NHL All-Star Hockey '95

NHL All-Star Hockey '95
Developer(s)	Sega Midwest Studio
Publisher(s)	Sega
Producer(s)	Richard Robbins Howard Schwartz
Designer(s)	Michael Mendheim Alan H. Martin
Programmer(s)	John Walsh
Platform(s)	Sega Genesis
Release	NA: February 1995
Genre(s)	Sports (ice hockey)
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

NHL All-Star Hockey '95 is a sports video game developed by Sega Midwest Studio and published by Sega for the Genesis in February 1995. Separate versions, both titled NHL All-Star Hockey, were released for the Game Gear and Sega Saturn also in 1995. Versions for the 32X and Sega CD were reported but never released.[1][2][3]

Gameplay

NHL All-Star Hockey '95 is a hockey game which features the license and stats for each hockey player.[4]

Development and release

NHL All-Star Hockey '95 was developed by Sega Midwest Studio, a division of Sega that was founded in October 1992 in Northbrook, Illinois to focus on producing games for the Genesis console and its 32X add-on.[5] The division's first prototype, a 32X shooter called Black Angel, was shelved in favor of an internally-developed hockey title, as sports games were solid sellers at the time.[6] Appointed to head the Midwest division was Joseph Robbins, who was a previous executive of Empire Distribution, Sunsoft America, and Atari, Inc., as well as a former varsity hockey player, referee, and coach.[5][6] Some of the graphical assets from Black Angel were diverted to the hockey project while New Wave Graphics provided the design and art direction.[6] Commentator Marv Albert lent his voice for the audio.[7] Over one thousand frames of rotoscoped animation were used.[8] Sega was unable to retain the Mario Lemieux license that it had for Mario Lemieux Hockey, so a National Hockey League license was used instead. Work on NHL All-Star Hockey '95 was completed at the end of 1994.[6]

The game was released on the Genesis in North America in February 1995.[7][9] A television advertisement for the game featured Tie Domi of the Winnipeg Jets viciously tossing a male figure skater onto an ice rink. Domi described, "I know it doesn't make sense, but there's this figure skater and I beat the crap out of him."[10] The commercial was criticized by Toronto Star writer Antonia Zerbisias for promoting "violence against stereotypical gay male images." Sega stated in an apology that the company never meant to offend and that the original concept for the ad was to have infamous skater Tonya Harding instead of Domi, but that the NHL "nixed the idea."[11]

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly	11/20[12]
Game Informer	5.5/10[13]
Game Players	75%[14]
GameFan	80/100[15]
GamePro	[16]
Next Generation	[4]
MAN!AC	63%[17]
TodoSega	82%[18]
Video Games (DE)	67%[19]

Next Generation reviewed the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "The slow pace and wonky control keep Sega's All-Star NHL '95 in the middle of the hockey pack with a host of other wannabe's, and until next year, EA's NHL '95 still holds the cup."[4]

References

1. EGM staff (December 1994). "Sharpen Your Sports Skills With Team EGM". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 65. Sendai Publishing. p. 232. ISSN 1058-918X.
2. Meyer, Bill (September 1994). "New Releases for Sega CD/CDX". PC Entertainment. No. 9. IDG. p. 75. ISSN 1074-1356.
3. Mega Power staff (August 1994). "Sega's Xmas Line-up". Mega Power. No. 13. Paragon Publishing. p. 8. ISSN 0969-8434.
4. Next Generation staff (March 1995). "Finals". Next Generation. No. 3. Imagine Media. p. 101. ISSN 1078-9693.
5. Mansfield, Dylan (February 17, 2022). "Aftershock (Sega 32X) Pitch Proposals". Gaming Alexandria. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
6. Horowitz, Ken (November 4, 2016). Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games. McFarland & Company. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-78-649994-6.
7. GameFan staff (January 1995). "NHL All-Star Hockey '95". GameFan. Vol. 3, no. 1. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 122. ISSN 1092-7212.
8. Sega Visions staff (December 1994). "Sports Playbook: Hard-Hitting Ice Action". Sega Visions. No. 22. Sega of America. p. 140.
9. VideoGames staff (February 1995). "Previews". VideoGames. No. 73. Larry Flynt Publications. p. 54. ISSN 1059-2938.
10. Clark, Cammy (February 12, 1995). "Key off-season moves have Nordiques on the rebound". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
11. "Sega NHL ad criticized for going over the edge". Toronto Star. March 31, 1995. Archived from the original on January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
12. Iceman; Video Cowboy (April 1995). "NHL All-Star Hockey '95 (Genesis) By Sega". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 69. Sendai Publishing. p. 108. ISSN 1058-918X.
13. Anderson, Paul; McNamara, Andy; VanDerSchaegen, Ross (March 1995). "Genesis Reviews: NHL All-Star Hockey '95". Game Informer. No. 23. Sunrise Publications. p. 20. ISSN 1067-6392.
14. Brumley, Doug (April 1995). "GP Sports Review: NHL All-Star Hockey '95". Game Players. No. 51. Imagine Media. p. 57. ISSN 1087-2779.
15. Cal Cavalier (April 1995). "NHL All-Star Hockey '95". GameFan. Vol. 3, no. 4. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 103. ISSN 1092-7212.
16. Bacon (April 1995). "All-Star Hockey Not Too Stellar" (PDF). GamePro. No. 69. IDG. p. 97. ISSN 1042-8658. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2023.
17. Knauf, Andreas (May 1995). "Sega Sector: All Star Hockey". MAN!AC (in German). No. 19. Cybermedia. p. 36. ISSN 2191-012X.
18. Lorente, Roberto (February 1995). "NHL All Stars Hockey '95: El cartucho que surgió del frio" [NHL All Stars Hockey '95: The cartridge that came in from the cold]. TodoSega (in Spanish). No. 23. Hobby Press. p. 47.
19. Zengerle, Robert (April 1995). "Reviews: NHL All-Star Hockey '95". Video Games (in German). Future Verlag. p. 97. ISSN 0946-0985.

External links

• NHL All-Star Hockey '95 at MobyGames