Hit the Ice is one of those early hockey games that somehow nails the chaos of the sport without getting too bogged down in realism. You pick your team (I always went with the Chicago Blades for no real reason), and then it's straight into fast, arcade-style action. The players are these chunky little sprites, but the hits feel satisfying—like when you slam someone into the boards and the screen shakes a little.

It’s not NHL '94 or anything, but the controls are simple enough that you can pull off slapshots and dekes without memorizing button combos. The AI isn’t exactly genius, but on higher difficulties, goalies actually block a surprising number of shots. And yeah, it’s got that classic NES jank—sometimes the puck physics just do whatever they want, but that’s part of the charm.

If you’re into retro sports games, this one’s a solid time capsule from when hockey games were more about fun than simulation.