For the first time since 2003 the Blitz series carries the NFL license after having been acquired and subsequently rebooted by EA Sports. As a digital-download title the company hoped to bring back some of the magic of the beloved series while increasing the amount of content over what was provided in their previous attempts at arcade-style football. Were they able to achieve one or both? Continue on for the Hits and Misses review of NFL Blitz. 

Hits

•Online Play
Where NFL Blitz meets its full potential is online – as an offline game it offers much more limited value. Online matches have been lag-free, state-by-state leaderboards and advancement makes the basic “Blitz Battles” (standard online) more interesting, co-op adds strategy to the games with additional user-controlled players, and the “Elite League” take on “Ultimate Team” mode is intriguing and fairly-designed but limited by the lack of player differentiation.

•Level of Content
For a digital-download it would be hard not to be pleased with all that was included in the Blitz package. There is strong replay value offline with “Blitz Gauntlet”, tons of unlockables, and solid online performance to take advantage of through “Blitz Battles”, “Elite League”, and even co-op.

•Fun Factor
Though not as strong in this regard as past EA attempts such as Madden Arcade, NFL Tour, and NFL Street – NFL Blitz is still an enjoyable game to play. There is some decent strategy involved, balance between offense and defense is fair, gameplay and controls are responsive, and there are numerous modes to dig into. It does a fair job of paying tribute to past Blitz titles while trying to enhance elements by taking advantage of today’s technology.

Misses

•General Blandness
The NFL is largely to blame for the overall uninspired feel of NFL Blitz – but EA Sports is too at fault for not finding creative ways to get around the restrictions imposed on them. The lack of late hits and any post-play action is impossible to ignore as are the forgettable celebrations. An almost complete lack of player differentiation though might be more damaging in the end than those disappointments. Offense is also a plodding affair with slowed down action partially to blame – along with speed of players factoring in very little if at all.

•Commentary
The commentary in NFL Blitz features Tim Kitzrow (of NBA Jam fame) and comedian Brian Haley and comes across flat and unengaged. At least it doesn’t reach NFL Tour levels of annoying. Presentation is true to Blitz of the past otherwise.

•Outdated Rosters
Rosters are sadly outdated and are missing a number of names that deserve to be included.  EA never promised roster updates for Blitz but there is no excuse not to have at least one – even Madden Arcade got multiple roster updates. A lack of post-release support suggests EA is not really behind the title and/or sees little future for it as a series.

EA Sports has made a number of missteps lately with their arcade-style offerings and this release of NFL Blitz could potentially amount to a one-and-done title. It’s hard to see much potential for a sequel given the restraints enforced by the NFL and the lack of compensation in gameplay provided by EA. While Blitz makes for a fair value at $15 and provides fun and content equal to that investment it ultimately fails to amount to anything more than just that. (See also: full impressions of NFL Blitz).

The last attempt at a pure arcade-style football game came from EA Sports in late 2009 with Madden NFL Arcade. It represented one of the first attempts by a sports developer to release a full-fledged offering digitally through XBLA and PSN. Though quite fun it ultimately didn’t extend much beyond just that and thus died off relatively quickly.

With NFL Blitz the company has hoped to resurrect a beloved franchise and provide more significant content to make for an ideal $15 package. They have succeeded in that goal but only to an extent as the handcuffs put on EA by the NFL, and the company’s inability to compensate for those imposed drawbacks, are painfully obvious. 

Off the bat NFL Blitz appears as though it is the epitome of mediocrity. While quite faithful to Blitz of the past at some point it has to offer more than just being a rehash with modern-day graphics and controls. Content wise it achieves that but in terms of gameplay it’s simply a flat and uninspired experience.

Fun factor in arcade-style games is always going to be the central goal and NFL Blitz does offer a good time. The game is relatively easy to pick-up-and-play but there is that slight learning curve involved with getting a grasp of the controls and strategies. It’s always important to have that element of constant improvement to grasp at – otherwise games of the sort requiring little skill or that rely largely on luck are just aggravating.

