NFL Blitz: Pro

Blitz fans are in for some big surprises when they play this game for the first time.  On the back of the box you'll notice that all of the "new" features have to do with making the game more realistic.  New 11-on-11 authentic NFL action; all-new Pro-style A.I.; new motion-captured Pro-style animations, etc.  The tagline reads, "Think you know Blitz?  Think again..."  Usually this is PR gibberish, but here it has real meaning.  NFL Blitz has changed forever.

At first glance the game could easily be mistaken for Madden 2004.  The graphics aren't that good, but the rest appears to be the same.  A new control system has been implemented that allows gamers to pass to specific players.  Button icons have been placed on top of the players (six in total – X, A, B, L-trigger, and R-trigger), indicating who will [hopefully] catch the ball should you choose to pass it.  This is just like every football simulator out there, something that Blitz is not supposed to be.  Its previous control system involved a one-button passing scheme.  To select a player to pass the ball to, you'd move the analog stick left or right.  The player that the stick is pointed towards would become highlighted, letting you know that he is the one that the ball will be passed to.  This was fast and very easy to learn, especially for someone like me who had no prior football experience when the original NFL Blitz was released in 1998.  The new system takes some getting used to.  Madden fans will be cool with it, but is that really the game's target audience?

Another big change is the number of players.  Gone are the days a Blitz battle that featured seven or eight players.  You now have full, 11-on-11 games to sink your teeth into.  The increased amount of players could explain why Midway changed the control system – managing so many players would have been tough otherwise!  It changes the gameplay a lot more than you'd expect.  Blitz is still fast, and still harder-hitting (and features less rules) than any other football game.  But as a whole it feels a tad bit slower than the previous Blitz.  It's feels closer to a being a simulator than NHL Hitz Pro, which is much more than it should.  It's good but it in a different kind of way.

Next to passing the biggest change comes in how plays are selected.  This is where the game takes on a Madden appeal; A, X and Y are used to select from three types of plays within each set.  You choose your set first, and once that has been selected you can gain access to the series of plays within that set by moving the left analog stick up or down.  This gives you so many more options than the previous Blitz games, especially when you consider the fact that each team has their own unique sets.  All gamers should be thrilled by this addition.  If there's one thing simulation sports deliver better than anyone else it's variety.  Now Blitz can seriously compete with that aspect.

Your opponents will give you a much harder time than in the previous Blitzes.  Stiff arms don't work as effectively as they used to.  You can't receive after the kickoff and expect to gain 60 yards without a serious fight.  That brings to mind another change: spins.  In the first game you could spin to evade most oncoming charges.  In the following versions it was more effective to use a stiff arm.  In this version neither work overly well at deflecting a charge.  A specific button (B) has been dedicated to spins (before you had to double-tap the speed burst button).  Once again these are the changes that come with a series that once hit arcades first and has now found a home exclusively on game consoles. 

NFL Blitz Pro isn't entirely what I wanted, but as a whole it is still one of the best football series on the market.  Its simulation-filled gameplay takes away from the arcade action, giving EA a chance to jump in steal the market that NFL Blitz once had.  It seems that Midway would rather compete with EA on the large-scale Madden side and forget smaller-scale arcade side.  I don't just mean arcades as a place you go to, but as a genre of gaming.  NFL Blitz Pro is good, and in some ways great, but it's too realistic to be true to the series.  These new elements shouldn't be scrapped for the next edition, just revised.  Diehard simulation fans should give it a go, but diehard Blitz fans would be wise to rent it first.

Gameplay: 8
Not quite Blitz, not quite Madden, NFL Blitz Pro is the game that wants to be everything.  It wants to be a great alternative to Madden, but at the same time it wants to be part of the NFL Blitz series.  It's a fun ride through both worlds but leans a little more toward the simulation side of things.  That's not what made Blitz a success in the first place.  That's not what made it outsell Madden in September '98.

The new additions are great, but the action needs to be pumped up.   I love having the 11-on-11 gameplay, and even though it took some getting used to, the simulation control system is effective.  It's not at all innovative, but not much is in the sports genre these days.

Blitz would have been a huge disappointment if it wasn't so polished.  If there's one thing Midways does, it's finish a game.  Blitz Pro doesn't feel rushed in the least bit.  There's a lot of team depth here; tons of individuality to get lost in.  If the next game is as fun as the first Blitz and just as deep as the Pro edition, it'll be the developer's crowning achievement.

Graphics: 8
Really bright and colorful.  The stadiums are big on detail.  From the turf to the lighting to the audience, NFL Blitz Pro is the best-looking game in the series.  The new player animations are great, but I can't say they're any better than before.  Blitz has always had great animation.  There are more of them, which gives the eyes a lot more variety.  That's always a good thing!  It keeps the visuals from becoming stale too quickly.

Sound: 5
One word can describe NFL Blitz Pro's commentary: agonizing.  It defies logic.  Blitz Pro is the most realistic game in the series.  The announcers' voices are decidedly serious.  And yet their words are absolutely ridiculous.  I nearly rolled my eyes when one of the announcers said that a player's job is to catch the ball, not "act like an agitator in a washing machine."  I know that's supposed to be funny, but this stuff is getting old.  The rest of the game is growing up, why can't the sound?

Difficulty: Medium
Learning the new control system won't be easy.  It won't be easy competing with the improved artificial intelligence system either.

Concept: 6.9
NFL Blitz Pro is almost like an entirely new game.  In fact it's so different that you could easily mistake it for a simulation football game.  That, of course, is why it doesn't receive kudos for being "different."  This isn't just an average concept, it is a recycling of a concept that's been around for years.  Different for Blitz, yes.  But in a world where simulation sports games are everywhere, Blitz Pro doesn't feel very different at all.

Multiplayer: 7.5
NFL Blitz Pro doesn't have the same multiplayer appeal as the previous games, but it's still a fun way to spend a weekend with a group of friends.

Overall: 7.8
Close but no touchdown.  NFL Blitz Pro is the game that is almost what it should be.  Moving into the simulation realm is risky.  It worked for Hitz, but Blitz is having a harder time making the transition.  This game is definitely worth buying but only if you know what you're getting.  Don't expect this to be the Blitz you know – it's definitely not.  If you don't want to see Blitz change so drastically you're better off sticking with what you've got.  However, if you always wanted Blitz to be a little more like Madden, this is it – the game you've been waiting for!

Still no online play, but that'll come next time, right guys?  If not then, hopefully we can assume it'll be ready for the launch of Xbox 2.

As it stands now, NFL Blitz Pro is a decent multiplayer title.  Check it out when you can.  This might be just the game you’ll want to play in between bites of turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving.