NHL '94 is anice hockey game byEA Sports for theSega Genesis,Super NES, andSega CD, as well as the first release for thePC (DOS), simply titledNHL Hockey, without the "'94" in the title. The third game in theNHL seriesmedia franchise, it was released in September 1993 for the Sega Genesis and November 1993 for the Super Nintendo.^[2] The game was the first in the series to be officially licensed by both theNational Hockey League (NHL) and theNHL Players' Association (NHLPA).^[3]NHL '94 launched to critical acclaim, and it has since been referred to as one of the greatest sports video games of all time.^[4]

NHL '94
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis cover art
Developer(s)	EA Canada (SNES) High Score Productions (Genesis, Sega CD) Park Place Productions (MS-DOS) Empty Clip Studios (Rewind)
Publisher(s)	EA Sports Electronic Arts Victor (Japan)
Designer(s)	Jim Simmons
Programmer(s)	Mark B. Lesser
Composer(s)	Rob Hubbard
Series	NHL series
Platform(s)	Original Genesis,Super NES,Sega CD,DOS Rewind PlayStation 4,Xbox One
Release	Genesis: UK: September 11, 1993[1] NA: September 1993 Super NES: NA: November 1993 EU: March 31, 1994 JP: April 8, 1994 Sega CD: NA: January 1994 EU: March 1994 Rewind: WW: October 30, 2020
Genre(s)	Traditional ice hockeysimulation
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer

The game maintained the series' signature vertical camera angle, which offered the player distinct gameplay and strategic advantages over contemporary side-view hockey games, and kept the 2D sprite character models ofNHLPA '93 (albeit with some new animations). The team rosters and player attributes in the game reflect that of the1992-93 season, and include the league's two new expansion teams for that season, theMighty Ducks of Anaheim (now the Anaheim Ducks) andFlorida Panthers.

Many improvements were made to the engine by EA between 1992 and 1993. Notably,NHL '94 introduced the "one timer", an authentic hockey move where a player shoots the puck directly off of a pass, as well as manual goalie control.NHL '94 also added the ability to save user and player records,^[5] and has five modes: Exhibition Game, Playoffs, Best of Seven Playoffs, Shootout, and Demo. There are no international teams, but bothall-star teams are present. Also introduced were team-specific organ songs played at the start of periods and after goals—examples include theHartford Whalers' trademark "Brass Bonanza", "Halte-là! Les Canadiens sont là!" for theMontreal Canadiens, "When the Saints Go Marching In" for theSt. Louis Blues, "The Sabre Dance" for theBuffalo Sabres, and theChicago Blackhawks theme song "Here Come the Hawks". "Birthday" bythe Beatles is also featured as an organ song after a goal is scored.

• Exhibition Game
• Stanley Cup Playoffs: Single Game Series
• Stanley Cup Playoffs: Best of Seven Series
• Shootout Mini-Game
• Demo

A version titledNHL Pro Hockey '94^[a] was released in Japan for theSuper Famicom which has all the important text in Japanese including the main menu, the actual hockey players, the secondary (end of period and post-game) menus, and the crowd meter. However, the passwords still useASCII letters and numbers exclusively.

The National Hockey League had EA Sports remove fighting from the Sega CD version of the game.^[6]

TheNHL 94 game engine was later used (albeit modified for extra violence) for EA's Sega Genesis gameMutant League Hockey.^[7]

A port of the game was included in thePlayStation 2 version ofNHL 06. This port was based on the Sega Genesis version, but lacks the official NHL rosters from the original title. Furthermore, theHartford Whalers were known as the Hartford Canes in that version, as a nod to the team's current name, theCarolina Hurricanes.^[5]

On July 11, 2013, it was announced thatNHL 14 would include anNHL '94 Anniversary Mode, celebrating the 20th anniversary ofNHL '94. It changesNHL 14 audiovisually and control-wise to resembleNHL '94, using the teams and players from the2013-2014 NHL season, alongside the music from the Sega Genesis version. It also changes other gameplay elements like including faster game speed and having relaxed game rules.^[8] It would later return in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions ofNHL 15, using the teams and players from the2014-15 NHL season, andNHL: Legacy Edition, using the teams and players from the2015-16 NHL season, due to both games being based onNHL 14.

On October 2, 2020, it was announced that a port ofNHL ‘94 titledNHL ‘94 Rewind, developed byEmpty Clip Studios for thePlayStation 4 andXbox One, using the Arsenal emulation software engine, would be released on October 30 for players who pre-orderedNHL 21. In December 2020, it became available for purchase to anyone, regardless of ownership ofNHL 21.^[9] This version is based on the Sega Genesis version and features the teams and players from the2020-21 NHL season.

Computer Gaming World in 1993 stated thatNHL Hockey for DOS had "a playing environment that is flush with realism, excitement and credibility". The magazine concluded that "players will lose themselves in the simulation and feel they are in control of a televised NHL broadcast ... an experience well worth the price of admission".^[14] In June 1994 it was a finalist for the magazine's Sports Game of the Year award, losing toFront Page Sports Football Pro.^[15]

GamePro gave the Sega CD version a perfect score, citing improved controls and playability from the already outstanding Genesis and SNES versions, as well as the use of real-life NHL footage.^[6]

Allgame editor Scott Alan Marriot describedNHL '94 as "the best playing hockey game at the time of its release".^[10]

IGN ranked the game 59th on their "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time." They opined thatNHL '94 "Truly defined hockey adaptations in the 16-bit era." They also praised the four-player multiplayer mode and described the single-player gameplay as "Fast and frantic pace of skating and slap-shotting here felt utterly unrivaled." The only criticism they had was thatNHL '94 removed the option to brawl with the opposing team.^[16] In 1994,PC Gamer US namedNHL Hockey the 11th-best computer game ever. The editors called it "nearly flawless in its representation of the speed and the strategies of full-tilt, real-time NHL hockey — and besides, it's one of the best PC games available."^[17] That same year,PC Gamer UK named it the 41st-best computer game of all time, calling it "one of the most enjoyable PC sports sims to date".^[18] In 1996,GamesMaster ranked the Mega Drive version 65th in its "Top 100 Games of All Time."^[19]

In the years following its release,NHL '94 has come to be considered one of the greatest sports games of all time. The Genesis version was included as #61 onElectronic Gaming Monthly's "100 Best Games of All Time" in 1997^[20] and as #47 onIGN's Top 100 Games of All-Time in 2005.^[21] It was named All-Time Greatest Sports Video Game byBoston.com.^[22] It was also ranked second byESPN on its all-time sports video games rankings.^[23]Bleacher Report listed it as the second-best hockey video game ever made (behindNHL 10) but also cited it as "one of the best video games ever made."^[24]

Former NHL playerJeremy Roenick credits his fame to the exposure he received fromNHL '94, as he was listed as one of the best players in the game.^[25]

In 2012,GamesRadar ranked it as the 25th-best Sega Genesis game due in part to its realism.^[26] In 2014, GamesRadar updated the list andNHL '94 was ranked 15th.^[27]

The goal horn sound from the Sega Genesis version was used in the World of CHEL mode sinceNHL 19 as an unlockable goal horn.

• NHL '94 atMobyGames
• NHL '94 can be played for free in the browser at theInternet Archive
• Game manual
• NHL94.com
• NHL '94 (Super NES) atGameFAQs
• NHL '94 (Mega Drive/Genesis) at GameFAQs
• NHL '94 (Sega CD) at GameFAQs