I’ll start with a quick fun fact before we drop the puck — NHL 96 was made under the EA Sports banner by Electronic Arts’ Canadian studio, which grew out of Distinctive Software in Burnaby. By this point, EA was already making the franchise feel like a yearly ritual. You can see them experimenting: the PC edition nudges into 3D while the Genesis version keeps the classic 2D diagonal view that veterans know and love.
That context matters while we play. The cartridge still leans on tight, responsive controls and a familiar camera. Yet, it adds a surprising number of new moves. Give-and-gos, one-timers, spin-o-ramas — and yes, fights are back — so the control depth is wider than it first appears.
Playing now, the first thing that hits you is how fluid the skating animations are for a 2D game. The puck-handling feels weighty in a good way. When you feather the stick, you can set up a one-timer that actually catches goalies off guard.
The selectable difficulty levels are a welcome addition. On a middling difficulty, the AI pressures you enough to punish sloppy passes but still lets you string plays together. On hard, though, goalies become brick walls. The AI seems to anticipate passes more than a teammate should.
Gameplay highlights we’ve noticed in this session:
- New offensive moves open up tactical play — the drop pass and fake shot let you bait a poke check and spring a winger.
- Line management in season mode matters; rotating tired players prevents late-game meltdowns.
- Fights punctuate the match without dominating it; they’re cinematic, brief, and can swing momentum.
Hot Tips If You’re Picking This Up Today
- Use the give-and-go on the rush. When the defender commits, hit the return pass and fire the one-timer — the game rewards timing more than button mashing.
- Defensively, skate your defenseman just inside the blue line to take away the one-timer lane. Poke checks at exactly the right moment are deliciously satisfying.
- In season mode, simulate the less important games if you want to avoid fatigue. Play the close matchups to keep your team chemistry high.
There are rough edges to call out. The Genesis version’s 2D presentation is charming, but the PC’s step toward 3D highlights its limits. Zoom and perspective are fixed, and puck visibility can be awkward along the boards. The AI is inconsistent — defenders may ghost past attackers, then suddenly pull off an impossibly perfect interception.
Sound is functional but not spectacular — the chants and beats are arcade-era energetic but the in-game audio lacks variety. Also, the roster and season implementation are solid, but the interface for scouting and trades feels clunkier than it needs to be. That said, the core matchup experience remains engrossing.
Memorable moments tonight: a late third-period spin-o-rama that redrew the momentum, and a brawl after our rookie took a cheap hit — watching the crowd erupt on a 16-bit CRT is still oddly thrilling. The best anecdote, though, was the “final boss” — Game 7 in a best-of-seven playoff with the Cup on the line. The opposing goalie staged a performance: three glove saves and two breakaway denials in overtime that felt like they were scripted by the hockey gods. We lost in a narrow 1–0 OT, and the cartridge felt like it had taught us humility.
That game-7 feels authentic. The intensity ramps up with line changes, fatigue, and the small mistakes that suddenly loom huge. Losing that final match to a netminder who simply would not budge was infuriating but memorable in the way only sports games can be — you replay the play in your head and vow to do better next season.
Final verdict while the credits would roll if we had a save state — this edition earns a B. It’s a strong, playable hockey sim with meaningful additions to tactics and moves, and the season structure gives you a real sense of progression. The game is not flawless: some AI quirks, the limits of the 2D presentation compared to PC, and the occasional awkward camera moment hold it back from excellence.
If you own a Genesis and crave a deep, rewarding hockey game with a satisfying arcade-meets-sim balance, NHL 96 is worth the cartridge slot. Play the big games, keep an eye on fatigue in season mode, and if you meet a goalie in Game 7 who refuses to budge, remind yourself you just took part in one of those classic console sports moments that keep us coming back year after year.
