Blitz: The League

VGcore (9.3 out of 10) (93%)

On either system, though, Blitz: The League is a must-own for any football fan, and anyone who has been feeling nostalgic about the olden days of playing NFL Blitz at the arcade with your buddies.

Thunderbolt Games (9 out of 10) (90%)

Blitz: The League is a great football game. It’s a lot of fun to play even if you ignore all the hard hits because the actual football gameplay is solid. Of course, the hard hitting, cursing, and style elevate the game to the next level. While I’m sure true football fans aren’t going to love it (better stick with EA), casual fans and players searching for a true, arcade-style sports game are really going to dig this one. Don’t let the lack of an NFL license fool you: Blitz: The League is a true player.

Kombo.com (8.7 out of 10) (87%)

It has been a couple of years since a decent Blitz game has been released. Midway has taken the old formula and changed it all around however with their latest installment Blitz: The League. They are successful in most aspects and the result is a very solid, hard-hitting football game. Overall I had a great time with Blitz: The League. It is a great arcade game, and is definitely better if you have someone to play with. If you have Xbox Live then you are set. There a couple of negatives to the title but there are more positives to be found here overall.

TalkXbox (86 out of 100) (86%)

If you are looking for some visceral, inherently fun, and utterly over the top football action, you’ve come to the right place. While there are some polish issues, and a lack of four player support in multiplayer, Blitz is well worth your money if the other football offerings just aren’t cutting it for you. Give this title a shot, and get in on the ground floor of the revitalization of an age-old series.

GameSpot (8.6 out of 10) (86%)

All told, this is the best that Blitz has been in years. The League reintroduces that classic style of arcade football with an edge that feels wholly appropriate, rather than forced simply for the sake of being edgy. The game also clearly doesn't take itself too seriously, which only adds to the entertainment value. The lack of an NFL license has let Midway effectively go crazy, and by doing so, it's made Blitz relevant again. Whether you're a staunch pigskin purist or arcade all the way, you really owe it to yourself to give Blitz: The League a look. It's easily the best football you'll play all year.

Digital Press - Classic Video Games (8.5 out of 10) (85%)

Blitz: The League is not the Madden alternative, and once the novelty of it all wears off, it's not the classic Blitz either. It's a fun rental with a few hours worth of enjoyment until the shock factor is unveiled to be an immature patience test. Any longer and you'll realize this needs a few more years before it's a full product.

Game Over Online (84 out of 100) (84%)

If you’re a vet of football games or the Blitz series, you’re in for a pleasant surprise with Blitz: The League. The injury system provides an added adrenaline kick to gameplay, and the campaign mode, while not fully as explored as it could be, is more than enjoyable for most players. If you’re looking for a good alternative to the standard sim fare, tackle Blitz: The League. Literally beating the hell out of opponents on the football field never felt so good.

Game Chronicles (8.3 out of 10) (83%)

When it comes to football Midway has always had a unique, if not irreverent approach to the sport. Their legacy of Blitz titles has gone down in history as some of the most fun and brutal variations of football you could ever hope to play. And even when they decided to get serious with NFL Blitz Pro back in 2003 they struck gold by giving gamers the choice of playing real football or tweaking those arcade rules back to their violent origins.

GameSpy ( ) (80%)

When EA picked up the exclusive licensing rights to the NFL, gamers around the world let out a collective gasp as they realized this meant the death of some of their favorite football franchises. However, while fans were in mourning, Midway was hard at work revamping, retooling, and reinventing its hit Blitz franchise. The result is a game with new teams, no rules, and a unique look at the dark side of the gridiron that's definitely not for the kiddies. For football fans burnt out on the "Madden Experience," this could be exactly the change of pace they've been looking for.

Cheat Code Central (4 out of 5) (80%)

I sure applaud any game that doesn't take itself too seriously, especially a sports game. I find it ironic that what is essentially a game itself, is taken so seriously by players and fans alike. At least Blitz puts some fun back in the sport, however temporarily. Recommended for a rental.

Daily Game (8 out of 10) (80%)

As a package, Blitz: The League is a fun and refreshing change from the more hardcore football titles out there. While missing NFL branding may mean you won't see your favorite players on the field, you really won't miss them. It's just good old-fashioned skull-bashing fun that anyone can pick up and play, and get a kick out of.

Game Informer Magazine (7.75 out of 10) (78%)

The gameplay needs some tuning, but if you've got a mind to crush some skulls on and off the field, than I think you're gonna be pretty happy with this title.

Netjak (7.4 out of 10) (74%)

Most sports gamers now know the story of Electronic Arts’ sole possession of the NFL video gaming license. They know how other studios and producers were forced to discontinue their NFL game franchises, even when they were wildly popular. They know that EA’s NFL game franchise, the Madden series, has undergone a thoroughly tiresome mediocritization with every passive year.

IGN (7.2 out of 10) (72%)

Break bones, pump steroids, throw your helmet, moon the crowd, and celebrate by sending some hookers to your opponent's hotel room to make sure they are too tired to play the next game.

Yahoo! Games ( ) (70%)

Visually, Blitz isn't terribly pretty -- but in a symbolic sense, it probably shouldn't be, and only the queeniest graphics-groupies will factor the overall visuals into much of anything. And let's be clear; this is not "good football" by any stretch of the imagination. Blitz: The League is functional, fun, *!#$ed-up fantasy football with enough humor, style, and faux "edge" to keep even the least gridiron-minded among us entertained with its raunchy excess.

Next Level, The (USA) ( ) (60%)

EA thought this season was going to be a cakewalk. The NFL thought it wouldn't have anymore of its image issues presented in playable form. Midway made sure they thought wrong - and did so to the delight of arcade-style football fans everywhere. Granted, this game is no Madden NFL...but Blitz: The League for PS2 wasn't trying to be in the first place. The obligatory AI issues bring the gameplay down a notch, and the presentation could've used a little more interactivity, but for a first effort without the NFL license, Midway's got a fine effort here. If Midway can fix the flaws in the AI and expand the things you can do outside of the football games, they may have themselves a football game to remember the next time out.

Diehard GameFan (4.1 out of 10) (41%)

This game could be A LOT of fun, IF you liked the sort of play. I prefer playing REAL football. I did NOT like 30 yards per first down. It makes running plays worthless, because I could never get 10 yards on a running play (though the computer ran over my ass all the time). So it COULD be addictive, but it certainly wasn’t to me.