Ice Hockey

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Activision

Activision’s take on the sport of ice hockey is a mess, plain and simple. It should have probably been more like a game of Pong, but with hockey players instead of paddles—maybe with an option to “freeze” your opponent if you bump into them to simulate checking or something of that nature. But Ice Hockey isn’t anything like that. Ice Hockey ends up being nearly unplayable. I appreciate the simplicity of several of Activision's Atari sports games, but this game is not one where the simplicity of the gameplay makes it charming and fun. In the case of Ice Hockey, that simplicity makes it boring and dull. The folks on the development team should be put in a penalty box—and by “penalty box,” I mean locked in someone’s shed so they can take some time to reflect and think about what they’ve done. Their game, Ice Hockey, also deserves to be put in the penalty box—and by "penalty box," I mean the trash can.

Review added: 09/24/2019

Well, when I review games, I generally feel like I've got a good handle on the games I review...however, in the case of Ice Hockey, I feel like I was a little hasty with how I percieved the game...especially since I started seeing how much folks seem to think highly of it. So, I figured I'd revisit the game and see how I feel about it now that I've spent the vast majority of the last six months playing mostly games from the late 70's. And, I was wrong. I still don't see this as the "9 out of 10" that some publications of the time saw it as, but it's definitely not the 3.5 out of 10 that I had initially assigned to it. After putting some more time into this game, and comparing it to other games of the time, I feel like I can give it a solid 7. It's a little rough around the edges, but it can be a pretty fun game if you give it a chance, which I didn't seem to do in my initial review.  In comparison to hockey games that would come out just a few years later, Ice Hockey isn't much, but compared to games of its time, it's a simple version of two-on-two hockey that's a decent game to pop in if you want to kill a few minutes alone or with a friend.

Review updated: 04/05/2026

Indy 500

Also known as: Race (Sears)

Developer: Atari

Indy 500 was a special game when it was released as a launch title with the Atari VCS. It was special because it got packaged with its own, unique controller for playing the game with. The game itself was mildly fun, and like most multiplayer Atari games of the time, the goal is to get more laps (points) in a race than your opponent. Whoever has the most laps at the end is the winner. Then you can claim to be the winner of the Indy 500 and get sponsorship deals from your local, toddler-owned lemonade stand. I added that last part for my own amusement…for whatever reason, I got a chuckle out of scamming a toddler to give me money to play this game. At least they’d be spending their money on something good and wholesome like me, instead of the drugs the toddlers are into these days. Anyway, also a plus, Indy 500 includes other modes like a game where the players both race to get to the red dot that pops up on the screen, race tracks on ice, and the welcome option to do a solo race, with the goal of making as many laps as possible with a 60 second time limit. The extra modes just add to an already solid game for its time.

Review added: 07/07/2019