NFL Blitz 2000

"Arcade Football at its Best"

The very successful arcade football brawler is back and better than ever on the N64! Is it better than the original?

Gameplay – 9.5/10 – If you are new to blitz but have played other simulation football games, you are in for a real treat. Blitz in essentially Madden on caffeine pills. The game features seven on seven teams and the game is played at a blistering pace. Do not be surprised to see people scoring touchdowns in a matter on seconds. New to this year’s version are four players mode, create a play, on-fire mode, trivia game, and updated rosters. With create a play, offensive and defensive sets can be created easily and really it adds more to the game, with being able to customize your plays. You have the ability to really throw off an opponent with plays you have created. Also in this year’s addition is the arcade mode, tournament mode, and season mode. With the emphasis being on gameplay the season mode is quite thin with regards to options. There is no trading, signing, etc, but if you wanted all of that you would have bought Madden anyway right? The intense gameplay will make you forget about managing a team and will make you want to play.
Another interesting element in this game is the codes. There are codes that you can input before the game starts that alter the game. Some of these codes include small players, large players, always turbo, always on fire, different stadiums, heavy fog (my favorite, and a bunch more.
I highly recommend this game for gaming parties. The people I have played with become very competitive, as well as myself, and really enjoy playing this game because of its arcade roots. When I got beat by my friend once, I “accidentally” spiked his controller against a cement floor, rendering it useless, by bad. Again I recommend this game if you are looking for a break from Madden or just for something new and exciting.

Graphics – 8/10 – Nothing outstanding here, basically standard N64 graphics. I would have liked to have seen more in the way of player model differences. Basically, every player on the field looks the same except for a few weight differences. But for what there is, it was well done. The field and players are vibrant and colorful, making it easy to see who you are and where you are on the field at all times.

Audio – 10/10 – The audio is extremely well done. The commentary is unique and funny. The music is upbeat and never gets old. The sound effects are a perfect compliment to the gameplay. The bone crushing sounds are my favorite, especially during dog piles.

Overall – 9/10 - This game actually deserves around a 9.5 though. The up-tempo gameplay will have you playing for hours on end especially with friends. Skip the rental and go and buy this game, it does not disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/03