After the NHL Stanley Cup Finals and the victory of the Pittsburgh Penguins over the San Jose Sharks, there is a big void left for true die-hard fans of the game (a huge void for Sharks fans), a void that can be filled with some nostalgic play of the hockey games we grew up on. Luckily, hockey fans have been blessed with some good games even though there aren’t too many developers that stepped foot into the icy arena of hockey.
The simulations are true to the game of hockey, and the little wackier versions play their part too, but both can be interesting even to people who are not fans because of their mechanics and great gameplay.
NHL '94
This game had to be on the top list because that's the case even when the topic isn't hockey games themselves but just games in general. NHL '94 is considered one of the greatest games ever by many people, and it was onlt the third release in a franchise. It introduced the "one timer" and had a great number of game modes, the quantity of which was on the level of some modern games, and the quality wasn't lacking too, especially with the shootout mini-game.
Mutant League Hockey
For those very few people that don't think hockey is hardcore, cool, or aggressive enough, Mutant League Hockey is the perfect game as it puts robots, trolls, and undead skeletons on the ice and throws most of the rules out of the equation. The league was divided into two conferences, the Toxic and the Maniac conference with the team names sounding similarly extreme and cool. Mischief on the ice is the best way to describe this cleverly-designed game, as bribing the referee and breaking the ice was a part of the gameplay.
NHL 2004
It’s been 13 years since the release of NHL 2004, and whether you believe it or not, there are still people playing it today! The vast number of NHL fans that use PCs for gaming consider this to be the best one in the series, and modded versions of the game can be found online, with which the gap between the NHL 2004 and more modern titles can be bridged. It was a turning point for the whole franchise, implementing a lot of significant technical and mechanical improvements.
NHL '13
This was a game sent from above; as the NHL lockout was in effect, hockey fans got something that satisfied the desire for some action on the ice. The "True Broadcast" camera gave NHL '13 a realistic feel that made you feel like you were looking at an actual televised game. A revamped physics engine made the players move smoothly, even during faster changes of pace, and collisions on the ice were a real joy to behold, as the action had a natural feel to it.
NHL ‘11
Fans were ecstatic when NHL '10 hit the shelves. It was highly praised. Often, a gamer would dare to say it was the best of what hockey games have to offer. Then NHL '11 came out and there was no doubt that it was the best one yet, and it still holds up without a doubt. A big cut was made from all the previous NHL games, the physics engine was completely new and the players on the ice could score from any place unlike in the older versions. Other cool features were icing on the cake, and the fighting system was especially interesting, even for those who aren't that big into hockey.
