Feature: The Top Ten Hockey Video Games of All Time
This week we present a special playoff edition of the top ten.
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Is there any other sport that translates so seamlessly to the world of video games?
In a word: No.
Hockey is a game that synchronises speedy finesse and bloodthirsty violence; two factors that any video game should aspire to include. It's a meticulous blend of skill and sheer brawn that makes the sport so appealing to watch and to play, whether in real life or in a digital rink.
Besides, as a die-hard Ottawa Senators fan, video games seem to be the only way that I can watch Daniel Alfredsson lift that gorgeous Stanley Cup above his head. Eventually I will see the real thing, but until that wonderful day comes, the digital equivalent will have to do.
No matter what team you support, any of these ten titles are a perfect way to live out your hockey fantasies without leaving the comfort of your couch.
Honourable Mention: NHL Stanley Cup - Super Nintendo
Cover Athlete - Faceless hockey guy going in on faceless goalie
I can still remember the commercials for this one. As a young hockey fan in 1993, I had chills up my spine as the ominous announcer confidently declared "Stanley Cup not included."
While the game today feels a little choppy and doesn't have any real NHL players, it was a revelation when it first came out. The 3-D dimensional mode-7 graphics were phenomenal and created the most immersive hockey game of its day. NHL Stanley Cup also is notorious for being one of the hardest hockey games ever released, with goalies nearly as large as the net. Nausea not included either.
10) NHL 2003 - PC
Cover Athlete - Jarome Iginla
I may be in the minority here, but I loved the goofy presentation that EA instituted for its turn of the millennium hockey games. Video game hockey should not be taken so seriously, and it was great to laugh my ass off with the wonderfully over the top play-by-play commentary by Jim Hughson and Don Taylor. Why talk about digital hockey strategy when you can talk about swivel chairs or trying to replicate the screenshots on the back of the box.
Beyond the hilarity was a very solid hockey engine that ran well on even a modest PC back in the day. The hockey mechanics, coaching options, and goaltender AI were all very solid in this iteration. There was also an ace card collecting mini-game that EA has cut out of all of their next generation titles, much to my chagrin. Forget the middling console versions, this was the last year that the PC version of EA's venerable franchise reigned supreme.
9) NHL 2K6 - Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2
Cover Athlete - Mats Sundin (Canadian version) and Marty Turco (American version)
The NHL 2K series reached its pinnacle in the 2K6 season, the second last on the last generation hardware. There were no stupid "prostick" gimmicks, no arcadey presentation, no cinnemotion, just a hardcore hockey simulation that played like a smooth skating dream. Best of all, it was dirt cheap on day one of its release. To this day, it's still the best of the 2K series.
8) Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey - Nintendo 64
Cover Athlete - If I said it wasn't Wayne Gretzky, would you be surprised?
Hockey doesn't come more over the top and crazily entertaining as this N64 party favourite. How can you argue with a game that turns goalies into brick walls after three saves and flaming shots that set the entire net on fire? For pick up and go party hockey, it still doesn't come much better than this arcadey classic.
7) NHL Open Ice 2 on 2 Challenge - Arcade, PlayStation
Cover Athlete - None
A spiritual successor to the classic NBA Jam, Open Ice placed you in a tiny rink where there were no holds barred, and goalies that were as efficient as a cardboard cutout. All the best staples of NBA Jam were here, such as turbo buttons, crazy special moves, an overly enthusiastic announcer, and nets that burst into flames when three goals in a row were scored. To my recollection, this is the only hockey arcade game to see a mass release. If you find this game in an arcade, drop a quarter in. It's arcade hockey done right.
6) Ice Hockey - Nintendo Entertainment System
Cover Athlete - Some Guy...
This was the first hockey game to allow you to pick your team, much like in elementary school when you always the last one picked for any sporting event. Do you stack up your team with speedy skinny guys, or do you intimidate your opponent with the slow-moving, heavy-hitting fat guys? I personally went middle of the road, with one of each and two middle players.
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Latest Comments (Forum View)
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Syncy - April 17, 2008 11:24 AM ET |
it HAD to be blades of steel. The competition was over before it began.
I like how relevant the whole having to turn to video games to see the "Alfredson and the sens hoisting the cup over their heads" is. Seeing as how they got booted from the playoffs yesterday after the first freakin' four games of the playoffs. So ridiculously frustrating.
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The writing was on the wall for the sens since march or so. They've been playing lazy, soft, and taking stupid penalties. Murray has some work to do in the offseason
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Shawn - April 17, 2008 1:20 PM ET |
You guys are going to seriously kick me on this one, but I picked so many Pittsburgh players in my pool this year that if Ottawa one I'd be screwed. It's too bad they couldn't have lasted a couple more games though!
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Same. Went heavily with the Habs, Sharks, and Red Wings. Needless to say the Flames and Preds are giving me fits.
Back on topic, I have NHLPA 93 for the SNES. Wraparounds were broken (the goalie would never move over, giving you an open net to score in.)
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NHLPA 93 for GENESIS was the one that I ranked though. It was smoother, less buggy, and generally more fun to play
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A fine list indeed although I think two games were overlooked
Hit the Ice (Arcade), before NHL Open Ice came along (in fact before NBA Jam came along) this was the closest thing to over the top, ridiculous sporting goodness. Two on two, hockey, goofy characters and animations, a quasi strange RPG mode where you go traveling from area to area to challenge other teams. Amusing cut scenes, and the best fighting since Blades of Steel. To the best of my memory, the arcade version had a strong tendency to keep games close whether you were on the winning or losing side. Yes the home console versions were barely worth a look (although the NES version wasn't too shabby considering the lack of quality hockey titles). It did have 4 player multi player which is something I believe virtually every game on this list has (minus Blades of Steel)
NHL 96: (Super NES/Genesis) Yes NHLPA 93 was the grand daddy of video game hockey in the 16 bit era but NHL 96 helped make it easier for gamers who only had one of the 16 bit systems to get their hockey on. Gone were the amusing albeit grainy player portraits from NHL 95, but the game play was smoothed out, sure you could score that "trick" way to turn the game into Blades of Steel like scores. Throw in the cool intro music, the return of fighting, injuries, balanced teams and a season mode that was ahead of it's time (yet also introduced in NHL 95) and it was an awesome time regardless of which console you played on.
Honourable mention: NHL 97 (Genesis) The Super NES version paled in comparison by a long shot. Don't know why the Genesis game got upgrades while the SNES version got the creepiest hockey game music intro that belongs in a Friday the 13th movie. While the SNES hockey games (including NHL 98) sputtered to the finish (like a certain NHL hockey team that shall remain nameless) the Genesis versions retained the high quality you'd expect from a hockey video game.
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