NHL 14's Anniversary Mode -- The Audacity of Nostalgia - Wiggy's Blog

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Wiggy's Blog

NHL 14's Anniversary Mode -- The Audacity of Nostalgia Stuck

Posted on July 22, 2013 at 12:14 PM.

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With WWE 2K14 looking to use nostalgia to ingratiate itself with the public, I can't help but also feel cynical about the NHL '94 "Anniversary Mode" that is currently being trotted out by the folks at EA to get people excited for NHL 14. While the mode is clearly looking to pay tribute to one of the most beloved retro hockey games of all time, it seems to be doing so without actually acknowledging what made the older games so appealing.

It often seems that developers think nostalgia means evoking something from the past just by bringing it up. Take the example of the newer NFL Blitz or NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. These were serviceable games in their own right, to be sure, but they were definitely relying on potential buyers who would focus on the brand and what it used to mean in the retro era of sports gaming. I'd say NBA Jam: OFE got closer to realizing the "soul" of what made the old game so fun, but both just seemed to think that slapping some slightly prettier visuals on a functional game that carried the old brand was enough to satiate gamers. I'd say those games, while kind of fun, ended up really pleasing no one, as they didn't really honor the past or get people excited about the brand going forward (especially with Jam's crappy online/menu issues).

The NHL '94 Anniversary Mode seems to be doing an even worse job of paying fan service, as the mode appears to purely rely on your memories of what NHL '94 was and nothing more. The fact that the most meaningful aspects of the mode are blue ice and a star indicator is pretty sad, and it's even worse when those nostalgic presentation elements are clashed with the long-in-the-tooth announce team of the main game and all of the same presentation and packaging as the standard NHL 14 product.

Based on the extensive footage of the mode that was posted on Gamespot, very little in the gameplay really captures the spirit of NHL '94. The mode seems to play with a lot of the same movement and features of NHL 14, and other than a goofy celebration animation and some other sound effects, I'm not really getting the vibe that this mode is scratching my nostalgia itch in any meaningful way.

This is made clear, as well, when producer Sean Ramjagsingh explains how users didn't really enjoy the emulated version of NHL '94 that was included with NHL 06. He goes on to further elaborate how the team wanted to put a modern spin on the old game as well as rope in casual and old-school users. This is all well and good, but when it looks like the gameplay in the mode was short-changed and the presentation doesn't go all the way, it's hard to be that excited, as a longstanding fan of the series.

Honestly, I'm fine with a mode like this being used to increase the number of casual users who might try out the product, as the silly presentation mixed with the simplified button controls is a good baseline for new users. However, when a large portion of your audience are dedicated fans of the series, and you're trying to re-connect with players who would get excited about NHL '94, it makes me just a bit cynical when I hear that you're basically using the name "NHL '94" to get some unearned nostalgia cred for your game.

Why are there no penalties in the mode? That was only an option in the old game, and it seems odd to make it a focus. Why can't the mode be played online? That just seems lazy, especially when it's claimed that they're trying to give a modern take to an old favorite. What about more fulsome presentation in the retro style? How about some high-res pixel art and the full suite of sound effects? How about disabling the announcers and making the score overlays appropriately retro?

As for gameplay, if they were willing to add a silly new scoring animation in, why couldn't they add some retro "hit" animations and change up the type of goals scored in the mode? In fact, why not shrink the ice surface to properly emulate the more confined nature of the older games? That would really change up the pace and allow for more of the one-timers, dekes and scrambled plays of the true '94 game.

I guess I'm just ultimately disappointed when I see a wasted opportunity like this. I won't speculate as to how many resources were or weren't put into making this mode, but it seems like more time was probably needed in the oven for this to cook. If you're going to not ship a next-gen product and ask players to still plunk down money for a current-gen game that's getting a bit thin in certain feature areas, you'd think something like this mode would really shine. Unfortunately, the execution of this mode makes me think that it was either conceived for the wrong reasons or that it didn't have the resources necessary to properly tribute such an important game in the history of the franchise.

Comments

# 1 juicey79 @ Jul 22

Here's my 2 cents...EA is trying to keep the gamers of yesteryears engaged. I'm not a hockey fan or player but I do remember playing the sega version of this game 2 wee hours in the morning. I only knew 2 players back then, Lemieux* and Gretzky*. fast forward almost 20 years later I'm 34 and I only play basketball games, but I may buy this game because of that nostalgia lore. I wish they would have just ported the same copy over.

