Arcade style hockey games are always a joy to play. They take us away from the realistic feel and give us a more fun, chaotic, and enjoyable experience. That's exactly why games like 3 On 3 NHL Arcade were such a huge hit amongst hockey video gamers, most notably remembered for its "Big Head" style of gameplay. In 2024 however, fans can get a new but similar experience with ODR Hockey Heroes.

A weighted powerup system also allows players to tilt the ice in their favor, from turning your goalie into a brick wall, to turning opposing players into flying pigeons. ODR Hockey Heroes, developed by Toronto based Treewood Studios Inc., promises to be a modern, arcade-style hockey game, complete with a narrative-driven Story Mode which is something we haven't really seen in an NHL game for quite some time if at all. The game features over-the-top arcade-style mechanics, with games consisting of no rules, which allows for huge hits, lots of fights, and lots of chaos. ODR Hockey Heroes is a single player experience. A weighted powerup system also allows players to tilt the ice in their favor, from turning your goalie into a brick wall, to turning opposing players into flying pigeons.

When asked about how the idea for an arcade-style hockey video game came to exist, founder of Treewood Studios Christopher Atallah told The Hockey News "One day I was playing Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey on the N64 and I wondered why no one makes extreme arcade sports games like it anymore. So I had the idea of "why can't I just make it?" I know how they are made, I already do it all day as a full-time unity game developer. And so I started working on it in my spare time back in 2017 and once the prototype felt legit I went full time."

I had a chance to play an early version of ODR Hockey Heroes in 2022, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The game was chaotic fun, and reminded me a lot of 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, which is a game I grew up absolutely loving. It was a nice change from the realistic feel of EASPORTS NHL video games, without steering too far away from the true spirit of hockey. 

ODR Hockey Heroes is set to release in early 2024 on Steam, and then eventually releasing on Xbox and Playstation platforms on a later date. If you're interested in learning more about the project, or would like to keep up to date on the latest for this game you can visit https://www.odrhockeyheroes.ca/ or follow them on X/Twitter at @odrhockeyheroes. I look forward to seeing this game when it's fully launched,