Ice Hockey is a two-on-two contest against either the computer or a friend. The object is to outscore your opponent in a single three-minute period, using the joystick to control your skater and the fire button to shoot the puck.
The game begins with a face-off as players try to grab the puck by positioning their skaters near it. While players can only shoot toward their opponent's goal, the puck's location on the stick will determine its angle.
Shots can also deflect off the rink and players can pass to their goalies. Defense involves either cutting off scoring angles by getting in the way of shots or trying to knock down the opponent by checking. Four game modes let you play against the Activision team or a second player with your choice of regular or high-speed action. Difficulty switches can handicap players by reducing their team's speed by 25 percent.