Blades of Steel

Thousands of fans surround the rink. The organ player leads them in cheer after cheer. Who are they screaming for? The Great Gretzky? No! They want you — the National Hockey League's latest phenomenon, and star of the arcade hit Blades of Steel. After choosing one of several NHL franchises, you face off against either a friend or the computer. Once you've secured the puck, you can set the tempo with a few quick passes before taking position for the goal shot.

Passing and reacting quickly, particularly when playing goalie, is the key to winning in this game. Power has its place, but this is primarily a game of finesse. Random violence is not rewarded.

The sport's true flavor is effectively conveyed via excellent sound effects and superb graphics. The crowd lets you know how you're doing, and organ music punctuates big plays.

Rough, bruising brouhahas are as much a part of pro hockey as slap shots and body checks. Blades of Steel delivers here, too. If you bump an opponent one too many times, the screen action cuts away to a fight mode. Punch hard and fast, because the loser serves time in the penalty box.

If you win the fight, keep your finger on the forward button. As soon as the action resumes, you'll have both the puck and a one-man advantage over your opponent. To beat your opponent, you must capitalize on these opportunities. In fact, if you win a fight and don't follow up by scoring a goal, it may be time for you to return to the minors for a refresher course.

If the referee intervenes in a fight before you deliver a punch, you get a penalty shot. In this situation, the goalie and slap shooter go head-to-head in a duel. A similar contest decides games that end in a deadlock, with five shots-on-goal given to each team.

Konami is the first company to bring the brutal action of hockey on the go. Blades of Steel for the GameBoy contains the same fast action of the NES cart with special additions like a practice mode, which allows you to practice your penalty shots or your fighting abilities. Also, you can play against the computer or go for some head to head competition against one of your friends. This cart is loaded with three tournaments to beat and all of the bells and whistles that made the NES cart so good.

Grab your stick and get ready for Blades of Steel Gameboy style! With all of the options from the first cart and some new ones added in. You can select a practice mode that lets you hone your skills in the fight scenes and penalty shots, to make you the best on the block. With your video link, you can really blow away the competition. Take on the same teams that you put to shame in the Nintendo version.

If you're having trouble beating the computer in this challenging hockey simulator, James Homans, of Valparaiso, Indiana, has something to help you. If you take the puck deep into the opposing team's zone (so the screen scrolls as far as it can) and get into a fight near the goal without falling down, the referee will call a penalty shot in your favor. It takes some work to get the routine down, but before long you'll have the edge. Thanks a lot, James!

When I first heard of this video game coming out for the NES by Konami, I assumed that Blades of Steel was some sort of medieval adventure game since I had not seen a picture of the actual game, only read of its name. Well, it turns out that Blades of Steel is really an arcade hockey game designed by the same folks who brought you last year's immensely successful Double Dribble.

From the opening title screen, which shows a shining logo, a voice proclaiming the Game Pak's title and the digitized sound of metal clashing, you immediately experience the anticipation that you're about to play something unique. It's an anticipation that isn't disappointed.

Blades of Steel can be played by one or two players. In one-player mode, you can pick between "Exhibition" or "Tournament" play. In Tournament, you'll be challenging computerized teams for the Konami Cup. Two players each choose from a list of eight cities - Canadian and American - to represent on the ice.

The game starts off with a face-off. The referee drops the puck, and the team that first gets control of it puts the other team on the defensive. Although the computer automatically switches to the player nearest to the puck, you can select control among your five players. And you're also responsible for manipulating your own goalie. Playing this game can sure put a strain on your thumb.

What sets this video version of hockey apart from others are its fight and penalty/overtime scenes. A fight will usually break out when you have one of your players continually check or slash an opponent. Unless the referee breaks up the confrontation - most of the time he wisely chooses not to - the game switches over to a fight screen. The opposing players throw their hockey mitts aside and begin duking it out as the crowd in the stands cheers. This is one fight that you can't let your player lose; the loser goes to the penalty box, giving the other team a power play.

If, by some chance, the referee does stop the fight in time, the penalty/overtime scene comes up - a direct view of the hockey goal. Here, the slapshooter must shoot the puck into the goal while the goalie tries to block it.

As in Double Dribble, the hockey players in Blades of Steel are realistically illustrated and smoothly animated. Their movements as they speedskate about the arena emulate what you would see in a real hockey match.

A variation of the familiar soundtrack from Double Dribble is played here. Fans of that game will also recognize the referee's whistle, but there are plenty of other sound effects in Blades of Steel: the clap of the slapshot, the hockey players' skates scuffing on the ice, and who can forget mentioning the digitized voices shouting "Face-off", "Fight" and "Pass it"?

I know this will sound canned, but Blades of Steel is the best electronic hockey game there is - for a video game or computer system. Personally, I like this one better than any other NES sports Game Pak. There's no doubt about it: last year's Double Dribble was the sports video game on the NES; this year it'll be Blades of Steel.

When you talk of hockey video games, you can't go far into your conversation without mentioning Blades of Steel, the best-selling hockey game of all time.

Carry A Big Stick

Blades of Steel doesn't have the detailed player characteristics of the other hockey simulations, but it captures the flavor of the original game -- hack 'n slash hockey without restrictive rules. Graphics are sharp, although the game tends to be hard to follow at times because of its fast pace and small characters. Incredible animation scenes appear when you score a goal, or get into a fight. They're worth the price of admission alone!

One or two players can choose from three leagues/skill levels -- Junior, College, and Pro -- and eight teams. Practice mode improves your fighting ability and penalty shot shooting.

Hit the Ice!

Blades of Steel is not for hockey wimps. You'll have to do plenty of hitting and checking to win. Luckily, the refs are blind!

There's enough hot action to keep puck-heads satisfied until the NHL season starts again. It may not have NHL teams or the superstar players, but sometimes shooting and punching alone is enough.

An older game, this classic ice hockey game seems as popular as ever. And why not? What other title enables you to tear down the ice at breakneck speeds and then feel the thrill of victory as you slap the puck past the goalie for a score!

One or two players face off on the ice. One player action features Exhibition or Tournament modes. Exhibition play enables you to pick your favorite team and square off against a computer team for one game. Tournament mode enables you to become one of eight Canadian or American teams and play the other teams in tournament action.

The game play has all of the glamour and the excitement of real ice hockey. Competition begins as your team skates out onto the ice and lines up for the opening face off. You control each team member, including the goalie. Mount an aggressive offensive attack, do some hard checking, and even provoke a fight. Yup, that's right, the action is authentic right down to the brawls between opposing team members. Get ready to put your opponents on ice!

Grab your stick and get ready for Blades of Steel Gameboy style! With all of the options from the first cart and some new ones added in. You can select a practice mode that lets you hone your skills in the fight scenes and penalty shots, to make you the best on the block. With your video link, you can really blow away the competition. Take on the same teams that you put to shame in the Nintendo version.

The folks at Konami would like you to know that "your Game Boy is about to be put on ice!" How? With the fast action hockey classic, Blades of Steel. You get all the same great options that you did in the original NES version including a choice of eight different teams: Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Edmonton, Minnesota, and Montreal. There's also two player simultaneous play and three league settings (Junior, College, and Professional). As for the action, well, you can pass, check, tend goal, and take a slap shot. It doesn't stop there. Just like a live-action game, your team members can even break out into full blown fist fights. Can't get much more real than that!