Sega Genesis Mini - NHL 94 Rom (Hakchi 2CE) Issue

[stephensonmc37]

Hi all -- apologies if this has already been answered (I searched and couldn't find it), but I downloaded the genesis rom from this site and then installed it onto my genesis mini via Hakchi 2CE and I'm having an issue. The game loads up just fine, but controls don't work...not one button. Any idea what I can do here? Thanks so much for the help! 

[LaTormenta]

This is a common issue and you are not being daft, don't worry.

You didn't mention if you are using Retroarch or something else with the system, so I will assume RA but the same point applies generally.  You just need to remap the buttons for the core in question and either apply the settings specifically to NHL '94 or for all Genesis games that you have loaded up.  I have about 12 systems installed on my GM and pretty much had to remap each core separately, which was a pain in the ass at the time but worth it now.

Here is a video from YouTube that explains how to remap buttons for use with a 6 button controller.  It will still be helpful even if you are using a 3 button controller, as the main thing is figuring how to get into the Retroarch menu from the game and then a bit of trial and error after that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6PXS7gJwc&ab_channel=PattonPlays.

The thing to note is that RA's button set-up is a bit weird.  So, you might have to experiment a bit to work out what button in the RA menu corresponds with each Genesis button.  I think, at least on mine, "Y" is "C" on mine when it probably shouldn't be.  At least with NHL '94 it is easy to test (shoot, dump the puck etc.).

Hope this helps.

[smozoma]

Also if you use the project lunar emulator... The goalies will be messed up.

[EagleXIII]

Definitely recommend using RetroArch over the Mini's default emulator. The default emulator creates a weird issue where every shot is a backhand regardless of ice position and handedness.

[RonnieFranchise]

I've been do a slow sega build the pass few weeks with Hakchi. Hockey 94 along with Larussa baseball, and a bunch of other titles doesnt play well or play at all with the in house emulator.  What I really like about Hakchi compared to lunar is all you have to do is install the module and  the segaplus gx core to the mini , thats it. After that you can launch the game from the main menu , use A button for the inhouse emulator or the start button which launches the title directly from the main menu using retroarch in the background.   Only kind of annoying thing is you have to do after playing is exit retroarch to get back to the main sega menu if you don't the power switch doesnt turn off the system. I was lucky not to have to remap anything, all my sega controllers worked out of the gate, which wasnt the case with retroarch on the psclassic.

[Octopolus]

On 4/3/2021 at 8:22 PM, stephensonmc37 said:

 

 

On 4/4/2021 at 12:50 PM, LaTormenta said:

 

 

On 4/4/2021 at 7:03 PM, smozoma said:

 

 

On 4/5/2021 at 3:55 PM, EagleXIII said:

 

hey guys! i just found this thread😃 good to see more guys using the sega mega drive/genesis mini console to play these roms!

im glad to hear that the roms created by members here actually work on the sega mega drive mini but im sad to hear there are problems with the controllers and that you need to do all those advanced things 😕

i just ordered a sega mega drive mini and i was planning to hack it with project lunar so that i can add these nhl-roms but now it sounds like it will work better if i install hakchi instead of project lunar, or?

some years have gone by so maybe all the new editions of nhl 94 have been improved and works better now without any need of using retroarch with button configuration?

 

Edited August 19 by Octopolus

[EagleXIII]

On 8/19/2025 at 5:40 PM, Octopolus said:

i just ordered a sega mega drive mini and i was planning to hack it with project lunar so that i can add these nhl-roms but now it sounds like it will work better if i install hakchi instead of project lunar, or?

Definitely go with Hakchi if you haven't already gone ahead and done that by now. I've not looked into that community for a few years, but I'd be very surprised if Project Lunar was revived. You can still use it, it was functional, but it never received the huge swathe of updates it needed. Stuff like folders, as you can't get more than 100 items to load on one screen, so you'd only be able to add around 48 games. It was a shame, they had a lot of good stuff planned, but the chaos the pandemic caused essentially shut the whole project down.

Hakchi works great, and if you set the games to launch straight into Retroarch opposed to the Mini's emulator you shouldn't have any of the issues that cause the handedness glitches. I highly recommend searching for Restalgia on YouTube if you need a bunch of videos and tutorials on how to get everything up and running.

[Octopolus]

On 9/19/2025 at 9:40 AM, EagleXIII said:

Definitely go with Hakchi if you haven't already gone ahead and done that by now. I've not looked into that community for a few years, but I'd be very surprised if Project Lunar was revived. You can still use it, it was functional, but it never received the huge swathe of updates it needed. Stuff like folders, as you can't get more than 100 items to load on one screen, so you'd only be able to add around 48 games. It was a shame, they had a lot of good stuff planned, but the chaos the pandemic caused essentially shut the whole project down.

Hakchi works great, and if you set the games to launch straight into Retroarch opposed to the Mini's emulator you shouldn't have any of the issues that cause the handedness glitches. I highly recommend searching for Restalgia on YouTube if you need a bunch of videos and tutorials on how to get everything up and running.

hey! sorry for my late reply. but yes i went with hakchi. i couldnt get project lunar to install and mod my sega mini. 

i had the same problem with hakchi at first but i got it to work when i used my laptop instead, when i turned off firewall, antivirus and vpn-setting(dont have vpn).

if i remember correctly i didnt turn off these things at first but i did it later(not the vpn-setting since i didnt think of it) but project lunar refused to install the mod anyway. 

dont know if that was why it didnt work but like you said i think hakchi is better anyway. being able to run retroarch in the backround fixes the problems with the hockeysticks