NHL HOCKEY '95 by Electronic Arts

  Platform: Sega Genesis
      Size: 16 Meg
   Players: 1-4 (using EA's 4-Way Play) Difficulty: Medium

NHL Hockey '95 is the latest in a highly sucessful series of hockey simulations by EA Sports. While the leap from '94 to '95 is not as significant a jump as some of the other installments in the NHL Hockey series, there are some major improvements that are definately worth a look.

The main thing that NHL Hockey afficionados have been begging for over the years is a comprehensive season mode. They asked for it, and they got it. The season mode is pretty well done. It does keep some statistics, although not a great number of them. It does keep track of both team rankings in several categories, and individual statistics, from goals per game to goalie saves. The computer can autoplay games that you don't want to waste time with, and although it is somwehat accurate, it is still not very true to the respective players' ability ratings (or real life ability). In addition, you can choose the obligatory "if the season were to end today" option, in which the season (you guessed it) ends after the final game of the day is played, and then playoffs commence. Another interesting feature is the ability to create your own player, name him, and determine his strength ratings. One catch, however-- you can't arbitrarily give any player perfect ratings. You only have a certain amount of points to allocate to all of the player's abilities. This is a nice feature, but along with it, I would have liked the ability to edit the ratings of existing players. Another new feature that goes hand-in-hand with the season mode and player creation modes is the ability to trade players. Now you can sign free agents, trade players between teams, and just plain cut the dead weight from your roster. This is a good way to ensure that in auto-play mode, the computer doesn't start a player who is statistically inferior to someone you may have picked up with a trade or created. Finally, the bad news: there is no fighting! Many people had speculated that EA would thumb their noses at the moral majority and include fighting in this version, but it just didn't come to pass.

In terms of actual gameplay, the graphics aren't much different than '94. The ice is bigger; you see very little, if any, of the crowd during a game. The players are a bit bigger and don't have the same look as those in '94. I have heard a few people complain that the graphics are not as good as '94, but if anything, I think the players look more realistic. The goalies look much more realistic, and they are animated well. The face-off inset has been redrawn and looks better as well. On the whole, the user interface looks flashier and all of the stat screens and intro screens look better. As far as major changes to the game's graphics engine go, however, you won't find much of a difference between this and NHL '94.

The sound isn't a whole lot different either. Again, some people tell me that the organ music isn't as clear in this game as in '94, but I didn't notice much of a difference. The only real difference I have noticed (and approved of) is the "ugh" you hear when you knock an opposing player on his duff, and the cheers/jeers of the crowd. I am SO glad to be rid of the generic grunt that was the trademark of the NHL Hockey/John Madden Football series. The crowd's "aaaawh" that you hear when you almost score is a bit annoying, especially when you miss multiple shots and get a repetitive effect, but it's nothing that really even affects my enjoyment of the game.

Aside from everything else I've mentioned here, the main difference between this game and '94 is control. Just to compare, I put '94 in the other day, played Calgary vs. Buffalo, and was appalled at how slow it seemed. I almost couldn't play it. I had gotten so used to the ability to skate down the ice, weaving in and out of defensemen, and juking the goalie out of the net for an easy empty-net goal, that I couldn't even play '94. This game has been sped up considerably, and the control is much more responsive. It is easier to "wheel and deal" between players than in any of the previous versions. Although the game has been sped up overall, it is obvious that players' speed ratings (and teams' overall speed ratings) have been taken into account. It is easier to negotiate players and score on a breakaway, but I find that I have a hard time scoring with one-timers, which were pretty much my mainstay in '94. The reason for this is twofold: first, the goalies play much more actively, making nice diving glove saves and kick saves, and second, the ability of defensivemen to dive in front of the puck and stop it with their bodies. Combine this with an computer AI that is a lot harder to score on, and you've got yourself a game. (In '94, the only real way to get a challenge was to play Anaheim against the All Stars.) Another nice improvement is the addition of multi-game injuries (which look REALLY cool -- the broken leg is nice), which adds a little variety to the season mode.

Overall, I think NHL '95 is a great game. Don't buy it for the graphics or the sound, because that's not what EA was trying to improve here. Buy it for the season mode, and especially for the improved speed and control. While it may not look much different from '94, once you play it, you'll wonder how you ever got through a game of '94.

ED. - Note to readers and potential players of NHL '95 Hockey that EA has acknowledged a bug in the code that resets your team point totals to 0 if you exceed 128 points in a season. Beware if you are headed for the play-offs. You'll want to 'Start Playoffs Now' if you're that close. No known remedy at this time.