NFL Blitz is back with a new arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up.
A collection of remasters of the original NFL arcade games, the new NFL Blitz Legends collection brings these football classics into the home in a retro-styled arcade cabinet based on the original 1997 game.
NFL Blitz Legends includes NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ’99, and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition, all in one five-foot-tall cabinet, allowing you to blitz through the classic sports titles the way you remember.
Arcade1Up has partnered with the NFL and FGA to ensure hundreds of games’ players are included in these titles, including Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), Deion Sanders (Denver Broncos), Cris Carter (Minnesota Vikings ), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos).
Originally developed by Midway Games, NFL Blitz became an arcade staple in the late ’90s. Now, Arcade1Up has remastered three of the most popular titles in the series, adding new features to bring these classic games online for the first time.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring NFL Blitz Legends to fans who have been waiting years for the return of this iconic game,” said Scott Bachrach, CEO, Arcade1Up. “Our team spent the better part of the last two years making sure we both honored the games’ past while bringing it up to today’s modern standards with AAA development efforts in partnership with the NFL and FGA, and I think we’ve achieved that in an unbelievable feat of fun, exciting, action-packed gameplay while reengineering the original game.”
One interesting change is that the remasters are designed to support the NFL’s current Player Health & Safety initiatives, certain tackles and after-the-whistle hits have been removed or edited from the new versions of the games.
NFL Blitz Legends allows you to compete with other players online for the first time, adding online multiplayer and leaderboards. However, the games themselves stay true to the originals – bringing all the highlights of American football into an easy-to-understand package.
The cabinet features a classic style based on the original NFL Blitz cabinet, including artwork that depicts classic team logos and uniforms. In addition to wi-fi connectivity, the cabinet includes a 17-inch display, light-up marquee, and 49-way joystick.
NBA Blitz Legends is available to pre-order now for $599.99 with machines due to hit this fall. Additionally, you can order branded bar stools for every NFL team for an extra $79.99.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.