Gameplay: 5
Graphics: 6
Sound: 6.5
Replay: 7.5
Multiplayer: Yes, Offline and Online (PS2)

The NFL Blitz series has awed a lot of people since it was first released in the arcades and on the N64. The game was just amazing. It was sports like no one had ever seen before. No rules. No refs. Anything goes. Mix that attitude with good graphics, awesome tackles, and fast paced, fun multiplayer gaming and you got yourself a good game. Keep improving on those aspects and you have yourself a great series of games. Midway has really capitalized on the extreme sports and spread to other sports including baseball, hockey, soccer, and rumored that maybe even basketball. For some reason Midway got the idea people wanted a change in the series and decided to make the "Pro" series of games. But was this change for the better of the series?

Hell. No. Hell no. This change was the worst thing that could have happened to the Blitz series. What used to be a fun, fast paced game has now turned into the conservative pansy version. The game not only plays pathetic though, it looks as if it should have been released on the Sega Genesis. Everything about this game falls short of what the game used to be. I just hoped Midway fixes it's mistake and this doesn't turn into what happened with the James Bond series of games when EA took the license from Rare.

As mentioned above, the gameplay just sucks. There is no other word for it. It sucks. The game used to be very fast paced, the camera was close in, close to the action and the fun, the hits were huge, the game played smoothly. All of that just got thrown out the window. The game feels like NFL Fever for the Xbox. It's like it can't decide whether it is an arcade extreme sports game or a simulation. Parts of the game play pretty fast but most of it has been seriously slowed down. The biggest change however, and the worst one, is that now it is 11 on 11. The field had been largened and widened, bad choice, to allow more players. It is stupid. The game was perfect how it was and it didn't need to be changed.

A new addition to the series is there are now running plays. Be advised, however, they don't work very well. You don't break too many tackles and the defense is too fast and too good for a run to get any good yardage. Scrambling with the quarterback still works pretty well, however. The passing is all off in this game too. There are just too many players on the field now and it feels clunky and crammed. However, the change in plays isn't the biggest disappointment, the hitting is.

Let me point out one thing, one BIG thing, there are no late hits!! NONE!! Are you kidding me?! That is what made Blitz awesome! You could drive the guy deeper into the ground after the play was over! Getting frustrated? Just do an elbow drop onto a guy on the ground and make him squirm in pain. It was freakin' amazing! And they took it out! I was furious when I tried it over and over and just dove right over the guy laying on the ground. Pathetic. Also, the hits have been toned down! Since the gameplay is slower, the hits are also slower and much less impressive and it feels as if there are less animations. Big disappointment.

The graphics are horrible. That is all that needs to be said. The graphics blow. They look pathetic. The characters are horribly modeled. The field looks bland and plain. The camera is way too far out and now you can't feel close to the game and close to the big hits anymore. That's it. I have to stop before I flame too much. The graphics suck, through and through. Got the picture? Good.

The sound is decent, but not nearly as good as the predecessors, primarily because it doesn't fit the game anymore. There is still some trash talking (not as much though, and not nearly as colorful), but the trash talking doesn't fit the game. They are taunting each other but the hits are so pathetic they have nothing to brag about. Also, the announcer is pointless. He says the stupidest things and acts as if something big happened when the game is moving so slow it is impossible to notice anyway.

The replay is the only slightly redeeming factor, and that's only if you actually enjoy this game. If you for some reason you find it fun then you will enjoy pounding it out (ha ha, almost impossible for how slow it is) with your friends. There is a lot to unlock so that will keep you busy. The PS2 version is definately the best because it is the only one that features online play which is pretty decent. But really, it doesn't offset the downsides.

So rent the game, see if you like it more than I did. If you did, great. If not, I warned you. Just don't go blowing your money on this before renting it first.