MLH features 20 bone crunching teams (23 if you count the All-star teams), ranging from top-ranked monsters like the Pucksucker Pukes and the Black Hearts to perennial whipping boys like the Mighty Weenies. All teams have their strengths and weaknesses, so the beauty of the MLH is that you can maximize your teams’ strengths and exploit your opponent’s weaknesses as long as you strategize correctly.

Playing dirty is the name of the game in MLH, and to that effect, you’re encouraged to maim opposing players using anything from your bare fists to a chainsaw if you happened to find one out on the ice. But that’s just the beginning. Each team has special plays called “nasty” plays, ranging from bribing the ref to exploding pucks. While it’s fun to use the nasty plays for the mayhem, knowing when to use them properly can be the key to victory.

Really the only downside to MLH is that it’s rather limited in options. There’s a playoff-mode, but no full season mode, and no option to create a team or trade between teams.

But all in all, any fan of extreme sports titles or just a sports game that plays it a lot looser than the official fare should give Mutant League Hockey a try. The humor and really solid gameplay make it far more entertaining than most of the modern “extreme” titles.