Apple has revealed “Ultimate Rivals”, a new sports game franchise that brings together athletes across hockey, basketball, football, baseball and soccer into a single officially licensed video game, a first in sports and gaming.
In Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, the first title in the franchise, players choose from more than 50 superstar athletes to compete in exciting two-on-two hockey matches. Players can combine, for instance, Alex Ovechkin and Alex Morgan against De’Aaron Fox and Jose Altuve or Skylar Diggins-Smith and Wayne Gretzky. Different combinations of heroes unlock unique ways to play and win against the AI or other gamers in online multiplayer matches. On the ice, the action is driven by players’ quick reflexes and are brought to life with stylized visuals and immersive sound FX.
Ultimate Rivals: The Rink is available now on Apple Arcade across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac and will be followed by an NBA licensed basketball game, Ultimate Rivals: The Court in spring 2020.
Features
- High-flying, over-the-top action arcade hockey: Play 3-on-3 hockey at break-neck speeds! Choose your team and then pass, check, shoot, and score in ways you’ve always imagined.
- Short-session games and intuitive controls make The Rink easy to pick up and play but with deep levels of strategy to explore.
- Superstars from across the sports world create ultimate rosters: Team up your favorite athletes from the NHL, NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and US Women’s National Soccer Team to create powerhouse squads. Choose wisely to combine their playing styles to maximize their impact on the ice!
- Sports-themed Ultimate moves: Trigger “The Cup”, “Wild Pitch” and other devastating moves that provide powerful advantages over your opponent!
- Online play (1v1) allows you to take on all challengers while offline single-player mode has 3 difficulty levels.
“Ultimate Rivals” gives anyone the ability to play with their favorite athletes in exciting arcade action with smooth, 60-frames-per-second graphics, tight controls, leading-edge visuals and sound design. “Ultimate Rivals” features licensed athletes from the NHL, NBA, NFL Players Association (NFLPA), MLB, WNBA and the US Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association (USWNTPA), as well as retired legends like Wayne Gretzky. Additional athletes will be added over time, ensuring long-term depth in the game. Short-session games with arcade rules increase the accessibility of the game, while delivering deep fun and an experience where the most skilled players have the best chance to win. Players can enjoy online multiplayer matches or single player against AI opponents using touch controls or Bluetooth-connected console controllers.
Here are a few more additional notes:
- Each team has two skaters and a goalie
- Matches consist of three 2 minute periods
- You can check opponents to reduce their health, if you check them enough times, it will knock them out of the game temporarily
- Players do have turbo (which does run out) and deke abilities
- There are ultimate abilities, which are powerful moves that can sway the game in your favor. By collecting “bits”, you can charge an athlete’s ultimate ability.
- Some players on the roster include: Mike Trout, Odell Beckham Jr., Kevin Durant, Jose Altuve, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Megan Rapinoe, Drew Brees, J.J. Watt, Zion Williamson, P.K. Subban and Justin Turner.
We are working on our Ultimate Rivals: The Rink review now. Look for that soon.
