Tape to Tape is a hockey arcade game with a silly party level

Despite being Canadian, I never fell in love with our national sport until recently. It took a surprising source to get me excited about the ins and outs of ice hockey: a game called tape to tapeIt follows a disgraced golfer who seeks to atone for his sins by assembling a super team of ice skaters. Add to that wild skill upgrades and wacky artifacts, mountaineering teams rappelling across the ice and sinister referees, and damn it – this is the version of hockey I’m here for.

tape to tape is a roguelite that entered Early Access on May 3rd. While the game is still being optimized and updated, the core is solid. The game consists of two elements, the first of which is hockey itself. play a match tape to tape is slick, although the keyboard and mouse setup is best described as functional. If you really want to enjoy the game, playing with a controller works better.

There’s everything you would expect from an arcade hockey game – passing plays for your forward, faceoffs on the ice, desperate long shots, clever passes and hype goals. Puck physics are excellent; The puck bounces off the sticks and bounces off the unlucky players. It’s the first time I understand why hockey is so damn fun. matches inside tape to tape are fast, aggressive and full of opportunities that I can use. Sometimes I can snag the puck with skillful skating, other times I can violently grab the puck with a brutal check.

Image: Excellent square/null games

The most tense parts of tape to tape occur when players gather around one of the goaltenders and the puck bounces from stick to stick. One wrong move and the puck could ricochet into your net and result in a devastating loss. It’s rare that I have the time to calmly prepare a recording; My forward is more likely to be checked and hit straight on the butt. But once I figure out how to triangulate a bit, I can pass, pass, shoot, and score reliably.

This is where all the silly stuff comes in. tape to tapeThe roguelite campaign tells the story of Angus McShaggy, a bitter golfer who has decided to restore the glorious sport of hockey by reclaiming Golfkind’s trophy. I have to prevail against hockey royalty, Lovecraft cultists and, worst of all, renegade umpires. This is all presented with blocky, cartoonish graphics reminiscent of classics munchkins make something up.

Every time I win a game, I get some sort of upgrade. Maybe I’ll earn one of my players a knight’s helm, which will make them slower but make them very strong. Maybe I’ll unlock a random ability for the next run, like a sick disco ball that makes my opponents dance compulsively. tape to tape is available on Steam for $17.99 (discounted from $19.99).