# 2 jmik58 @ Jul 22

I had the same thoughts when I saw the GS video last week. I was expecting similar feeling control and player movement. It looks like all they really did was changed the camera angle and a few other on-screen visuals. In reality, it's just NHL 14 from blimp cam.

# 3 Wiggy @ Jul 22

Quote:


	# 2jmik58 @ Jul 22 (1 Minute Ago) I had the same thoughts when I saw the GS video last week. I was expecting similar feeling control and player movement. It looks like all they really did was changed the camera angle and a few other on-screen visuals. In reality, it's just NHL 14 from blimp cam.

Pretty much. I think there's tons of potential for something like this, but it looks like they didn't put in the effort needed to get the best result possible.

# 4 13whitebread @ Jul 22

If it were not for the red wings moving to the east I probably would pass on this and wait for NHL 15 signed YAWN

# 5 DjRaY @ Jul 22

Winter Classics... Broadcast Camera Angle... Custom Plays... Board Play... 1st person fighting... goalie contact... female skaters... EA Sports Hockey IQ... GM Connected... and my favorite, Be a Tough Guy. All these features either failed to meet my expectations or have been simply underdeveloped. While I understand that EA needs some selling points to grab customers each year, the fact that they've missed more than hit since the start of the skill stick era is very disheartening. At least make these gimmicks feel like a finished product.

Plus, aren't NHL 94 controls already an option? All they really did is add stars and blue ice.

Good on you, Wiggy, to point out the flaws as they appear.

# 6 believeinnow @ Jul 22

I always find it hard to read someone's opinion on a matter when they have zero hands-on experience. That GS video was bad, they spent more time talking than actual playing and it shows. I wish someone from the OS community had gone to the NYC event EA held last week at the Reebok store and actually played the mode. It would have been nice to hear an opinion from someone who spent time with the game.

Also, I think doing a mode like this in online is tough. Because there would be very little balance, once someone took a sizeable (2-goal lead), chances are people would just drop out. I think there is definitely a balance/performance issue that is preventing the mode from being capable for online play, but if it's a technical reason, I doubt the layman would understand. I don't mind playing with friends on the couch since that is how I do most of my sports gaming.

# 7 DjRaY @ Jul 22

Quote:


	I always find it hard to read someone's opinion on a matter when they have zero hands-on experience.

The whole time they were talking they were playing. The game play was basically untouched. Wiggy got to play the game normally at E3.

# 8 Wiggy @ Jul 22

Quote:


	I always find it hard to read someone's opinion on a matter when they have zero hands-on experience.

You are correct that I have zero hands-on experience with the mode in question; however, as DJ pointed out, I played the game in the normal mode quite a bit at E3.

My sense of this mode, from what I can see, is that it looks largely similar to how the main game plays.

The fact that they basically promoted the few visual changes for the mode and seemed to avoid speaking to any gmaeplay implications tells me they haven't altered how it played.

I guess ultimately what I'm getting at here is that a mode like this needs to be thought of in a more fulsome way, from presentation to gameplay. Considering the supposed importance of the 20th anniversary and how they've talked it up, I would've expected more than they're delivering here.

But yes, I'll reserve a final verdict until I play the full game.

# 9 ericromain @ Jul 22

I was obsessed with NHLPA 93, through NHL 96, It was pretty much all I played on my genesis.

I like a lot of the things they did here. They sped up the skating and passing to give a real NHL94 feel with NHL controls. What presentation elements they incorporated i dig, I love the organ, the load screen music, the lack of board ads. Star with 16bit text should be an option for the standard game.
The unfortunately thing is that this wasn't intended to be a "go big or go home" feature. It's just a last minute throw-in (like winter classic, legends teams). It would have been cool to give it a retro load screen & menu style presentation, no cut screens, if they force you to play with no icing/offside or penalties then it should force you to use only uniforms/teams from the 93-94 season.

All in all, looks like a neat addition. I'm sure i'll use it to play my brother like i would have back in the day. Glad they are

I do have one minor peeve in this, and you'll probably all roll your eyes at how little it matters

. They put a generic EA Sports logo at center ice. What's the point? Even NHL 94 had team logos at center. I would have preferred a Generic tacky 16 bit Retro Team Logo, or orange NHL Shield. If it was NHLPA 93 they were giving homage to, i'd understand since that had that game had the generic EA logo.