<s>
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
American	B-Application
football	I-Application
themed	O
video	O
games	O
originally	O
released	O
by	O
Midway	O
featuring	O
National	O
Football	O
League	O
(	O
NFL	O
)	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
began	O
as	O
a	O
1997	B-Application
arcade	O
game	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
that	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
home	O
consoles	O
and	O
spawned	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
sequels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
being	O
designed	O
as	O
a	O
realistic	O
interpretation	O
of	O
the	O
sport	O
of	O
football	O
,	O
like	O
Madden	O
NFL	O
or	O
NFL	O
2K	O
,	O
the	O
Blitz	O
series	O
was	O
created	O
as	O
an	O
over-the-top	O
,	O
exaggerated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
sport	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
Midway	O
's	O
own	O
NBA	B-Application
Jam	I-Application
basketball	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	B-Application
,	O
after	O
losing	O
the	O
NFL	O
license	O
,	O
Midway	O
relaunched	O
the	O
Blitz	O
series	O
as	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
,	O
depicting	O
fictional	O
players	O
and	O
teams	O
in	O
a	O
fictional	O
league	O
with	O
slightly	O
more	O
realistic	O
(	O
though	O
still	O
exaggerated	O
)	O
on-field	O
play	O
and	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
seedy	O
behind-the-scenes	O
lives	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
dissolution	O
of	O
Midway	O
,	O
EA	O
Sports	O
acquired	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
Blitz	O
name	O
and	O
relaunched	O
the	O
series	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
with	O
a	O
new	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
simply	O
titled	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Blitz	O
titles	O
largely	O
follow	O
standard	O
American	B-Application
football	I-Application
rules	O
as	O
outlined	O
by	O
the	O
NFL	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
key	O
differences	O
to	O
encourage	O
faster	O
and	O
more	O
aggressive	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2002	B-Application
saw	O
an	O
increase	O
to	O
eight	O
players	O
and	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
Pro	I-Application
(	O
released	O
in	O
2003	B-Application
)	O
increased	O
to	O
the	O
full	O
eleven	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Plays	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Da	O
Bomb	O
"	O
allowed	O
for	O
a	O
quarterback	B-Application
to	O
accurately	O
throw	O
the	O
ball	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
length	O
of	O
the	O
field	O
at	O
will	O
and	O
receivers	O
could	O
make	O
impossible	O
catches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Raiden	O
and	O
Shinnok	O
,	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
series	O
,	O
a	O
series	O
also	O
developed	O
by	O
Midway	O
,	O
were	O
unlockable	O
characters	O
in	O
some	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
in	O
1997	B-Application
,	O
Midway	O
released	O
a	O
new	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
each	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
losing	O
the	O
NFL	O
license	O
to	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
,	O
Midway	O
brought	O
back	O
the	O
original	O
Blitz	O
style	O
play	O
with	O
2005	B-Application
's	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
place	O
of	O
real	O
NFL	O
teams	O
are	O
fictional	O
teams	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
New	B-Application
York	I-Application
Nightmare	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Minnesota	B-Application
Reapers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
also	O
introduced	O
an	O
extensive	O
story	O
mode	O
created	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
writers	O
from	O
ESPN	O
's	O
Playmakers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
October	O
13	O
,	O
2008	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Midway	O
's	O
bankruptcy	O
filing	O
in	O
2009	O
,	O
EA	O
Sports	O
,	O
publisher	O
of	O
the	O
popular	O
NFL	O
simulation	O
series	O
Madden	O
NFL	O
and	O
the	O
exclusive	O
holder	O
of	O
the	O
NFL	O
's	O
video	O
game	O
rights	O
,	O
acquired	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
October	O
19	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
EA	O
Sports	O
announced	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
return	O
via	O
a	O
story	O
with	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
and	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
an	O
announcement	O
trailer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EA	O
Sports	O
intended	O
the	O
new	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
to	O
be	O
an	O
"	O
arcade	O
"	O
football	O
experience	O
,	O
different	O
from	O
the	O
simulation-oriented	O
Madden	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
result	O
was	O
the	O
2012	B-Application
title	O
simply	O
called	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	B-Application
Midway	O
released	O
a	O
spinoff	O
to	O
Blitz	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Arena	O
Football	O
League	O
titled	O
Kurt	B-Application
Warner	I-Application
's	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Football	I-Application
Unleashed	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critical	O
reception	O
for	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
was	O
mostly	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamerankings.com	O
gives	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
release	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
75%	O
and	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
release	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
77%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot.com	O
gave	O
both	O
PS2	B-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
versions	O
an	O
8.6/10	O
.	O
</s>
