NFL Blitz: PS3

Boil football down to basic plays, long throws, field goals, and tackles, and all that's left is a simplified version of a complex game. But up the ante on those basics, extend the length of a first down from ten to thirty yards, stop calling penalties, set the players on fire, and it becomes a fun, football-caricature called NFL Blitz.

NFL Blitz first exploded in late-90s arcades as a badass take on one of America's biggest sports. Through a series of iterations, it grew and expanded to multiple platforms before losing its official NFL branding and taking a stroll down a fictional, and less appealing, road. But none of that matters now, because NFL Blitz returns with real branding, the original arcade plays, fun new modes featuring zombies, hot dog mascots, and a trading card game online game similar to Madden's Ultimate Team. And NFL Blitz fits in a nice, downloadable package.

From tossing a long bomb 50 yards down the field, to strong-arming a would-be tackler, the arcade-style gameplay returns in full force. Time a series of diving tackles right and the runner will get juggled through the air like a fighting-game victim. The simplicity of available plays, and running a seven-on-seven match makes NFL Blitz the perfect sports experience for those unfamiliar with the intricacies of football or a nice, light snack for hardcore fans. The comedic announcers make the package even more entertaining, whether they're actually talking about football or a Reuben sandwich.

While on-the-clock gameplay remains frantically fun, purists may frown upon the removal of after-the-whistle tackles and post-play elbow drops. This means scoring opponents get to revel in their full celebrations as opposed to wincing when the defending team flattens them mid-revelry. But this omission doesn't ruin the experience; gameplay stays solid and memories of egregious violence remain icing on a nostalgic cake.

Blitz Gauntlet adds a lot to an otherwise simplistic experience. The Gauntlet operates like an old Mortal Kombat ladder, presenting three normal fights followed by a zany boss fight, repeated several times to the top. For each silly boss beaten, like a team of lion mascots or robots, players earn codes to use in everyday play. Before every match there's an opportunity to input a code that can change the ball to Chrome, turn on Big Head Mode, change the camera to widescreen, and more old-school goodness.

Taking the high-yardage battle online yields a good level of longevity. Not only do leaderboards inform players of their score in their region and allow them to rank up amongst locals, every win and stat adds Blitz Bucks to spend on Elite League player card packs, online cheats (cosmetic, anyway), new stadiums, and more. There's a ton to unlock, and getting to use tiny-headed teams against online strangers elicits a smile.

NFL Blitz fumbles on one key option: the ability to change quarter length. While two-minute quarters sound like a bite-sized arcade experience, a full game can actually stretch up to thirty minutes to complete. And what if someone wants to battle a friend for a super-high-scoring-mega-battle with full-length quarters? They can't. Outside of changing the AI's difficulty, NFL Blitz has almost zero customization. An over-the-top experience screams out for over-the-top customization in the type of game being played.

Closing Comments

The lack of late hits and the inability to change the length of games don’t take away from the fact NFL Blitz is a whole lot of fun. Compounded by the fantastic announcers and ongoing unlocks, NFL Blitz is a great sports experience folded into a downloadable package.

by Peter Eykemans

Posted in: Sports