It’s so exciting when a sports title comes out and it’s not developed by one of the bigger studios. When it comes to sports titles, and certainly ice hockey games, you instantly think of EA Sports and that’s all well and said, but as a gamer we need variety. Indie developers almost certainly bring that to the forefront, and this game is no different.

Developed by Loren Lemcke (Kittehface Software) Super Blood Hockey takes the key elements of Ice Hockey and throws in a twist in the form of its brutality. Loren Lemcke heads a one-man indie studio trapped in a tangent universe where the arcade scene of the 80’s and 90’s lives on forever. In that sweet-talking statement, you can tell straight away that this game, and anyone of Loren Lemcke future titles, gameplay is going to be the be end and end all. The arcade’s during this time out was all about capturing the player through quality gameplay and imagination. When your focus is to replicate that, then you know your in for a hell of a ride.

Publisher Digerati deserve a little credit too, as they appear to be on the ball in terms of recognising the talents behind the indie scene and are more then happy to see these studios realise their dreams, and publish their wonderful creations.

Super Blood Hockey gives the standard sports arcade game a kick up the back side quite literally. Think Ice Hockey with a shot of adrenaline, mixed with a blood bath, and there you have it Super Blood Hockey is born. Playing homage to the classic 8- and 16-bit ice hockey games of the past, Super Blood Hockey, is quite the fast-paced frantic all action hockey game on drugs, with a bone crushing mentality. The game features a hole host of game modes and variations.

Featuring up to 4 player local multiplayer, it’s time for you and your mates to hit the ice and battle it out until one survives, and that’s a fact, as you lock sticks and take lumps out of each other until all your opponents are injured or decapitated. There is a an excellently crafted standard Ice Hockey game under the hood, and of course you could win by normal methods, but where’s the fun in that!

Super Blood Hockey has a fantastic imaginative Franchise Mode. So, sell your kidney for some cash, pay for your team, and start building your own squad. Handpicked from the prison yard, select the right inmates and train them in the best way you seem fit, after all they are criminals, and a little brain dead. Manage their diet, boost their energy and skills levels with a bit of fitness training, or just send them to the showers to recuperate. The Other way would be to inject them with some performance enhancing drugs and lead them to glory, but that would be cheating, right?

The game packs in a lot of detail on the ice as you look to use your superior skating skills, tactical positioning, Strategy elements and of course violence to succeed. Standard ice hockey play won’t be enough, so use the environment and ram your opponents into the sides and spill their blood or just use good old fisty cuffs as you throw down your gloves as you look to take out that bully for good.

As I’ve already mentioned this Ice Hockey game packs a punch and has some interesting if a little different game modes.  Beside the two I mentioned above why not Take on the word in a deadly global tournament, where failure results in execution, or try your hand at the many varied challenges and scenarios, including Turbo Mode and an awesome 12 vs 12 Mega Rumble, and last but by no means least, Paint the Ice red with your opponents Blood.

Super Blood Hockey will amuse just about everyone, the game’s rather unique take on ice hockey is a joy to be hold and opens up the game for anyone to give it a try. The retro graphics are just wonderful and fit the game perfectly. The Mechanics of the game are slick and responsive, as you glide the ice, passing, and shooting with ease. The frantic nature of the game goes hand in hand with the brutality on offer, as you see the ice turn red before your very eyes, things do get messy quite quickly, but in a hilariously cheeky kinda of way, it’s all good fun.

The local multiplayer element is a fantastic addition to this little gem of a game, I envisage many nights on the couch with family and friends alike. It’s fast paced action, with it’s blood and gore will have you in fits, as you take out one of your opponents for good leaving them with a handicap situation.  With the controls on point, and the field fairly even in terms of teams available, this is sure to be a classic party like title.

The Franchise mode is where this game comes into its own, with so much detail and effort put into this mode. Create, recruit and manage your own custom team of inmates in a futuristic world of dystopic blood sports. You will be playing this for hours, it’s so addictive keeping on top of your team, in a little sim’s like mode, and that’s before you even hit the ice.

Super Blood Hockey has plenty to whet the appetite, be that with an awesome detailed single player franchise mode, where you manage just about everything, to the excellent local play multiplayer modes. This little gem has just about everything you could want from an arcade style Ice Hockey game, the retro goodness, the chiptunist soundtrack, and the awesome gameplay. Super Blood Hockey will have you doing just about anything to win!

CX Score
  • 84%
    Overall - 84%
84%

Summary

Pros

  • Fantastic Gameplay
  • Packed with game modes
  • Blood and gore element

Cons

  • Tricky to score
  • No online

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