Super Blood Hockey

While I'm not a big sports fan and have never been that into hockey, I grew up playing and loving Blades of Steel on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the combination of fast-paced gameplay and simple mechanics that kept me glued to the screen, and I can still remember the crackly 8-bit voice announcing the name every time I turned it on. I was reminded of my love for Blades of Steel while playing through Super Blood Hockey, a new throwback sports game coming to consoles this week. This is a speedy and often violent take on the sport where rules are optional and injuries are rampant. But is it too repetitive or is it a bloody good time?

Super Blood Hockey is exactly what it looks like: It's an over-the-top arcade-style hockey game that is designed to look like something you would get in the 8- or 16-bit eras. It's a five-on-five match-up (including the goalie) to see who can get the most points in three fast-paced periods where rules don't matter and anything goes. It's basically the ice hockey version of NBA Jam, only without the big heads and fire.

As a throwback hockey game, the mechanics are understandably simple. You can pass the puck and line up the shot and shoot it, as well as switch between characters and check. A lot of the game comes down to trying to swat the puck away from the other team and holding the button to line up a powerful shot. And without rules to break, the action is aggressive and in-your-face. There are times when Super Blood Hockey reminds me more of an old school beat 'em up than a sports game, and that's before everybody starts fighting.

As far as arcade-style hockey games go, this is a good one. It's quick to learn and a lot of fun to play. I also like that your computer-controlled teammates aren't complete dummies and the goal keeper is legitimately good at his job. Even as somebody who hasn't played a hockey game in decades, I had no problem jumping in and becoming a real contender.

There were times when I wondered if the gameplay was a little too simple, but the game makes up for this by giving us a lot of modes to play around with. Beyond the straight-forward exhibition matches, there's also a tournament mode where you work your way through a bracket system to see what country comes out on top. And let's not forget about the challenge mode, where the already over-the-top action gets even more extreme with 12 on 12 battles, games where you're outnumbered and matches where you have to manually control the goalie.

Probably the most intriguing part of the game is the franchise mode, where you play a guy who literally sells a kidney to own a team. You control everything from diet to exercise to drug use in an attempt to mold your hand-picked players into a championship-worthy team. Although straight-forward and a little barebones, the franchise mode has a nice sense of humor and adds some much-needed depth to the otherwise shallow gameplay.

Click For the Full Picture Archive

The problem with this game is the name: Super Blood Hockey. That sets up an expectation for crazy violence and limbs flying everywhere, but I don't feel like that's the case here. There are a few fights that lead to some gross results, but I'm not sure I would call this game "bloody." It could just be that the blood doesn't look very good here, but I'm not sure the over-the-top action lives up to what the name promises. Especially if you're somebody who grew up playing Mutant League Hockey. You could take out all of the blood and gore and it wouldn't change a thing, and that's a little disappointing.

I'm also disappointed by the selection of ice rinks. I like the throwback pixel look, but does every stage need to look the same? Sure, you can only do so much with a standard hockey rink, but it would have been nice to see different colors or designs. Something that would have helped differentiate the locations. The lack of variety and simplistic gameplay helps to make Super Blood Hockey feel a bit repetitive after a while.

As a throwback hockey game, Super Blood Hockey shoots and scores. It's quick to learn and fun with friends and against computer opponents. It also has a lot of extra modes to play around with and works well as a multiplayer party game. On the other hand, the name promises a more violent game and the simplistic gameplay can become repetitive after a while. If you love old school sports games and don't want to wait for somebody to resurrect Mutant League Hockey, then it's worth lacing up for Super Blood Hockey.