As smooth as 16-bit hockey gets
Sega Genesis
Released in 1994 by EA Sports
Grade: A
With fast action, spot-on controls, beautiful graphics, and awesome sound, this is another successful installment of EA’s hockey series.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the follow-up to NHL 94, which means it had huge shoes to fill. They went with a pretty big change, created a game with faster movement, tweaked gameplay logic, and a healthy update to the graphics.
Compared to 94, it feels like there’s a bit more open ice and a generally more offensive game. Long passes are simpler to make in 95, whereas in 94, skilled gamers could thread the needle only here and there. On defense, it’s a bit harder to stuff your opponent’s offense with constant checking.
For NHL 96, EA went for something more sim and challenging, and since not everyone liked that, NHL 95 is the last of the undeniably lovable Genesis hockey titles.
Praises
The graphics were craftily updated. Player models are more “sculp-ty” and the rink is more detailed, it still has the familiar vibrant color, and it looks great in motion. Some nostalgia nuts will argue that the grainier 94 just has more charm visually.
The speed is tweaked up to just the right notch in 95, yet skating is still super intuitive, resulting in perhaps the most pleasurable of EA’s Genesis titles to play.
The sounds seem even a touch brighter and more plentiful than in 94’s stellar presentation.
Goals are scored in a variety of ways. A good offensive attack requires both precise setups and tenaciously firing shots. Here, check out some of the awesome goals possible in this YouTube video created by one of my fellow dorks.
The one gripe: it’s too easy against the CPU for skilled gamers. I’m almost sure I’ll win even playing as the Anaheim Mighty Sucks against the Western All-Stars. But that’s really it. Human vs human matches are a blast.
Top Teams
The Rangers beat the Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup, but still it’s the Blackhawks continuing their reign of 16-bit dominance with Jeremy Roenick scoring goals and Ed Belfour stopping them. Other top teams include Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Toronto. The 1995 Finals saw the underdog New Jersey Devils sweep the Red Wings.