NHL Blades of Steel Overview
NHL Blades of Steel for Game Boy Color is a licensed hockey title from Konami, marking the series' return to handhelds after several years. It offers several modes of play, including exhibition matches, a full NHL season, a randomized season, and playoffs.
The gameplay emphasizes fast, arcade-style action where high scores are frequent. This pace can make tracking the puck challenging, and the controls are considered easy to learn for new players. A distinctive feature is the fighting mechanic, which switches to a dedicated one-on-one brawl view when conflicts erupt on the ice.
Additional features include a Create-A-Player option, uncommon for Game Boy sports titles at the time, and a practice arena for honing skills like penalty shots and fighting. The game supports two-player competition via a link cable. While the in-game graphics are generally crisp, the color palette is not fully utilized outside of specific animations for fights and goals.
This release is designed exclusively for the Game Boy Color hardware.
