Ice Hockey

The Good
Ice Hockey is an (obviously) ice hockey simulation. The game comes with a one- and two-player mode. It's a very fast-paced game, and is also limited to simple passing and shooting mechanics (not that this is a bad thing).

The simplicity of this game is one of its biggest draws to me. There are just six teams, which are all the same, only with different uniform colors. But, the team doesn't matter too much; what matters is your team formation.

You get four players on the court, not counting the goalie, and each belongs to one of three weight classes: skinny, average, or stocky (fat). Skinny players are very fast and do well in faceoffs, but are terrible shooters and get knocked over by bigger players easily. Stocky players are the exact opposite, and you can guess what Average players are like.

The whole weight-class-team-formation thing adds a strategic element to this game, as there are dozens of player combinations, adding to the game's replay value.

Like I said before, there's just 1P and 2P. Playing against the AI, which provides a sufficient challenge, is pretty fun, but the 2P mode is an absolute blast. Of all the simultaneous multiplayer the NES has to offer, this is some of the best of it.

The Bad
I said the game was fast-paced; when I first picked up Ice Hockey, I found the game to be a bit too fast sometimes. Once you get a hang of the easy controls and the player-switching mechanics (how to pick your player while on defense mid-game) however, playing the game is very easy.

Also, the graphics are a bit sub-par to some of the better NES games out there, but they don't look very bad. Although the character sprites blink during events such as puck battles, but thankfully not mid-game.

The sound is also limited to only two or three tunes, with one that plays constantly while in a game. However, this is a good, long song and it never gets annoying really.

The Bottom Line
Ice Hockey is a fun, fast-paced sports game that any NES owner could enjoy. The multiplayer is excellent, and the customizable team elements make this game unique and extend its replay value. This also coming from someone who barely plays sport sims, much less hockey ones.

Nonetheless, this is a game you can't miss.