NHLPA Hockey 93 (USA, Europe) (v1.1)
NHLPA Hockey 93 (USA, Europe) (v1.1) on Genesis
NHLPA Hockey 93 is the second ice hockey game Electronic Arts put out for the SEGA Genesis, coming a year after the first one. Released in 1992 in North America and Europe, this version is labeled v1.1. It's a sports simulation that lets you play as professional hockey teams, but because Electronic Arts didn't have the NHL license at that point, the team names are just the city names and all the player names are real thanks to the NHLPA license.
You select a team and go straight into five-on-five hockey games with standard periods. On offense you pass and shoot, on defense you switch players to check or poke the puck away. The game uses the Genesis d-pad for movement and the A and B buttons for actions like passing and shooting. There are penalty calls, faceoffs, and a basic fighting system when scrums break out. The computer AI is decent for the time and you can play against a friend in the two-player mode.
For a 1992 hockey game, NHLPA Hockey 93 still feels solid and responsive. It's not as polished as later EA NHL titles, but it has a clean arcade feel that holds up in short bursts. The lack of official team names is a small quirk, and the player names make it feel authentic for its era. If you enjoy retro sports games or want to see where the long-running NHL series started, this one is worth a few minutes of ice time.
How to Play NHLPA Hockey 93 (USA, Europe) (v1.1) Online
Getting Started
When the game boots up, you'll see a title screen and then a menu. Use the D-Pad to move between options and press Enter (Start) to select. You can choose Exhibition to play a single game or the Season mode for a longer campaign. Pick one or two players and then select a team from the list of cities. The teams are not named after real NHL franchises - just the city names like "Boston" or "Los Angeles."
The core loop is straightforward: win faceoffs, move the puck up the ice by passing with the A button, and shoot with the B button when you're in scoring position. On defense, use the B button to check opponents or try to poke the puck away. The game includes penalties (offsides, icing, tripping) but they are called automatically. You can also fight by pressing the A + B buttons together when close to an opponent after the whistle.
Keep an eye on the clock and the score. Each period lasts a few minutes in real time, and the game ends after three periods or overtime in the playoffs. There is no pause button mapped by default, but you can press Enter to bring up the in-game pause menu. The v1.1 version cleaned up a few bugs from the initial release, so the controls feel a bit more responsive.
NHLPA Hockey 93 (USA, Europe) (v1.1) Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: A button
- S: B button
- Z: C button
- A: X button (6-button pad)
- Q: Y button (6-button pad)
- E: Z button (6-button pad)
- Enter: Start / Mode
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