Ice cold
One of EA's earlier sporting games, NHL 95 brings ice hockey to your monitor, and on the whole it does a fairly decent job of recreating this action packed and exciting sport. This version offers several improvements over its predecessor, including the option to play a full season, and to create, trade and release players. A number of new moves can now be performed, including blocking shots by dropping to the ice, while stats fans are sure to appreciate the detailed numbers from the '94 season. Beyond this, there isn't a great deal to say about the game. Graphics are functional, rather than spectacular, and while the animation is fairly basic, it keeps the game running at a high pace. Sound is realistic, with commentary and crowd responses faithfully reproducing the atmosphere of a genuine hockey match. While the inclusion of the stats is a nice touch, it doesn't really seem to make that much difference to the game and once you get the hang of the straightforward controls, it isn't actually that difficult to win the championship. That aside, this is a fun game that hockey supporters are sure to enjoy, although non-sports fans might not get that much out of it.