Announcing the Mini Hockey Champ! Re-Master Update! Originally launched in 2017, this game has lived a pretty quiet life here. Earlier this summer I decided to give the game a complete overhaul with improved gameplay, graphics, code, and a host of changes that hopefully make for a much better experience. While I'm calling this a re-master, I decided to release it as an update to the existing game because these changes better represent my original vision for MHC.
There's a lot to talk about, so first the big stuff. I spent a lot of time improving the general gameplay, so you have more options of what you can do and games can feel more varied than before:
- Added the ability to one-time loose pucks and passes!
- Added poke checks (that don't anger the opponent)
- Fights are optional and you'll know when they're coming
- Goalies can make glove saves and freeze the puck
- Player-controlled goalie passes after a glove save
- Players can get checked while spinning/deking
- Dekes are context-sensitive and only performed by high rated players
- Block and deflect incoming shots with poke checks
- Failed checks bump the checker backwards
- Players are different sizes now, opening up the ice a bit
- Added taunting and cheering after goals
- Goalie assists are tracked
I've also rebalanced the game so that it's way less punishing for new and novice players. This is accomplished in a variety of ways:
- Selectable difficulty modes (Easy, Balanced, Hard, CPU Cheats)
- Tighter skating controls and faster skaters
- Simplified primary controls down to 2 buttons
- Checking, spinning, and dekes don't use stamina anymore
- Low stamina only impacts your player once they're in the red
- New player ratings, the bad teams are especially bad
- Champ Mode brackets seeded so you play progressively harder teams (eg. you wont play USSR in the first round anymore)
The bones of the original game modes remain intact, however I changed up a few things about how they work:
PUX are now a high-score/ranking system rather than a currency for unlocks. They are awarded based on game performance (goals, checks, saves, etc) and that total is multiplied against the overall ranking of the teams playing (eg. beating a great team with a bad one gets you 1.5x PUX and vice versa) as well as the difficulty level you're playing on
Champ Mode adds a 'scoring' section that tracks your team's overall PUX count and ranking so you can see how your current playoff stacks up against your previous cup runs
Champ mode also has a neat playing card available to view so you can marvel at your gorgeous team!
Unlockable items are no longer locked and 'Arcade' mode is now called 'Exhibition'. All of the previous locked options are available in all modes as 'Promotions'
I've added the ability for you to load externally-edited custom rosters into the game. I'll drop a post in the community section soon detailing how to do it but you'll also want to join the 26k Discord to see what folks are creating!
Finally, the game has undergone a significant visual makeover, with all-new lighting and atmosphere, improved player uniforms, more refined arena visuals (blue lines!), and a completely rebuilt user interface that properly supports 1080 and above resolutions (yes, the original game was that old).
That's a mouthful so I'll wrap it up. I'm excited to breathe new life into this game, whether you're an old-school fan or just now getting into the game, I appreciate everyone who's found their way here over the years. Thanks for playing!