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{{More citations needed|date=September 2008}}
'''''NFL Blitz''''' was a ] ] series based on the ] by ] until 2005 when the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with ].
{{Infobox video game series
| width =
| title = NFL Blitz
| collapsible = No
| state =
| image =
| caption =
| developer = ], ]
| publisher = Midway Games, EA Sports
| first release version = '']'' (1997)
| first release date = 1997
| latest release version = '']'' (2012)
| latest release date = 2012
| genre = ]
| platforms = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
}}
'''''NFL Blitz''''' is a series of ] themed ] originally released by ] featuring ] (NFL) teams. It began as a 1997 ] '']'' that was ported to home consoles and spawned a series of sequels. Rather than being designed as a realistic interpretation of the sport of football, like '']'' or '']'', the ''Blitz'' series was created as an over-the-top, exaggerated version of the sport, inspired by Midway's own '']'' basketball games.


In 2005, after losing the NFL license, Midway relaunched the ''Blitz'' series as '']'', depicting fictional players and teams in a fictional league with slightly more realistic (though still exaggerated) on-field play and a focus on the seedy behind-the-scenes lives of the players.
==NFL Years==
In the original ''Blitz'' games (beginning in 1997), all NFL teams appeared, but there were several differences in the rules to make ''Blitz'' different from standard football games. After the commercial failure of Blitz Pro, Midway did not release a Blitz in 2004 for the first time since the series began. Blitz Pro was thought to be the last NFL Blitz game, then ] came out.


Following the dissolution of Midway, ] acquired the rights to the ''Blitz'' name and relaunched the series on ] and ] with a new entry in the series simply titled '']''. The game took the series back to the original style of ''Blitz'', but removed the late hits due to input by the NFL.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pastapadre.com/2011/10/18/ea-sports-makes-nfl-blitz-remake-official |title=EA Sports Makes NFL Blitz Remake Official |publisher=pastapadre.com |date=2011-10-19 |access-date=2012-09-18 |archive-date=2012-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121052210/http://www.pastapadre.com/2011/10/18/ea-sports-makes-nfl-blitz-remake-official |url-status=live }}</ref> Late hits and some tackles were also removed in the ] re-release of the first two games (and ''NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition''), which was released in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Good |first1=Owen |title=NFL Blitz comes back, without the late hits, in arcade form |url=https://www.polygon.com/23306194/nfl-blitz-arcade-cabinet-release-date-price-arcade1up |website=Polygon |access-date=October 13, 2022 |date=November 3, 2022}}</ref>
==Rules differences==
In 1997, seven players took the field per side (as opposed to eleven). Not only were there fewer players, but positions were flexible at best. ] could be known to run the ball and sometimes pass, and ] were all crosses between pass rushers and defensive backs. 2002 saw an increase to eight players and ''NFL Blitz Pro'' (released in 2003) increased to eleven.


==Gameplay==
Unlike the NFL, pass interference is allowed, as are late hits, showboating and excessive celebrations. Probably the greatest game ever.
{{quote box|width=30%|quote="It's our belief that this is like ] ... (NFL Blitz) is not what goes on when players are on the field. This is a cartoon. Still, next year, we will dial this back a little more. We're going to err on the side of conservatism."<ref name="Wired" />|source=—Gene Goldberg, then-NFL vice president of consumer products, in 2002}}
The ''Blitz'' titles largely follow standard ] as outlined by the NFL, but with key differences to encourage faster and more aggressive play. In the original games, seven players are on the field per side (as opposed to eleven). Not only were there fewer players, but positions were flexible at best. ] could be known to run the ball and sometimes pass, and ] were all crosses between pass rushers and defensive backs. 2002 saw an increase to eight players and ''NFL Blitz Pro'' (released in 2003) increased to the full eleven.