The gameplay feels a bit slowed down especially when in the open field. Regardless of speed rating – even if its someone like DeSean Jackson or Mike Wallace – players will get run down by big lineman. In general the player differentiation is not well defined if present at all. You’d be hard-pressed to identify differing skill levels in players even if those in question would be a duo like Blaine Gabbert and Aaron Rodgers.

As dictated by the NFL there are no late hits in NFL Blitz, and though the series could survive without them, it really does contribute to the overall ‘sanitized’ feel that was also present with Madden Arcade and NFL Tour. The hit animations can be violent but rarely are over-the-top in nature outside of the occasional powerbomb. Celebrations too are really subdued and therefore completely forgettable.

In general the gameplay is pretty well balanced between offense and defense. On occasion, particularly online, games can turn out to be defensive battles. Driving down the field on offense is usually a very deliberate process rather than busting things open with big play after big play. That lack of breakaway speed – whether utilizing turbo or not – would be a big factor in that.

One thing that is bothersome is not being given any notification of what the offense is doing on 4th down. There is no way to see if they’ve called a normal play or a punt or field goal. The problem here is that in guessing wrong there is usually not enough time (or it’s not possible) to make the proper audible to defend the selection. The option is there though to wait out a tedious 10 seconds and have the CPU select the play for you which seems to take into account whether the opponent is going for it or not.

The outdated rosters can’t be overlooked – especially when players the caliber of Terrell Suggs and Rob Gronkowski are absent. Blitz desperately needs a roster update but it appears there are no plans to deliver one. It’s also worth noting once again that there are no left-handed throwers in the game so Tim Tebow and Michael Vick are right-handed (was the same way in Madden Arcade which is a more than a little suspicious). Jerseys are not selectable which means some confusion can occur when matchups feature white vs white or colored vs colored uniforms.

Gauntlet mode is the main offline campaign and involves playing through a series of games and ‘Boss Battles’ resulting in the unlocking of those special teams when defeating them. The mode is to be played through several times in order to unlock all of those ‘boss’ teams and your squad can involve any players in the game. The level of enjoyment here will come from getting those new teams but otherwise is dependent on how interested one is in playing the CPU. Games have been competitive thus far, and there are different difficulty levels, but ultimately playing the computer in this manner will wear thin for many people.

Elite League is the take on the popular Ultimate Team mode found in EA Sports’ sim titles. Here though there is no real money involved in the purchasing of card packs or management. ‘Blitz Bucks’ are earned by playing online games and given out in healthy amounts. Thankfully even losses provide ‘Bucks’ as it isn’t just about the winning result but coming out on top in various stat categories. Card packs in the mode are reasonably priced too and it’s easy to quickly build up a dynamic team and work on the ‘collections’ eventually reaching the opportunity to trade them in for ultra high rated versions of players. The mode also helps alleviate the frustration over outdated rosters but would have benefited greatly from having extra players to obtain.

The lack of player differentiation is the big downer as it relates to Elite League. When it’s hard to notice variances between players there’s really no excitement involved with getting new ones. When I pulled Adrian Peterson in a pack it wasn’t a big deal as Beanie Wells felt almost the same. There may be some advantages to the better rated players – Peterson would likely shed more tacklers with a stiff arm than a smaller back – but it’s so subtle that it removes that sense of achievement in building a team up and taking advantage of them online.

Online performance has been consistent and smooth. Kicking and punting can be difficult to get a feel for but the timing has seemed consistent in when to hit the button to compensate for any latency. Keep in mind there are some users online who will try different (fair in Blitz) tactics like constantly blitzing or taking out receivers right after the snap. There are counters to those though – an especially effective one is to use the motion man to block the manually controlled blitzer with the right trigger at the snap of the ball and buy some time that way.

NFL Blitz is showing to be a fun, though mediocre, reboot of the franchise. For $15 that may be all one wants or expects out of the package – with the apparent value coming from the various online modes (including co-op which I’ve yet to dig into) which do seem to have relatively strong replay factor. Look for the full “Hits and Misses” review of NFL Blitz to come early next week.

During the process of putting together impressions for the just released NFL Blitz (expect them late this week) there will be some gameplay videos going up of the various modes. The first is an online game between with the Seahawks @ Packers split into halves. Continue on to check out the vids and leave any thoughts in the comments! 

