Pros: Great graphics, great plays, awesome control over the players, fun multi player and single player
Cons: Lousy customer support (first edition games for Dreamcast were faulty)

NFL Blitz 2000 is the hormonal equivalent to an 8 keg, 50-person birthday bash, complete with build your own burrito bar and all the Krispy Kreme doughnuts you can stuff down your throat. In other words, NFL Blitz 2000 is a great time waiting to happen.

The most important criteria for any sport video game is the ability of the player's skill to come right through the control pad. If I practice and reach a certain level of competence, than I should be able to thrash a person new to the game. NFL Blitz 2000 fits this pattern, and fits it well.

The player controls are excellent, allowing turbo dashes, spins, straight arms and leaps, anything and everything you need to avoid and bewilder your opponent. The game doesn't do any of this for you however, you need skills to compete, and that is how it should be. And the game punishes you for being overzealous, no more spinning all the way down the field like in old football games of the past. If you get too fancy, and the opposing team takes you down, you may commit so many turnovers your own teammates will beat your ass in the locker room after the game.

NFL Blitz 2000 offers all the current NFL teams, and many customized playbooks, including the ability to create and save all your own plays. You can pick between Arcade mode, Tournament mode and Season Mode, depending on what sort of competition you feel like taking on. Detailed stats after every game give you plenty of ammo to ridicule your less talented friends, and the addition of a memory pack to your controller will let you save your progress as you march to the championship game.

This game is an excellent multi player game as well. You can play on the same team, run blocks for each other, customize plays, do some backfield laterals, it's all good. And the single player game is one of the best around, offering very intelligent computer teams to challenge any skills you think you might have. Again, the main key to NFL Blitz 2000 being the amazing degree of control you have over your computer players. Try running back a kickoff without some sweet moves and you will find yourself on your back faster than you can say "someone call a doctor."

The included game manual is detailed and thorough, everything you want to learn will be right in those tiny pages. In addition, some secret codes are available at your favorite Internet cheat site, but I won't spoil the fun of finding those out for yourself.

All in all, NFL Blitz 2000 is an excellent game for one, two or more players. If you love hitting after the whistle as much as me and my buddies do, then this is one game you want for the collection. Excellent player control, great playbooks, awesome graphics and just plain fun around every corner will be in store when you boot up NFL Blitz 2000.