I always loved sports simulations as a child. I loved sports, and I loved video games. And Blades of Steel did a good job of bringing them together. And whereas previous hockey games were more like cartoon games, finally, someone put together a hockey game that had some of the feel of the actual sport. And it wasn't any technological breakthroughs that made this so - it was simply that Konami took the time to actually create a decent game. The sound is a great indicator of this, as the ability to insert decent sound into games had been around for a while, but Konami utilized with little things like crowd cheers and puck-slapping that gave a more authentic feel to the experience. When you get right down to it, though, the one thing that made Blades of Steel was the fighting. Sure, the game was the best hockey simulator ever, but the close up fist-fighting was what got people talking about it. If the game got a little chippy, two of the players could drop their gloves, and the game would zoom to a close-up, one-on-one fight. I have little doubt that the success of this game due overwhelmingly to this one element led in part to the birth of Street Fighter and the fighting-action game genre, as games of that type were few and poor up to this point. Blades of Steel was a truely historic and monumental achievement in gaming history, but I have a hard time recommending it now. Most later hockey sims improved immensely on Blades of Steel, especially with the emergence of EA Sports as a sports game mogul. I would suggest trying more recent titles, except under two exceptions. First, if you are a long-standing hockey fan, this game is great for seeing the teams and rosters from an older era. Second, if you played this game when it was the best, you can still have a lot of fun with it. Otherwise, aim for better things, because they are easy to find. But if you want a piece of history, this is a good get if you can find a collector willing to sell.
Konami knows hockey! and some gifts from Mom and Dad are great! I didn't ask for this particular game (at least not that I remember anyway) but, I got it nevertheless and after I've played this game I'm glad I did. I do ... Read Full Review
Its an instant classic. There is simply no hockey game that matches its greatness on the ice. It is remarkable plain and simple. The graphics are the greatest you will ever see on NES. The fights are so realistic, you... Read Full Review
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