NHL 95 cover for the Sega Mega Drive.

The NHL series is the most popular video game series based on hockey, by EA Sports. The first version was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992, and since then it has been available on most major gaming platforms. Currently, it is available for the PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube and the Xbox. NHL 95 Mega Drive cover, scanned by wS for wikipedia This work is copyrighted. ... NHL 95 Mega Drive cover, scanned by wS for wikipedia This work is copyrighted. ... Original Sega Mega Drive (PAL version) Sega Mega Drive (Japanese: メガドライブ Mega Doraibu) is a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in 1988. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on sports. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The tower of a personal computer. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ...

The series

The first version of the game, titled NHL Hockey and released in 1992 for the Genesis, was considered the most realistic hockey game of its time. This game used a vertical view, which was unique at the time since most previous hockey games used horizontal or top-down views. It also featured an NHL license but not a license from the NHLPA, the players association. Therefore, the team names and logos were all present, but no players' names were mentioned. Instead, all players were referred to by their numbers. The Mega Drive version was released soon after, called EA Hockey and featured international teams. However, this change was merely cosmetic, as most team colours could be tracked to NHL teams. Although the game had all NHL teams that existed at the time, the only competition present were the playoffs, either decided on one or seven matches. The National Hockey League Players Association or NHLPA is a labour union that represents the interests of the hockey players in the National Hockey League. ... A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface and/or font, or arranged in a particular, but legible, way. ... Original Sega Mega Drive (PAL version) Sega Mega Drive (Japanese: メガドライブ Mega Doraibu) is a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in 1988. ... A playoff in sports (North American professional sports in particular) is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion. ...

The next release was titled NHLPA Hockey '93. Since there was no NHL license, it had all player names and numbers but did not have real team names or logos. Instead, teams were identified by their city and colors. This meant that the New York Islanders were referred to as the Long Island team, even though the official name does not designate the team as such. Also introduced were Tampa Bay and Ottawa to the 22 teams of NHL Hockey. It was also one of the first non-RPGs featuring EEPROM battery saving, which allowed to save lines and the ongoing playoff, rather than use passwords. The New York Islanders are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Uniondale, New York. ... The four counties of Long Island. ... The Tampa Bay Lightning are a National Hockey League team based in Tampa, Florida. ... This article discusses the current National Hockey League team. ... Computer role-playing games (CRPGs), often shortened to simply role-playing games (RPGs), are a type of video or computer game that traditionally uses gameplay elements found in paper-and-pencil role-playing games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A regular password-inserting screen (from Gods). ...

The game also started some dispute between EA and the ice hockey ruling bodies over what could be included on the licensed game. Injured players often bled when injured, mis-aimed shots could break the glass behind the net, and the instruction manual deliberately made references to injuring opposing key players, stating "Player injuries — it's a part of the game. Knock key opposing players out of the game with an extra hard body check"; Neither NHL or the NHLPA approved this, and both features plus fighting, although much more rare on NHLPA '93 than on EA Hockey (that could have up to ten fights in one match), were removed in the next version, NHL Hockey 94, since were considered harmful to the sports image. With this version, EA managed both NHL and NHLPA licenses. This was also the first version available for the PC and Sega CD, alongside the already existing Genesis/Mega Drive and SNES. It also included two new teams, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Florida Panthers, before the team had ever played a game in the NHL, which created a new anomaly. The Panthers had just acquired goalie John Vanbiesbrouck from the New York Rangers in the expansion draft, yet since all other team rosters were based on the previous season, Vanbiesbrouck, among other players, could be set against himself in a playoff game between the Panthers and the Rangers (although the likeliness of the Panthers making the playoffs in the game was slim, even though the real team ended up doing surprisingly well and just missed the cutoff). The Mega CD version of the game had Vanbiesbrouck removed from the Rangers, but with no added substitute, which left Richter as the only goaltender. The game added one-timers, goalie control, penalty shots, and a shootout mode. The series, however, gave a huge leap with NHL '95. For the first time, a complete season could be played, players could be created and traded, and gameplay also had improvements with the inclusion of fake shots, drop passes and laying on the ice to block shots. Several manuals (click photo for details) An instruction manual, in the context of computer and video games, is a booklet that instructs the player on how to play the game, gives descriptions of the controls and their effects, and shows a general outline of the concepts and goals of the... The modernized NHL shield logo, debuting in 2005. ... One of the first PCs from IBM - the IBM PC model 5150. ... Three versions of Sega CD: The Mega-CD 1 and 2 and the CDX/Multi-Mega. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, and Australia. ... The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Anaheim, California. ... The Florida Panthers are a National Hockey League (NHL) team, based in Miami, Florida and playing in the suburb of Sunrise. ... John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former ice hockey goalie. ... The New York Rangers (NYR) are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in New York City, New York. ... An Expansion Draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to offer a new franchise or franchises. ... The Sega Mega (Japanese: メガCD) is an add-on device for the Sega Mega Drive released in Europe, Australia and Japan. ...

