Overview

NFL Blitz 2000 delivers on the series’ tradition; fast, fun, football. Hardcore, stat-crunching, total realism football fans may want to stay far away. However, the rest of us looking for some fun (especially in multiplayer) should give this title a look.

If you haven’t played a Blitz game before, allow me to enlighten you on the concept. It’s 7 on 7. You run 30 yards for a first down. You can crush your opponent when you’re on defence with late hits, interceptions, and of course, some pass interference (which isn’t called). Only the basics of football have been included. Anything that would require no action for 5 seconds has been cut. And then the result is excellent.

Gameplay

If you ever played Blitz ’99 in the arcades or on any other system, you’ve played this game. Your players catch on fire, taunt mercilessly, and writhe in pain after a hard tackle. The announcer has as many comments as ever, and they’re pretty funny to listen to. There’s a decently sized playbook for you to choose from, and a reasonably simple to use play-editor has been included. In this version, you can play a season, a single game, or get 4 people playing simultaneously in a royal multiplayer battle. So what makes this game stand out from other versions? Not a great deal, but there are a few nice touches that make this one of the most entertaining football games out there.

Graphics & Sound

The graphics are decent, but it’s obvious this isn’t NFL2K graphics wise. However, the graphics are clean, the collision details are dead on, and I never once saw even the slightest bit of breakup, clipping, or other graphic problems. The crowd is a bit disappointing, as Midway doesn’t even attempt to make them lifelike. It’s just a couple of textures, but you won’t be looking at them much. The sounds are a high point of this game. They’re very clear; you’ll always hear what a player is yelling, and some of the taunts are downright funny. There’s not much music to speak of, but you won’t care much when you’re in the heat of the action. The control is tight, and the interface is easy to use and effective. You can pretty much pick this game up and play. An incredible effect you’ll likely see is a team catching on fire, and this too is well done.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you haven’t played NFL Blitz 2000, this game is at least worthy of a quick pick up and play. Hardcore fans can rest assured this is the finest of the offerings, and you won’t be disappointed.