The reboot of NFL Blitz from EA Sports is out now on XBLA and PSN for $15. Blitz features single player “Gauntlet” mode, co-op/online co-op, online “Battles”, “Elite League” mode (similar to Ultimate Team), commentary from Tim Kitzrow – and a full quarter of gameplay action can be seen here.

No late hits as mandated by the league and outdated rosters are the big drawbacks to consider as well as aspects such as no left-handed throwing QBs – yes Mike Vick and Tim Tebow are right-handed in Blitz. It was the same way in EA’s last effort Madden NFL Arcade, further increasing the similarities between the two games which shouldn’t come across as being so suspiciously alike. The level of content provided in Blitz however far outweighs that of Madden Arcade – though that game actually got the benefit of roster updates.

A trial version is available to play before committing to purchase the title on the 360 but that option is absent on the PS3. Leave any thoughts in the comments regarding NFL Blitz and look for official impressions later this week!

Based on the results of the poll posted last week regarding purchase plans for NFL Blitz – which releases tomorrow on XBLA and PSN for $15 – enthusiasm has dropped considerably since the original announcement of the game. Only 13% plan to buy Blitz and 59% are dead set against it. The remaining chunk is in wait and see mode and may base a decision on the trial version. Considering the only unedited gameplay video generated pure indifference it might be tough to hook those people who are on the fence with a few minutes of game time.

There are a number of reasons why Blitz isn’t drawing much excitement from consumers. The removal of late hits as dictated by the league was the first big blow and that was then followed up by outdated rosters. The latest factor though seems to be a lack of confidence in EA Sports relating to their second-tier titles following the handling of NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. That game, which promised roster updates, still has not delivered one and the company still hasn’t even commented on the subject. That is probably telling – the only reason to ignore inquires would be to try and avoid any backlash that would come with a negative response.

Blitz hasn’t promised any roster updates (notably avoiding the topic completely along the way) but the lack of support towards Jam – which is produced out of the same studio and has similar relevance and publisher backing – has to be a consideration when setting expectations. The blunders made with Jam, from the console version to the direct-download version, are certainly influencing some level of trepidation in how Blitz is being viewed.

January, and particularly the early part of the month, is most often deserted by video game publishers. This coming new year kicks off though with a digitally-distributed offering from EA Sports as January 4th brings about the reboot of NFL Blitz. Going for $15 on XBLA and PSN the game has a good deal of content, far exceeding what was provided with the company’s last arcade-style football game (Madden NFL Arcade), but the removal of late hits as dictated by the league and sketchy rosters has seemed to dampen anticipation levels.

With NFL Blitz just over a week away from release vote in the poll below and leave any thoughts on the topic in the comments!

Concluding the rollout of the rosters for NFL Blitz via ESPN are those for the AFC East and South. For a look at the others: AFC North and West – NFC West and South – NFC North and East. Each team carries seven offensive (QB, RB, 2WR/TE, 3OL) and seven defensive players (3DL, LB, 3DB) along with a kicker and punter.

Though being communicated in a way that these are all the players included in the game I’ve been told by someone who’s played it that there are actually expanded rosters and that these are essentially just the starters. It’s unclear why EA has chosen to present them in a fashion that has drawn inevitable ire from fans.

As such seeing names such as Chad Ochocinco, Leigh Bodden, Albert Haynesworth, Chad Henne, and Roscoe Parrish (one catch this year before IR) included while guys like Rob Gronkowski, Matt Moore, Jason Taylor, David Nelson or Scott Chandler are left out may not be quite the travesty it seems. It’s possible that other desired players are actually in the game – though it’s likely still some notable ones still will not be. A roster update is desperately needed but the prospects of that coming about don’t seem to be encouraging.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills
Ryan Fitzpatrick: QB
Fred Jackson: RB
Roscoe Parrish: WR
Stevie Johnson: WR
Demetrius Bell: OT
Erik Pears: OT
Eric Wood: C
Marcell Dareus: DE
Dwan Edwards: DE
Kyle Williams: DT
Leodis McKelvin: CB
Terrence McGee: CB
Jairus Byrd: S
Nick Barnett: LB
Rian Lindell: K
Brian Moorman: P

