Hey there everyone. I’m excited to be able to tell you about Table Ice Hockey, the latest ‘AR Play’ game for PS Vita. It uses three of the AR Play Cards to transform and freeze your table top to make an ice hockey rink and arena. You start off with the basic frozen lake surface and then unlock bigger and more advanced stadiums the more you progress through the game.
We have designed the game to be really easy to pick up and play, with a great arcade-style look and feel. You take direct control of any one of five players out on the ice, putting together fast flowing moves and end-to-end game action.
The really cool thing about the AR aspect is the fact that you can play the game from any position, so you can move your PS Vita around to get as close to or as far away from the action as you like. Replay mode is another great way to enjoy this aspect, as you are in charge of the camera, viewing from whatever angle looks best.
Don’t worry if you are new to the sport or want to brush up your skills, there is a tutorial option available to get you started. This is split up into ‘Beginner’ and ‘Advanced’ modes. The Beginner option gives you help with the initial set up of the AR Play Cards, movement and passing, and the general basics, while the Advanced mode helping to explain specific rules like ‘Face Offs’, ‘Checking’ and ‘Fights’.
Table Ice Hockey has two game modes to enjoy: the ‘Solo’ mode allows you to play against 18 AI based teams, with the ‘Player vs. Player’ mode offering Ad-Hoc play against your family or friends. The great thing about this mode is you only need one set of AR Play Cards and you can both see the same arena.
Of course, an ice hockey game wouldn’t be complete without fouls, fights and players being sent to the sin bin, and we have all that covered in this game.
There is also a tournament setting, in which you compete against 16 teams that are split into two conferences. You’ll have to be at your very best to advance through to the knockout phase and win the cup, so there is plenty of opportunity to test your skills.
A big part of Table Ice Hockey is being able to customise your team. Using the Team Editor you can design your kit, colour and team logo, as well as being able to personalise your individual players, selecting the shirt name, number and skin tone.
So that was a bit of info about Table Ice Hockey on the PS Vita. It’s available to download after today’s Store update, priced at just €1.99/£1.59. Let us know what you think!
15 CommentsAdd Yours
1
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:12 pm by nukester
does it support trophies
2
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:13 pm by hanmik
there are trophies..!
But why is this article tagged with STUDIO LIVERPOOL..? are you just trying to make us cry..?
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 5:00 pm by moconn
This has now been updated to XDev Studio, although we are based in the same office.
3
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:14 pm by chrisboers
This looks particularly cool, especially at that price! A good reason to go searching for those AR cards…
Tip for all those who have lost their AR cards, or want a spare set: http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2012/02/24/replacement-ps-vita-ar-cards/
Does this have a demo?
4
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:20 pm by wardragon989
Could we possibly get a bundle with all the AR games?
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 5:01 pm by moconn
This is something we can look at in the future.
5
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:25 pm by NightRanma
This wasn’t exactly what I meant all those times I said I wanted an NHL game on Vita.
Hopefully there’s a demo so I can see if it’s any good. I’m so desperate for some portable hockey that I’ll take a gimmicky AR game at this point.
6
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:37 pm by nemo20000
RIP Studio Liverpool.
7
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:46 pm by VitalogyPJ
They don’t mention so I assume it doesn’t hae trophies.
I’m not gonna pick this one up right from the beginning, don’t wanna commit the same mistake I did with Pulzar, that works really bad and it’s a pain to complete those puzzles.
Wish there was a demo because even it costing €1,99 it’s still money and with more €0.50 on top of it I can buy a table for zen pinball 2 which is a great game.
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 4:55 pm by moconn
Table Ice Hockey is really easy to set up, you’ll just need the 3 AR Play cards to form the rink/arena and you are good to go. Any help with set up and rules can be gained through the tutorial, the game is arcade based and simple to pick up.
8
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:55 pm by VitalogyPJ
Correction, the game DOES HAVE trophies and here’s the list http://exophase.com/game/table-ice-hockey-ps-vita/trophies/
I wish they didn’t included this one though:
“Defeat the Human” – Beat an Ad-Hoc Network Opponent.
They are assuming that either people have 2 ps vita’s or somehow know anyone or family member that has one too. Wrong assumption guys, it’s me and only me and I don’t know anyone near to play ad-hoc so unfortunately you’ve failed there -.-
9
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:58 pm by bravo9zero
Dear God! Do ANY good downloadable games get released on PS Vita?
We haven’t had any good PSN games on Vita since launch day!
The lack of good content that gets released on PS Vita is shocking.
What is Sony thinking?
10
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 12:58 pm by zpaceball
I probably wont be able to resist this game!
11
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 1:00 pm by VitalogyPJ
@#9 Agree!
Why can’t they simple put Limbo, Flow, Flower, Journey, etc. on the Vita? I’m pretty confident lots people would buy them. I mentioned those but there’s a whole lot of PSN games that could be done available to the Vita as well.
12
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 1:22 pm by GametimeUK
I really like the art style on this game. £1.59 isn’t bad at all. I can’t say this title makes me want a vita, though. Maybe one day.
13
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 3:00 pm by dirtyCAT79
#9 and #11 I agree.
SO many good little titles that would work on the vita not being ported over….. anomaly warzone is a perfect example.
What is SONY doing to help these smaller developers get exciting stuff onto the vita?
I KNOW we have some great titles in the coming months – but there is a huge market for smaller games and the VITA would really excel at these ‘mid range’ games like LIMBO etc.
Escape plan is about the closest we have got. These games should be queuing up to get onto the psn store.
That said – I do love these AR games. Great fun and very clever but also once the gimmick has worn off, i lost interest. I tried a couple of games, and this Hockey one does look nice but all I can think of is how much of a hassle it is to set up the cards and get the lighting right and then get down on the floor which is the only space where the AR really works for me.
Its a nice concept… but come along now… this stuff isn’t going to sell the Vita.
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 5:11 pm by moconn
@ #10, 5 and 3.
Well worth a purchase at £1.59/€1.99. Great AR game….having an Ice Hockey arena on your table and being able to move around and play from any viewpoint is a really cool aspect. Add in the art style and arcade gameplay and it’s a fun title.
14
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 5:19 pm by moconn
Trophies are included, we have them in all areas of the game, so good luck trophy hunting.
15
Posted on 26 September, 2012 at 5:51 pm by Pesico
As a hockey fan, I’m thrilled to get this game, but can you guys please avoid those annoying ad-hoc trophies in the future?
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