Bush Hockey League

by Mikhail Apr 30, 2022 | 1 Votes | 59 Played | 0 Reviews

10 rate

Genres:

Sports , Arcade

Graphics:

Labels:

Hockey , Winter Sports

Platforms:

Publishers:

V7 Entertainment Bush Hockey League is a sports-arcade game set in the 70s where hockey is a brutal and bloody sport. Engage in fast-paced games with various teams, score goals, and enter hockey fights and brawls with your opponents! And yes, it’s a world where hockey is entertaining! Play Now Similar Games

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Summary Plotline Gameplay Graphics/Sound Conclusion

Summary

Bush Hockey League is not the most accurate representation of real-life hockey in video games, but it provides a rather interesting take on the sport. This arcade sports title turns ice hockey into a rather bloody sport, making players focus on hitting their opponents while hitting the pucks and scoring goals. If you’re a huge fan of hockey fights that are somehow still a thing in the NHL, this is probably something you would want to try out.

Bush Hockey League was recently ported to the Nintendo Switch after initially making its way to PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. We had a chance to play the game on Nintendo’s hybrid console, and if you’re someone who is looking for a new sports game to dive into, should this be in your gaming library? Before grabbing your hockey stick and engaging in fisticuffs, let’s take a look at what it has to offer:

Plotline

Compared to the NHL, the Bush Hockey League is a smaller yet more exciting league. The game takes inspiration from the movie Slap Shot, where a declining team resorts to violent play to gain popularity. The story mode centers around the team called the Schuykill Hinto Brews, coached and managed by the owner of the business carried by the team’s namesake.

In a nutshell, the team is having a lot of trouble early in the season due to roster issues and injured players. This has forced the team owner to field an incomplete roster full of rookies, and it’ll be your job to get them as far as you can into the season.

Gameplay

If we were to describe Bush Hockey League straightforwardly, we’d call it a purely sports arcade experience. It is unlike most sports titles today that focus mainly on providing more of a simulation. The physics are unrealistic, but player movements, including in both the sport and during fisticuffs, are not exaggerated and are relatively grounded. There are ten playable teams in the game, all of which are playable in the first mode, which is Exhibition.

The main meat of Bush Hockey League is in the Story Mode, where you’ll play as the Schuylkill Hinto Brews, a team that is unfortunately in turmoil. It is facing roster problems, with a number of its veterans suffering major injuries. This has forced the team management, led by owner Marty Lisman to field a lineup comprised of rookies. You’ll jump halfway into the season and endeavor to obtain as many wins as possible to reach the playoffs and, hopefully, the championship.

Every game in Bush Hockey League mainly involve frantic scrambles for the puck, frustrated groans of missed shots, and tackles, similar to how they do it in American Football. Players will end up bloodied and bruised, and occasionally, there will be one-on-one fights. In a nutshell, brawls are pretty simple since all you can do is move around and punch. For some reason, though, some of my players go down in one hit (especially in the story mode). As for the hockey part of the game, it is pretty faithful to the actual sport since it follows offside rules (which you can make changes to) and penalties. The game is divided into three 20-minute thirds (approximately four-five minutes in real-time).

Bush Hockey League’s controls take some time to get used to. For beginners, it would be a much better idea to go for the Retro configuration, especially if you’re dealing with the infamous joycon drift. However, you can always opt for the Advanced style, especially if you would like more control of your shots. There is no tutorial that will orient you about how things work, but there are guides that will help you obtain mastery of how to conduct yourself on the rink.

Graphics/Sound

In terms of presentation, the visuals may not be in the league of triple-A experiences, but they hold up well and look great on the Switch. The same can be said about the character models and interface. The game runs reasonably well on the hybrid console with zero framerate drops and stability issues.

The soundtrack and commentary in Bush Hockey League stand out. Though the song selection isn’t massive, it is full of catchy tunes that you would want to add to your playlist. As for the commentary, Matt Baker is the man behind the mic, and the color commentary is well-done.

Conclusion

Overall, Bush Hockey League is a game you would undoubtedly want to try out, especially if you’re a fan of old hockey movies. It offers high-octane arcade sports action with a few fights on the side. However, there is not a lot you can do in the game except for the Story Mode and a few matches in Exhibition. Regardless, if you’d like to play hockey on the go that is relatively easy to dive into, Bush Hockey League is worth a purchase.

New Game Added: Bush Hockey League

by Mikhail Apr 30, 2022

Bush Hockey League is a sports-arcade game set in the 70s where hockey is a brutal and bloody sport. Engage in fast-paced games with various teams, score goals, and enter hockey fights and brawls with your opponents! And yes, it’s a world where hockey is entertaining!