NHL Eastside Hockey Manager Critic Reviews

This is easily one of the best sports management games on the market, and it's second star only to Sports Interactive classics like "Championship Manager."

If you can survive some occasional stretches of lunacy from your board of directors (something all NHL GMs must learn to do eventually), there's a remarkably compelling hockey experience waiting to be had with NHL Eastside Hockey Manager.

Best pastime for hockey fans until the NHL and NHLPA get their collective heads out of their asses.

A strong sports sim, with depth to spare.

Comprehensive, time-consuming and, so long as you've got a passion for all things puck-related, essential.

The interface as well as several features have been lifted from , and as such it's a slick affair. And perhaps it's the familiar feel or the hypnotic flashing text, but it somehow drags you in, whatever your knowledge of the sport. That said, the bulk of the tactical stuff can be delegated to a head coach, although that kind of defeats the object of the game.

There's no doubt that this is a fine hockey-management game; the question is, how much fun can a hockey-management game really be?