Unlike the NFL, pass interference is allowed, as are late hits, showboating and excessive celebrations. There are no timeouts, but the clock stops after every play. ] attempts are claimed to be automatic, but there are rare misses. ]s and ]s are played out as usual. Quarters have been shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time; this includes overtime, which isn't ]. For most releases, a first down would mean players would have to go 30 yards, instead of ten. Plays such as "Da Bomb" allowed for a ] to accurately throw the ball most of the length of the field at will and receivers could make impossible catches. On the other side, defensive players were able to leap up and swat (if not intercept) balls no other game could allow for or dive incredible lengths to make a stop.
There are no timeouts, but the clock stops after every play, and extra points after touchdowns are claimed to be automatic, unless it is chosen to go for two points. However, although rare, choosing an automatic extra point can sometimes result in the extra point being missed.


From the beginning, one of the key changes in ''Blitz'' was the animations. Where other games had to keep normal tackling and stops, ''Blitz'' players were able to stop a play in a variety of unique ways. One of the most common was for a defensive player to grab his opponent and spin him around and fling him to the ground, sometimes giving them extra yards in the process. This violent and theatrical style allows the players to execute textbook ] moves such as the ], ], and ] even after a tackle has been completed and the whistle blown.<ref name="Vice" /> In addition, the team with the lead often receives kick-offs deeper in its own territory and are more likely to fumble or throw interceptions to help level the gameplay and encourage closer games.
Quarters have been shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time. For most releases, a first down would mean you would have to go 30 yards, instead of ten.


The NFL, however, made Midway tame most of the more violent or insane aspects of the game as the license progressed. Subsequent releases stripped down "excessive celebrations" and late hits until the game was almost one of the sims to which it was originally opposed.<ref name="Wired">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2002/12/video-game-hard-knocks-pain-nfl/|title=Video Game Hard Knocks Pain NFL|date=December 31, 2002|last=King|first=Brad|publisher=Wired|access-date=March 13, 2018|archive-date=March 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313215841/https://www.wired.com/2002/12/video-game-hard-knocks-pain-nfl/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the game still retained its over-the-top aspects including censored profanity done in a comical manner. Raiden and Shinnok, characters from the '']'' series, a series also developed by Midway, were unlockable characters in some versions.
===Play differences===
Unlike standard football sims, ''Blitz'' played fast and furious. The only kicking in the game (punts and extra points) came automatically and, like Midway's '']'' series, players were able to pull off fantastic moves.


==Development==
Plays such as "Da Bomb" allowed for a ] to accurately throw the ball most of the length of the field at will and receivers could make impossible catches. On the other side, defensive players were able to leap up and swat (if not intercept) balls no other game could allow for or dive incredible lengths to make a stop.
The game was created by Midway Games and headed by lead artist, Sal DiVita and lead programmer, Mark Turmell.<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR9rFD8ofAU| title = The Making of NFL Blitz (1 of 2) | website=]| date = February 2008 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>


The NFL paid little attention to the game's development until just before the launch. Upon watching a preview scrimmage by Turmell and DiVita, league representatives said they could not have the NFL associated with the game as it was then programmed. They said there was too much violence in the game and offered to refund Midway's ]. Midway was eager to keep the NFL's endorsement of the game, so they compromised on some of the graphic violence and "late hits" in the game.<ref name="Vice">{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=Aaron|title=How in the Hell did NFL Blitz Ever Get Made?|url=https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/nzpmgq/how-in-the-hell-did-nfl-blitz-ever-get-made|work=Vice|access-date=6 November 2014|date=6 November 2014|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630012337/https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/nzpmgq/how-in-the-hell-did-nfl-blitz-ever-get-made|url-status=live}}</ref>
From the beginning one of the key changes in ''Blitz'' was the animations. Where other games had to keep normal tackling and stops, ''Blitz'' players were able to stop a play in a variety of interesting ways. One of the most common was for a defensive player to grab his opponent and spin him around and fling him to the ground, sometimes giving them extra yards in the process.


==Games==
The NFL, however, made Midway tame most of the more violent or insane aspects of the game as the license progressed. Subsequent releases stripped down "excessive celebrations" and late hits until the game was almost one of the sims to which it originally opposed.
Beginning in 1997, Midway released a new entry in the series each year. However, after the commercial failure of the more simulation-oriented ''Blitz Pro'', Midway did not release a ''Blitz'' in 2004 for the first time since the series began.


