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The Plot:
 
Even some of the flawed football video game offerings, such as "NFL Fever 2003", still offer players enough depth and fast-paced action to be involving and often exciting. The best games, such as "Madden 2003", even offer imaginative features such as the ability to create a scenario (fourth quarter, down by 7 with a minute to go on the 20 yd. line).
...And then there's "NFL Blitz". One of the few purely arcade-style football offerings left out there, "Blitz"'s aggressive, in-your-face style is amusing at first, as are the tackles (which reminded me of something out of "Jurassic Park") that send other players flying into the sidelines.
However, while "Blitz" fills in as ridiculous action quite nicely, there's not enough to keep players hooked after a few games. All of the usual modes (Quickplay, Exhibition, Season, Tournament and even create-a-player) are available and there are a few little variables to allow players to customize gameplay somewhat. Playbooks, which are deep and well-presented in other football games, are rather basic here, with seemingly the least amount of options out of any of the new football releases that I've played.
There are some other oddities about "Blitz": it takes 30 yards to get a first down, requiring the game to be heavily pass-oriented. While this can lead to some exciting, long-yardage plays, any time the defense bursts across the line and heads towards your quarterback, there's big trouble - any major losses turn the set into a lost cause. The short games make gameplay almost a little too fast, focusing on quick action and big plays instead of strategy.
Still, "Blitz" probably functions better as a multi-player game where a few friends (and a few drinks) are gathered around than the single-player version.
Rating: 7.5/10
The DVD
Graphics: While "Blitz"'s graphics do not compare with some of its competitors, the XBOX version's presentation was still excellent. Player models were crisply rendered and the characters appeared convincingly realistic. All of the animations - including several amusing and very over-the-top tackles, are also smooth. Background details were also above-average, as the stadiums looked detailed and other aspects looked top-notch. Celebrations, replay and other animations were also solid. Maybe not the top of its class, but still strong effort.
Rating: 8.3/10
Sound: Blitz's soundtrack mainly seemed to be satisfied to concentrate on the sound effects, which are about as silly and over-the-top as the game is. Amusing little bits of dialogue, crying, taunts and other audio clearly sets the mood and provides some decent laughs. The commentators are also fun; although their chat isn't nearly as funny as the narration of Midway's extreme baseball offering "Slugfest", there are some funny one-liners and even one or two decently informative comments about the game.
Rating: 8.1/10
Gameplay: All of the aspects of control - whether passing or defense, took a little while to get used to on "Blitz" and aren't quite as responsive or well thought-out as "Madden"'s or "NFL Fever"'s. Also, the playbooks were also not terribly well-organized or entirely easy-to-read.
Rating: 7.5/10
Rating Issues: Even though "Blitz" has some brtual football action at times, it still gets an "E" (Everyone) rating.
Final Thoughts: While "NCAA Football 2003" or "Madden 2003" would make fine additions to any collection, "NFL Blitz 2003" would likely be best as a rental. While the hard-hitting action was entertaining for a while, the game doesn't have enough realism or depth to keep from getting old.
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