NFL Blitz Returns This January

[Earnest Cavalli]

NFL Blitz Returns This January

EA is resurrecting NFL Blitz just in time for the end of the NFL season, and it looks like a return to the series' arcade roots.

The series, which has lain dormant since 2005's Midway-developed Blitz: The League, is now owned by EA and given its recent success with the excellent NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, the company is likewise hoping to revive NFL Blitz.

Courtesy EGM's exclusive infodump:

The new NFL Blitz looks to return the franchise to its arcade roots, and from what we've seen based on our hands-on time, it looks like this was an easy score for EA. Aside from 30-yard first downs and 2-minute quarters, you'll see post-play elbow drops, players launching themselves across the field like missiles to make unbelievable tackles, and guys just getting the ever-loving stuffing beaten out of them without a single yellow penalty flag in sight.

As with the new NBA Jam titles, the upcoming Blitz allows you to earn currency by playing the game that can be used to unlock cheats, hidden players and other extras.

So far the game lacks any sort of official release date, but the company claims it will appear in January 2012. Officially, the number of platforms on which it might appear has yet to be revealed, but I feel safe in assuming the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be among the final tally.

As much as I'm giddy for this revelation -- seriously, I loved the new NBA Jam -- I have a few concerns.

First, is this game going to immediately date itself with a stab at relevance via whatever meme is popular at that moment? The honey badger team was lame [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/trailers/4609-NBA-JAM-On-Fire-Edition-Honey-Badgers-Trailer]. Period.

Second, while I'm happy to see the Blitz license again tied to real NFL teams, does this mean the new game will completely lack Lawrence Taylor? I'd pay good money to see LT decapitate one (or both) of the Manning brothers.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, and EA is so eager to revive old arcade-style sports games, can I again wonder aloud where my new Mutant League Hockey is? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Source: EGM [http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/hands-on-nfl-blitz/]

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[Torrasque]

Sweet, pump that baby out so you can get the rights to my beloved NHL Hitz and get that going!
God how I miss that game...

 

[Micalas]

Oh. My. God.

This is great news! Blitz is the only football series worth playing after Tecmo Bowl.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Sounds pretty good and I really hope they release an Arcade machine of this in one of the four or five Arcades left in the U.S. I'm kind of afraid to see what EA is going to do with the latest Blitz in term of Season Pass/ Online Pass limitations.

Cavalli...weren't there a lot of Mutant League sports games on the SNES, Genesis, etc? I remember an ad for Mutant Sports Football I think and those games always seemed really cool. Too bad there aren't any new ones around though.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

Cavalli...weren't there a lot of Mutant League sports games on the SNES, Genesis, etc? I remember an ad for Mutant Sports Football I think and those games always seemed really cool. Too bad there aren't any new ones around though.

Yup. And I specifically fell in love with the Genesis ones. Those games were awesome.

 

[Irridium]

Awesome.

These games are so much fun. Nothing like pile-driving the other team's ball carrier!

 

[Sabrestar]

This can only be a good thing. I missed this series (and I hate NFL football in general). I'll second the NHL Hitz request too. Heck, I'd buy a resurrected MLS Red Card too.

 

[BX3]

EA's got a hold of Blitz, huh? Thank God. The League was fun, but after a couple weeks, That in-your-face "SUPER HARDCORE SEX, SWEARING, DRUGS & VIOLENCE W00T" theme was getting on my nerves. The sequel was no better. Seemed like too much of a desperate ploy.

 

[K4RN4GE911]

I remember kicking ass on the PS2 when I was younger. So many games that I owned and loved. Blitz being no exception. All I can say is that I'm stoked.

 

[Awexsome]

Aw yeah. Time to go beast mode with Adrian Peterson like he should be able to if it weren't for that damn mortal human body.

 

[Undead Dragon King]

A knight in full plate armor piledriving a guy in a hot-dog suit while a morbidly obese man in flip-flops sprints into the end-zone... Blitz 2003 was one of the defining games of my childhood.

And I'm glad to see Blitz is coming back.

 

[Falcon123]

Am I the only person here who enjoyed Blitz: the League? The jokes were over the top, and probably more edgy than it needed to be, but the gameplay was tight and fun (difficulty scaled with your progress, which made the campaign challenging but not unfairly so), the captain trailers were epic and added a nice touch to the universe, and the campaign was tons of fun. All Midway needed was a franchise mode allowing you to play the other interesting teams in the league and it would have been perfect. Instead of building on what they had and making something great, they copped out with the sequel (it was the first game all over again with slight refinements and a few new teams; a noticeable improvement, sure, but they could have done much more) and allowed EA to take the license back despite over a million sold copies for both games (excuse my ignorance if that's not as good as I think for a niche market sports game).

So, I'm supposed to be excited that all the progress I saw being made is going to be abandoned for a return to the arcade game I can still play on my old N64? Sorry, but this news makes me sad.

Not as sad as when Midway first announced they weren't renewing the license and I thought the whole thing was dead, mind you, but sad nonetheless.

 

[j1-2themax]

After Arkham City, this one's going straight to the top of my "to get at the first possible instant" list.