By the time you read this article, the 1999/2000 NHL season would have been over. The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup this time, and with the awards being given out tonight, the only events that will occur before summer free agency are the Expansion and Entry Drafts which will stock up the rosters of all the NHL teams, especially the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. As like other fanatics of other sports, hockey fans go through deprivation symptoms during the off-season. What would die-hard fans do in this case? For the hockey fan who is also a video game player, he/she might play hockey games on his/her console to provide him/her with a hockey fix.

Sure, hockey video games have evolved greatly, from the "hockey games" on dedicated Pong systems to the NHL '9X series on the PSX. But what makes the NES' offerings to the hockey game universe so special? In the case of the better NES games, the graphics and sound are very good in terms of the NES' technical capability and they provide fast and furious gameplay while not being bogged down with statistics, line formations, and 3D polygons. Oddly enough, all of the NES games have something in common. Don't touch the goaltender or else you'll get knocked down!

During the NES' lifetime in North America, there have been four video game offerings. In chronological order, they are "Ice Hockey" by Nintendo, "Blades of Steel" by Konami, "Wayne Gretzky Hockey" by T*HQ, and "Pro Sport Hockey" by Jaleco. All of these games greatly differ from each other in terms of graphics, sound, and gameplay, and this article will give a thorough look through each of these games. Continue on as I give my thoughts on each of these games.

"Ice Hockey" by Nintendo, 1988.

The final release of Nintendo's "Sports Series" which included titles like "Golf" and "Pro Wrestling," and arguably the best title of the series. Unlike the other three games described here, "Ice Hockey" takes a look at international (rather than North American) competition; however, two of the most glaring differences that makes international hockey different from North American hockey, a bigger ice surface and automatic icing, does not exist in "Ice Hockey." Choose from a selection of six international squads, which include the USSR, Canada and the United States. Don't ask me why Poland was added, I'd figure Finland would make a better choice.

Gameplay: 8/10

"Cutesy" is an apt description of the player sprites, although their hockey sticks look more like golf clubs. A lot of cute extras to make you smile (if you're like Bubblun) or barf (if you're like everyone else) like the victory dance at the end of the game, and those Zamboni drivers with goalie masks on. In terms of gameplay, there's no flickering to ruin gameplay.

Sound: 8/10

Although repetitive, the in-game music isn't so annoying that you have to press "MUTE" on your remote control. The music takes a light-hearted approach compared to the other three games, and matches well with the cuteness of the graphics. The crowd noise is welcomed, especially when they start to cheer continously during the last few minutes of a tight game, giving the match a more exciting and competitive atmosphere.

Gameplay: 9/10

The gameplay is unparalled to other hockey games. You can select from three player types, each with his own strengths and weaknesses. The variation of player types gives a roster its own uniqueness and gives the players the opportunity to take advatange of these attributes. Would you use the "thin guy"'s high speed and good face-off abilities, or would you rather use the "heavy guy"'s powerful shot and brute strength? The skillful player can fake shots, knock pucks off of other players, take a weak shot on net using the pass button, flip a puck over his/her opponent's sticks, or even score a goal off a deflection. The action is very fast paced, giving the game a high fun factor. Beginners might have trouble controlling the goaltender at first, but should get used to it very quickly. With a special code, you can even play a game without any goaltenders, making the skill of blocking shots especially important. The overtime format is very peculiar: a shoot-out. If the shoot-out doesn't solve anything, it will be followed by a sudden death overtime game with no goaltenders in net!

In terms of game options, there aren't many. There is a "Speed" option that can (duh) quicken the game's speed and make an already fast game even faster. You can also select the number of minutes per period, either seven, ten or fifteen minutes per period. There is no tournament or playoff option whatsoever, so playing against the computer might quickly become a boring affair.

Overall: 9/10

The earliest NES hockey release is arguably the best. "Ice Hockey" might seemed aged compared to the other three hockey games, but the very good gameplay and good graphics makes it better.

"Blades of Steel" by Konami, 1989.

