It is no secret that EA Sports is an absolute monopolist in terms of sports simulators for personal computers. Of course, if we talk about serious and most realistic projects. Almost no one else even tries to make something similar to the FIFA, NBA Live or UFC series in terms of quality. With the same exciting and realistic gameplay, spectacle and dynamism, an abundance of licensed athletes and other distinctive features of products from EA Sports.
Hockey on the PC is also no exception. In 1997, with the release of the first serious hockey simulator for Windows – NHL 97, EA took the virtual stick in its clutch and used it as a banner of undisputed leader among the developers of hockey games for PC up to 2008.
As it was in 2008 the last game in the series NHL hockey on PC – NHL 09 was released. Then, because of the unfavorable situation with piracy, the series was closed for computers and continued its development exclusively on the game consoles.
Today, however, NHL 09 is still relevant and playable project through numerous modifications produced by amateurs and semi-professional studios. All of these modules fairly accurately reflect the situation on the world hockey scene and track changes in national and international leagues.
In addition to realistic simulators, there is a certain number of arcade and even fantasy games devoted to ice hockey. And about them we will also tell in this material.
MINI HOCKEY CHAMP!
And the first game in our list is exactly the one-on-one arcade hockey (goalies don’t count) with local multiplayer support. Prove your superiority and skill to your friends in an exciting confrontation using one of several available modes with many customizable rules! Big heads, fiery pucks – this hockey game recognizes no limits of common sense.
Simple and even crude design of hockey players and arena does not spoil the atmosphere of hockey confrontation, but rather serves as an additional catalyst for fun. On the plus side Mini Hockey Champ! we can write a simple, very user friendly control. There is also a championship mode, consisting of a series of matches against the strongest teams under the control of sophisticated AI.
VR HOCKEY LEAGUE.
Almost all modern sports are reflected in virtual reality. And ice hockey decided to keep up with them, embodied in the project VR Hockey League.
The developers have even tested their creation with real hockey players. They approved, so grab a virtual stick and a helmet, and go to the hockey field – the effect of total immersion is guaranteed. Of course, if you have the right VR helmet.
EXECUTIVE HOCKEY
First on our list of hockey managers. Choose a team to your liking, build models of player behavior on the field, sell and buy new team members and throw them into battles for prestigious awards.
A developing and promising project that is sure to interest fans of the sports management genre.
SUPER BLOOD HOCKEY
An arcade game that brings players back to the era of 8-bit consoles with their notorious pixel graphics, chiptune sound and an unpretentious but addictive gameplay. All of these attributes are represented in Super Blood Hockey at their best, and are sure to give fans of similar games a lot of pleasure.
There are no clever tactics and no hint of realism in Super Blood Hockey, because that would be obviously inappropriate and unnecessary. Just speed, brutal pressure and sneaky tricks that knock your opponents off their feet and leave pixelated blood splatters on the ice.
BUSH HOCKEY LEAGUE (OLD TIME HOCKEY)
Bush Hockey League is another arcade hockey game with a distinctive visual style and retro atmosphere. It will take players back to the early days of hockey as a popular sport, when it was much tougher and more aggressive.
FRANCHISE HOCKEY MANAGER SERIES
A series for those who prefer to plan, organize and control the career development of their favorite hockey team, whether fictional or real-life. Franchise Hockey Manager, and especially the fourth part, are quality text-based managers with licensed leagues, teams and players, as well as lots of game features and possibilities. Everything to make the player feel like a real hockey club manager.
EASTSIDE HOCKEY MANAGER
The best hockey manager simulator to date, released in 2015. Only here do players have full control over a hockey club or national team, and can track the progress of the controlled team through a detailed two-dimensional engine. You can play not only against the AI, but also against live opponents in a network mode supporting the simultaneous presence of up to 30 users.