Popular games for franchise NHL

NHL 96 was the first EA Sports game to feature Virtual Stadium technology, which resulted in a 3D feel and multiple camera angles. The NHL license ensures that real teams and players of the era are included, with a full league and playoff system. Many game options can be toggled - the infamous fighting is option, as are the penalties and offsides. The control system makes it possible to execute one-touch passes, and several special trick moves to quickly advance the ball. As a bonus feature, it included 'Hockey Card' profiles of every player on CD, and interviews with the stars of the game.

1997 edition of EA's NHL sport simulation series. Improvements in this edition come mostly in the graphical arena, with a refined version of the "virtual stadium" system that adds new camera angles (including the classical top-down one strangely missing from NHL 96), and polygonal players instead of the bitmap-based ones with motion-captured animations. Other extras include multiplayer support for up to 8 players through network or Gravis's GrIP system, the option to create new players and trade them around, and the usual amount of EA sports licensed multimedia flair, including an interesting "Goalie Mask Viewer" which lets you observe the elaboratedly decorated helmets of 30 goalies.

Capture all the speed, finesse, and action of professional hockey with NHL 2005, the successor to NHL 2004. The game's new EA Sports Open Ice Control lets you execute offensive plays, such as a give-and-go and a breakaway pass, and you can also call for defensive double-teams. Dynasty mode has been enhanced with more interactive GM/owner relationships, including a new e-mail system. NHL 2005 also delivers all the action of the World Cup of Hockey with International Teams and venues from North America and Europe.

NHL 09 is the 17th video game in the NHL series released by EA Sports in 2008. Both the Nintendo DS and Wii versions had been planned, but canceled. It was the last installment of the NHL series to be released on Playstation 2 and the last to get a PC release

NHL 2002 is a video game released by EA Sports in 2001. It is the predecessor to NHL 2003. The game's cover man is Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and owner Mario Lemieux, who had just made a stunning comeback after being retired for three and a half years. It was the first installment of the NHL series to be released on Xbox.

NHL 10 is a video game in the NHL series developed and released by EA Canada and published by EA Sports, and is the 19th game in the series. The game debuted at Hockey Fest '09, a three-day interactive festival celebrating the sport of hockey and the Los Angeles Kings, which took place in downtown Los Angeles from August 28 to 30.[1] Its tagline is "Good Old Hockey," with television ads featuring the Stompin' Tom Connors favourite "The Hockey Song" (also known as "The Good Old Hockey Game"). It is the first game in the NHL series by EA Sports not to get a PC release and the first since NHL 2001 not to get a PlayStation 2 release. On October 1, 2011, all online services for NHL 10 were discontinued.[2]

NHL 16 is a hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 25th installment of the NHL series and was released on September 15, 2015 in North America and September 17 and 18 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The game was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a separate release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titled NHL: Legacy Edition. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks is the official cover athlete, marking his second appearance on an NHL cover, following NHL 11. Upon release, NHL 16 received positive reviews and was declared an improvement over NHL 15 by critics.

In order to become a superstar in the NHL, you'll need a combination of speed, power, and moves. NHL 2003 gives you the abilities of all the stars and teams of pro hockey, but it's up to you to master them. This time, you have full control of the puck with Dynamic Deke Control and accurate puck physics. The game also features four game modes, including Create-a-Player, enhanced sounds and animations, and dynamic camera work to bring you closer to the NHL action.

Summary: Unlock the highest level of hockey aggression, speed and skill. Deliver hits with the NHL® Collision Physics, built from FIFA’s Player Impact Engine. Drop your gloves with the new Enforcer Engine, powered by EA SPORTS™ Fight Night technology. Dangle defenders with new One-Touch Dekes and expd experience enhanced speed and control with the second season of True Performance Skating.

NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was released between September 8–13, 2011, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Steven Stamkos was announced as the game's cover athlete on June 22, 2011, at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game notably includes more interactive goalies (i.e. players can have real contact with the goalies and vice versa, and the goalies and skaters may fight each other), better physics engine, improved Be a Pro mode, and the ability to play the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. Like NHL 11, Gary Thorne (play-by-play) and Bill Clement (color) provide commentary for NHL 12.