NHL 96 for the PC was the first game in the series to have multiple cameras, using EAs Virtual Stadium techonology, which used 2D sprites on a 3D environment. Fighting was reintroduced, as well major and double minor penalties. Steve Yzerman and Scott Stevens were featured in the cover, and NHL's theme song, (Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited) was also used as the games' main theme. NHL 97 took the graphics even farther ahead, using a full 3D engine, with motion-captured polygonal players. Each goaltender had his own custom-painted mask (and the original artwork could be seen inside the game), and for the first time since EA Hockey, national teams were added, although only Canada, the United States and Russia had their own team; the other two were selections of the best European players. Along with the PC, Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES versions, both the Sega Saturn and PlayStation version made their debut. NHL 98 took the series little ahead, but introducing full national teams, as EA was not able to capture the Nagano Olympic Tournament license (acquired by Gremlin Interactive). Between NHL 99 and NHL 2003 there were no large improvements; a career mode (later developed into a Franchise mode) with retirement, drafting and player trades were added; created players could have a face textured with any photo; and online leagues became more organized in-game. It was also the worst period in the series, with many long-time fans either leaving after gameplay decread in quality or suffering from a massive community attack, where sites where hacked and fan-made modifications corrupted or packed with virus. As of 2005, they are still struggling to return to the better times before NHL 2000 was released. Steve Yzerman Stephen Gregory Yzerman (born May 9, 1965 in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Hometown: Nepean, Ontario), is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. Arguably one of the best and classiest to ever play the game, he led the Red Wings to three... Stevens played for Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... 2 Unlimited was a Eurodance group formed in 1991. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... The PlayStation (Japanese: プレイステーション) is a video game console of the 32-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid 1990s. ... (Redirected from 1998 Winter Olympic Games) The XVIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1998 in Japan. ... Gremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly on the personal computer and Amiga market. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

NHL 2003 was a revolutionary version of the game. Featuring Jarome Iginla on the cover, the game was very detailed and clean cut, but had some flaws. It featured out of control scoring, and unrealistic gameplay, with regards to hitting and shooting. Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (born July 1, 1977 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

NHL 2004, developed by the EA Black Box studios, added 3 European Elite leagues - Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Sweden's Elitserien and Finland's SM-liiga. (However, this was not for the first time; EA released both Elitserien 95 and Elitserien 96 for the Mega Drive in Sweden only and Elitserien and SM-liiga 2001 as a expansion pack for PC in Sweden and Finland). Thanks to its many improvements on gameplay and game modes such as a completely reworked franchise mode (renamed to Dynasty), more realistic puck and rebound control and better checking, it was praised as one of the best games in the series. Dany Heatley was on the cover, but after his infamous car crash that killed his teammate, Dan Snyder, EA removed him and replaced the cover with Joe Sakic. Deutsche Eishockey-Liga (German Hockey League, shortname DEL) is a German high-calibre ice hockey league, and has the highest number of American and Canadian players overseas. ... Elitserien is the name of the highest-level Swedish ice hockey league, where the first season under this name was played in 1975-1976. ... logo of SM-liiga SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. ... An expansion pack is an addition to an existing game. ... Dany Heatley (born January 21, 1981, in Freiburg, Germany) is a Canadian hockey player for the NHLs Ottawa Senators. ... Dan Snyder in 2002 Dan Snyder (born February 23, 1978 in Elmira, Ontario, died October 5, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia) was a professional Canadian ice hockey player. ... Joe Sakic (born July 7, 1969) is a professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. ...

