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Blades of Steel is a Hockey game by Konami. It was originally released as an arcade game in 1987. However, it is probably best known for its NES port in 1988. There were numerous other ports as well, including a late release for the Commodore 64 in 1990, and the Game Boy release in 1991. Other releases include ports for DOS, and the Amiga.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the Game Boy. The motion blur filled black and white screen makes it less than ideal for games with a lot of movement. However, as far as hockey games go, you probably will not do better than Blades of Steel, at least on the Game Boy. Each team features six players and you can play against the computer or another human. In single player mode, you can choose to play a single game or an entire tournament. There are three difficulty levels in the form of Junior, College and Pro leagues. Teams are not based on real teams but are based in real cities. In other words, there’s no official NHL or other licensing in Blades of Steel.
Game play is pretty straightforward. You always control the player with the puck when on offense. To pass the puck, aim towards a player, wait for that player to start flashing, then press the button. On defense you can select the player you want to control. One unique aspect of Blades of Steel is that when a fight breaks out, you play what is effectively a mini-fighting game with the loser getting the penalty. There are only two types of penalties in the game; the one imposed for fighting (for the loser anyway) and one imposed for icing. There are no off sides or other penalties. Not terribly realistic perhaps but simple and fun nonetheless.
Blades of Steel has had a couple of re-releases. The NES version was released via Nintendo’s Virtual Console in 2007 and the arcade version was re-released via Microsoft’s Game Room service in 2010. However, if you want the Game Boy version you’ll have to grab an original copy or use emulation. The Game Boy obviously isn’t the greatest platform for this kind of game but Blades of Steel does an excellent job within those limitations. And if you wanted hockey on the go in 1991, there weren’t any better options.
