The NHL 94 SNES port, smooth and snappy for its time. Still playable today, perfect for short matches with friends.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
EA Sports ice hockey simulation featuring official NHL teams and players. Published by EA Sports, released in the USA in 1993. Thirty fully licensed NHL teams, realistic hockey mechanics with passes, shots and body checks and season and playoff modes. The finest ice hockey game of the 16-bit generation.
NHL '94 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
EA Sports bets everything on the readability of the ice: a bright rink, the team logo painted at centre, board advertising and kits in frank colours that let you follow a pass blind. The skaters, small but properly animated, leave trails on the ice, and the camera pulls back just far enough to show the play without losing the puck.
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Snappy, fluid hockey, where passes crack, shots fly and the slightest goal sets off an explosion of joy: this cult edition laid the foundations of the genre. The instant handling hides real finesse, and matches chain in good cheer. Two-player, rivalry flares. Fast, readable and fiercely addictive, a benchmark sport to savour among friends.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Launching a counterattack, winding up a shot and burying it top-shelf delivers a flow of hockey that instantly calls for the next match. A season to run, teams to master and tight duels fuel an endless rivalry among friends. Technically dated, this sports classic keeps a drive and a hook that have stayed remarkably intact.
The US SNES release of EA Sports' NHL '94, regarded by many as the matrix of modern console hockey with the introduction of one-time passes. The loose grey US SNES cart stays accessible, but boxed CIB in an intact box with manual is valued by US EA Sports SNES collectors. The cote climbs steadily, sustained by the game's cult status among nostalgic hockey fans and by its reputation as the genre's absolute reference.
Better with friends
A benchmark hockey of exemplary fluidity, whose balance makes it an untouchable classic of multiplayer. The competition thrives on the tempo of passes, slap shots and tense breakaways, crowned by the famous goalie jubilation after a goal. Accessible and deep, it chains tight matches and remains, decades on, one of the most-played sports titles among friends on the console.
Is NHL '94 still worth playing in 2026?
NHL '94, also released as NHL Hockey '94 and NHL Pro Hockey '94, is probably the most defining 16 bit hockey title, namely the EA Sports entry that set the formula. The handling stays pleasantly direct, passes are readable and fights are still on the menu. The cartridge keeps its charm thanks to a strikingly fluid game feel and well dosed graphic callouts. Recommended for retro multiplayer evenings and 16 bit arcade sport fans, the title remains a classic.