After losing the NFL license to ], Midway brought back the original ''Blitz'' style play with 2005's '']''. The celebrations and the violent aspects returned and were ramped up to levels that the NFL never allowed. In place of real NFL teams are fictional teams such as the New York Nightmare and the Minnesota Reapers. Although no current NFL players were featured, retired players ] and Bill Romanowski were hired to lend their voices to and help promote the game. The game contains a significant amount of explicit content not seen in other entries of the series, such as the use of ] and "juicing" injured players with what seems to be the equivalent of a ] shot. ''Blitz: The League'' also introduced an extensive story mode created with the help of one of the writers from ESPN's '']''. As a result of the mature themes in the title, ''The League'' is the first and only professional football franchise to ever receive the "Mature" rating from the ] and was banned in ]. A sequel, '']'' was released on ] and ] on October 13, 2008.
==Installments==

{| class="wikitable" width="50%"
After Midway's bankruptcy filing in 2009, ], publisher of the popular NFL simulation series '']'' and the exclusive holder of the NFL's video game rights, acquired the rights to the ''NFL Blitz'' intellectual property, and on October 19, 2011, EA Sports announced ''NFL Blitz''{{'}} return via a story with '']'' and the release of an announcement trailer. EA Sports intended the new ''NFL Blitz'' to be an "arcade" football experience, different from the simulation-oriented ''Madden'' series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/hands-on-nfl-blitz/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020080846/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/hands-on-nfl-blitz/ |archive-date=2011-10-20 |title=Hands-On: NFL Blitz {{!}} EGMNOW}}</ref> The result was the 2012 title simply called '']''.

In 2000 Midway released a spinoff to Blitz based on the ] titled '']'' for the PlayStation.

=== Installments ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Titles in the ''NFL Blitz'' series
|-
! Title ! Title
! Release date ! Release
! Platforms
! Console(s)
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz'' | '']''
| align="center" | ], ] | ] (arcade), ] (home)
| align="center" | ], ], ], ], ] | ], ], ], ], ]
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz '99'' | '']''
| align="center" | ] | ]
| Arcade
| align="center" | ], ]
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz 2000'' | '']''<small> (home port of Blitz 99)</small>
| align="center" | ] | ]
| align="center" | ], ], ], ], ], ] | ], Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz 2001'' | ''NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition''
| align="center" | ] | ]
| Arcade
| align="center" | ], ], ], ], ]
|- |-
| '']''<small> (home port of Blitz 2000 Gold)</small>
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz Special Edition''
| align="center" | ] | ]
| align="center" | ] | Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz 20-02'' | ''NFL Blitz Special Edition''
| align="center" | ] | ]
| Nintendo 64
| align="center" | ], ], ], ]
|- |-
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz 20-03'' | '']''
| align="center" | ] | ]
| align="center" | ], ], ], ] | ], ], ], ]
|-
| '']''
| ]
| Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
|-
| '']''
| ]
| GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
|-
| '']''
| ]
| PlayStation 2, ], Xbox, ]
|-
| '']''
| ]
| ], Xbox 360
|-
| '']''
| ]
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
|}

=== Spinoffs ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Title
!Release
!Platforms
|- |-
|]
| align="center" | ''NFL Blitz Pro''
| align="center" | ] |]
| align="center" | ], ], ] |]
|} |}


==Post NFL== ==Reception==
{{expand section|date=March 2018}}
Midway brought back the ''Blitz'' style play by launching in 2005 '']''. The celebrations and the violent aspects were back and have been ramped up to levels that the NFL never allowed. In place of real NFL teams are fictional teams such as the New York Nightmare and the Minnesota Reapers. One team roster even has a speedy quarterback named "Mike Mexico", which is similar to the "Ron Mexico" alias allegedly used by ]. Another notable feature of the game is that, when a player gets injured, shooting him with what seems to be the equivalent of a ] shot is a choice.