NHL 2005 features Open Ice Control, which according to EA allows better control, including moving players without the puck and also a complete World Cup mode where each team can be created from scratch. It featured Markus Naslund on the cover. For other hockey World Cups, see World Cup (hockey) for disambiguation The World Cup of Hockey is the successor to the Canada Cup ice hockey tournament. ... Markus Näslund Markus Näslund (born July 30, 1973, in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a professional Ice Hockey Left Wing in the NHL, playing for the Vancouver Canucks. ...

NHL 06 was released in September 2005, with Vincent Lecavalier and creators of the game placed in a surprise for the PlayStation 2 owners only: playing NHL '94 was an option, and it would look the same as it was when it was originally released. [1] Ongoing events • Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal • Atlantic hurricane season • Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak • Bali bombings investigation • California wildfires • UK Conservative Party leadership election • DeLay political financing scandal • Dengue outbreak in Singapore • Fuel prices / Peak oil • Harriet Miers nomination and hearings • Hurricane Wilma • Irans nuclear program • Kashmir earthquake • London bombings... Vincent Lecavalier (born April 21, 1980 in Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning. ...

In these three versions, fighting was up to the player themselves. When two players' names flashed onto the bottom of the screen, accompanied by the word "Fight!" and a boxing bell sounding, the person playing the game could push a button to begin a fight, or hold off until a later time. Furthermore, goaltenders were able to fight. Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano at Madison Square Garden, 1951 Julio Cesar Chavez and Ivan Robinson at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, 2005 Amir Khan of Britain and Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa of Cuba at the Athens Olympics, 2004 Boxing, nicknamed the sweet science and also called pugilism or prizefighting...

Game covers

As traditional with EA Sports, their boxes featured live action photos instead of drawings. An example of a regular cardbox for a 1998 PC game. ...

As it lacked the NHLPA license, the early titles had staged photos without real players. NHLPA Hockey 93, on the other hand, had the rights to use player image, but not of the teams. In this cover, the staged photo is surrounded by eight small portraits of players (Steve Yzerman, Andy Moog, Pat LaFontaine, Brian Leetch, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy, Jeremy Roenick and Rick Tocchet). This changed with NHL 94, which featured a goal situation for LA Kings against Boston. NHL 95, considered to be the best cover in this period, featured an in-goal camera during a goal situation in Vancouver. NHL 96 featured New Jersey's Scott Stevens and Detroit's Steve Yzerman. Andy Moog (Born: February 18, 1960 in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada) is a retired hockey goaltender. ... Pat LaFontaine (born February 22, 1965, in St. ... Brian Leetch (born March 3, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA) is a professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the National Hockey Leagues Boston Bruins. ... Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960 at Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Hockey Hall of Famer who currently holds the records for most goals, assists and points by a defenseman in the National Hockey League. ... Patrick Roy playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 1999 Patrick Roy (pronounced Wah) (born October 5, 1965, in Quebec City, Quebec) is a retired ice hockey goaltender. ... Jeremy Shaffer Roenick (Rönick) (born January 17, 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a professional hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. Roenick has previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Chicago Blackhawks. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a National Hockey League team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. Founded: 1967 Arena: Staples Center Former Home Arenas: Long Beach Sports Arena (part of 1967), Los Angeles Sports Arena (part of 1967); The Forum (1967-1999) Uniform colors: Purple, black, and silver Logo design... The Boston Bruins are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Members of Parliament Libby Davies, Ujjal Dosanjh, David Emerson, Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen Members of the Legislative Assembly Gordon Campbell, David Chudnovsky, Adrian Dix, Colin Hansen, Jenny Kwan, Lorne Mayencourt, Wally Oppal, Gregor Robertson, Shane Simpson, Carole Taylor Mayor Sam Sullivan City Manager Judy Rogers Governing Body Vancouver City Council... The New Jersey Devils (NJD) are a National Hockey League team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The Detroit Red Wings are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded: 1926 Formerly known as: Cougars 1926-1930, Falcons 1930-1932 Home arena: Joe Louis Arena Former Home Arenas: Windsor Arena (1926-27); Detroit Olympia (1927-1979) Uniform colors: Red and white. ...

