Blades of Steel is an ice hockey sports game developed and published by Konami for the NES, ported from the 1987 arcade original. It features fast-paced 5-on-5 hockey with fictional teams, on-ice fistfights, penalty-shot shootouts, and digitized voice samples. One or two players compete in Exhibition or Tournament modes across Junior, College, and Pro difficulty levels.
How To Play Blades of Steel
Control
Action
D-Pad
Move your skater; aim shots and dodge during fights
A Button
Pass the puck; switch to the nearest defender on defense
B Button
Shoot the puck; body check on defense; throw punches during a fight
Start
Start game / pause
About Blades of Steel
Release date
Arcade (NA): October 1987 · Famicom Disk System (JP): July 22, 1988 · NES (NA): December 1988 · NES (EU/PAL): November 23, 1990
Developer
Konami
Publisher
Konami
Platform
NES / Famicom Disk System; originally Arcade, plus C64, MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy
Genre
Sports (ice hockey)
Series
Blades of Steel (sequels: NHL Blades of Steel ’99, NHL Blades of Steel 2000)
Modes
Single-player, multiplayer (2-player)
Also known as
コナミック アイスホッケー (Konamic Ice Hockey) — Japan · Blades of Steel: The Supreme Hockey Challenge
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