Critical reception for ''Blitz: The League'' was mostly positive. Gamerankings.com gives the PlayStation 2 release a score of 75% and the Xbox release a score of 77%. GameSpot.com gave both PS2 and Xbox versions an 8.6/10.
"Blitz: The League" was created with the help of one of the writers from ESPN's "Playmakers". Notorious former linebacker ] was recruited to promote the game as well as add voice talents as linebacker Quentin Sands, one of the game's main characters.


== See also ==
*'']''
*'']''
*]


==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*{{moby game|id=-group/nfl-blitz-series|name=''NFL Blitz'' series}}
]
*


{{Midway sports games}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nfl Blitz}}
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Latest revision as of 18:58, 12 October 2024

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "NFL Blitz" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Video game series
NFL Blitz
Genre(s)Sports
Developer(s)Midway Games, EA Sports
Publisher(s)Midway Games, EA Sports
Platform(s)Arcade, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
First releaseNFL Blitz (1997)
1997
Latest releaseNFL Blitz (2012)
2012

NFL Blitz is a series of American football themed video games originally released by Midway featuring National Football League (NFL) teams. It began as a 1997 arcade game NFL Blitz that was ported to home consoles and spawned a series of sequels. Rather than being designed as a realistic interpretation of the sport of football, like Madden NFL or NFL 2K, the Blitz series was created as an over-the-top, exaggerated version of the sport, inspired by Midway's own NBA Jam basketball games.

In 2005, after losing the NFL license, Midway relaunched the Blitz series as Blitz: The League, depicting fictional players and teams in a fictional league with slightly more realistic (though still exaggerated) on-field play and a focus on the seedy behind-the-scenes lives of the players.

Following the dissolution of Midway, EA Sports acquired the rights to the Blitz name and relaunched the series on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live with a new entry in the series simply titled NFL Blitz. The game took the series back to the original style of Blitz, but removed the late hits due to input by the NFL. Late hits and some tackles were also removed in the Arcade1Up re-release of the first two games (and NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition), which was released in 2022.

Gameplay

"It's our belief that this is like the Road Runner ... (NFL Blitz) is not what goes on when players are on the field. This is a cartoon. Still, next year, we will dial this back a little more. We're going to err on the side of conservatism."

—Gene Goldberg, then-NFL vice president of consumer products, in 2002

The Blitz titles largely follow standard American football rules as outlined by the NFL, but with key differences to encourage faster and more aggressive play. In the original games, seven players are on the field per side (as opposed to eleven). Not only were there fewer players, but positions were flexible at best. Wide receivers could be known to run the ball and sometimes pass, and defensive players were all crosses between pass rushers and defensive backs. 2002 saw an increase to eight players and NFL Blitz Pro (released in 2003) increased to the full eleven.

Unlike the NFL, pass interference is allowed, as are late hits, showboating and excessive celebrations. There are no timeouts, but the clock stops after every play. Extra point attempts are claimed to be automatic, but there are rare misses. Field goals and Two-point conversions are played out as usual. Quarters have been shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time; this includes overtime, which isn't sudden death. For most releases, a first down would mean players would have to go 30 yards, instead of ten. Plays such as "Da Bomb" allowed for a quarterback to accurately throw the ball most of the length of the field at will and receivers could make impossible catches. On the other side, defensive players were able to leap up and swat (if not intercept) balls no other game could allow for or dive incredible lengths to make a stop.

From the beginning, one of the key changes in Blitz was the animations. Where other games had to keep normal tackling and stops, Blitz players were able to stop a play in a variety of unique ways. One of the most common was for a defensive player to grab his opponent and spin him around and fling him to the ground, sometimes giving them extra yards in the process. This violent and theatrical style allows the players to execute textbook professional wrestling moves such as the German suplex, elbow drop, and leg drop even after a tackle has been completed and the whistle blown. In addition, the team with the lead often receives kick-offs deeper in its own territory and are more likely to fumble or throw interceptions to help level the gameplay and encourage closer games.

