Hit the Ice: 1990
Developer: Taito
Genre: Sports
Hit the Ice Game Manual

Hit the Ice is based on the game of ice hockey, the aim of the game being to outscore your opponent by shooting the puck into the opponent’s net more often than the opponent over three periods of play.

The game is unique because instead of having six players per team (like Konami’s Blades of Steel), the game only has three (forward, defense, and goalie). In the arcade version there are only two teams (Red and Blue) and players can be chosen for each position.

During games, there are very few rules. Players have special moves, most of which are illegal moves in actual ice hockey (such as slashing, tripping, elbowing, or kicking opponents in the groin). Fights are common, though a player losing a fight is not penalized. Instead, he becomes sluggish for a short period. If the player loses several fights in one period, he leaves the game with an injury.

Every player is capable of a “super shot”, which must be charged beforehand. If allowed to charge and shoot, the shot will hit the goaltender with such force that he is knocked back into the net along with the puck, counting as a goal. If a team is far enough behind, his team may receive a power-up in the form of a “super drink”, making the stick of the player who consumes it flash with energy and turning every shot into a super shot for a short time.