The Nintendo DS and the 3DS sadly did not feature a single hockey game. The last time EA made a mobile hockey game on a Nintendo console goes way back to the GBA, when they released a pretty awesome version of NHL 2002.
But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been done. It just wasn’t. Fast Forward to the Switch and Switch 2 and there’s still no hockey games from EA. Rather than focus on Nintendo’s newest handhelds, here’s how it could have and should have worked not he 3DS.
Use the Touch Screen to control the “Skill Stick”: Electronic Art’s gift to hockey games, this feature has changed the way hockey games are played on the home consoles. With the touch screen below the main HUD and adjacent to the D-Pad and main analog stick, why can’t the Skill Stick be virtually positioned on the touch screen? Although this option has worked horribly on the Nintendo DS on platformers the likes of Rayman, it works reasonably well on several iOS games. This would give Electronic Arts an opportunity to bring over the classic gameplay to the Nintendo handheld. Unless you have hands the size of Andre the Giant, it would be a comfortable, intuitive option. And if you don’t want to use your thumb, the stylus would work just as fine, too.
Use the Touch Screen to Control Other Game Features: With one portion of the touch screen used for deking and shooting, the other half, which lies closes to the D-Pad, could be used for line changes, goalie pulls and during fighting. This would work simply, due to the fact that when making a line change, you wouldn’t be deking or shooting the puck. This would also continue to reinforce the fact that this hockey game would not be a simple, bland port and one that truly used the system to its brightest capabilities.
The Touch Screen Shooting Option Would Also Create Some Fun Sub-Options: The mini-games, such as Most Powerful Shot and Most Accurate Shot, made famous in 2K hockey titles over the years, could be used on the handheld. As well, EA could have made this option one that could be ranked via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and one that could be shared with friends who don’t have the game.
Think of it as Mobile Advertising: Why not have the dedicated buyer base spread the word of the game’s awesomeness through the fun mini-games? EA could even sell the mini-games separately via the Nintendo E-Shop at a bargain bin price to entice non-hockey fans into picking up the title.
Gamers Could Also Start Fantasy Leagues: This would be a blast. Within each league, gamers could trade players through the Wi-Fi connection and locally through Spotpass. Imagine trade deadline. A bunch of guys in a friend’s living room, making moves to bolster their team before playoff season.
The Streetpass Options Would Be Awesome: When gamers encounter someone else who has the game, they’d get a snapshot of their fantasy team (similar to the Streetpass options in the 3DS classic Pokemon Rumble Blast), enabling them to play a clone of them. The winner would get in-game currency that could be used to bolster their fantasy team or unlock other features of the game.
Create-a-Jersey Option: With the touch-screen, gamers could design their own jerseys to play with during their fantasy leagues or even in other game modes. Those that don’t think this would be a hit obviously haven’t played a 3DS game the likes of Freakyforms. Jerseys could then be traded with friends or even sold online to the highest bidder. Like the create-a-sneaker option in the NBA 2K games, an agreement with Reebok to get a T-shirt version of the jersey made would be awesome too.
Simply put, hockey fans are loyal. The same thing goes for the people that buy the games. Once they’re hooked, they are hooked for life. It’s a shame that a double-edged sword has sliced hockey fans once again this season and the only option being on the PS5 and Xbox.
