Blades of Steel
Reviewed by Robert Moss
Blades of Steel is an ice hockey game that easily takes the cake on the Nintendo
Entertainment System (NES) game. You will enjoy the fun of scoring against a close
friend, the thrill of the shootout, the glory of the victory!
Graphics 9 out of 10
The graphics in Blades of Steel are pretty decent--by far the best you'll see for a
NES ice hockey game. The introduction screen is one of the best I've seen and the
attention to detail in this game is outstanding. The only serious graphic flaw in
this game is on the players; where you will notice a gray face to match the gray
hockey pants or a blue face to match the blue hockey pants. Other than that
everything looks good.
Music and Sound 9 out of 10
The music in Blades of Steel is excellent. It has a nice tempo throughout the
game--which makes sure none of it gets too annoying.
Unlike most NES games, Blades of Steel actually has audible words (yes, I know,
it's hard to believe)! For example, when you start the game, the introduction screen
shows an excellent looking graphic displaying "Blades of Steel" followed by a sound
file saying, "Blades of Steel." You can also hear the referee say, "face off" while the
teams are facing off. The only problems with the sounds is that the passing sound gets
way to annoying and the punching sound sounds more like a *beep* than a *smack*.
Game Challenge 6 out of 10
Blades of Steel is a very easy game to beat on the easier skill difficulties such as
junior and college. However, the pro skill level makes the game much more of a
challenge. It's almost like the artificial intelligence (AI) starts cheating to score
goals which is very frustrating at times. But if you want it bad enough, you can beat
this game fairly easily.
Game Play-Fun 7 out of 10
Blades of Steel can get old very quickly if you play by yourself. The real fun comes
when you play against another person. The game allows head to head competition
which can really get your blood boiling!
Frustration
You may notice that the computer, who is usually down by four in the third period can
manage to create a massive comeback--this happens almost all the time. At first
this didn't bother me, but after a few days of this happening repeatedly I found
myself throwing the controller and cursing at the TV. You're just going to have to deal
with it--the computer will always keep the game close, especially in the third period.
Replayability 8 out of 10
Blades of Steel single player might get old pretty quick, but the multiplayer will
never die. You can play this years from now versus a friend and still have a very
rough and tough game.
Game Value 10 out of 10
The running line for Blades of Steel right now is about $5.00. I bought mine for
$4.95 down at Gamefellas (a local video game exchange). Is it worth it? Of course!
A meal at McDonalds or Taco Bell costs about $5.00 now! Why not get a video game
for nearly the same price and have months of fun on it?!
Overall 8 out of 10
These factors are what make Blades of Steel such a great game. Sure, the single
player gets old after a bit (it's good for practicing), but the multiplayer is a riot.
The sound and music are comforting to the ears and the graphics are nice to look at.