NFL Blitz 2000
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
It's high-flying fun, and on the Dreamcast, Blitz 2000 shines. But what would make us say that the PlayStation version is still better?
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Blitz and Pieces of Fun
If you don't know Blitz by now, you will never ever ever know Blitz, um huh. Basically, you take all 28 teams in the NFL, pair them up against each other in a do or die contest of brute strength, and try your hardest to stay out of the emergency room. You have to complete thirty yards for a first down, there are no penalties, and your players will smash, break, and brutalize the opposition in any way they can.
Helping out the game's replay value are some excellent codes (that will do everything from allowing late hits to letting you play as Raiden from Mortal Kombat), and a couple of key new features that were just introduced this year., incluing These include an excellent Play Editor, icon-based Blitz passing, and offensive and defensive audibles. But don't let the added options give you the wrong impression - there is nothing close to simulation football happening in this cart. To prove that point, there's also an On Fire mode (when you sack the quarterback twice or complete three passes in a row to the same receiver) that gives you unlimited turbo and strength during hotly contested games.
One Win, One Loss, One Tie
B2K's graphics on the Dreamcast are unparalleled for the series, rivaling even those in the arcade. There's the same helmet-popping, hardcore bone-crunching animations, the same clean fields and stadiums, and even the same superior detail in the players themselves. Graphically, B2K can't be touched by the PlayStation or Nintendo 64.
But the graphics are seriously offset by the quirkiest controls of all three systems. Using the analog stick on the Dreamcast controller guarantees that you'll miss receivers, throw into coverage, and run in the wrong directions. Switching to the directional pad helps, but you'll still find a hindrance or two in the loose controls. As for the sound, it's remains the same for almost the entire series. Lots of smash-mouth trash-talking, an announcer who repeats the same signature phrases every five plays or so, and one of the most annoying referee whistles ever heard. But it all comes together nicely, along with some great bone-cracking and soft-tissue-destroying thuds and thumps.
Son of the Blitz
Blitz 2000 for the Dreamcast is a great upgrade of the original game, and a must have if the only system you plan on owning is a Dreamcast. But for real football fun, there's no competing with NFL 2K. Blitz 2000 doesn't want that competition - just a chance to hurt someone badly.
