Play NHL '94 Online

Summary

NHL '94 marked a turning point for EA Sports’ hockey series, becoming the first title to carry both NHL and NHLPA licenses while keeping the series’ signature vertical camera angle. The game still relied on 2D sprite players, but new animations gave the rink a fresher feel and let the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers make their debut alongside the 1992‑93 rosters.

For the first time we could unleash a one‑timer—shooting directly off a pass—while defenders received harder body‑check animations, and the option to control the goalie manually added a layer of strategy. The long‑standing fighting mechanic was stripped out, and line‑change settings now offered off, manual, or a new automatic mode, with penalties toggled on, off, or on without offsides.

The mode list expanded beyond the classic exhibition and playoff series to include a best‑of‑seven showdown and a dedicated shoot‑out mini‑game, each with selectable period lengths of five, ten or twenty minutes. After every goal an organ tune plays, ranging from the Hartford Whalers’ "Brass Bonanza" to the Beatles’ "Birthday," and each team’s own anthem cues the start of periods.

Rosters faithfully mirrored the 1992‑93 season, complete with the league’s two newest franchises, and the Japanese Super Famicom version swapped all on‑screen text for Japanese while keeping passwords in plain ASCII.

Critics hailed it as the best hockey experience of its era, earning a 3.5/5 from AllGame, outselling Madden ’93, and landing spots on IGN’s top‑SNES list and multiple “greatest sports game” rankings. Its fast, frantic pace still influences modern titles, and even former NHL star Jeremy Roenick credits the game for boosting his profile.