NFL BLITZ IS BACK
ARCADE1UP REMASTERS THE ICONIC FRANCHISE WITH
THE FIRST AND ONLY AT-HOME NFL ARCADE EXPERIENCE
NFL Blitz Legends Pre-Orders Begin Today;
Game Arrives this NFL Season, Exclusively on Arcade1Up’s Home Arcade Machine
ARCADE1UP REMASTERS THE ICONIC FRANCHISE WITH AT-HOME NFL ARCADE EXPERIENCE
Arcade1Up, the leader in at-home retro gaming entertainment, today announced NFL Blitz Legends,remastered versions of the legendary games that captured the attention of millions of fans during their heyday in the 90’s. Returning after 25 years, the iconic NFL Blitz franchise aims to score big with today’s NFL fans and gamers, while also invoking a sense of nostalgia. In a first for the NFL Blitz franchise, Arcade1Up has created a unique arcade machine for the home featuring three of the most popular titles – NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ‘99 and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition. NFL Blitz Legends is available for pre-order on Arcade1Up.com, BestBuy.com andWalmart.com beginning today and will be available at retail stores this upcoming NFL season.
“We could not 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.”
To bring an authentic NFL Blitz Legends experience into the homes of football fans and gamers alike, Arcade1Up partnered with the National Football League (NFL) and the IMG-managed Football Greats Alliance (FGA) to ensure that hundreds of the game’s legends are featured including Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), Deion Sanders (Denver Broncos), Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers), Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos) and Cris Carter (Minnesota Vikings).
NFL Blitz Legends gets straight to the fun with easy-to-understand gameplay that highlights the best parts of the game including Hail Mary’s, interceptions, game-changing tackles, and touchdowns. To support the NFL’s current Player Health & Safety initiatives, a specific set of tackles and after-the-whistle hits were removed or edited in the remastered versions of NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ‘99 and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition while maintaining the level of excitement in the original games. And, for the first time in the Blitz franchise, players can play on a home arcade machine and compete online with Wi-Fi multiplayer and leaderboards.
“I’ve always thought Blitz was one of the best games made and the fans loved it too,” said Jerry Rice, NFL Legend. “I like how Arcade1Up took the time to reflect today’s NFL game while celebrating the game’s greatest legends and uniforms from back in the day. Every play is still a game-changing play and I love that. I can easily see this becoming a favorite pastime.”
“This has been an amazing partnership and team effort between the NFL, Arcade1Up and the FGA across development, strategy and activation,” said Brett Weiss, Associate Vice President of Licensing at IMG and its FGA business, which manages the collective licensing, sponsorship & marketing rights of retired NFL players. “NFL Blitz remains one of the most iconic video games of all time and was a staple in arcades and homes in the 90’s. We could not be more excited to revive it this fall and introduce it to a new generation.”
Built to resemble the iconic NFL Blitz found at retro arcades, NFL Blitz Legends is a five-foot-tall arcade machine featuring NFL legends on the sides of the cabinet. The artwork and gameplay also feature retro team logos and uniforms, adding to the authenticity of the gaming experience. In addition to Wi-Fi multiplayer and leaderboards, the arcade machine has a 49-way joystick and 17-inch screen with a light-up marquee, and branded riser.
NFL Blitz Legends is the third iconic retro sports title that Arcade1Up has released this year along with NBA JAM: SHAQ EDITION and Golden Tee 3D making it the leading player in at-home retro sports arcade machines. The company’s other sports titles include Ridge Racer™, Outrun™, Big Buck Hunter® and Pong®.
Pre-orders for NFL Blitz Legends begin today on Arcade1Up.com, BestBuy.com and Walmart.com and the machine will be available this fall – just in time for at-home football gatherings – for $599.99. Branded stools representing every team in the NFL today are available for$79.99. The first 1,000 consumers to pre-order the machine from Arcade1Up.com will receive a limited-edition NFL Blitz Legends hat as a gift with the purchase.