Miami Dolphins
Chad Henne: QB
Reggie Bush: RB
Davone Bess: WR
Brandon Marshall: WR
Jake Long: OT
Marc Colombo: OT
Mike Pouncey
Kendall Langford: DE
Randy Starks: DE
Paul Soliai: DT
Sean Smith: CB
Vontae Davis: CB
Yeremiah Bell: S
Cameron Wake: LB
Dan Carpenter: K
Brandon Fields: P

New England Patriots
Tom Brady: QB
Danny Woodhead: RB
Chad Ochocinco: WR
Wes Welker: WR
Matt Light: OT
Sebastian Vollmer: OT
Dan Koppen: C
Albert Haynesworth: DE
Shaun Ellis: DE
Vince Wilfork: DT
Leigh Bodden: CB
Devin McCourty: CB
Patrick Chung: S
Jerod Mayo: LB
Zoltan Mesko: P
Stephen Gostkowski: K

New York Jets
Mark Sanchez: QB
Shonn Green: RB
Plaxico Burress: WR
Santonio Holmes: WR
D’Brickshaw Ferguson: OT
Wayne Hunter: OT
Nick Mangold: C
Ropati Pitoitua: DE
Mike DeVito: DE
Sione Pouha: DT
Antonio Cromartie: CB
Darrelle Revis: CB
Jim Leonhard: S
David Harris: LB
Nick Folk: K
T.J. Conley: P

AFC South

Houston Texans
Matt Schaub: QB
Arian Foster: RB
Andre Johnson: WR
Owen Daniels: TE
Duane Brown: OT
Eric Winston: OT
Chris Myers: C
Antonio Smith: DE
J.J. Watt: DE
Shaun Cody: DT
Kareem Jackson: CB
Johnathan Joseph: CB
Glover Quin: S
Mario Williams: LB
Brett Hartmann: P
Neil Rackers: K

Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning: QB
Joseph Addai: RB
Reggie Wayne: WR
Dallas Clark: TE
Anthony Castonzo: OT
Jeff Linkenbach: OT
Jeff Saturday: C
Robert Mathis: DE
Dwight Freeney: DE
Fili Moala: DT
Jerraud Powers: CB
Jacob Lacey: CB
Antoine Bethea: S
Gary Brackett: LB
Pat McAfee: P
Adam Vinatieri: K

Jacksonville Jaguars
Blaine Gabbert: QB
Maurice Jones-Drew: RB
Mike Thomas: WR
Marcedes Lewis: TE
Eugene Monroe: OT
Eben Britton: OT
Brad Meester: C
Matt Roth: DE
Aaron Kampman: DE
Terrance Knighton: DT
Derek Cox: CB
Rashean Mathis: CB
Dawan Landry: S
Paul Posluszny: LB
Matt Turk: P
Josh Scobee: K

Tennessee Titans
Matt Hasselbeck: QB
Chris Johnson: RB
Nate Washington: WR
Kenny Britt: WR
Michael Roos: OT
David Stewart: OT
Eugene Amano: C
William Hayes: DE
Dave Ball: DE
Shaun Smith: DT
Jason McCourty: CB
Cortland Finnegan: CB
Michael Griffin: S
Barrett Rudd: LB
Brett Kern: P
Rob Bironas: K

ESPN continues with the roster reveals for the upcoming digital-download of NFL Blitz from EA Sports. With the NFC already complete (North and East, West and South) attention turns to the AFC with the North and West divisions up first. Each team carries seven offensive (QB, RB, 2WR/TE, 3OL) and seven defensive players (3DL, LB, 3DB) along with a kicker and punter.

With some of the roster inclusions being outdated and the limited number of slots there will be some players that are probably worthy of being in the game that ultimately are left out. Guys like Tamba Hali (though Derrick Johnson is a fine choice), Terrell Suggs (with just one LB Ray Lewis makes it), and Von Miller not being in the game shows how valuable having a few extra guys that could have been swapped in when selecting a team would have been.

