Three players on the ice and a goalkeeper … per side … and yet the game is called 3 on 3 NHL Arcade. Why? Likely because the goaltender is somewhat uncontrollable and works off the AI most of the time. The goalkeeper will occasionally leave the net and becomes a controllable player at that time; after a stop, you can direct the netminder to make a pass – so while there may be three players on the ice battling it out, there are four actual members per side. Of course, you can only really go 2 on 2 with controllers, but let's not make this any more convoluted than it already is. The compromise is 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, and the EA title lives up to its name in many ways.

EA Canada is behind the downloadable title, which has ties to the Freestyle sports lineup, and manages to blend the fluidity of EA’s hit NHL title from last year with an arcade style of gaming. That means wacky power-ups that will enlarge players, turn one into an icy obstacle in the rink, or improve the speed of your shot (laser shot) – among other effects.

A visceral experience featuring representations of some of the top players in the NHL, 3 on 3 features two basic ways to play – Play Now and Online. The first drops you into the game quickly, allowing players to choose a team and hit the ice in short order. The online functionality has two options – quick ranked versus play and unranked versus play. Because the disk received was for the test unit, online was not available. There will also be leaderboards for fans and players to track progress.

When you jump into the game, which is done rather quickly, you can pick some players, but the goal is to get you on the ice fast. The control schemes are pretty standard for an EA hockey title, the standard hot buttons used for pass, switch player, check, shoot and so on, and the left thumbstick controls the player while the right thumbstick is the skill stick from the NHL title.

A big hit on the ice will pull up a power-up, which can vary and can be rather entertaining. Imagine a giant Joe Sakic powering down the ice against a shrunken and very tiny Martin Brodeur – the imagery is amusing, to say the least.

After a goal is scored, the puck is not re-centered; rather the team scored upon gets the puck behind its net and the game resumes. The game is played until one team reaches the target number of goals – which is set before the game begins. You can also set the difficulty level to suit your playing experience.

3 on 3 is rife with sounds that try to come across as lighthearted and fun, with the deep “monster truck” announcing voice intoning the power-ups as they appear, and dashing through the main menu to the sound of either “snarf” (sounds like it anyway) or “quick.” The musical score is Ok, but won’t have you hungering for the next tracks to pop up.

The game has a set camera position at the end of the ice. This works the majority of the time due to the quick pacing of the game. And more than one person can play in the quick play area.

The game also will play out in timed periods, with teams switching ends after a set amount of time, unless the target number of goals has been reached. The game has a slight learning curve, more because of the pacing than anything else, but once you get into the flow, the action plays out like an NHL franchise title … passing the puck quickly to get the open shot is essential, transitioning from defense to offense quickly improves chances to score and battling for rebounds in front of the net can result in goals.

The AI is decent in the game, if you are playing against the CPU and you will have to bring your “A” game to compete well.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade melds the feel of arcade games from a while ago with the dynamics of EA’s NHL franchise title. It treads that line between the two and should provide some entertainment value for those who are looking to play a lighthearted version of hockey.

Gameplay: 6.7
Minimal load times, fast-paced on-the-ice action and a steady array of power-ups make for a game that plays well, controls well and has only a slight learning curve. What hurts the game is the lack of game options - there are really only three ways to play it and two are online.

Graphics: 7.7
The look is bright and lush, the physics are nicely done and the game has visual appeal. The power-ups add a bit more eye candy to the game. If you are looking for the realism on NHL ’09, look elsewhere; this game has embraced its ‘arcade’ moniker firmly.

Sound: 6.5
The sound effects are geared for entertainment value and can wear a little the more they are repeated.  

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
Ok, it’s more like 4 on 4, but let’s not quibble. The game has that arcade feel, but still retains some identity to the NHL title. While it won’t be everyone’s Zamboni, it should have a solid community. The games are fast paced to not require a lot of time investment and the dev team did a very nice job of melding NHL action with an arcade feel.

Overall: 7.0
As a die-hard NHL ’09 fan, this game provides a decent distraction and is exactly what it is advertised to be – an arcade-style NHL game. Though you can use some of the strategy employed in playing NHL ’09, the crux of this game is the pacing, the power-ups and the lighthearted feel. Still, a lack of overall options hurts the game in the long run and the longevity will be tied to the online elements.