Celebrating its 20th year, the franchise that captured 22 Sports Game of the Year awards has raised the bar yet again with NHL 11. Powered by an all-new Real-Time Physics Engine, NHL 11 lets you create highlight reel moments as you experience adrenaline-pumping NHL action with bigger hits, broken sticks, and faster dangles. Whether you're beginning your career in the Canadian Hockey League, dominating rivals in the EA SPORTS Hockey League, or assembling Hockey's Ultimate Team, any moment can be a WOW moment with NHL 11.

NHL 13 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada published by EA Sports. It is the 22nd installment of the NHL series and was released on September 11, 2012 in North America, Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. The game was released on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, featuring Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux on the cover.[1] The game was featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012 (E3 2012), which took place between June 5–7, 2012. The demo of the game was released on August 21–22, 2012, at the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.[4] There was a vote deciding which player would be on the NHL 13 cover. Anybody could vote on the player(s) they wished to see on the cover of the game. The vote started on March 29, 2012 with 60 NHL players in a single-elimination voting with two players in each match-up, and was closed on June 4, receiving over 25 million votes worldwide.[5] On June 20, Claude Giroux was named the winner, over Pekka Rinne at the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.[6] An exclusive "Stanley Cup Collector's Edition" was also released, apart from the actual NHL 13 game. The Collector's Edition includes five random Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) player packs from the two 2012 Stanley Cup Finals teams; a Gold Jumbo HUT pack including legend Wayne Gretzky; and a boost pack featuring the CCM RBZ stick.[7] Just like in NHL 12, Gary Thorne (play-by-play) and Bill Clement (color) provide commentary for NHL 13.[8] This year, for the first time, two playable female characters, Hayley Wickenheiser and Angela Ruggiero have been added.[9] In NHL 12, users could create female characters, but there were no real-life players.[10] On September 20, Gamesindustry.biz reported that NHL 13 had posted the best first week sales in the franchise's history.[11]

All-new game modes, new and deeper experiences in fan-favorite modes, and the best on-ice gameplay ever make NHL 17 the most exciting EA SPORTS NHL game to date. Live out your hockey fantasy in all-new Draft Champions and World Cup of Hockey game modes, own every zone with authentic goaltenders, new Net Battles on offense and defense, and bone-crushing Collision Physics. Take your team to the next level in the most customizable EA SPORTS Hockey League ever and bring your game to life with dozens of thrilling new goal celebrations. No matter how you play the game, NHL 17 lets you shape your legacy on and off the ice.

NHL 98 features much faster and refined gameplay (now using four action keys instead of two, removing the need to double-tap to perform some actions), along other new features such as "in-the-fly" tactics developed by Marc Crawford, then manager of the Colorado Avalanche and new commentary lines from Jim Hughson and Darryl Reaugh and a re-worked interface. Graphics are improved from the previous version with the players being less angular, and thanks to 3Dfx support, with less pixels showing in the textures. The in-game presentation follows a TV-style script, zooming in players while displaying stats during clock stoppages. As far as game modes go, in the year of the first Olympic Tournament with professional players, NHL 98 introduced the first real international competition, with 18 International teams to choose from. Other game modes include Season (option to pick between 25 or 82 games) and Playoff (best of 1, 3, 5 or 7 matches) and a Penalty Shootout mode.

The NHL Hitz series has been on all next-generation consoles since the early days of the 32-bit era. With that said, its no surprise that Midway brings NHL Hitz 20-03 to GameCube, with Hitz' trademark 'On-Fire Mode', over-the-top animations, and fully 3D crowds. Like all NHL Hitz games, NHL Hitz 20-03 features gameplay modes for up to 6 players, in-game fights and hidden teams, players and stadiums. The game will also feature Create-A-Player modes and mini-games.

