Commodore Amiga

Blades of Steel

It's a solid hockey game with 8 teams to choose from. If playing against a friend it's always an exhibition match and there are no difficulty levels. Playing the computer though there are three levels of difficulty and you can play either a single exhibition game or start a tournament. You control the highlighted player and if you pass the puck to another player you get to control that one. You'll also see the aiming arrow when close to opponents (or your own goal) in which case you can either score (if attacking) or try to block the shot (if defending). The game also includes fights and penalty shootouts. With fights you have to beat the crap out of the opponent and he'll get dragged of the ice into the penalty box by the referee and you'll have power play. With shootouts you'll get to see the goalie face to face (or be one - depending which team is on the shot). The game graphics are solid for the time with some vague details shown but with smooth animations. Tunes are less primitive and the controls are easy enough. All in all a nice and fun piece of sport gaming, but nothing that will really leave you breathless. You should still try it, especially if you can play against a human opponent, since the game can still provide a few hours fun.