Posted: October 18 2005 at 10:17am | IP Logged

Gamespot and TeamXbox have posted their reviews of Blitz: The League. So far, the early buzz is that it's a pretty good game if you're not expecting a true simulation of the sport.

From: Gamespot

What makes a football game fun? Is it the NFL license and careful attention to the details of said license? Is it realistic rules, pacing, and gameplay? Is it a deep franchise mode and 32 teams full of players you know and recognize? If Midway's latest entry in the Blitz franchise, Blitz: The League, is any indication, the answer is an emphatic no. Evidently, all you need is a way to scratch that primal, animalistic itch to slam some pretty-boy quarterback's face in to the turf, breaking his spine in the process and leaving behind little more than a wake of devastation and offensive drives that never were. In Blitz: The League, Midway has bid farewell to the NFL by creating its own brand of football with completely original teams and rosters. But at its core, The League returns to the familiar brand of arcade football that Blitz all but abandoned just a couple of short years ago. This is Blitz at its best, adding an even meaner, uglier spirit to the game that will have anyone with a strong stomach and a thirst for brutality jumping out of his or her seat in elation with every murderous tackle landed. Ladies and gentlemen, Blitz is back.

Full Review

From: TeamXbox

Who says you need NFL and NFLPA licensing to create a successful football gaming franchise? As a matter of fat, the gamers have pretty much demanded league backing in their pigskin titles, even the earlier days. I’m not talking Atari Football - where the characters looked more like aliens - but even Tecmo’s stellar Super Tecmo Bowl featured real NFL teams and many of the league’s brightest stars.

The arcade version of the Blitz series has also relied on official licensing to add a unique edge to its outlandish style of football. The console version of Blitz received the same NFL touch, but said touch has since gone away with a corporate deal between the league and Electronic Arts. Not to be discouraged with the huge corporate deal, Midway has forged ahead- sans NFL licensing - to create Blitz: The League: an alternative look at the standard gridiron title. Let’s see how this old dog gets by with some new tricks…

Full Review