NHL 2004, developed by the EA Black Box studios, is an ice hockey video game. It is the successor to NHL 2003 and is widely considered to be a major turning point in the NHL series. The game adds 3 European Elite Leagues: Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Sweden's Elitserien (SEL), and Finland's SM-liiga. (This is not the first time that European teams are included in an EA game; EA released both Elitserien 95 and Elitserien 96 for the Mega Drive in Sweden only and Elitserien and SM-liiga 2001 as an expansion pack for PC in Sweden and Finland which included those teams.) The ratings of the teams in the Elitserien and SM-liiga were comparable to the NHL rosters, however future installments had the league teams inferior to the NHL.

Hit the ice with EA Sports' NHL 06 for the XBOX. This entry in the NHL series builds on the 2005 version by adding new rules and an up to date rooster that includes just about every big name in the National Hockey League. NHL 06 includes everything from NHL 05, including the revamped shooting controls. New to the 2006 version is the use of the left analog stick for deking, which in hockey terms means to dodge and fake out defenders. The right analog stick is used to pull off fancy moves like a spin or between the legs pass. These fancy moves will distract goalkeepers, giving the gamer an opening to shoot. The drawback to these moves is that only superstar characters can pull them off regularly. The game includes many of the traditional hockey game modes, including dynasty mode. In dynasty mode, gamers will control their own hockey team and have to deal with outside pressures, sponsors, and more while trying to meet the team philosophy, which is different for each team. Other modes include single season, leagues and tournaments, quick game, and online play. The graphics of NHL 06 are top notch. This time, they've been tweaked to accurately show character size differences. The defense players and goalkeepers, who are traditionally larger players, actually look larger, while the smaller and faster scorers are indeed a little thinner and smaller. This is just one small change that adds to the overall amazing gameplay of NHL 06.

In NHL 19, hockey returns to its roots by taking the game to the great outdoors. Play on outdoor rinks and journey from the pond to the pros in new and returning modes. Compete with and against over 200 of the greatest hockey legends, including Wayne Gretzky, all powered by the cutting-edge gameplay technology Real Player Motion Tech. RPM Tech delivers explosive-edge skating with faster acceleration, and more responsiveness. A new collision physics system also adds bigger, jaw-dropping hits. Introducing World of CHEL, a brand new game hub of new and returning Create-A-Character modes united under a single reward system. Design your character and progress to earn custom gear, equipment and over 900 new apparel customization options, including lifestyle clothing like hoodies, jackets, winter knits and more. Express yourself with a unique look and personalize your game with brand new player classes and unique player traits that give you the freedom to look, feel and play the way you want.

You can choose from all of the NHL teams, including the expansion Atlanta Thrashers. Play an Exhibition game to work on your tactics and strategies, and when you are ready for long-term competition, try to endure an 82-game Season, or just skip straight to the Playoffs. While in the game, you will have to learn when to make line changes and determine when it's a good time to pull the goalie. In addition to these tactical decisions, you must also deal with penalties and infractions including offsides, two-line passes, and icing. However, you can customize the game by turning off certain rules and setting the referee's strictness. In addition, there are three different difficulty levels. Will you be able to claim the Stanley Cup? The only way to find out is by playing NHL 2000.

