"Best hockey game for the 2600 by default"

This is the only real hockey game available for the Atari 2600. It was made by Activision and designed by Alan Miller. The game is two on two in one three minute period and features play against the computer or another player and has four different difficulty settings, two for single player games and two for two player games.

Graphics 7/10: Not too bad. The players have three different colors and don't look too bad in comparison to other Atari 2600 games. The puck is just a pixel but you can't expect more from an Atari 2600 game. However the playing field is bare and could have used some lines on it or something to make it look like a hockey rink. I also think more could have been done with the gaol posts as all they are just black lines.

Play control 6/10: I think this could have been much better. I find the character movement sluggish in comparison to other Activision sports titles like Tennis for example. Too many times when I've tried to pass or shoot the puck and it didn't go the direction I wanted it to go. Sometimes too it didn't let me control the hockey player I wanted to control since it automatically switches to whichever player is closest to the puck. One positive note is that you can trip the other team's player so there's a little fun in that but sadly no fighting is in this game.

Gameplay 7/10: For a single player experience I'll give it a 6/10. Playing against the computer is simplistic and a little bit fun but after a game or two you'll get bored with it. For a two player experience I'll give it a 8/10. Like any decent sports game the two player mode is where you end up with most of your fun given the unpredictable nature of a human player.

Overall 7/10: If you have a friend, sibling, or someone else to play this game with it's fun for it's simple yet competitive gameplay. But if you are a solo gamer you'll probably play this game once or twice, have a little fun, then put the game back in the closet or where ever you keep your Atari 2600 games.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/05