Since NHL 97, each cover features only one player, with John Vanbiesbrouck (Panthers) being the first. He was followed by Peter Forsberg (Colorado, NHL'98), Eric Lindros, (Flyers, NHL'99), Chris Pronger, (St. Louis Blues, NHL 2000), Owen Nolan, (Sharks, NHL 2001), Mario Lemieux, (Penguins, NHL 2002), Jarome Iginla, (Calgary, NHL 2003), Dany Heatley and Joe Sakic, (Atlanta Thrashers and Colorado, respectively, in NHL 2004) and finally Markus Näslund, (Vancouver) in NHL 2005. John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former ice hockey goalie. ... The Florida Panthers are a National Hockey League (NHL) team, based in Miami, Florida and playing in the suburb of Sunrise. ... â–¶(?) (born July 20, 1973 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a center/left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... The Colorado Avalanche are a National Hockey League team based in Denver, Colorado. ... Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros (born February 28, 1973 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 11, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario) is an ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers, and formerly the Hartford Whalers and St. ... The St. ... Owen Nolan, being checked by Swede Henrik Zetterberg at the 2002 Winter Olympics. ... The San Jose Sharks are a National Hockey League team based in San Jose, California. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (born July 1, 1977 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Calgary Flames are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Calgary, Alberta. ... Dany Heatley (born January 21, 1981, in Freiburg, Germany) is a Canadian hockey player for the NHLs Ottawa Senators. ... Joe Sakic (born July 7, 1969) is a professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. ... The Atlanta Thrashers are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Markus Näslund Markus Näslund (born July 30, 1973, in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks. ...

The cover for NHL 06 features Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a National Hockey League team based in Tampa, Florida. ... Vincent Lecavalier (born April 21, 1980 in Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning. ...

NHL Series in mainstream media

Given the popularity of both the sport of hockey and the NHL series, it comes to no surprise it made appearances on mainstream media, usually as a prop.

Swingers

The removal of fights in NHL Hockey 94 was addressed in the movie Swingers: Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Look up film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Swingers is a film released in 1996 about the lives of single, unemployed actors living in Los Angeles, California. ...

Trent: I wish they still had fights in this game so I could bitch-slap Wayne.

Mike: What? They don't have fighting anymore?

Trent: Doesn't that suck?

Mike: Why'd they get rid of the fighting? It was the best part of the old version.

Sue: I think kids were hittin' each other or somethin', man.

Trent: Yeah but you know what, Mike? You can make their heads bleed in this one.

Mike: Make somebody's head bleed.

Sue: No man, were in the playoffs.

Trent: I'm making Gretzky's head bleed for super-fan #99 over here.

However, this is not completely accurate, as bleeding players were also removed. They also were playing NHLPA Hockey '93 which had blood and fighting but the fighting was strategic and players like Gretzky would not have fought. In the original NHL Hockey, Gretzky was able to fight.

Chasing Amy

Kevin Smith's 1997 movie Chasing Amy featured the characters playing one version of NHL Hockey, but it was not the first time Smith used a hockey game: Sega's All Star Hockey featured on Mallrats. Kevin Smith at a comics convention in 2005 Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American screenwriter, film director, comic book writer, and creator of View Askew. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chasing Amy is a 1997 romantic comedy about two comic book artists: Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck), a heterosexual male, and Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), a lesbian. ... Sega (セガ) (pronounced seh-gah in the U.S, see-gah elsewhere) is a video game software and hardware developer, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. ...

External links

• free playable NHL 97
• EA Sports NHL '06 Official Website (Latest version of the NHL series)
• ameGroupId,42/ MobyGames page on the series
• NHL94.com (frequently updated NHL 94 resource)