Many NES players can recollect that one special game that they fondly remember from their childhood. It is the game that they play right after they come home from school. It is the game that they play past their bedtime with. It is the game that they skipped dinner for. It is the game that makes them scream with joy when they complete it, or scream with anger and anguish when their parents, little siblings or friends "accidently" turn off the NES. For some, it is the game that they DREAM to be part of. Ask people who played the NES on what that game was, and you'll recieve many answers, from classics like "Legend of Zelda" and "Metroid" to relatively obscure NES games. For me, that game was "Blades of Steel."

Being the longtime hardcore hockey fan that I am, I was instantly hooked on "Blades of Steel" from an early age. I first played this game at my cousin Dave's house. It had everything I wanted for in a hockey game, especially the fights. Sure, my cousin kicked my ass in almost every match we played together, but that fact has never tarnished my love for the game. I enjoyed the game so much that I even wrote a twenty-page novella as an elementary school project, with hockey and "Blades of Steel" as its main focus. Yes, "Blades of Steel" was my life, and I still enjoy a pro tournament from time to time.

Many NES players aknowledge "Blades of Steel" to be one of the best two player sports games for the NES. There is even a small debate amongst NES players on whether "Ice Hockey" or "Blades of Steel" is the better NES hockey game. "Blades of Steel" not only has fast and fun gameplay, but it also has one aspect of hockey that many die-hard fans love: fighting. Sure, "Ice Hockey" also has fighting, but it is not the one-on-one confrontations that "Blades of Steel" gives.

Graphics: 7.5/10

The player sprites are not as cute as those in "Ice Hockey," but that's not the reason why I rated this game's graphics lower than "Ice Hockey." There is graphics flicker, but not enough to ruin the gameplay. Then again, the flicker does mar the more technical aspects of the game. The player sprites are carbon copies of each other, so it they do not have the varied look that "Ice Hockey" provides. As a whole, the graphics of "Blades of Steel" isn't horrible at all, not by a long shot. Check out Minnesota's jersey colours and you'll see why they are the most feared team in "Blades of Steel."

Sound: 7.5/10

BREAKS THE PASS! PENALTY SHOT! FIGHT! AAAAUGGGHHH! The use of digitized voices is the hallmark of "Blades of Steel"; however, hearing "BREAK THE PASS" for God knows how many times does get annoying to some. There is no in-game music, and the music is geared more to the competition of hockey rather than a light-hearted affair.

Gameplay: 8.5/10

There are a few distinguishing features of this game in terms of gameplay: the arrow which dictates where the shot is going, and of course the fighting. While it is true that the fight engine is very primitive, but it does provide for some excitement. As in incentive, the loser of the fight has to go to the penalty box, even if the winner of the fight is the instigator! Don't fight near your own goaltender or else you'll give your opponent a penalty shot. Penalty shots in this game are not like the breakaways of the NHL, but an actual shot on the goaltender.

The arrow that dictates where the shot is going has been implemented before in "Soccer." When someone takes a shot in net, the goaltender has to line himself up with the arrow or else the puck goes in the net. But don't think that a player who can always line up his/her goaltender with the arrow will get a shutout. On occasion, the puck can deflect off the goaltender or "magically" goes through the goaltender. The lack of offsides in this game makes for pretty interesting plays. There is also icing in this game, but that rarely occurs.

There are some downfalls to the gameplay. You can't check the puck away from your opponent, you either have to knock him down or take the puck via interception. Passing is key to this game unless you want your players to be knocked down all the time. All of the players have more or less the same attributes, so you can't take advantage of using the strong points of each of your team members. Finally, you can't make a quick shot on net. All shots on net are slow slapshots, giving your opponent time to knock him down before he even takes the shot.

In terms of options, "Blades of Steel" provides three difficulty levels in "Junior," "College," and "Pro." For the seasoned player like me, a lead of ten or more goals is easily achieved on "Pro" level. There are also two modes of play. Other than the obligatory "Exhibition" mode, there is also a "Tournament" option, where your team has to go through four "best-of-one" series before it wins the cup. Each game does take a while to complete, and there are no options to select the number of minutes per game. There is also no password option, so be prepared to have "Thumbs of Steel" for a successful run through the tournament. Lack of passwords can also piss you off; if you lose a game in tournament mode, you'll have to start ALL OVER AGAIN.

Overall: 8.5/10

Despite my strong nostalgic ties with this game. "Blades of Steel" plays second fiddle to "Ice Hockey" in my opinion. The many difficulty levels and modes of plays gives this game more replayability than "Ice Hockey," but the surprisingly complex gameplay of "Ice Hockey" gives it a higher mark.

