NFL Blitz 2024

ROM Hack of NFL Blitz 2000, by NFL Blitz Resurrection (@NFL_Blitz_Rez on Twitter/X), released 9/10/23

Somebody with more technical/modding know-how finally answered my prayers with a roster hack of NFL Blitz 2000, and it’s for the N64 and everything. Similar to existing roster updates of classic titles like Tecmo Super Bowl for NES, NHL ’94 for Sega Genesis, and even MVP Baseball 2005 for PS2, NFL Blitz 2024 is exactly what it says on the tin, and at this point, it’s like the oasis in the desert after years of Madden’s garbage stranglehold on the NFL license, and a handful of noble indie startups (like Legend Bowl) that can deliver on a lot, but not the modern NFL experience.

Picking your favorite team on your first matchup? Here’s the defending champs, good luck, kid.

Unlike a lot of ROM Hacks, there isn’t too much to delve into as far as what makes NFL Blitz 2024 a great time. When you’ll gladly spend hours on the exact game it’s based on year in and year out to get your football fix, especially when you lean towards the long-gone arcade style anyway, this is the kind of thing that’s consistently on your wish list. I consider 2000 to be the best of the bunch already, however slight the edge may be, and other than the intensity of its rubber-band difficulty, the feel and features of 2000 are top notch.

If you think about it, the modern NFL is even more attuned to the gameplay in NFL Blitz than ever — mobile quarterbacks are everywhere and everybody is apt to air it out if the containment is good. Picking the Ravens allows you to threaten a QB run on every play and hit Mark Andrews as your outlet most times you can’t.

Discussing gameplay or mechanic decisions here is obviously rather pointless, as it’s the entire point of the hack to leave the gameplay untouched. It is, however, slightly more than a roster update, which would have been good enough as it is. Logos and uniforms are also updated with some nice attention to detail, giving the Patriots their modern red and white shoulder stripes, and the Seahawks their completely overhauled dark blue and neon green. Things obviously run just fine, and yes, this is on the real hardware we’re talking about via an Everdrive, though there are a few audio glitches when things get too busy, such as on kickoffs and when a lot of contact is happening at the same time at the end of a play. Other than this, though, it plays just like it should, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Apologies to the creators, who are clearly Jets fans, but when the Patriots are as miserable as they are now, the only joy I can truly have is in the schadenfreude of my least favorite team and player.

Thanks to NFL Blitz Resurrection for making this hack, and putting the work in year over year. They’ve announced a roster update following the trade deadline, and you can grab the ROM, already ready to play, via their Twitter/X @NFL_Blitz_Rez which will also include the ROM for NFL Blitz 2023 Gold.