The newest installment of NFL Blitz will have you crying tears of nostalgic joy, followed by tears of huge frustration.
For those of you not blessed enough to have played this game on its first go round on an N64, let me explain things to you. NFL Blitz is a 7-on-7 football game that highlights big hits, turbo infused stiff arms, and over the top tackles. While jump passing your way to a touchdown is certainly fun the first dozen times, the sheen of novelty wears off quicker than one would like. Gameplay is fast and exciting. Complete three passes in a row to the same receiver and you will catch fire, granting you unlimited turbo and a general edge over the other team. The same thing happens after two consecutive sacks on defense, and losing fire happens after a punt or the offense gets a first down, respectively. Again, all of this seems very exciting, but the game just isn't as great as your memories made it out to be. Being limited to 24 plays on offense (and 12 on defense), the game quickly becomes repetitive. Add to this the exclusion (at the NFL's request) of late hits (surely the best part of the original game) and what you have feels like a watered down game that fails to adopt to a modern standard.
There are many game modes in Blitz, both online and off. The offline mode you will spend most of your time playing will likely be Blitz Gauntlet, where you face off against a series of increasingly difficult teams, both from the NFL and from the imagination of Blitz (including Pirates, Robots, and Horses), as you climb a ladder to unlock all the fantasy teams. The problem with this mode, however, is that Blitz mistakes catchup AI and game breaking for increased difficulty. Instead of feeling like you're being outsmarted and outplayed by the computer, you will feel a strong desire to throw your controller when your team fumbles 4 times in the fourth quarter, or when an opposing player goes through 7 tackles to score a last second touchdown (both instances taken from my own experience, and neither of which are uncommon). And that is what is fundamentally wrong with this game. Instead of challenging the player, or progressing the genre, Blitz falls back on nostalgia and poor programming. This is clearly an EA football game (you'll see the same dropped interceptions for your team and incredible Linebacker interceptions for the other) in the worst way possible.
Online modes are interesting, but lack replayability, unless you are addicted to being number one. Playing online allows you to earn Blitz Bucks, which you can spend on things like titles for your team, new pictures of cheerleaders, or unlock cheats. In the end, Blitz Bucks do not add much to the package. The big draw for the online modes are the leaderboards. With wins, you can climb up a local, regional, and national board as you vie for the number one spot. The problem, however, is that in a game that relies a lot on the luck of the draw as far as your players catching, holding onto, and passing the ball, it often feels like you are beaten or given a victory based on dumb luck. Since defense isn't a big part of this game, most matches come down to a last second drive where you hope for the best. The online modes aren't much better with a friend, although misery does love company. On the whole, the online modes don't add much to an already disappointing game.
If you love nostalgia, and can ignore some minor, and a few major, flaws, you may like NFL Blitz. At a price point of $15 it isn't hard to justify a purchase, but expect to rage-quit every few games when yet another incredible turn of luck for the AI or an opposing player rob you of a victory. NFL Blitz is a game of intense highs and devastating lows, but if you can ride out the storm, you may have a good time with this game.