"Wayne Gretzky Hockey" by T*HQ, 1990.

Wayne Gretzky is one of the best hockey players of all time, prized during his NHL career in Edmonton, Los Angeles, St. Louis and New York as an offensive force and for his leadership on and off the ice. Many hockey experts point to the trading of Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles as the pivotal point for the NHL's rapid expansion into the United States. Nevertheless, the NHL continues to be the least popular of the four major sports leagues. You might recall that other hockey players, such as Brett Hull (Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars) and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) have their names on hockey video games.

"Wayne Gretzky Hockey" also has the honour of being the first NHL hockey game to have an NHLPA-license, therefore it has the rosters of various NHL teams. Here is where my first complaint is: why aren't all the NHL teams of the era in the game? I want St. Louis! I want Quebec! Where the heck are they?! Alas, even though this game has its bright spots, the game as a whole is crap.

Graphics: 6.5/10

Sure, the animation of the referees when they call the various infractions is a good addition, but the in-game graphics are horrid. The player sprites are displayed at a bird's eye perspective, but they need a lot more work on them. The player sprites are nothing more than blobs with squares representing helmets and lame excuses of hockey sticks attached to them.

Sound: 6/10

Lame attempts of music includes a horrible excuse of intro music, and an annoyingly off-key "Charge!" ditty at each and every face-off. Notice that the game programmers used the ditty in another game called "Where's Waldo?" Now that's cutting corners! The music is definately the worst of all the games reviewed here.

Gameplay: 6.5/10

Damn those programmers for not including all the NHL teams. The game seems to be geared more towards simulation than arcade play because the game plays at a crawl, even on "Fast" speed. Seriously, I think this game would've been considered decent if the gameplay was faster. But if this game is geared more towards simulation, when why don't I notice a difference in skills between Wayne Gretzky and Reijo Ruotsalainen? You can't knock down players without being called a penalty, and penalties cannot be turned off in the options menu. Grr. And even though Wayne Gretzky did got into a fight in his long NHL career, fighting is not allowed in this game. Double Grr.

But despite these numerous flaws, there are some bright spots in this game that deserves to be noticed. There are a lot of interesting options in this game that could have been used to improve the other NES hockey titles reviewed here. Of course, you have your obligatory options, such as minutes per game, but there are such options like the "Practice" game, where you and an opponent play a three-on-three game and certainly a more enjoyable playing experience. The "Playoff" mode, while it does not incorporate a "best-of-seven" series and/or a playoff/tournament mode, it does set a game up where there must be a winner; if the game ends in a tie, the two teams must go through overtime after overtime which ends when one of the teams scores a goal. There is a "Computer Only" option if you are interested at seeing the computer play against itself. But here is the real kicker: this game has a "Two Player Cooperative Team" mode! Yes, you and a friend can play on the same team against the evil NES! Such a mode has been added to other sports titles such as "Super Spike V'Ball," but I bet it would be great if that mode was included in better hockey games like "Blades of Steel" or "Ice Hockey."

Overall: 6/10

I would not get this game unless you are: a) a big hockey fan, b) you are getting this game to complete your NES collection or c) you collect anything and everything that has Wayne Gretzky's likeness on it. This game attempted at making a more realistic hockey game, but what resulted was a game that was slow and boring with emphasis on simulation and not much else. Additions like "Practice" mode and two player cooperation mode cannot even help this abymssal piece of NES software.

"Pro Sport Hockey" by Jaleco, 1993.

Released during the twilight years of the NES, this NHLPA-licensed game tried to emulate its 16-bit bethren on the SNES and Genesis. Unlike its NHLPA-licensed predecessor "Wayne Gretzky Hockey," "Pro Sport Hockey" includes ALL the NHL teams of the era, which includes the then-fledgling Ottawa Senators and US-bound franchises like the Quebec Nordiques (which became the Colorado Avalanche" and the Winnipeg Jets (which became the Phoenix Coyotes). The game also includes the rosters of these NHL teams, using 1992 stats to create distinct player attributes for each and every player. "Pro Sport Hockey" also includes a plethora of options, but the question still remains: is it fun?

