NFL Blitz

EA has not only evoked nostalgia, but rekindled ancient rivalries and their attendant arcane rules. Back in the day, my high-school buddies and I played NFL Blitz 2000 all the time, with an important twist: “no wimps.” That is, we always had to go for it on 4th down, and we always had to go for two after a touchdown. I played NFL Blitz with some of the same friends last week, and once I reminded them of “no wimps,” it was as if nothing had changed in a dozen years.

But even though it's still fun to unleash lunging tackles and 70-yard touchdowns, the whole experience feels antiquated. You can pile on all the extra modes you want, but if the core action is unchanged, it's hard to shake the feeling that you've done this all before. Don't expect NFL Blitz to have the same impact it did so many years ago, but this is still a satisfying way to rekindle a nostalgic flame.

With NFL Blitz 2012 you’re going to get almost exactly what you expect…minus the price tag. There are more modes than anticipated, but the gameplay never strays from the formula. Save for updated rosters and teams, there’s not much point in replacing your legacy copy of the game, but for newcomers it’s an impressively fun package for a small price.

Despite the elimination of the ability to deliver late hits and other illegal moves, NFL Blitz remains a fun arcade experience that can finally be taken online. Multiplayer games are the main event here with Elite League providing even more replay value. I would prefer to see a few more customization options regarding quarter length and uniform selection. Even so this title is worth the $15 download price and should provide a good change of pace from the simulation style offering of the Madden franchise.

NFL Blitz is a timely reminder of just how old I am, and how fun an unrealistic experience can be. It's a reminder of a time when all the best games could be found at the arcade and when Tecmo Bowl was the basis of all the football knowledge I possessed. It certainly isn't a game for everyone; if you're looking for a more faithful recreation of the sport, look elsewhere. For the rest of us, though, NFL Blitz is exactly what it needs to be: stupid good fun.

NFL Blitz is an old-school arcade experience that hasn’t lost the fun factor it had a decade-and-a-half ago. As a casual football fan who hasn’t seen more than three regular season NFL games this year, it still managed to win me over with its fast-paced action. Blitz’s gameplay will seem unmistakably familiar to fans of the original, but it’s still a great title to have in your library to pull out for the occasional game.