NFL Blitz (1997 video game)
NFL Blitz | ||
---|---|---|
Arcade system | Midway Seattle Hardware |
NFL Blitz is an American football video game developed and published by Midway for the arcade in 1997, the first game in the NFL Blitz series. The development team was headed by Mark Turmell and Sal Divita, who were known for being behind NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz was a deliberate attempt to translate the exaggerated arcade-style approach of NBA Jam to the football realm. The game was ported to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows, and Game Boy Color in 1998. The cover athlete for the game was then Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart.
Gameplay
NFL Blitz is based on seven-on-seven-man American football teams.[4] It also diverges from traditional rules of American football in that there are no penalties, no substitutions, and players can perform illegal attacks on each other such as dropkicks.[5]
The game features a full NFL license, with players and teams from the 1997 season.[6]
Development
The game was in development for two years.[7] The game was developed by a team led by Mark Turmell and Sal Divita, who wanted to "do for the NFL franchise what we did for the NBA franchise [with NBA Jam]" in Turmell's words.[5] In particular, they wanted to create a football game which allows the players to get to the action more quickly than other football games, which they found tended to bog the player down in the play-select screen and other setup menus.[5]
The arcade board is called the Seattle System, which is based on a
According to Divita, the team decided to make the game support just two players instead of four "because in a football game, there just isn't enough gameplay between the quarterback and the receiver to make it fun. It's not like NBA Jam, where teamwork can really be a factor."[5] The game had a marketing budget of $8 million.[8]
Reception
Aggregator | Score | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer Gaming World | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3.5/5[13] | N/A |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | N/A | N/A | 9.125/10[14][a] | N/A | 8.675/10[15][b] |
Game Informer | N/A | 6/10[16] | 9/10[17] | 8/10[18] | 8/10[19] |
GameFan | N/A | N/A | 92%[20] | N/A | N/A |
GamePro | N/A | N/A | 5/5[21][c] | 3.5/5[22][d] | 4/5[23][e] |
GameRevolution | N/A | N/A | B[24] | N/A | B[25] |
GameSpot | N/A | N/A | 9.1/10[26] | 9/10[27] | 8.8/10[28] |
IGN | N/A | N/A | 9.1/10[29] | 8.5/10[30] | 9.4/10[31] |
N64 Magazine | N/A | N/A | 87%[34] | N/A | N/A |
Next Generation | 4/5[4] | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/5[32] |
Nintendo Power | N/A | 4.9/10[33] | 8.2/10[35] | N/A | N/A |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/5[36] |
PC Accelerator | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/10[37] | N/A |
PC Gamer (US) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 89%[38] | N/A |
The Nintendo 64 and PlayStation versions received universal acclaim, while the PC version received favorable reviews, according to the
Brad Cook of
NFL Blitz was "Arcade Game of the Year" at Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1997 Editors' Choice Awards.[45] The PC version won the award for "Best Sports Game of the Year" at IGN's Best of 1998 Awards,[46] and was nominated for the "Sports Game of the Year" award at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to FIFA 99.[47] The Nintendo 64 version was a nominee for the AIAS' "Console Sports Game of the Year" award, which was ultimately given to 1080° Snowboarding;[48] it was also nominated for Best Nintendo 64 Game at the 1998 CNET Gamecenter Awards, which ultimately went to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.[49] The PlayStation version won the award for "Most Unrealistic Sports Game" at the 1998 OPM Editors' Awards, and was nominated for the "Best Sports Game", "Best Arcade Conversion", and "Best Multiplayer Game" awards, all of which went to Hot Shots Golf, Tekken 3, and Devil Dice, respectively.[50][51]
Notes
- ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the Nintendo 64 version, three critics gave it each a score of 9/10, and the other one gave it 9.5/10.
- ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation version, three critics gave it each a score of 8.5/10, and one gave it 9/10.
- ^ GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version two 5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, and two 4.5/5 scores for sound and control.
- ^ GamePro gave the PC version 4.5/5 for graphics, 5/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for control and fun factor.
- ^ GamePro gave the PlayStation version two 5/5 scores for graphics and sound, 3.5/5 for control, and 4/5 for fun factor.
References
- ^ "GameSpot: News: Archive". 2002-05-21. Archived from the original on 2002-05-21. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "NFL Blitz Ships". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Ocampo, Jason (August 27, 1998). "NFL Blitz for PC in October". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c "NFL Blitz". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. p. 148. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Johnny Ballgame (September 1997). "Hot at the Arcades: NFL Blitz". GamePro. No. 108. IDG. pp. 80–81. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "NFL Blitz". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 90.
