Atari's latest "backyard" sports game for the Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Sp, "Backyard Hockey," falls a little shy of expectations, mainly because it is too easy.
For instance, the first time I picked up "Backyard Hockey," I chose the hardest level (you can pick from easy, medium and hard) and I beat the computer 2-1.
Of course, this game might not be made for "adults" like me. A younger, less experienced game player — say, like an 8-year-old — would likely find this game more challenging. And, to be fair, Atari does seem to be marketing to a younger audience here.
Like the other games in the Backyard series — football and baseball — "Backyard Hockey" allows players to formulate a team from a mix of professional athletes and street kids. Different players have different attributes — some shoot well, others pass well while others play good defense.
As with all Backyard games, the characters look like cartoons similar to ones seen in the "Fat Albert" television series. Those characters include National Hockey League players like Paul Kariya, Jaromir Jagr and others, in addition to ethnically and physically diverse neighborhood kids like Pablo Sanchez and Kenny Kawaguchi, who plays in a wheelchair.
Gamers can also choose their team from all 30 NHL franchises and a few fictional teams like the Abominable Snowplows and the Wobbly Walruses.
The graphics and setup is fairly predictable for a video hockey game. The lone view is from overhead and you can choose from one of six rink settings, including Queen Flaky's Ice Castle and Duksana Pond.
One mild criticism I have of the game is that there is no control of the goalie. Sometimes when you shoot, the goalie will make a save; however, other times you will fire a shot right at the goalie and the puck will find the back of the net.
Still, gamers can also earn well-deserved goals when they make crisp passes to a streaking player who hit one-timers past out-of-position goalies.
The game lets you play single games against the computer or participate in a 14-game season with playoffs. Other features let you create your own players and, using a link cable, play against your friends.
There are several options for game play. You can have manual line changes if you like, have your players become fatigued, switch penalties on or off and choose between two-, four- and six-minute periods. One constant is the three-on-three format with a goalie.
There's also a cool little feature that, when a questionable penalty is called, allows you to "rock, paper, scissors" to see whether your player or the computer's player sits out.
Overall this game is enjoyable for short time; however, the ease with which the game is mastered means you will likely grow bored too soon.
I give it a six out of 10.
E-MAIL: bsnyder@desnews.com