Graphics: 7.5/10

The graphics in this game are mediocre for a late-release game. The player sprites flicker a lot during the game. The player sprites have no collision detection either, as sprites can easily overlap each other thus causing confusion for the player. Some of the game's graphics are laughable to any knowledgable hockey fan; take a look at the ending, for example. Goalie mask with THAT kind of stick? Ugh.

Sound: 7/10

The music in this game is adequate at best. You can even turn off the music via the game options menu if you wish. Certainly better music than "Wayne Gretzky Hockey," but not up to par with "Blades of Steel" or "Ice Hockey."

Gameplay: 7/10

The players are all lead-footed so they can't skate very fast. In addition, the computer has this annoying ability to catch up to your player that has the puck. The rink perspective in this game is unique; rather than using the horizontal rink in the other three hockey games, "Pro Sport Hockey" uses the vertical rink perspective, similar to the NHL '9X series for the SNES and Genesis. But despite that, the players can't shoot higher than a few centimeters off the ice surface. At least you can vary the strength and type of your shot, and you can knock down the goaltender if your shot is hard enough. There isn't a fighting option, but you do have the ability to make an illegal play (knock down a player) and get away with it while the crowd jeers at the referee for not calling a penalty. "Pro Sport Hockey" also gives you the ability to set up your on-ice roster of five men and a goaltender, and you can make line changes during the game, especially useful for replacing fatigued players during those long games. You also have the ability to make your team to play different systems, from a wide open game to a defensive shell around your goaltender.

Since "Pro Sports Hockey" boasts the rosters of every NHL team during the 1992 season, it includes the superstars, stars, role players and "black aces" of each team. Interesting note here: all of the players are listed by their surname first. This game also has different attributes such as shot speed, speed and power for each and every player, and it can make a real difference on who is playing on the ice (i.e. the weaker goaltenders have a tendancy to give up more rebounds and can get knocked down much more easily by shots.)

As for options, "Pro Sport Hockey" is king of the NES hockey quartet. There's a (surprise) menu where you can turn on or off penalties, offsides, and icing. You can also select the amount of minutes per period, number of periods per game, make your goaltender either human or computer-controller, and make a tied game end in a shootout or overtime.

"Pro Sport Hockey" also boasts a training mode with two submodes, "Offense" and "Defense." "Offense" will let you practice your breakaways, while "Defense" will help you practice using your goaltender. For the most part, the training modes are useless, although some may find the "Offense" submode useful. It is interesting to note that one goaltender can practice a breakaway against another goaltender! I guess the folks at Jaleco believe that Patrick Roy is such a versitale player that he can go on the breakaway against a fellow goaltender like Tommy Soderstrom.

Other than the obligatory "Exhibition" mode, "Super Cup" mode is the playoff mode of "Pro Sports Hockey," "Super Cup" mode uses a very peculiar playoff format: for your team to win the cup, it must finish first in a group of four teams using the round robin fornat, then go through four "best-of-one" series before it can win the cup. As you can probably tell, the road to the "Super Cup" is long and hard; thank goodness for passwords to save your progress!

Overall: 7.5/10

This game tried to add a lot of stuff to its game, but what resulted was a game that was decent, but not good enough to be better than "Ice Hockey" and "Blades of Steel." As in "Wayne Gretzky Hockey," the options in "Pro Sports Hockey" would be welcome in other hockey games, but the flicker of the graphics and lead-footed players really mar the enjoyability of this game. Perhaps if the numerous options in "Pro Sport Hockey" would be transplanted in another hockey title like "Blades of Steel" or "Ice Hockey," it would make an already classic NES game even better.

Final Words:

So my verdict is in: "Ice Hockey" is the best hockey game for the NES. I even shocked myself with the verdict, but after a thorough look through each of the four hockey games, I realized that the complex gameplay and good graphics of "Ice Hockey" make it the king of NES hockey games. "Ice Hockey" provides the best gameplay while it doesn't have horrible graphics. Sure, "Ice Hockey" is the first NES hockey title, but it proves again that newer games are not necessarily better than older ones.

I would like to thank OSG for adding these reviews up into the paNESian Press. I would also like to thank you, the reader, for going through these reviews. If you have any comments of constructive criticisms, please contact me. I would love to hear from you folks!

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