The Boston Globe’s Chris Rattey — otherwise known as the Brian Epstein to Alex Reimer’s Dave Clark Five — has organized a 5 round, 32 game tournament/poll to determine “The Greatest Sports Video Game Of All Time”.
Though the omission of Brian Lara Cricket is rather troubling, it is hard to argue with NHL ’94 as one of the finalists, just in time (appropriately enough) for said classic title to re-emerge as bonus content on EA’s NHL 2006 release.
Not only do EA Sports’ NHL games kick butt, but playing NHL video games is one way to learn how to pronounce all of the players’ names, from listening to the fake play-by-play.
I believe NHL 2006 has a create a player feature. Kevin Stevens II, anyone?
Either that, or you create a player with all of the skill attributes turned way down (slow skater, can’t shoot, can’t pass, no endurance). Bam, instant Martin Grenier!
the introduction of the one-timer instantly changed the competative dynamic between me and my buddy jon. in previous years he would always play as gretzky and would score on breakaway after breakaway with an unstopable move from forehand to back hand. i knew it was coming but could not stop it. jon’s lack of ability to master the one-timer coupled with my discovery of the indominable oates/hull combination gave a level skating surface.
man, nhl 94. oates/hull, bong hits between periods and guided by voices on the stereo, that’s what i think of when i think of nhl 94.