Games like NHL 94
NHL 94 is fast, simple and built around the one-timer. The closest things to it now are the old EA games right around it (NHLPA 93 and NHL 95), the NHL 94 Rewind (a remaster that came with NHL 21), arcade games like Blades of Steel and NHL Hitz, and newer fast hockey games like the upcoming Barnburners and Brudvig Hockey 2027, which is free in a browser. Here's what each one shares with 94 and what it doesn't.
What made NHL 94 great
EA's NHL 94 came out in 1993 on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. Thirty-plus years later people still play it, run tournaments on it and argue about the best line on the Blackhawks. Why:
- The one-timer. NHL 94 was the first EA game with it. Pass across, hit shoot as the puck arrives, and it's in before the goalie can move. It's still the best goal in hockey games. We explain how one-timers work on the ice and in our game in shots and moves.
- Speed. Games flow end to end. No long stoppages, nothing in the way of the next rush.
- Simple controls. On offense: pass, shoot, and a speed burst. On defense: check and switch player. You could hand someone a controller and they'd be playing in a minute.
- Two players on a couch. Or four on the Genesis with EA's 4 Way Play adapter. It was built for playing someone in the same room.
- No fights. NHLPA 93 had them; 94 took them out and nobody missed them much.
- Real teams and players. 26 NHL teams and their actual rosters. This part is the hardest to copy, because it takes the league's and the players' licenses.
Games like NHL 94
| Game | Where | Cost | Like 94 because | Not like 94 because |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHLPA Hockey 93 (1992) | Genesis, SNES | Old cartridges | The same engine, a year earlier | No team logos, and it has fights |
| NHL 95 (1994) | Genesis, SNES | Old cartridges | Almost the same on-ice game, plus seasons and trades | Some say it's a touch less sharp |
| NHL 94 Rewind (2020) | PS4, Xbox One | A bonus with NHL 21 pre-orders | 94's top-down view and rules with 2020-21 rosters | Hard to get now; a remaster, not the original |
| Blades of Steel (1988) | NES (arcade 1987) | Old hardware | Fast, simple, great with two players | Older and rougher, with fights |
| NHL Hitz 20-02, 20-03 | PS2, Xbox, GameCube | Used discs | Fast and arcade, real NHL teams | 3-on-3 and over the top, hits instead of rules |
| Recent EA NHL | PS5, Xbox Series | Paid, every fall | Real rosters, and arcade 3-on-3 modes | Far more complicated controls |
| Barnburners | PC (Steam) | Not out yet | A one-person arcade hockey project in that spirit | Coming to Steam Early Access, planned for late 2026 |
| Brudvig Hockey 2027 | Any browser: phone, PC, Mac, Chromebook, TV | Free | Fast, simple controls, one-timers, play a friend | 3-on-3 with big hits; made-up teams, no real players |
Which one should you play?
- You want NHL 94 itself: the original cartridge on a Genesis or SNES is still the real thing. If you got NHL 94 Rewind with NHL 21 on PS4 or Xbox One, that's the easy way to get the feel on modern hardware.
- You want more of the same era: NHL 95 for the season mode, NHLPA 93 if you miss the fights and breaking glass.
- You want arcade, fast and loud: NHL Hitz. See games like NHL Hitz for what you can still get.
- You want something new on PC: try the Barnburners demo.
- You want to play a friend in the next minute, for free, on whatever you're holding: that's what Brudvig Hockey 2027 is for.
Where Brudvig Hockey is like NHL 94, and where it isn't
We're not NHL 94 and won't pretend to be. No real teams, no real players. But the things that made 94 fun to play are the things we care about most:
- One-timers. Pass to a teammate and press shoot as the pass reaches him. On a phone, the shoot button reads ONE-T when one's on. The tips page has more.
- Simple controls. Skate, pass, shoot, check, plus a spin or poke check. Phone buttons, keyboard and mouse, or a gamepad. All on the controls cheat sheet.
- Speed. No penalties, no icing, no offside. Play stops for goals and the end of a period. A game is three 2-minute periods, and the speed is a slider in Settings.
- Playing people you know. Send a link and up to six people play, three a side, on any mix of phones and computers (play a friend). Or put it on a TV and everyone uses their phone as a controller (play on TV), which is the closest thing to a couch and a 4 Way Play.
Where it's different: it's 3-on-3 plus goalies, closer to Hitz than to 94's five-a-side, and hits are big. Players can crack and shatter the glass and go into the crowd. If that's too much, the hit size is a slider too. There's a 32-team Challenge Cup where you have to win five straight, and 11 mini games including a Classic Shootout.
For how NHL 94 fits into the bigger story, from table hockey through Hitz, see the history of arcade hockey games, and for a wider ranking, the best hockey video games of all time.
Questions
What is a game like NHL 94?
The closest are NHL 95 and NHLPA Hockey 93 from the same era, and the NHL 94 Rewind (a remaster that came with NHL 21). For something new and free, Brudvig Hockey 2027 is fast arcade hockey with simple controls and one-timers in a browser.
Can I play NHL 94 on a modern console?
Not the original as a separate download that we know of. NHL 94 Rewind, a 2020 remaster that came with NHL 21 pre-orders on PS4 and Xbox One, recreates its look and rules with 2020-21 rosters.
Did NHL 94 invent the one-timer?
It was the first EA hockey game with the one-timer, and it's the game that made it famous.
Is there a free game like NHL 94?
Brudvig Hockey 2027 is free in any browser, with no download or account. It's 3-on-3 rather than 5-on-5 and has made-up teams, but it's fast, simple and built around passing and one-timers.
Does NHL 94 have fighting?
No. NHLPA Hockey 93, the year before, had fights; NHL 94 removed them.