12 PLAYER NHL COLLISION PHYSICS For the first time in any sports game, real-world physics affects every player through every on-ice collision with the new 12 Player NHL Collision Physics. Utilizing the power of the next generation consoles, and building off the critically-acclaimed NHL Collision Physics system, every player on the ice is governed by physics at all times. Feel the hard-hitting chaos of NHL hockey through true-to-life secondary collisions, net scrambles and player pileups, capturing the desperation of every shift. REAL PUCK PHYSICS The puck is one of the most complex items in the game to authentically replicate and it finally gets its due in NHL 15. Completely rebuilt puck physics result in a more realistic feel to every puck interaction. Everything on the ice, including the ice surface itself, is live which leads to the unpredictable and authentic puck spins, rolls and bounces seen in a real NHL game. AUTHENTIC PLAYER & EQUIPMENT MODELS The Next Generation Hockey Player has been rebuilt from the ice up. Now player models have three distinct layers - the body, equipment, and jersey. Each layer interacts independently, making every contact with the puck or other players even more realistic. Dynamic Cloth technology adds an extra layer of realism as it reacts to the player’s movement as they explode up the ice, helping bring the speed of the game to life. UNPRECEDENTED PLAYER LIKENESS Powered by the same technology that brought the most realistic representation of the athlete to EA SPORTS UFC, NHL 15 delivers groundbreaking player likeness, emotion and animation. From the strides a player takes to get up the ice to the emotion on their face after scoring a game winning goal, the players are as real as they’ve ever been. SUPERSTAR SKILL STICK Now all the tools of an NHL superstar are in your hands. The revolutionary Skill Stick has evolved to give even more control to the player. Protect the puck, receive passes without breaking stride, and discover an arsenal of sweet new dekes, all with an intuitive right stick control scheme that is easy to use but packed with depth. AUTHENTIC ARENAS There is no feeling like being there, and we are giving you the best seats in the house. The power of the next-gen consoles finally allows the NHL franchise to capture every detail of an NHL arena. Unique arena elements from 19,000+ seat capacities to lighting and player entrance tunnels are captured with a level of detail not possible on the previous generation. Now those home games will truly feel like home. NEW COMMENTARY TEAM New voices for a new generation. NHL 15 welcomes the NBC Sports commentary team of Mike 'Doc' Emrick and Eddie Olczyk to the broadcast booth. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro will provide game insights at ice level. Combined with Real Life Broadcast Integration that will feature real-world pre-game video commentary with Doc and Eddie set against in-game visuals, NHL 15 takes a revolutionary step forward in sports videogames; where the lines between the real world of sport broadcast and the game are blurred. NBC SPORTS GAME DAY PRESENTATION The most realistic broadcast package in a video game to-date is possible because of a new partnership with NBC Sports. Set the scene with the NHL on NBC crew welcoming you to the city during the game intros and immerse yourself in an experience that matches what you see on television with NHL on NBC graphics and branding. LIVING CROWDS NHL 15 sets a new standard in videogames with over 9,000 individual crowd models with 4x the animations of previous generations. Take a look through the glass and you’ll see fans hold up signs with your name on them, costume wearing superfans, or even sections full of team rivals rooting against you. Feel their behavior change after dropping the gloves, landing a big hit, or scoring a clutch goal. The crowd is alive. VISION AI An elevated level of player intelligence, Vision AI features evolved awareness with players reading and reacting to potential plays. Scoring area recognition, pass anticipation, and enhanced team breakouts all improve the flow of the game.

In NHL 21 it’s the most creative, inventive and fearless players that are worth celebrating. Carve your path to superstardom in an expanded "Be A Pro" mode and go down as one of the league’s greatest. On the ice, change up your attack with all new moves, dekes, dangles and evasive maneuvers, inspired by the league’s most groundbreaking innovators. Recognize creativity, recognize revolutionary, recognize future. Recognize greatness.

NHL 2K10 is an ice hockey simulation developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports, part of the NHL 2K series. It was released on September 15, 2009 for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2. Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda provide commentary as they did for NHL 2K9. As of 2011, NHL 2K10 was the final 2K Sports ice hockey video game released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, as NHL 2K11 was released only for the iPhone & Wii.

Powered by Frostbite, EA SPORTS NHL 22 gets the superstar treatment. For the first time ever, experience EA SPORTS NHL on one of the industry’s most powerful game engines bringing unrivaled visual detail to every hit, deke and shot. Superstar X-Factors lets you feel the personality and power of NHL superstars with an all-new ability system that unlocks the unique skills of the league’s most elite players. Authentic to real player skill and style, the stars of the NHL truly come to life in EA SPORTS NHL 22 making their time on ice more influential than ever . From HUT to World of Chel, Superstar X-Factors brings new class based strategy to every game mode. EA SPORTS NHL 22 is an all new game for a new generation, giving you more ways to play and compete than ever before. This is breakthrough hockey.

NHL Hockey (titled EA Hockey outside North America) is an ice hockey game by Electronic Arts.