Blades of Steel
Game by Konami
Reviewed by Myau84
Myau84@aol.com
Size: 512 kilobits
Save: None
Released: 1991 (?)
Works with: All Game Boys

Opening Snide Remarks: I have Blades of Steel for NES. That game is awesome.
Now I have it on Game Boy. I wonder how much different it is.

Description: 5 on 5 hockey. Practice, play an exhibition, or enter a
tournament. There are various NHL teams to choose from. All of them are
pretty much exactly the same though. You can't tell the difference, one
team's just light and one's dark. There are many more features to it,
including fights!

Gameplay: Blades of Steel is very fun. I still love the game, even though
it's quite old. The game plays like an arcade, which I like. When you have
the puck, you can pass or shoot. The action is nonstop. Sometimes it's hard
to tell where the puck is. I noticed that passes received on the GB version
take longer, but that's no biggie. Once the opposing team gets the puck, you
control the goalie at the same time you control a defense man. This is
very simple and very clever.

Graphics: This game has better graphics than its predecessor. Characters are
short and fat, but very smooth. I especially liked the cinema scenes. There's
one in-between second & third quarter, after you score, and before fights.
They almost look like real life! I also liked the graphics in the fights a
lot. Though it's a small part of the game, it does look like much work was
put into it. Much more than you'd expect from a Game Boy.

Audio: Wow, this is different. For once I have the sound on my Game Boy on!
The music in Blades of Steel sounds like it came from an action game. It's
still good to listen to though. I never found myself bored of it. The sound
effects are great too, like the siren that sounds after each goal. Very good
audio.

Replay Value: I've been playing this game a lot since I got it. It's so much
fun! It's good for people of any skill, because there are 3 difficulties. The
2 player mode also adds to the replay value.

Final Analysis: If you've played Blades of Steel on NES, then you'll know
what this is like. It's not a port, but it's similar. This is one of the
best hockey games I've ever played. I prefer it over the N64 ones. If you're
looking for a good sports game, or a fun two player game then I recommend
Blades of Steel.

Overall

Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 10
Audio: 9
Replay Value: 8.5

Final Score: 9