Ice Hockey has always had one of the most enthusiastic fan bases across the world and that’s because the sport brings together exciting elements that very few sports boast off. Fans of the sport say that the finesse of skating and shooting, combined with the brutality of hard hits and the occasional fight have made Ice Hockey a very unique sport.
There are a number of Ice Hockey leagues across the world such as the KLH, SHL, Elite and the NHL. Ice Hockey fans are spread across the world and are so passionate about the game that they not only watch Ice Hockey but also play video and online ice hockey games against fellow online competitors.
There are a number of exciting online hockey games that allow players to enjoy the comfort of their home while playing Ice Hockey against players all over the world. We take a look at some of the best online hockey games in 2018 which you can try here.
NHL 18
EA Canada developed this simulation ice hockey video game and EA Sports published the game in September 2017. The game can be played on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and is an improved version of the NHL 17 video game which was a great hit with ice hockey fans.
NHL 17 went through major changes before being released and as a result EA Sports made only minor tweaks to NHL 18. Both the draft championship mode and franchise mode were retained for NHL 18 and the biggest difference in the updated version is the integration of what is being called the NHL Threes Mode.
It quite clear from the start that EA put a lot of work into the NHL threes mode as it resembles 3 vs. 3 NHL Arcade which EA released a few years ago. The game is designed more for the casual player, but hardcore fans will enjoy several strategic elements that are present in the new mode.
Players will be able to choose all of the NHL franchises including the Vegas Golden Knights which is the latest franchise to join the league. Players will also be able to choose teams from the Champions Hockey League, EBEL and HockeyAllsvenskan. If players are not happy with any of these teams, they have the option of creating their own ice hockey team and enrolling them in the NHL. Players will be able to compete against other teams from different parts of the world making NHL 18 one of the most exciting ice hockey games to be played in 2018.
EA NHL 18 is currently priced at $59.99 and is turning out to be quite popular with ice hockey fans across the world. Currently there is no release for the PC but EA has already announced that a PC version will soon be available for PC users.
Old Time Hockey
Old Time Hockey (OTH) was released and developed by V7 Entertainment. This is an online game that will be enjoyed by hardcore ice hockey fans. That being said OTH also has a number of features that still makes it appealing to the casual ice hockey player.
The hook of the game is that it is set in the earlier years of hockey where the rules were not as stringent as they are now and gives old time hockey fans another chance to enjoy ice hockey as it was in the past. The game holds an M for mature rating and it is mostly due to the game’s story mode where you are trying to save the local hockey team from going out of business. The story mode resembles a Grand Theft Auto style game where the team has to make morally ambiguous choices.
Story mode aside, the online game play that OTH allows is off the wall fun but also intriguing enough to keep hard core fans entertained. The engine is based on EA’s NHL 17 and there are still some stick handling that players familiar with the franchise should be comfortable with.
OTH stands out from other hockey games due to the fact that the rules are much more relaxed when compared to modern day online ice hockey games. This is to reflect the time period where penalties such as slashing and hooking were less enforced and fighting was much more common place. While the referee will still call the occasional hooking penalty, it is few and far between.
Fights occur with more frequency as well and can be initiated by any player by entering a sequence of button presses. Players can often get injured during the course of play and even goal tenders are allowed to enter the fray which adds another dimension to these fights which can often be one-sided.
OTH allows players to have as much fun as possible while playing ice hockey and can be best compared to games such as the older NBA Jam or NFL Blitz series of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. OTH is reasonably priced at $12 and is available on all current generation consoles and PC.
Super Blood Hockey
Super Blood Hockey (SBH) is a steam game that makes reference to the original Ice Hockey title on the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game is highly likely to win any game of the year awards; it will certainly provide players with a lot of fun and excitement. SBH was developed by Loren Lemcke and was released in August 2017.
The nod to the NES game comes from the slightly updated graphics where players play 5 vs. 5 with options to use slender (sniper), medium sized (play maker) or fat (enforcer) type sprites. Each type of player has their own particular play style and endurance.
The sniper type shoots fast and will be able to get by the opposing goaltender much easier than the rest, while the play maker will be able to get your team the puck by stealing it from the other team. The enforcer will be able to protect the puck on neutral ice as well as bumping other players while taking more hits than the rest.
Super Blood Hockey is easy to learn and play as the controls are simple since there are no real advanced controls available. The game also offers excitement in the form of random fight sequences where all 10 players fight at the same time. The hilarious sequence only ends when all five members on one team have been knocked out. It is during this time that the winning squad gets a power play chance while one of the opposing players bleeds out on the ice.
We must point out that this is a retro style game and as a result players will encounter a few retro type problems that come along with Super Blood Hockey. Shooting on the goal even with full slap shot power often ends up as a hit or miss, snipers usually do not live up to their style of play and are more often than not on their butts after being bumped by the larger play maker or enforcer type skaters. Goalie control is also sometimes random and can either be an iron wall or a paper window.
Even with all of these issues, Super Blood Hockey still offers players loads of fun and excitement. The game is available for $5 and can be found on Google Playstore.
