3 on 3 NHL Arcade

Hardcore hockey fans might find NHL Arcade too simple, with its lack of official teams, arenas or any kind of tournament mode. However, it's loads of fun against friends, online or off.

The gameplay is solid and the online mode works fairly well, but a severe lack of features really dampens the experience for those expecting more from EA’s latest.

But judging the game on what’s included, there’s just not enough here to entice gamers that aren’t hardcore NHL fans.

NHL 3 on 3 Arcade can be fun in the right hands, albeit in very short bursts, but hardcore hockey fanatics aren’t likely to enjoy this simplistic title very much.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade is a game that should not be a 10 dollar purchase, rather a bonus mode available in the regular NHL release. If EA plans on releasing a similar game in the future, it would be better suited to either bring back the under-appreciated NHL Rock the Rink from the original PlayStation or putting in some sort of ladder option or tournament mode similar to arcade sports titles from the 90s.

Your CPU teammates will never assist you in easing the pressure of a three-on-one attack, so I can only recommend Live play for people who have at least three controllers (only two Xboxs are allowed, per game).

Decent, but no especially visually appealing [May 2009, p.105]

The over-the-top gameplay is a good fit, but it is a bit unimaginative. Shrinking goalies and massive body checks aren't exactly stretching the boundaries for an arcade game.

The game would have been better suited as an Easter egg in the next NHL franchise title, as its enjoyable enough gameplay would have provided great relief for a long season or playoff campaign.

Think of it as the cheap seats at a game. If you know what you are getting into and have plenty of friends who wanna throw down with you online, then yes, the game does play a fun addictive game of arcade NHL action. If you are looking for a single player experience or will only play online sporadically, then the answer is an emphatic no.

NHL Arcade falls short in too many areas to be highly recommended. Unless you're a diehard hockey fanatic you can pass up this title. It's a shame too, we needed a good hockey arcade title for PSN/XBLA, but we haven't gotten it yet.