PlayStation 1
Released in 2000 by Electronic Arts
Grade: C
Amped up 3-on-3 hockey made by the company that perfected video game hockey? Sounds like a winner, but unfortunately this game is an ugly mess.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the one and only Rock The Rink. EA didn’t make another arcade hockey game until 3 on 3 NHL Arcade in 2009.
Praises and gripes
The engine seems lifted from NHL 99, but with easier, arcade-friendly skating. Passing and shooting are simple; you can do lightspeed one-timers with ease. There’s a shot clock, and your guy will fall down if you let it run out, which I like.
The problem: This game gets repetitive real fast. There’s a couple surefire ways of scoring, and a few straightforward ways of moving the puck up ice, and what happens in between isn’t very interesting.
You play games up to five. There are some superpowered shots and a stupid “Bonus” system that springs up a few times a game. The music and commentating are bad, like knifes-in-your-ears bad. The fights are awful too.
You have to start with cheesy made-up teams and acquire NHL teams after beating them. The teams are supposed to add humor but it’s hard to tell what they are with the choppy graphics.
I almost never judge a game based on these types of stylistic elements, but just trust me: you can’t look past something so obnoxiously bad.
The bland gameplay doesn’t make it all worth it, and it won’t be long before this game finds its place in the back of the closet.