- ^ "NFL Blitz Interview". sports-gaming.com. June 11, 1998. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ IGN Staff (September 11, 1998). "Midway Hypes NFL Blitz". IGN. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon December 9, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "NFL Blitz for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "NFL Blitz for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Brumley, Doug (October 27, 1998). "NFL Blitz (N64, PS)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Todd, Brett (March 1999). "Blood Bowl (NFL Blitz Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 176. Ziff Davis. pp. 186–87. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Hsu, Dan; Ricciardi, John; Boyer, Crispin; Williams, Ken "Sushi-X" (October 1998). "NFL Blitz (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 111. Ziff Davis. p. 259. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Ken "Sushi-X"; Hsu, Dan; Boyer, Crispin; Ricciardi, John (October 1998). "NFL Blitz (PS)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 111. Ziff Davis. p. 263. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "NFL Blitz (GBC)". Game Informer. No. 72. FuncoLand. April 1999.
- ^ Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (October 1998). "NFL Blitz (N64)". Game Informer. No. 66. FuncoLand. p. 34. Archived from the original on September 9, 1999. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "NFL Blitz (PC)". Game Informer. No. 68. FuncoLand. December 1998.
- ^ "NFL Blitz (PS)". Game Informer. No. 66. FuncoLand. October 1998. p. 68. Archived from the original on September 13, 1999. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "REVIEW for NFL Blitz". GameFan. Metropolis Media. July 22, 1998.
- ^ Dan Elektro (October 1998). "NFL Blitz Hits Home Hard on Nintendo 64". GamePro. No. 121. IDG. p. 180. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Knibbe, Willem (1999). "NFL Blitz Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Boba Fatt (November 1998). "Caught Between Superstardom and 2nd String [author mislabeled as "Air Hendrix"]" (PDF). GamePro. No. 122. IDG. p. 196. Archived from the original on December 16, 2004. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- CraveOnline. Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Dr. Moo (October 1998). "NFL Blitz - PSX Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 6, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (September 16, 1998). "NFL Blitz Review (N64) [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Broady, Vince (October 7, 1998). "NFL Blitz Review (PC) [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (September 16, 1998). "NFL Blitz Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Casamassina, Matt (September 11, 1998). "NFL Blitz (N64)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Bates, Jason (October 6, 1998). "NFL Blitz (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Perry, Douglass C. (September 11, 1998). "NFL Blitz (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "NFL Blitz (PS)". Next Generation. No. 47. Imagine Media. November 1998. p. 146. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "[NFL] Blitz (GBC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 115. Nintendo of America. December 1998. p. 134.
- ^ a b "NFL Blitz [Import]". N64 Magazine. No. 22. Future Publishing. December 1998.
- ^ "[NFL] Blitz (N64)". Nintendo Power. No. 112. Nintendo of America. September 1998. p. 102. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "NFL Blitz". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 1. Ziff Davis. October 1998.
- ^ PCA staff (January 1999). "NFL Blitz". PC Accelerator. No. 5. Imagine Media. p. 103. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "NFL Blitz". PC Gamer. Imagine Media. 1999.
- ^ Bauman, Steve (November 24, 1998). "NFL Blitz". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "NFL Blitz (N64)". Hyper. No. 61. Next Media Pty Ltd. November 1998. p. 56. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- All Media Network. Archived from the originalon November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Baker, Christopher Michael. "NFL Blitz (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "NFL Blitz (N64) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Shif, Gil Alexander. "NFL Blitz (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Editors' Choice Awards". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 104. Ziff Davis. March 1998. p. 87.
- ^ IGN staff (January 29, 1999). "IGNPC's Best of 1998 Awards". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 27, 1999. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ GameSpot staff (1999). "The Best & Worst of 1998 (Sports Game of the Year - Nominees)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 1, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ "Second Interactive Achievement Awards: Console". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 1999. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Gamecenter staff (January 29, 1999). "The CNET Gamecenter.com Awards for 1998! (Nintendo 64 Nominees 2)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ "1998 OPM Editors' Awards (Best Sports Game; Most Unrealistic Sports Game)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 5. Ziff Davis. February 1999. pp. 94–95. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ "1998 OPM Editors' Awards (Best Arcade Conversion; Best Multiplayer Game)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 5. Ziff Davis. February 1999. pp. 97–98. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
External links
- NFL Blitz at the Killer List of Videogames
- NFL Blitz at MobyGames
- NFL Blitz (Game Boy Color) at MobyGames