The NFL, however, made Midway tame most of the more violent or insane aspects of the game as the license progressed. Subsequent releases stripped down "excessive celebrations" and late hits until the game was almost one of the sims to which it was originally opposed. However, the game still retained its over-the-top aspects including censored profanity done in a comical manner. Raiden and Shinnok, characters from the Mortal Kombat series, a series also developed by Midway, were unlockable characters in some versions.

Development

The game was created by Midway Games and headed by lead artist, Sal DiVita and lead programmer, Mark Turmell.

The NFL paid little attention to the game's development until just before the launch. Upon watching a preview scrimmage by Turmell and DiVita, league representatives said they could not have the NFL associated with the game as it was then programmed. They said there was too much violence in the game and offered to refund Midway's license fee. Midway was eager to keep the NFL's endorsement of the game, so they compromised on some of the graphic violence and "late hits" in the game.

Games

Beginning in 1997, Midway released a new entry in the series each year. However, after the commercial failure of the more simulation-oriented Blitz Pro, Midway did not release a Blitz in 2004 for the first time since the series began.

After losing the NFL license to Electronic Arts, Midway brought back the original Blitz style play with 2005's Blitz: The League. The celebrations and the violent aspects returned and were ramped up to levels that the NFL never allowed. In place of real NFL teams are fictional teams such as the New York Nightmare and the Minnesota Reapers. Although no current NFL players were featured, retired players Lawrence Taylor and Bill Romanowski were hired to lend their voices to and help promote the game. The game contains a significant amount of explicit content not seen in other entries of the series, such as the use of anabolic steroids and "juicing" injured players with what seems to be the equivalent of a cortisone shot. Blitz: The League also introduced an extensive story mode created with the help of one of the writers from ESPN's Playmakers. As a result of the mature themes in the title, The League is the first and only professional football franchise to ever receive the "Mature" rating from the ESRB and was banned in Australia. A sequel, Blitz: The League II was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 13, 2008.

After Midway's bankruptcy filing in 2009, EA Sports, publisher of the popular NFL simulation series Madden NFL and the exclusive holder of the NFL's video game rights, acquired the rights to the NFL Blitz intellectual property, and on October 19, 2011, EA Sports announced NFL Blitz' return via a story with Electronic Gaming Monthly and the release of an announcement trailer. EA Sports intended the new NFL Blitz to be an "arcade" football experience, different from the simulation-oriented Madden series. The result was the 2012 title simply called NFL Blitz.

In 2000 Midway released a spinoff to Blitz based on the Arena Football League titled Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed for the PlayStation.

Installments

Titles in the NFL Blitz series
Title Release Platforms
NFL Blitz 1997 (arcade), 1998 (home) Arcade, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
NFL Blitz '99 1998 Arcade
NFL Blitz 2000 (home port of Blitz 99) 1999 Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition 1999 Arcade
NFL Blitz 2001 (home port of Blitz 2000 Gold) 2000 Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
NFL Blitz Special Edition 2001 Nintendo 64
NFL Blitz 2002 2001 Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
NFL Blitz 2003 2002 Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
NFL Blitz Pro 2003 GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Blitz: The League 2005 PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, Xbox 360
Blitz: The League II 2008 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
NFL Blitz 2012 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Spinoffs

Title Release Platforms
Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed 2000 PlayStation

Reception

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2018)

Critical reception for Blitz: The League was mostly positive. Gamerankings.com gives the PlayStation 2 release a score of 75% and the Xbox release a score of 77%. GameSpot.com gave both PS2 and Xbox versions an 8.6/10.

See also

References

  1. "EA Sports Makes NFL Blitz Remake Official". pastapadre.com. 2011-10-19. Archived from the original on 2012-11-21. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  2. Good, Owen (November 3, 2022). "NFL Blitz comes back, without the late hits, in arcade form". Polygon. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  3. ^ King, Brad (December 31, 2002). "Video Game Hard Knocks Pain NFL". Wired. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Gordon, Aaron (6 November 2014). "How in the Hell did NFL Blitz Ever Get Made?". Vice. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  5. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The Making of NFL Blitz (1 of 2)". YouTube. February 2008.
  6. "Hands-On: NFL Blitz | EGMNOW". Archived from the original on 2011-10-20.

External links

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