Game review 61: High Speed Edition Ice Hockey
Get in the rink with Stiga's smaller, but surprisingly massive, version of the winter sport
Ah, the month of May: spring is here. So, naturally, this is the time we decide to review an unseasonal ice hockey game. Algorithms be damned. We’re ploughing our own furrow here.
Having played a few spin-and-hit hockey games in the arcades, one suitable for the home has been on the Generations Games radar for a while now. And here it is.
Now, the only issue is is my opponent is my daughter who has no real concept of what ice hockey is, let alone a tabletop adaptation.
So how does Stiga’s version fare as a family game?
The most apparent issue upon delivery of the game is the sheer size of it. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but for some reason the thought of it being table football-sized never entered my head, and my brain fast-forwards to trying to explain, and failing, why I’ve brought something so monstrously huge into the house.
So I do what any rational human would do, and hide it in the cupboard for a few months.
Anyway, now is the time to bring it out. And it’s fun. UK 80s kids will be familiar with the rod-based movement dynamic through Super Cup Football – this is similar but with no electronics and a more unwieldy playing system.
It’s fun for the kid, too, even though she has no real concept of the sport and navigating the little skating chaps about is incredibly tricky. So the game descends not into any meaningful competition, but more a lesson in hand-eye coordination.
Give it a couple of years and it’ll be a great family game. But for now it’s going to have to stay hidden at the back of the cupboard.
Game facts and stats
Year published
2010
Publisher
Stiga
Designer
Uncredited
Player count
1–4
E’s review
What do you like best about the game?
“I like how we could slide it across.”
Was it tricky?
“Yeah it was difficult. It was medium.”
20/10
My review
Set-up time
About 10 minutes to set up all the players, goals etc.
Price
If you get a set for below £60, you’ve done alright.
Practicality
No. It’s a big old game that’s not going to fit on your shelf. It is thin, thankfully, so storage in that sense is OK, but don’t get it if you need any sort of space.
Fun for parents?
Yes, but more over a beer during a gathering rather than with young children who require three minutes to line up a shot. But it is good for helping your kids practice their coordination.
7/10
but
3/10
as a game for young families
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