This list is just my opinion obviously, I put the console I have the game for as well, in no way am I stating console supremacy, just preference.   After the jump comes the list, I'd like to try and contribute a Top Ten List of hockey and Pop Culture/Lifestyle as an on going post here at Pensburgh (Frank D.  Willing).  What I am not trying to do is rank players or teams.  For example, some of my future posts I am thinking, Top Ten "reasons to watch hockey and not go out on a date", "Best Hockey Commericals"  or  "reasons to get your significant other (man or woman) interested in Hockey"  Enjoy! and don't be afraid to tell me that I suck!

Top Ten hockey video games of all time.

10  NHL 3 on 3 Arcade (2009) PS3:  I really enjoyed playing this game and for about $10 it was worth getting  to kill time with a quick game between periods of a Pens game.  I t was also fun to play multiplayer, another NBA Jam style game with Power-up/downs and big hits and crazy goalie saves.  It still has some replay value and with Sid and Malkin available to play with I can keep playing for hours!

9. NHL ’09 (2008) PS3: This got me back into the NHL series after a few years off, I would buy games and not really play them. I think I even took NHL ’08 off and didn’t even purchase.  I really like the "Be a Pro" mode creating yourself and sending him to the minors.  The online team play in the EASHL was pretty sweet as well.

8. NHL ’10 (2009) PS3: Newest installment, Awesome graphics, Awesome game play, EA League and Be a Pro modes are pretty BA.  I don’t play it as much as I probably should, but when I do play I really enjoy it.  The Corner play is a nice addition as well as the first person fighting.  "Turtle, Turtle, Turtle."

7. NHL 2002 (2001) Playstation2: Mario on the Cover, total homer pick I know, but the game wasn’t that bad, I don’t remember any major enhancements or advancements in the series, but to see the Big Man on the box was worth it, and I was going to buy the game regardless of the cover, but it made it all the better.

6. Rock the Rink (2000) Playstation: It was an NBA Jam type game, where you could play with a team of 3, and hopefully you had a skater, hitter and shooter on your team, something EA revisited with the XBOX live , PSN download of 3 on 3 Arcade.  Fun games, not as fun as the playing a whole season (by yourself) but you get some great laughs and fun playing with other people.

5. NHL’95 (1994) Sega Genesis: This game started End of Season trophies and till this day this is probably my favorite one to play. I was finally able to play a full season and not just playoffs!  Sorry ladies this young stud is busy for the next four-five months.  ( I usually struggle between ’95 and ’93 as my all time favorites in the series).

4. NHL ’93 (1992) Sega Genesis:  Head bleeding and Organ music can it get any better?  I think not. It just expanded on and lived up to what NHL Hockey gave us (#2).  Line saving, and playoff saving, totally changed the Hockey Gaming Landscape. 

3. Blades of Steel (1988) Nintendo:  Why? Because of the fighting obviously.  Loser goes to the box, what a great idea! It was kind of like Tecmo Bowl for Hockey Fans!  This upped the ante for the Hockey gaming world and was an improvement in graphics and game play over Nintendo’s other Hockey offering.

2.  NHL Hockey (1991) Sega Genesis.   The only reason it’s not first is because I started out play ICE HOCKEY (#1) and you always remember your first.   This was the start of something special, I use to travel with my Genesis and only this game to friends house to play, and fight, and play some more.  It was the start of sports simulation games on consoles in my opinion at least (I know Madden came first).   It started the NHL EA series that still is an amazing product, even if I don’t play it much anymore.

1. ICE HOCKEY (1988) Nintendo:  Fat, Medium, Medium, Skinny need I say more?

-TehChico Over and Out.