Play ESPN Hockey Night Online

ESPN Hockey Night on SNES is one of those solid '90s hockey sims that actually holds up. You get all the NHL teams and players, which was a big deal back then—no made-up names or weird roster gaps. First thing you’ll notice is how smooth the gameplay feels; passes connect, checks land with a satisfying crunch, and the AI isn’t completely brain-dead.

Exhibition mode is perfect when you just want to drop into a quick game, but the season mode is where it gets real. You can sim through if you’re impatient, but playing every game actually feels rewarding. And yeah, the create-a-player option is basic by today’s standards, but back then? Being able to slap your own guy into the lineup was borderline magical. The playoffs are tense, especially if you crank up the difficulty—goalies suddenly turn into brick walls.

It’s not flashy, but if you want straightforward hockey without gimmicks, this one’s a blast.