International Ice Hockey

International Ice Hockey is a budget-priced ice hockey simulation where you compete in a league tournament to reach the top of the standings . Selectable teams include Canada, CIS, America, Sweden, and Great Britain . The rink is viewed from a sideways-and-above perspective that scrolls to follow the puck, displaying only one-third of the playing area at any time . When your team has possession, holding the fire button charges a power meter for slapshots—the longer you hold, the harder the shot . On defense, you can choose between two control methods: manual player cycling or automatic switching to the player nearest the puck . Game options include three difficulty levels, adjustable period length (2, 5, or 20 minutes), strategy positioning, and a highlights replay feature after each period. Offside and icing rules are ignored for arcade-style play .

Commodore 64

Published by Zeppelin Games in 1992 at a budget price of £3.99 on cassette, coded by David Sowerby with graphics by Neil Hislop and music by Andrew Rodger . The C64 version received an average magazine score of 70% from Zzap!64 . Critics were harsh: Commodore Format savaged the "blocky, crudely-drawn" graphics resembling Spectrum titles and the frustrating sliding controls—players glide uncontrollably, often hitting the bottom edge where the character gets "stuck there for ages" . Tackling is difficult, slick moves are nearly impossible to execute, and player selection is erratic . The eight-team tournament mode is a good idea, and team colors can be changed for clarity, but the core gameplay remains deeply frustrating . A simple but flawed budget title best avoided.