Get ready for oversized athletes, larger-than-life plays and hits so hard that they practically shake your television. No, I'm not talking about the Super Bowl, but rather my favorite football series – NFL Blitz. First released in the arcade in 1997 by Midway, this over-the-top sports game was designed to do for football what NBA Jam did for basketball. It was a fun and extremely accessible game that not only appealed to fans of the sport, but also those who couldn't care less about football. With the Super Bowl happening today, it got me curious what Electronic Gaming Monthly said about the NFL Blitz series. What was their favorite game?
As it turns out, EGM reviewed a total of thirteen games in the NFL Blitz franchise. This includes pretty every installment released on consoles, including the 2000 spin-off – Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed. While mostly comprehensive, the long-running magazine never got around to reviewing Blitz: The League II and the 2012 reboot from Electronic Arts. While that's disappointing, I think you'll agree that this is a solid list that goes over just about all of the franchise. What we're going to do today is countdown the best and worst NFL Blitz games using Electronic Gaming Monthly's own words and scores. There's no editorializing here, we're just going to focus on what the critics said back when these games first came out. I sure hope you brought a lot of padding, because these tackles are real when EGM Ranks NFL Blitz.
Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed (PlayStation)
#13
“If you like Arena League football and you loved NFL Blitz, then you'll want this niche game of a niche sport. Otherwise, it's an obvious gratuitous Kurt Warner license slapped onto a repackaged Blitz that plays pretty well. The fatal flaw of most subpar sports games is that the action is too slow or choppy. In this game, that's not a problem. In fact, the game may actually be too fast. I wonder about the merit in licensing a league where the only recognizable star doesn't even play in it anymore.” (6 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 2001 (PlayStation)
#12
“A couple of years ago, Blitz was an impressive PlayStation title, but now, it's on the edge of falling into a pit of mediocrity. Surprisingly, it seems like the graphics haven't kept pace with the current crop of PlayStation games. The players look messier than past versions of Blitz and there are bouts of slowdown when lots of players get on screen. Even the ‘on fire' effects are pretty lame. The problem is that the formula hasn't changed much over the past few years, and if you've played any of the previous PlayStation Blitz games, you'll get tired of this one very quickly.” (6.5 out of 10)
NFL Blitz Pro (GameCube, PlayStation 2 & Xbox)
#11
“Blitz's strongest suit? Wacky options like Buttafingaz, a gameplay mode that causes any ball carrier to fumble when hit – it's frenetic, intense stuff. I just wish I could say the same about Blitz's normal game of football. Midway has stripped away too much of the outlandish offensive I've always loved – and with it goes much of the fun. The not-quite-sim-yet-not-really-arcade action of Blitz Pro prompted me to pop in the original Blitz for PS1 ... and I proceeded to enjoy it a whole lot more.” (6.7 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 20-03 (PlayStation 2)
#10
“Don't get me wrong, Blitz has always been a fun game with three pals, some drinks and a multi-tap, but the franchise is stuck in neutral. Improvements over last year's version of Blitz are minimal, mostly minor graphical tweaks and a new create-a-play option. Don't expect a serious football game, as interceptions and sacks are commonplace. In fact, it's so brutal that playing defense is almost more fun than offense. If you want something quick, dumb and fun, give it a go. Otherwise, Stick with Madden.” (7.2 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 2001 (Dreamcast)
#9
“When Blitz first arrived in arcades and on the PlayStation, I was hooked, and so was just about everyone else around here. But when this latest version hit the office, no one really seemed to care. Blitz 2001 is an unambitious game that I can only recommend if you don't already own any other titles in the series. That's probably the only way you can enjoy it as much as I did a few years ago.” (7.3 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 20-02 (Xbox)
#8
“I've always been a Blitz fan, but the series had grown old in recent years. It just wasn't mixing anything up, trotting out the same graphics and gameplay year after year. Well, Blitz 20-02 is different, or at least different enough to warrant your attention. The graphics have definitely been ratcheted up and look like they belong on a next-gen system. As for the gameplay, 20-02 got it right with the addition of an extra player on each side of the ball. Big hits, trash talking and lightning-quick reflexes rule the day.” (7.5 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 2000 (Nintendo 64)
#7
“If you don't mind that this is only a minor upgrade over Blitz '99, but can appreciate that it is a major jump over the first NFL Blitz for N64, then by good golly, this cart is for you. The animation runs very smooth, except when it's broken up by the occasional heavy slowdown in thick traffic. The four-player mode, the ability to catch on fire and the new plays make this one of the best party games for the system.” (7.9 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 20-02 (PlayStation 2)
#6
“Playing this revitalized title makes me think Midway could do a decent, realistic football sim some day. But then again, Blitz is more than enough for now. This is by far the best Blitz yet; the extra players make all the difference. The additional teammate makes for extra strategy and some big play possibilities. The thicker play book doesn't hurt either. Midway did an excellent job of retaining the old Blitz flair and trademark never-say-die-gameplay while introducing more players, tons of killer animation and funnier commentary. For old fans who may have lost interest from lack of innovation in the series, it's time to hop back on the Blitz train.” (8 out of 10)
Blitz: The League (PlayStation 2 & Xbox)
#5
“Losing the NFL license is the best thing that ever happened to Blitz – it's finally the hardcore, over-the-top pigskin game Blitz is supposed to be. For casual fans like me, the game's solid, arcadey action and story-driven season mode offer a great alternative to the stuffy confines of other football sims. And I just love having the option to bet on my own team's performance, juice my players, and aim to shatter the bones of the opposing QBs. Chalk up one new Blitz fan.” (8.3 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 2000 (Game Boy Advance)
#4
“I'm still amazed at what Midway can do with the PlayStation hardware. NFL Blitz 2000 does not look arcade-perfect, but it runs amazingly smooth and quick, with large-sized character models to boot. Some of the new enhancements, like the defensive play editor and audible play calling, add some depth to an already great Blitz 99. Make sure you get a multi-tap ... this is a great four-player game.” (8.5 out of 10)
NFL Blitz (PlayStation)
#3
“Blitz turned out to be surprisingly good on the PlayStation. The large and detailed players look great, making competitor NFL Xtreme look ancient. The full-motion video and extra voices are a nice addition, but I would've preferred a play editor. Although the player animation is nice, the overall frame rate is chunky – but this is only noticeable because the arcade game is so perfect in these regards (it's a tough act to follow).” (8.6 out of 10)
NFL Blitz 2000 (Dreamcast)
#2
“If there was ever one version of Blitz that was worth owning, this baby is it. NFL Blitz 2000 for Dreamcast one-ups the arcade version of Blitz 99 in every way, making for a better-than-arcade-perfect experience. The new stuff added for “2000” is pretty slim, but it doesn't matter – just having a perfect four-player version of Blitz at home is reason enough to get this. My only complaint? The final game has a couple of minor bugs, which dampens things a bit.” (8.6 out of 10)
NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)
#1
“Nintendo 64 Blitz is exactly like the arcade with the exception of the high-resolution graphics. As you'd expect, this version has no load times to hamper the Blitz fever. N64 Blitz plays and sounds just like its coin-op cousin, but suffers some slight timing problems, not unlike the PlayStation version. An excellent port of an excellent game.” (9.1 out of 10)
