Up next, another one of my favorite multiplayer games of all time (though people seem iffy about giving it a fair shot). For the hints:
1) It's an NES game
2) Developed by Technos
3) It's a hockey game
4) Part of a long and diverse series
5) Cheerleaders vs. football team all day! >_< /
Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hackey-bu - Technos / Technos - 1992 - Hockey
Where to even begin with this title. I'd say it's like NBA Jam is to most basketball games, but even that wouldn't be doing this title justice. Where NBA Jam had half-court dunks, Ike Ike has players flying through the air like helicopters; where NBA Jam had players with high-accuracy 'on-fire' shots, Ike Ike has teddy bears jump kicking goalies in the face; where NBA Jam allowed pushing to steal the ball, Ike Ike allows full on SUPLEXING to steal the puck.
Of course, not all teams have each of these abilities -- that would be silly. Instead there are 8 teams to pick from in multiplayer, most of which have their own unique identity based around another sport, and each has distinctive abilities they bring to the rink. The baseball team, for instance, uses bats instead of hockey sticks and can smash pucks in the air (where they end up surprisingly often, actually. :o) like a baseball, sending it flying across the stage, and the Kendo team can shoot blade beams while jumping. Additionally, each team also has a special shot its players can perform by charging their slap shots, like the cheerleaders' previously mentioned teddy bear, which sends players flying as it hops to the enemy goal, or the football players' shot that shoots straight up in the air and knocks out the goalie (unless they time their catch properly) when it falls back down. This adds a great, arcadey diversity to the game that sets it apart from other hockey titles and makes it a lot more interesting, especially once a person settles on a team they really like.
It isn't just the teams adding spice to the title either, as there are several rinks to select from that have special properties as well, each of which are encountered while progressing through single player mode or available right off the bat to select in multiplayer. There's the normal no frills arena and an improved version of it used for the championship games, one with bouncy walls, one with tiny ice chunks that send the puck ricocheting all over the place, and one laden with land mines -- though why the other four exist with the last one available I'll never know. I mean, who would ever want to play Hockey without explosives?
The game has quite a bit of depth to it as well, though silly team powers and land mines might lead one to believe otherwise. For one, almost everything in the game is timing based, especially when it comes to stopping pucks with the goalie and performing special shots. This means that mindless mashing will only get you so far, but it is also extremely easy to get a feel for most of the commands as long as you practice a bit. This can be a bit annoying when blocking special shots though, as you need to know the height to block at as well as the timing and messing up means a free goal for the opposing team, but at the same time setting up power shots can be risky and properly blocking it both gives you control of the puck and they likely lost health charging the puck. It's just too bad I still haven't figured out how to pass properly yet.
Untitled3.png
(I hope that pass knows where it's going, because I sure as hell don't.)
Unfortunately, for all the talking up I can do for this game it is still a sports title, and if you hold absolutely no love for the genre there is only so much the game can offer you. On the other hand, if you are open to sports games consider giving this title a chance. Technos did pretty well with their sports lineup, their most famous entry being Super Dodgeball, and Ike Ike! is unlike any other hockey game I've tried and is a complete blast to play with three other lighthearted people. It's silly, it's fast, it's arcadey, and it is absolutely . . .
an awesome game you should know about
Reply With Quote