Rinksters
- Area: USA
- Official Site: Rinksters
- Publisher: Visimonde
- Developer: Visimonde
- Platform: Web Browser
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Overview
Rinksters is a free online hockey game for kids where players can create an avatar, wear their favorite team's uniform and go for pro. Explore the ice covered world of Rinksters playing minigames, skating, socialising and having fun in a free virtual world.
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Features
- Real NHL Teams
- Create your own avatar
- Area: USA
- Official Site: Rinksters
- Publisher: Visimonde
- Developer: Visimonde
- Platform: Web Browser
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Review
Rinksters is a free online hockey game for kids, set in an icy world where players can explore with their own avatar. The game starts off more traditionally, allowing kids to create their own virtual hockey player and dress it in all kinds of sports gear. Rinksters consists of jerseys from official NHL teams, meaning players can represent their favourite teams on the ice and best of all; it's all played right in your browser.
The easiest way to explain Rinksters is a small-scale explorable world with a selection of minigames that serve as the gameplay. The minigames are the centre of the virtual world and are all themed around hockey and snow, some minigames will even feel familiar for some players. One example is Slapshot Frenzy where you must perform trick shots with a puck to hit certain targets, or land the puck in a trash can; it feels a lot like angry birds. Another minigame has you switch and match objects in a bejeweled style manner, trying to match 3 or more of the same object to score points.
The minigames are fun and there is a wide variety of them on offer, each with their own defining gameplay mechanics that resemble hit arcade style classics we have all come to know and love through several generations. This arcade feel is shown too through the way players access these minigames, players must click on an arcade machine to begin the game of their choice. I found myself becoming quite addicted to completing each level in the minigames, they are great time killers. Outside of the minigames there is much more to this world however.
There is a whole skii resort style town to explore with various little areas like a hockey arena, locker room, and social hangout spots like the pond. The pond is covered in thick gold ice, you can't miss it and it is where players might find themselves spending most of their time. Moderators often pop in and chat with players in the pond, making sure they are keeping in touch with players and getting feedback on what they want from the game; it shows they care. As with most online games there is a premium membership available, players are able to subscribe and 'go pro' which unlocks various VIP areas and new gear not available to free players. The coolest part? Pro players get their own house!
Rinksters is fun, it uses all the right formulas to keep kids occupied in a safe online environment. The developers provide a great atmosphere and engage their players organizing live events and even mascots from the game controlled by moderators who appear online randomly to hand out prizes. My biggest gripe with the game is the limitations on how many levels are available to free players in the minigames. I can understand limiting them, but playing Slapshot Frenzy for only five levels before being told I can't progress till I go pro; a little harsh guys. Five levels while fun, weren't enough to encourage me to even think about running for the wallet and should be extended a little bit across the board. The play space of a free player will also feel limited as a lot of areas are locked for pro members only.
With that being my only real issue I will move on to my favourite part of the game; Pond Stars. This minigame which isn't limited by pro membership requirements is a crazy amount of fun. Take foosball and cross it with air hockey and you have Pond Stars. Players have a goalkeeper which is controlled with w/s or arrow keys to move up and down the net in defense, 3 defenders and 2 forwards. When players are in possession of the puck they are able to click on the screen to shoot the puck in that direction in order to pass and shoot goals. First player to five goals wins!
Getting used to the aiming can be a little tricky at first, and you have to shoot a little off your target to actually hit it, whether this is poor coding or intended I am not sure but it caused me to quickly devise a strategy after only one match. In the few hours I have spent playing Pond Stars I am still undefeated, and the screenshot below with the blue and red lines is how I win every match 5-0. The lines are color coded for both blue and red sides and the points where they meet at each player, and where they end at the goals are actually the exact points you should be clicking on the screen in order to successfully aim.
Here is my basic strategy for becoming unstoppable at Pond Stars:
Step 1: If the player that gains possession of the puck is one of your defenders always pass to the centre player first. notice how the lines meet just behind for blue players or just in front for red players, make sure you click in the correct spot so you don't miss or pass to the wrong player.
Step 2: Now pass the puck to the top most forward player, this is the easiest shot to make and will also help us score a goal. Notice how the lines for blue are in the top half of the circle, and red is in the bottom half, aim at these spots otherwise you will miss.
Step 1: If the player that gains possession of the puck is one of your defenders always pass to the centre player first. notice how the lines meet just behind for blue players or just in front for red players, make sure you click in the correct spot so you don't miss or pass to the wrong player.
Step 2: Now pass the puck to the top most forward player, this is the easiest shot to make and will also help us score a goal. Notice how the lines for blue are in the top half of the circle, and red is in the bottom half, aim at these spots otherwise you will miss.
Step 3: Now you can move your goalkeeper, so at this point the other player is probably going to move upwards towards your top player to stop him from scoring. If he does quickly pass to the bottom forward then shoot into the net as shown with the lines above, make sure you click in the exact spots shown otherwise you will miss, once you can remember where to click you will get very fast at this and it is impossible for goalkeepers to move fast enough to save it; IMPOSSIBLE. After 2 or 3 goals they generally start to go bottom in anticipation that you will do the pass-shot, at this point just shoot directly where the top line shows for a clean goal.
Step 4: Practice speed passes between the two defenders, this will allow you to confuse the goalkeeper and you will hit net every time.
Using these click points and strategy I have caused players to rage quit halfway through matches, instantly leave when they see my name pop up and refuse to play altogether out of frustration. Is this a good thing? No, I guess not as I have probably just ruined an online experience for some very crushed kids. Is it fair that a grown dude laid the beat down on some kids? No. Do I feel good about it? Yes. Although now that I have put the game down all you kids are free to come out of hiding and start enjoying this wonderful semi-free online hockey game, sorry about the torture little dudes hope my review / strategy guide helps though!
