Customer Reviews

NHL Rock the Rink

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first heard about Rock the Rink I thought it was going to be a great hockey game. And believe me, it REALLY is. In the game you start out with about ten different teams that aren't real NHL teams. For example, there are the Sting, Rattlers, Cabbies, and so on. Anyway, you can unlock all of the NHL teams in the NHL CHALLENGE MODE in the game which really keeps you playing the game.To get all the teams you have to go head to head against all the teams in a 4 stage tournament. The first two tournaments are pretty easy to win which is about 17 of the NHL teams. Then when you get to the third tournament it really gets challenging. But he good thing about Rock the Rink is how you can win stick, gear, and skate upgrades along the way to make your team a contender against the harder teams. There is also a King of the Rink Mode that lets you and seven others go against each other a a mini tournament. Along with a this there are REWARDS that you will get for winning the championship tournament and making the top ten sheet for goals, shots ,etc. Now what makes the game different from other hockey games is: 1)Its 4 on 4 hockey(3 forwards and a goalie) 2)There aren't any periods in the game.(Its a first to 5,7,10, or 20 goal game.) 3)Like basketball, it has a shotclock to keep the game moving fast.(which can be turned off) 4)Goalies can skate up the ice and try to deke out the other goalie if they want. 5)This game has special checks(powerbombs,leg drops,stiff arms,and more!)and shots which are great. 6)The fights are optional and you can preform finishing moves on your oppents.

Well, I don't think that I left anything out except that this game is worth evey star!

When i first saw this game on a shelf at a local game rental store, i wasn't sure about it. It was NHL liscenced, but it appeared more comical than serious. That was something i liked. I went and rented it hoping to be a little more fun than the more recent NHL releases. I was surprised to see the approach towards the game had more of a NBA JAM or NFL BLITZ twist to it. 4 on 4 games with a center, two wings, and a goalie. Your available teams appear to be more like expansion wanna bes with such names as the Demolition, the Sting, etc. Each team has it's own motif, the Demolition (my team of choice) boasts players with names such as Splosion and D'tinator. To unlock the NHL teams, you must beat them in season play, where you can also upgrade your team stick handling, speed, and defensive abilities. You can also create your own teams as well. The replay value is heightened by an amazing computer AI that gets better as your team goes. You won't regret purchasing this game as i am about to do!

This is such a nice change from hockey-sims such as NHL 2k and the like. While I love the sims, they tend to get you mired in line changing, team picks, meter watching, etc.

This game is simple. 3-on-3, smash or be smashed, and play some simple hockey ! While nowhere near a hockey sim, the basic rules do the job nicely. Character animation is good, but not great, though special effects and sound effects are hilarious.

There are plenty of trick moves and special shots that allow the wimpy "finesse" players survive and even win against the big bad bruiser sized players. Either style of play you choose, you'll have fun.

Well done.

This is the best game i've ever played! If you want a great game that really rocks, pick this!!!

NHL Rock the rink is to NHL Hitz on PS2 and Gamecube as violence in hockey in reality as to cartoon violence in hockey. This game has nice graphics, a funny commentator, a few teams, and the NHL's finest teams all in this hybrid of real hockey and NFL Blitz.

Well worth the time for any hockey fans, this game owes more to the original Open Ice 2-on-2 game than Blitz, but who cares, it's still great. The commentary is hilarious, the guy's a genius and hes just as good in NHL 2002. The action is fast but you can still control it, fights are great, you should really get this game just to see your goalies go at it! Go buy it, you'll have a blast and won't regret it.

...a rated "E" game that is truly for everyone. I suppose hockey purists could be offended by this bastardization of the coolest game on earth, and to them I say: Get a sense of humor! To everyone else: Buy NHL Rock The Rink right now! You won't regret it.

First, the bad stuff. I was tempted to knock off a star or two simply for what this game COULD be. Then I realized that wasn't quite fair, since what this game IS is pure knock-down drag-out fun fun fun! The fighting feature is NHLRTR's only true weak spot; you'd think the fights would be a lot better, particularly in a game where the whole point seems to be glorious unadulterated chaos. Also, while I would dearly love a replay feature in order to watch those wacky checks, shots and dekes over and over again, this is accomplished easily enough by simply playing the game repeatedly. Which really is no problem whatsoever since RTR is highly addictive. I guess I understand why EA omitted features like the replay and multiple camera choices (weren't Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm limited to a paltry three camera angles back on their Atarisaurus?), as well as any sort of advanced player-by-player type statistics tracking; RTR is all about being fast and furious and I suppose these types of functions would ultimately serve to slow it down. However, we all know EA already has a blazing hockey engine at their disposal, and it would be most welcome to have the choice to switch such options on or off. (For example, it's nice when the game tells me that a player got a hat trick, but it moves so fast I'm never quite sure who it was...) As the heir apparent to EA's ridiculously fun Mutant League Hockey, one would expect something more like that farce-to-be-reckoned-with, where it seemed for all the world like they just took the framework for their regular old NHL '9? hockey game, changed the colors and fonts and threw in lots more blood along with some spikes, fangs, bones, chainsaws, exploding pucks and wickedly funny player names (Oh Steve Yzergone, where art thou?)...even though that might be a bit too obvious a rehash to go over so very well these days I'm sure all you Mutant Leaguers will get my drift.

All that being said, I love the 3 on 3 action, and I suppose they had to make up some space somewhere for the ability to toggle on and off all those nifty "rewards," so I guess it works out to be a fair trade. You'll be hard-pressed to find a game that's more supercharged comical fun than this one, whether you're looking just in sports games or out in the rest of the pack. Like all great video games it's a piece of cake to pick up and play and as hard as heroin to put back down once you've had that first taste. For all you codgers out there who remember the gory/glory days of Mutant League, get this game and relive some of 'em...and who knows, if RTR does well enough (which can happen only with your dollar, dear reader), maybe we'll get some sequels. PS2, anyone? Oh yeah, for all you dyed-in-the-wool drooling fanboys out there, the referee is a hottie in a midriff baring top and low-riding hip-huggers with the waistband on her RTR undies showing. WOOHOO!

NHL Rock the Rink is entertaining for the first five minutes like NFL Blitz. However, once you realize that it has little to do about hockey gameplay and more about trying to be like WWF Smackdown in a hockey rink that's when you'll stop playing. The last complaint about this game is that you are unable to play as any of the NHL teams (so why even should it garner the NHL prefix?) Instead, you play as a fantasy team against you NHL favorites. Do yourself a favor, if you are a true hockey fan stick with either 989 Sports excellent Faceoff series or EA Sports hockey offerings.