Blades of Steel (NES Game)

Blades of Steel is the first name (there aren't many other names) in hockey on the NES. This is classic hockey action as it should be. Although Blades of Steel attempts to be fairly realistic, some of the things in the game are completely different than regular hockey as it is played in any league anywhere.

There is no offsides and no icing, which speeds up the game considerably. There is plenty of fighting, but there are no major penalties for fighting. In fact, the player who wins in the fight gets the puck. I've scored goals from picking fights in front of the opposing goal. Not only do you not get penalized for fighting, I haven't seen a single penalty handed out in Blades of Steel. Although this is a radical departure from NHL style hockey, it makes for a good video game. Oh, and with remarkable forsight, tie games are decided by a shootout, which is something the NHL didn't implement until 2005.

The one thing that you really need to have a handle on is your goalie. When the opposing team gets the puck into your zone, you will find yourself controlling both your goalie and the defense. An arrow scrolls back and forth across the front of the net showing you where your opponents shot will go. It's best to forget about your defense and just focus on controlling your goalie. If you do that, you'll find it's much easier to stop shots and pass the puck out of your zone.

The teams in Blades of Steel are not NHL licensed, so the game only shows the names of the cities. You'll find, however, that each team wears its NHL colors, so it's easy to pretend you're playing in the NHL. If you're wondering why Los Angeles isn't wearing their black and silver sweaters, it's because they're wearing these pre-Gretzky sweaters. Also, you have the option to either play a single exhibition game or play in a tournament (playoff hockey is always the best).

Anyway, this is one of the best sports games for the NES and it's a must-own if you're an avid NES collector.