NFL Blitz

No, NFL Blitz isn't PRECISELY the same as its old counterpart, because, yep, we do miss the late hits. But it's as good as arcade football gets, a must-have Xbox Live game that easily overshadows Madden NFL Arcade as our favorite go-to sports game. It really goes well with NBA Jam: On Fire Edition.

It's a digestible version of football that even the biggest sports cynic can enjoy. And, in the unlikely event you don't have a good time, the typical game only lasts around 15 minutes, so your stint in hell is at least guaranteed to be brief.

For the price at hand, this is a must have for Blitz fans and football fans alike. The sheer enjoyment is only hindered by a lack of customization options and, of course, the removal of some of the more violent content.

The lack of late hits and the inability to change the length of games don't take away from the fact NFL Blitz is a whole lot of fun. Compounded by the fantastic announcers and ongoing unlocks, NFL Blitz is a great sports experience folded into a downloadable package.

This new NFL Blitz does what the series has always done best... make football intense and cram it down to under 10 minutes a game.

Sure the game has its hiccups like the aforementioned lack of running game, no roster updates, and no adjustment to the quarter lengths, but the game's roster could be 10 years old and the game would still be fun as heck to play. If you want realism, stick to Madden, but if you want pure and out adrenaline, then download NFL Blitz on XBLA or PSN as it may be simple, but it still is extremely fun to play. Now only if EA would bring back Mutant League Football and Road Rash, the circle of great redo's would be complete.

NFL Blitz's online co-op offerings are similarly robust. You can simply jump into a co-op game with up to three different friends, including a guest on the couch with you.

Even with the omission of late hits, NFL Blitz is an old-school arcade experience that hasn't lost the fun factor it had a decade-and-a-half ago. As a casual football fan who hasn't seen more than three regular season NFL games this year, it still managed to win me over with its fast-paced action. Blitz's gameplay will seem unmistakably familiar to fans of the original, but it's still a great title to have in your library to pull out for the occasional game.

It's good to be back with an old friend, even if he's not quite as wild and crazy as he was back in the day.

With NFL Blitz 2012 you're going to get almost exactly what you expect…minus the price tag. There are more modes than anticipated, but the gameplay never strays from the formula. Save for updated rosters and teams, there's not much point in replacing your legacy copy of the game, but for newcomers it's an impressively fun package for a small price.

We're not quite ready to hail it as an MVP between the pylons, but NFL Blitz is a fine $15 reboot. Nevertheless, our fingers remain crossed for a bolder On Fire Edition (à la NBA Jam) next season.