Big Win Hockey 2014 - Fantasy Manager app review

Big Win Hockey 2014 - Fantasy Manager app review

iPad Big Win Hockey, produced by Hothead, is a bit deceiving in nature.  Although it's a hockey game, you are in control of managing the team as opposed to actually playing the matches.  The game revolves around the purchase of player packs in order to fully assemble a team that will conquer other online opponents.  My original expectations were that I would be playing hockey; however, you only have the options to either watch the game or skip to the end to receive the results.

When playing the game for the first time, you are walked through the starter pack and the options you have when building your team.  For instance, your starter pack includes six player cards, a uniform card, and three Big Impact cards.  The Big Impact cards can be played in any of your matches, and you can use up to three per match.  These cards are extra perks for your team, such as Takeaways, Recovery, and Offensive Draws.  Big Impact cards can be played before entering a match in order to give your team the advantage; up to three Big Impact cards can be played at once. 

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When they are in use during gameplay, the cards glow. Your starter pack also has the uniform color, and then the six player cards that list the names, countries, contract, jersey number, position, and statistics.  You can edit and customize your players after naming your team; the first customization is free and allows you to change the name, jersey number, country, helmet, and skin tone of your players.  As you advance, you can purchase more starter packs (available in bronze, silver, and gold) to receive other players, Big Impact cards, and uniforms.  Furthermore, you can watch the effect of these cards in the matches by viewing them (though you do have the option to skip directly to the results). 

That way you can see how the cards determine your outcome. The overall success of your team depends entirely upon assembling the best team with the best Big Impact cards in play during the match.  This game allows you to take on the role as manager; it would be a lot more enjoyable if the user actually had the ability to play the games instead of simply watching them. This isn't one of the best apps for fantasy sports, but it's still fun to play.