Aside from improved goalie play, EA’s upcoming NHL 14 is going to feature something that may, in fact, overshadow the primary feature: a playable version of NHL ’94, a game that finished second in ESPN’s “Best Sports Game of All Time” rankings. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, EA is giving players a high-definition throwback version, complete with rosters of the era, which means players like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux will be available. Oh, and the awesome star icons that highlight players will also return. To celebrate the awesome news, EA released a great trailer that certainly gets the hype meter going:

While the game will have updated graphics, which means no 16-bit glory, it will feature most of the gameplay attributes that came with the original NHL ’94:

Forget all the rules. Penalties? Get out of here! Offsides? Nope! Icings? Not a chance! Just old school NHL ’94­-style gameplay that uses classic button controls to deliver big hits, real fights, dirty dangles and sick snipes! You can even celebrate those moves with a new take on classic goal celebrations… NHL ’94 Anniversary Mode showcases its hockey video gaming roots through a retro presentation including blue ice, classic star-shaped player indicators, 16-bit arena powerbars, no adboards, and throwback organ music.

NHL 14 will be available on the PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s due to hit the shelves on September 10.

[Lead image courtesy]