Lee Evans (four catches this season) being on the Ravens over Torrey Smith is another good example of why a roster update would be desired. To date there has been no confirmation one way or the other on whether there will be any for NFL Blitz.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco: QB
Ray Rice: RB
Lee Evans: WR
Anquan Boldin: WR
Bryant McKinnie: OT
Michael Oher: OT
Matt Birk: C
Cory Redding: DE
Haloti Ngata: DE
Terrence Cody: DT
Lardarious Webb: CB
Chris Carr: CB
Ed Reed: S
Ray Lewis: LB
Billy Cundiff: K
Sam Koch: P

Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton: QB
Cedric Benson: RB
A.J. Green: WR
Jerome Simpson: WR
Andrew Whitworth: OT
Dennis Roland: OT
Kyle Cook: C
Robert Geathers: DE
Michael Johnson: DE
Domata Peko: DT
Nate Clements: CB
Leon Hall: CB
Chris Crocker: S
Rey Maualuga: LB
Mike Nugent: K
Kevin Huber: P

Cleveland Browns
Colt McCoy: QB
Peyton Hillis: RB
Josh Cribbs: WR
Benjamin Watson: TE
Joe Thomas: OT
Tony Pashos: OT
Alex Mack: C
Jayme Mitchell: DE
Jabaal Sheard: DE
Ahtyba Rubin: DT
Sheldon Brown: CB
T.J. Ward: CB
Joe Haden: S
D’Qwell Jackson: LB
Phil Dawson: K
Brad Maynard: P

Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger: QB
Rashard Mendenhall: RB
Mike Wallace: WR
Hines Ward: WR
Willie Colon: OT
Jonathan Scott: OT
Maurkice Pouncey: C
Aaron Smith: DE
Brett Keisel: DE
Casey Hampton: DT
Bryant McFadden: CB
Ike Taylor: CB
Troy Polamalu: S
James Harrison: LB
Shaun Suisham: K
Daniel Sepulveda: P

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow: QB
Knowshon Moreno: RB
Eric Decker: WR
Demariyus Thomas: WR
Ryan Clady: OT
Orlando Franklin: OT
J.D. Walton: C
Robert Ayers: DE
Elvis Dumervil: DE
Brodrick Bunkley: DT
Champ Bailey: CB
Andre Goodman: CB
Brian Dawkins: S
D.J. Williams: LB
Matt Prater: K
Britton Colquitt: P

Kansas City Chiefs
Matt Cassel: QB
Jamaal Charles: RB
Dwayne Bowe: WR
Tony Moeaki: TE
Branden Albert: OT
Barry Richardson: OT
Casey Wiegmann: C
Tyson Jackson: DE
Glenn Dorsey: DE
Kelly Gregg: DT
Brandon Carr: CB
Brandon Flowers: CB
Eric Berry: S
Derrick Johnson: LB
Ryan Succop: K
Dustin Colquitt: P

Oakland Raiders
Carson Palmer: QB
Darren McFadden: RB
Louis Murphy: WR
Jacoby Ford: WR
Jared Veldheer: OT
Khalif Barnes: OT
Samson Satele: C
Lamarr Houston: DE
Matt Shaughnessy: DE
Richard Seymour: DT
Stanford Routt: CB
Tyvon Branch: S
Chris Johnson: CB
Kamerion Wimbley: LB
Shane Lechler: P
Sebastian Janikowski: K

San Diego Chargers
Philip Rivers: QB
Ryan Matthews: RB
Vincent Jackson: WR
Antonio Gates: TE
Marcus McNeill: OT
Jeromey Clary: OT
Nick Hardwick: C
Jaques Cesaire: DE
Antonio Garay: DT
Luis Castillo: DE
Antoine Cason: CB
Quentin Jammer: CB
Eric Weddle: S
Shaun Phillips: LB
Nate Kaeding: K
Mike Scifres: P

The first extended look at NFL Blitz gameplay comes courtesy a complete head-to-head offline first quarter video featuring the Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers. EA Sports’ reboot of Blitz is slated to release as a digital-download on XBLA and PSN January 4th for $15. Continue on to check it out and leave any thoughts in the comments! 

