Screenshots1 / 4
Blades of Steel
Blades of Steel is an arcade-style ice hockey game developed by Konami in 1988. The game features fast-paced on-ice action where players control hockey teams competing to score goals. A distinctive feature is the integrated fighting system: when players collide or fight, the game shifts to a boxing mini-game where fighters trade punches. The player who wins the boxing match gains an advantage. Controls are simple, using directional buttons to move and buttons to pass, shoot, and engage in fights. The single-player mode includes matches against various national teams with increasing difficulty, while the two-player mode allows head-to-head competition. The graphics are colorful and sprites are well-animated for the NES, capturing the energy of professional hockey with the added arcade twist of combat sequences.
- Developer
- Konami
- Released
- 1988
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.8 / 5 (1.5K)
- Last updated
Blades of Steel Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Blades of Steel on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Blades of Steel Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Blades of Steel on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Blades of Steel" NES longplay 1988
Blades of Steel Cheat Codes
15 community-curated cheats for Blades of Steel. Tick any to activate them automatically when you click "Play with cheats" — or copy a code into your own emulator.
-
Faster timer
GEUGTTYA -
Slower timer
GOUGTTYA -
Players can take only one punch
PAXZLGIA -
Player with puck doesn't slow down
AAOSSAAZ -
Player 2/CPU Don't Throw Punches in Fights
SXSZZSSU+OXKXTVPK -
Invincible in Minigame
AINXIYEI -
Start a New Game to View the Ending
YASGITLA -
Team 1's Score In 1st Period Modifier
07E2:00 -
Team 1's Score In 2nd Period Modifier
07E3:00 -
Team 1's Score In 3rd Period Modifier
07E4:00 -
Team 1's Total Score
07E5:00 -
Team 2's Score In 1st Period Modifier
07E6:00
Show 3 more cheats Show fewer
-
Team 2's Score In 2nd Period Modifier
07E7:00 -
Team 2's Score In 3rd Period Modifier
07E8:00 -
Team 2's Total Score
07E9:00
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Blades of Steel released?
Blades of Steel was released in 1988 for the NES.
Who developed Blades of Steel?
Blades of Steel was developed by Konami, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Blades of Steel support?
Blades of Steel supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the NES.
What type of game is Blades of Steel?
Blades of Steel is a Action game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Blades of Steel for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Blades of Steel runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Blades of Steel in the browser?
No. Blades of Steel streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Blades of Steel?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Blades of Steel work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Blades of Steel this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Blades of Steel. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
