INSIDE HOCKEY

With three next-generation video game systems now on the market, there are certainly no shortage of high-tech options this holiday season. And the hockey games for these systems will — without a doubt — deliver incredible visuals and unparalleled realism. But with demand for both the PS3 and Wii far exceeding the available supply, it's going to be very difficult for hockey fans to get their hands on those video games systems this holiday season. Even if you have managed to secure a next-gen system for the hockey fan on your holiday shopping list, it's also still nice to unplug from the grid and enjoy some "analog" entertainment from time to time. And with that in mind, the folks at SportFX have recently released a wonderful new product — NHL Ice Breaker — that should be very appealing to hockey fans. NHL Ice Breaker features game play that is built around the standard 54-card deck (52 standard "suit" cards plus two jokers). The object of the game, of course, is to outscore your opponent. On the board, the puck moves as cards are played. Along the way, players may land on special momentum-shifting “Ice Breaker” squares. And once the puck lands in the "Shooting Zone," it becomes a classic one-on-one battle between the shooter and the goalie. What differentiates NHL Ice Breaker from other hockey-themed board games is the gameplay. Wheras games like NHL Monopoly feature NHL logos, the gameplay is no different from the standard-issue Monopoly game. But in NHL Ice Breaker, the object of the game is to score goals, and so the game-play experience has a real hockey "feel" to it. And whether you succeed or fail in the game depends largely upon the strategy you execute when playing the cards you're dealt. The game was first developed as a football game, and it became clear early on that the core of the game would also work quite well for hockey. "The development of our football game (Card Football Premiere Edition) allowed us to come up with a game system," said Fabio Del Rio of SportFX. "That game system is the core — or the heart — of all the games that we produce. For the Card Football game, the philosophy was based upon the 52-card deck, the ideas of incorporating classic playing card game elements, and these are all things that we developed over the course of time." The learning curve of NHL Ice Breaker is very low; the game is easy to learn and challenging to master. "Our games have been described as easy to learn and difficult to master," Del Rio said. "It's clever and intuitive, and has the feel of the sport." "The other thing the game really has going for it is that it's really a hockey simulation," he continued. "Anything to do with the NHL is normally going to be NHL Monopoly, NHL-themed chess, or NHL-themed checkers… but nothing in the way of an actual hockey simulation board game. It's something familiar, but also something completely new. You can learn the game in two minutes or less." On that point, Del Rio is 100% correct. As anyone who's tried to get a group of family members playing a board game knows, it's incredibly important that the game be easy to learn, but also challenging enough that it presents ample opportunity to develop winning strategies. NHL Ice Breaker is designed for one to four players, ages eight and up. It comes in a very attractive tin box, and makes a great gift for hockey fans aged eight to eighty. For more information, and to purchase the game, please visit CSEGames.com.