Have Some Good Old Fashioned Hockey Fun With Ice Rage
Ice Rage ($0.99) by Mountain Sheep is an intense ice hockey experience on your iPhone and iPad.
I’m normally not one for sports games, but I saw Ice Rage and I was drawn in with the pretty graphics, so I had to give it a try. And I must say, I’m quite impressed.
There are two teams that you can choose: red and blue. Each team has their own unique players that you can select, including a lightning fast Santa character (though this Santa pack will cost you $0.99 through an in-app purchase). Some characters may seem familiar, including John Gore (from Minigore) and Enviro-Bear (be careful, he hits hard).
Ice Rage features a fun single player or multiplayer experience. No matter which mode you play, you’ll be able to select one of three difficulty levels: Easy (slow gameplay, automatic goalie), Medium (faster gameplay, automatic goalie), or Hard (fastest gameplay, manual goalie). To control your character, there are two on-screen controls: the joystick and the “A” (action) button. The joystick is in the bottom left corner and allows you to move your character on the screen. The action button will enable your character to swing their hockey stick, which can either hit the opponent or smack the puck towards the goal (or wherever you happen to aim it).
When your character comes into contact with the puck, they will automatically keep a hold of it. While you have the puck, move around to avoid being hit by the opponent (hockey is violent!), and also aim the puck towards the goal, and hope that it doesn’t get blocked. While the opponent has the puck, you can smack them around and steal it from them, and even block their shots.
The goal of the game is to score as many goals as you can before the time is up. If the time is up and both players are tied, then the game will go into overtime – the first player to get a point in overtime wins.
With the latest update, the player's goalie AI seems to have gotten better, which is nice when you're playing on easy or medium difficulty. There are also some more players to find, including Bike Baron himself!
The multiplayer experience is a blast to play, especially when on an iPad. Both players get one end of the device (complete with controls), and can play against each other in an all-out hockey war! This makes a great game to play with others, especially during the holidays.
I found the gameplay to be easy and fun. The graphics are great and the music and sound effects (especially when hitting the opponent) suite it well. The only thing that is missing is probably Game Center integration – I’d like to see some achievements to strive for in the future.
If you are looking for a great little game for single or multiplayer experience, then I would highly recommend picking up Ice Rage. This is fun for kids and adults, and best on the iPad.
