Developed by Konami in 1988 for the Famicom Disk System (playable here via NES emulation), Konamic Ice Hockey is the Japanese release of the legendary arcade-style sports game that would become known internationally as Blades of Steel. Renowned for its fast-paced action and physical gameplay, it drops the complex rules of ice hockey in favour of high-speed passes, heavy checks, and memorable mid-match fights.
How to play
You control whichever skater is actively flashing. The arrow keys move your player, while the Z key (A button) passes the puck and the X key (B button) shoots when you are on offense. On defense, Z switches control to the player closest to the puck, and X attempts a steal or check. If two players collide heavily, a fight breaks out: use the buttons to punch and the arrows to block. The loser is sent to the penalty box. Press Enter (Start) to pause.
Tips
- Look for the flashing arrows pointing to your teammates when you have the puck; this indicates who will receive your pass.
- Shooting from the bottom or top of the offensive zone at a diagonal angle is often more effective than shooting straight on.
- During fights, let your opponent swing first, block their punch, and immediately counterattack while they are open.
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