"It´s a short lived fun for 1P, but a blast in multiplayer"

I can begin by saying that I have not personally played the arcade version of NFL Blitz 2000, nor its predecessor so I cannot say wether this is a faithful conversion or not; what I am able to say is that this is a solid game on its own, yet it suffers from some basic gameplay flaws.

NFL Blitz is to football what NBA jam was to basketball: basically it keeps the simulation side of the game to a minimum to create an almost fictional mode of play. First thing you'll notice when starting a game, is that there are only seven players for team; aside from that, there's no pass interference calls, you need thirty yards to achieve a first down, etc.

Graphically, Blitz for the dreamcast is nothing like you ever seen before: the players are highly detailed and it's easy to tell each player apart, the grid is also highly detailed and has different details like the grass or weather effects, everything running smooth at a consistent 60 fps, no noticeable slowdown in sight. Having a NFL license, all of the teams are included and feature perfect renditions of the official uniforms. There are new animations implemented, like those where a tackle grabs the running back by the arm and performs a wrestling lock on him, or the one where a tackled player loses his helmet and it flies spinning. I cannot grade the graphics less than 9.

Gameplay wise, Blitz scores big: the interface is intuitive and easy to master, the control is responsive and while the default button layout is rather akward, you can reconfigure it to your taste. Blitz features the one player game mode from the arcades where you pick a team and face the remaining teams on the league(other players may join in, two per team) a season mode, a tournament. This time around, midway has taken from previous NBA games and included the ability to set your players on fire, wich turns up the heat of the game, for once you achieve it your players have unlimited turbo and are harder to tackle or block- just score three complete passes or runs with the same player when on offense or two consecutive QB sacks when on defense.

One of Blitz's best assets is the ability to change your play on the fly by calling audibles; and you can even configure those in your playbook! Those happy owners of a Visual Memory Unit are in for a treat as the VMU enables you to choose your play and hide it from your opponent- talk about having the opposition guessing! - On the downside note, the customizable playbook eats up a good 90 pages from your VMU (bummer!) but I guess real football maniacs will appreciate the option to create their own offensive and deffensive plays. Noteworthy - 9

In the sound department, I feel that MIDWAY could've done better; I mean, the game has taunts, and you can hear your QB calling audibles, but the narrator and the players taunting grow really old really fast, there should have been a wider variety and ingenuity in the voice overs. The music while a tad repetitive keeps your adrenaline pumping. Good, but could've been better: 6

Fun factor: almost inexistent in one player mode, the CPU Ai is just too cheap once you start facing the latter teams, like forcing fumbles and intercepting passes in ways that you obviousy are not able to. But where this game shines is on multiplayer, now three other players can join in and have a two-on-two match. This is a classic party game from start to finish: 7

Overall: BLitz is one game for football fans who cannot stand the simulation heavy Madden games, or want somthing more lighthearted and over the top. Stick to multiplayer tough, the CPU is way too cheap. NOTE: Those of you who would rather prefer the more statisctical side of football wait for more serious simulators. A game to spend the afternoon on: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 01/13/01