NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)

The field used to be a bit more varied when it came to football video games. These days, it seems like Madden is the only thing anybody plays. NFL Blitz is another series of football games that was first introduced as an arcade game in 1997. It was also ported to a few home platforms, including the Nintendo 64, the following year.

NFL Blitz was definitely more of an arcade style game vs. being a strict simulation of the game. For instance, there were only seven players per side instead of eleven and each player could typically perform a number of rolls. It wasn’t unusual, for instance, for a wide receiver to also pass the ball. There are no timeouts (though the clock stops after every play) and extra points are automatic but can be randomly missed on occasion. Also, a lot of things that would be penalties in a real NFL game are not penalties in NFL Blitz. Late hits, pass interference, and things that would normally be considered unsportsmanlike conduct are all just fine in this game.

These differences mostly serve to create a more fast paced and exciting game. This would have been especially important in an arcade setting where a true simulation would just take too long. Those that are dead set on a more accurate simulation of the game might not find this one satisfying but it is still a fun football-like game.

NFL Blitz was a popular game on the Nintendo 64. Despite the liberties taken with realism (or maybe because of them) it is still a blast to play. Back in the day, most football games took quite a few liberties. Street Sports Football, Tecmo Bowl, and Cyberball are a few of my favorites that come to mind. None of them approached the realism of a modern day Madden (and most didn’t try). It never stopped them from being fun.

Like Madden, NFL Blitz was a series of games of which this was only the first. In addition to the Nintendo 64, the first game was also available on the PlayStation, Windows, and Game Boy Color. I think that the Nintendo 64 version was the most popular though. Perhaps because fewer football games were available on that system. It also tended to get higher review scores that the PlayStation and Windows versions though they all seem to have been well regarded. NFL Blitz 2000 and NFL Blitz 2001 were sequels that were also released on the Nintendo 64. There were also later sequels but these were released on newer systems.

If you are a fan of football video games then this one is worth checking out even if you prefer your games with a bit more realism. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any re-releases so you’ll have to track down an original version for the system of your choice or make do with emulation. I suspect that the use of NFL licenses means that this game will never be re-released.

Screenshots above are all from the Nintendo 64 version of the game.

Electronic Gaming Monthly (September 1999)

Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 122 – September 1999

Electronic Gaming Monthly was near the top of my list when it came to video game magazines. By 1999, the industry had consolidated somewhat compared to what it was a few years ago. Sega, Sony and Nintendo were the only real players. The September 1999 issue includes:

Features

The Dreamcast is Here – A look at the Sega Dreamcast, initial round of games and Sega’s plan for the future. The Sega Dreamcast would have been released days after this issue hit the stands.

No Longer Fantasy – A look at the upcoming Final Fantasy movie.

Turok: Rage Wars – A preview of Turok: Rage Wars by Acclaim for the Nintendo 64. This was a first person shooter with an emphasis on multiplayer.

Final Fantasy VIII – A preview of Final Fantasy VIII for the PlayStation which was due out the same month this issue hit the stands. While I played FFVII, I never did play FFVIII.

Departments

Editorial – The Dreamcast is set to hit the streets with 24 solid games available on day one. Is this the biggest game launch ever?

Letters – Readers write in about the Dreamcast, Perfect Dark, survival horror games, megabits vs. megabytes, and more.

News – Final Fantasy movie coming to theaters; limited edition Pokemon game coming for the Game boy; Resident Evil 3 demo included on some copies of Dino Crisis for the PlayStation; Mario 64 sequel not anticipated until Dolphin (GameCube) release; bleem! PlayStation emulator hits stores (requires a Pentium 166MMX); Pac-Man Fever album re-released on CD; Nintendo reveals 64DD plans for Japan; and much more.

Gossip – Various rumors, including a possible Dreamcast version of Driver, a possible Dreamcast version of Soul Reaver, Michael Jordan returning to video games, PlayStation 2 to be used as a “set top box”, Dreamcast could emulate PlayStation, and more.

Previews – Previews of upcoming games including for the Dreamcast: NBA Showtime, Vigilante 8, Street Fighter Alpha 3, The King of Fighter: Dream Match 1999, Shenmue, Fighting Force 2, Ecco the Dolphin, South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack, Seven Mansions, Virtua Striker 2, Espion-Age-Nts, virtual On, Giant Gram All Japan Pro Wrestling 2, and Super Producer; for the Nintendo 64: Pokemon Snap, Mario Golf, WCW Mayhem, Rainbow Six, StarCraft, Hot Wheels Turbo Racing, Turok: Rage Wars, Resident Evil 2, Hercules, Winback, and Kyojin No Sohin; for the PlayStation: Final Fantasy VIII, Crash Team Racing, Suikoden II, WipeOut 3, Madden NFL 2000, NFL GameDay 2000, Spyro 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Medal of Honor, Dune 2000, Wu-Tang, You Don’t Know Jack, Metal Gear Solid: Integral, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, WCW Mayhem, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, Silhouette Mirage, Thrasher, Sheep, Urban Chaos, Detonator Gauntlet, NBA ShootOut 2000, NBA Basketball 2000, Mag 3, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Test Drive Cycles, SuperCross Circuit, Knights of Carnage, Major League Soccer 2000, NHL Championship 2000, NHL FaceOff 2000, Vegas Games 2000, Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI, Konami Rally, Monkey Magic, Rugrats, Bass Landing, NCAA Final Four 2000, Vagrant Story, Rival Schools 2, Geppy-X, Assault Suits Valken 2, Oreshika, Roneco’s Great Adventure 2, Ichi Geki: Hagane No Hito; and more.

Power Tools – A brief look at various video gaming peripherals including the Tilt Force 2 PlayStation controller, Tilt Pak (N64), Data Deck (PlayStation), Boomerang 64 (N64), CH Products Gamestick (PlayStation), GameShark Pro (PlayStation), Xplorer FX (PlayStation), and more.

Review Crew – Reviews of some of the latest games including:
- Nintendo 64 – NFL Blitz 2000, Command & Conquer, Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, Mario Golf, Monster Truck Madness 64, Pokemon Snap, The New Tetris, Tonic Trouble, and In-Fisherman Bass Hunter 64.
- PlayStation – Chesmaster II, NFL Blitz 2000, Driver, Evil Zone, Jade Cocoon, Konami Arcade Classics, NFL Xtreme 2, Rising Zan, Sled Storm, Soul of the Samurai, Tarzan, and Tiny Tank.
- Game Boy/GBC – Conker’s Pocket Tales, Looney Tunes, Motocross Maniacs 2, Pokemon Pinball, Spawn, Pac-Man Special Color Edition, R-Type DX, and Tarzan.

Review Archive – A brief overview of EGM’s last 100 reviews from issues 115-121.

Tricks of the Trade – Tips, tricks and codes for Vigilante 8 (N64), A Bug’s Life (N64), Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest (N64), Fighting Force 64 (N64), Quake II (N64), Rush 2 (N64), Ape Escape (PlayStation), Big Air (PlayStation), Pokemon Blue (GB), Driver (PlayStation), Lunar: Silver Star (PlayStation), Hello Kitty’s Cube Frenzy (PlayStation), R-Type Delta (PlayStation), Syphon Filter (PlayStation), Bust-A-Move 4 (GBC), and many more.

Get Some – A look at some of the latest gadgets, including Creative’s Nomad MP3 player, Sennheiser HD490 Live headphones, the Psyc Style Discman, the MD-MT821 MiniDisc Player from Sharp, and more.