Every year a new Madden NFL game releases, and every year, it seems fans criticize the new Madden entry for being the exact same as the year before. There are always minor tweaks, but nothing that fundamentally improves and/or changes the game. This is perhaps largely due to the yearly release cadence the franchise is on, but thanks to things like EA Sport's upcoming college football game, the future of the sport in gaming looks promising. The past, though, is equally strong, with Arcade games like NFL Blitz making a comeback thanks to companies like Arcade1Up.
Officially licensed by the NFL, Arcade1Up's NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Game Machine is a must-buy for NFL fans, for arcade fans, and especially for fans of both. At its core, it's a solid decorative piece that focuses on style, while not detracting from the gameplay experience all the same. It boasts modern features that walk the line between being useful and/or underutilized, while pushing nostalgia to the forefront.
Right out of the box, the NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Game Machine is easy to set up and get playing. It's basically a series of supported panels holding a 17-inch TV screen, but once it's constructed, no one could tell it apart from the arcade machines of old. It comes with a strong base for support, a clear deck protector, and an anti-tip strap, since this piece of hardware clocks in at 92 pounds. It is largely light, but because of its size and weight, it's important to have it up safely for any kids who may be excitedly smashing away at the joystick panel. It should be noted that the 4-player panel gives plenty of room to play, though given the nature of these games, it becomes uncomfortable if more than a single adult and a child try to take their place at the arcade machine. It certainly looks impressive, but practically, it requires some "squishing" for any sized group of average-sized adults.
Players are able to play NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz '99, and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition together though, and it's a lot of fun any day of the week. The graphics are improved over the arcade days, but are decidedly arcade graphics. Each throw feels well done, each advancing player creates a sense of pressure, and every tackle has a raw crunch to it that is satisfying. Indeed, NFL Blitz is by no means the most realistic football game on the market, sometimes resulting in players diving more yards than humanly possible or being tackled into midair, but there's a satisfying feeling to each and every one of these interactions.
Arcade1Up's 49-way Joystick ensures that players have complete control over their players, with passes simply working by moving toward the intended target and making sure they are highlighted before chunking the ball. Depending on their position, players are also able to use a pass/change player button, a jump/tackle button, and a turbo button (for a boost of speed). Combining the turbo buttons with these other two changes what happens slightly, but add a strong arcade feeling to its usage.
And while getting into a game and figuring out these buttons is pretty straightforward and simple, navigating the arcade machine otherwise is not so simple. The NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Game Machine offers multiplayer over Wi-Fi, but as one may guess, navigating an on-screen keyboard and entering a password with a joystick panel isn't necessarily easy. And it doesn't give much in return, as the online multiplayer did not want to connect most of the time. This is likely how niche this is and its role as a collector's item more so than a daily game to play, making it a solid if underutilized advancement for the machine.
Indeed, at the end of the day, the NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Game Machine is a collector's item. It works more so as a conversation starter than something even fans of Arcade Machines will want to spend their every day on. However, even though it pushes style and its role as a collectible to the forefront, it's a lot of fun to dive into NFL Blitz and enjoy a classic football experience.
The NFL Blitz Arcade Machine is available on Arcade1Up's website for $599.99. Game Rant was provided a unit for the purposes of this review.