It was a more simple time: with rough polygonal textures, wildly inaccurate rag-doll physics, and character proportions akin to synthol-laden avatars of Bo Jackson, Midway's 1997 release of NFL Blitz was, and is, a ridiculous exaggeration of what the sport of American Football is really like. For that, I absolutely loved it.
This was one of the very first video games I played on the N64, and to this day, the cover art brings back fond memories of throwing Hail Mary after Hail Mary and quickly toggling through all my defenders to bodyslam and dogpile my brother's character after every and every play. He did the same to me of course.
While unrealistic and simple in comparison to more recent football franchises, such and Madden, it was the over-the-top exaggeration in all aspects of the game, from the artwork, to the character vocalizations, to the unrealistic physics that made it feel less restricted and exciting to replay again and again.
This piece is a recreation of the cover art for the game. I hope you enjoy!
P.S. I always found it funny that the most detailed digital art done for this game was for the cheerleaders that would pop up on the loading screens haha. I wonder what the artists were dedicating the lion's share of their time to?
NFL Blitz, Midway, 1997:
Source: https://nflcardinalsschedule.blogspot.com/2020/07/nfl-blitz-cheerleader.html
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