ESPN continues to roll out the rosters for the upcoming EA Sports’ reboot of NFL Blitz set for release on January 4th. The NFC West and South follow the NFC North and East which were detailed late last week. Each team carries seven offensive (QB, RB, 2WR/TE, 3OL) and seven defensive players (3DL, LB, 3DB) along with a kicker and punter.

Again it seems to be that some of the roster inclusions are outdated and the limited number of slots means a few players that are probably worthy of being in the game have been left out. The Saints probably best reflect that issue and the need for at least one roster update (still unknown if there will be any) out of the teams within these two divisions.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Kolb: QB
Beanie Wells: RB
Larry Fitzgerald: WR
Todd Heap: TE
Levi Brown: OT
Brandon Keith: OT
Lyle Sendlein: C
Calais Campbell: DE
Dan Wiliams: DT
Darnell Dockett: DE
A.J. Jefferson: CB
Patrick Peterson: CB
Adrian Wilson: S
Joey Porter: LB
Dave Zastudil: P
Jay Feely: K

San Francisco 49ers
Alex Smith: QB
Frank Gore: RB
Michael Crabtree: WR
Vernon Davis: TE
Joe Staley: OT
Anthony Davis: OT
Jonathan Goodwin: C
Ray McDonald: DE
Justin Smith: DE
Isaac Sopoaga: DT
Shawntae Spencer: CB
Carlos Rogers: CB
Donte Whitner: S
Patrick Willis: LB
David Akers: K
Andy Lee: P

Seattle Seahawks
Tarvaris Jackson: QB
Marshawn Lynch: RB
Sidney Rice: WR
Mike Willliams: WR
Russell Okung: OT
James Carpenter: OT
Max Unger: C
Chris Clemons: DE
Red Bryant: DE
Brandon Mebane: DT
Brandon Browner: CB
Marcus Trufant: CB
Earl Thomas: S
David Hawthorne: LB
Steven Hauschka: K
Jon Ryan: P

St. Louis Rams
Sam Bradford: QB
Steven Jackson: RB
Brandon Lloyd: WR
Danny Amendola: WR
Jason Smith: OT
Rodger Staffold: OT
Jason Brown: C
Chris Long: DE
James Hall: DE
Fred Robbins: DT
Bradley Fletcher: CB
Ronald Bartell: CB
Craig Dahl: S
James Laurinaitis: LB
Donnie Jones: P
Josh Brown: K

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan: QB
Michael Turner: RB
Roddy White: WR
Tony Gonzalez: TE
Sam Baker: OT
Tyson Clabo: OT
Todd McClure: C
Ray Edwards: DE
John Abraham: DE
William Moore: S
Brent Grimes: CB
Dunta Robinson: CB
Corey Peters: DT
Curtis Lofton: LB
Matt Bosher: P
Matt Bryant: K

Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton: QB
DeAngelo Williams: RB
Steve Smith: WR
Jeremy SHockey: TE
Jordan Gross: OT
Jeff Otah: OT
Ryan Kalil: C
Charles Johnson: DE
Greg Hardy: DE
Sione Fua: DT
Captain Munnerlyn: CB
Chris Gamble: CB
Charles Godfrey: S
Jon Beason: LB
Jason Baker: P
Olindo Mare: K

New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees: QB
Pierre Thomas: RB
Lance Moore: WR
Marques Colston: WR
Jermon Bushrad: OT
Zach Strief: OT
Olin Kreutz: C
Sedrick Ellis: DT
Will Smith: DE
Aubrayo Franklin: DT
Roman Harper: S
Jabari Greer: CB
Tracy Porter: CB
Jonathan Vilma: LB
Thomas Morstead: P
John Kasay: K

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Freeman: QB
LeGarrette Blount: RB
Mike Williams: WR
Kellen Winslow: TE
Donald Penn: OT
Jeremy Trueblood: OT
Jeff Faine: C
Michael Bennett: DE
Adrian Clayborn: DE
Gerald McCoy: DT
Aqib Talib: CB
Ronde Barber: CB
Sean Jones: S
Geno Hayes: LB
Michael Koenen: P
Connor Barth: K