[@williamRE]

It's not.

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Lol what’s your fav?

I STILL play this game lol

[@VicariouslyRetro]

Same, man. Game is like a fine wine 👌🏻