In the arcades, NFL Blitz received a lot of attention. It's one of the most addictive arcade games to come around in a long time. Now, it has come home to two consoles: the Nintendo 64 and the Sony PlayStation. Both of which aren't perfect arcade translations, but that's to be expected. All that really matters is that the fun of NFL mayhem was ported over from the arcade successfully. Both do not disappoint in this department.

For those of you who have just come out of a long cryogenic sleep, I'll give you the rundown on what NFL Blitz is all about. It's a football game (obviously) that takes the NBA Jam concept of extreme sports and applies it to the NFL. There are only seven players on a team, first downs are made by gaining 30 yards instead of 10, and unnecessary roughness is extremely encouraged! There are no penalties in the game, no matter how hard you try to break the rules. The game won't allow you to go offsides, you can nail receivers before they get to touch the ball, and leg dropping an opponent after a play is dead is almost mandatory. NFL Blitz is as arcade as you're going to get. If you're looking for a simulation, DO NOT get this game.

The graphics on both the N64 and the PlayStation version of Blitz are fast paced. They both seem to be a little slower than their arcade parent, however. Neither game has the high-res graphics of the arcade, but the N64 version isn't too far off. It seems to be running in a medium resolution mode. The PSX, unfortunately, seems to be running in a special lowest-res mode. Everything seems kinda foggy because of the low resolution. Some of the weather effects, like snow, look stupid on the PSX. The N64 isn't all peaches and cream either, in that regard. When it's "raining," it looks like fog. When it's "snowing," it looks like fog. The N64 version runs smooth as silk except for some slowdown that occurs after some plays are over. The PlayStation version is free from slowdown, but there's nothing really nice to look at, other than the cool rain effects.

On the sound side, I expected the PlayStation to come out on top. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The sound on the PSX version is a major disappointment. First of all, in the options menu for the N64, you can adjust the volume for everything. I like to have the music down a little, and crank up the hilarious announcer. On the PSX, you can't do that! The announcer and music are the same option. On the N64 side, the in-game sounds are very well done. Music plays in the background during gameplay (except when it shuts off, due to a glitch) and the sounds are crisp and loud. The announcer has a lot to say and all of it sounds nice, although some of the arcade comments are missing. On the PSX, however, the sounds are pretty bad. Sure, the announcer says more than the N64 version, but the quality is so poor, you wish he wouldn't say anything at all. The sounds of collisions on the PlayStation are also very poor. When multiple players clash together, the sound gets very crackly and distorted. It sounds pretty bad. Sometimes sounds are cut out all together. When the QB gets up and says something in the PSX version, sometimes nothing comes out of his mouth and all you see him do is flail his arms. Overall, the N64 sounds surprisingly good, while the PSX falls flat on its face.

But alas, graphics and sound mean nothing if the play-control is bad. Thankfully, both versions are easy to get into and both play well. There's about a 2 minute learning curve and once you figure out the three buttons you're on your way. As I said, they both play great but the PSX is just a hair better due to the lack of slowdown. On the feedback end, however, the N64 kills the PlayStation. The rumble pack is used wonderfully in the N64 version, while the PSX dual shock just gives tiny little jostles every once in a while. Sometimes you don't even notice it. Sometimes the N64's rumble pack will vibrate even when it's not supposed to, such as when you're picking your plays. Other than that, it's great.

One bonus feature on the N64 version is the create-a-play function. This increases the game's replay value. You can use your memory card to make nine more offensive plays. As if this weren't cool enough, you can then take your new plays to the arcade and plug them into the new Blitz '99 machine! This is something else that will help replay value immensely. The only thing the PSX version has that the N64 doesn't is a tournament mode and FMV - neither of which hold a candle to making your own plays.

So in the end, neither version is perfect, but they do bring the fun of the arcade game home. If you own one system or the other and you really liked NFL Blitz in the arcade, then get it. If you own both an N64 and PSX, then don't be a cheapskate -- get the N64 version. It's worth the extra money. There are problems with the PlayStation version that aren't present in the N64 version. But, if you don't have a Nintendo 64, the PlayStation version isn't too bad.

I said it before and I'll say it again: If you are looking for a sim, you're looking the wrong place!