NHL 96

NHL 96 puts the player in control of either accurate real-life hockey team rosters from the 1994–95 NHL season or customized teams and players. As one of any given player, the controlling player can skate about the rink and stick-handle the puck in any direction, and can move with a short burst of speed with a certain input. When on the offensive, the player can dump the puck into the opposing team's zone, pass the puck to another player, take or fake shots, and execute a spin-o-rama. When on the defensive, the player can hold or hook, hit the ice to block shots, poke check, and body check.

Goalies can be manually or automatically controlled, the state of which can be toggled in the main menu. Manually-controlled goalies can dive, poke check, and make save attempts. The player takes control of their goalie if they have saved the puck regardless of the manual or auto setting. In this stage, the player can either flip the puck out of their team's zone, pass to an open teammate, clear the puck along the boards, or draw a face-off by avoiding any input, at which point the referee will blow his whistle and call the puck dead.

The Genesis version was programmed by Mark Lesser, who had previously programmed John Madden Football '93, NHL '94 and NHL 95. The SNES version was programmed by Jason Andersen. A coaching feature was planned for the game, but was dropped late in the development cycle. NHL 96 is the first entry in the series to include physical fights between players following an absence of the feature in previous installments that was enforced by the NHL to promote a more wholesome image of the sport.

This reversal of policy was brought about by a determined appeal from EA Canada and on the condition that the fights were limited to one or two times per game. It is also the first entry to feature real-time 3D graphics; the DOS version incorporates the "Virtual Stadium" technology previously used in FIFA Soccer 96, which allows the game to be seen from 11 different angles and to feature such details as reflections in the ice, corporate logos on the sideboards and more accurate team logos and jersey colors. The DOS version includes 668 printable high-resolution color photographs of the game's players made in collaboration with sports card manufacturer Donruss, as well as video interviews of NHL players and video highlights from the 1994–95 NHL season. The game's audio incorporates crowd chants and organ tunes specific to the stadium being played, and features the 2 Unlimited song "Get Ready for This" as a musical track.

The Genesis version of NHL 96 received highly positive reviews and is widely considered to be the best installment in the franchise. A critic for Next Generation commented that the game took the basics of NHL 95, "arguably the best sports simulation product ever", and added new features which served to only improve upon the gameplay of the series. They added that the opponent AI had been improved, and were also pleased with the more detailed player graphics, new sound effects, greater strategy with new ways to score, ability to create players, and more complex fighting mechanics. They concluded, "The only thing possibly wrong with this game is that every other sports game in your library may pale in comparison."

Mike Salmon of Game Players declared that "the superb gameplay of the '95 version has only gotten better with time", and commended the game's sharp graphics, enhanced audio, tougher AI, and added techniques and features. Air Hendrix of GamePro gave the Genesis version a resoundingly positive review, applauding the new moves, the return of the fighting feature, the improved opponent AI, and the fluidly animated player sprites. Video Cowboy and the Iceman of Electronic Gaming Monthly also gave their approval of the Genesis version, particularly praising the improved opponent AI.