Midway

It's disappointing to see such an ambitious game unable to evolve into something greater than the sum of its parts.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Violence

Deadly Alliance is creative, unique, accessible, and polished. It comes up lacking in a few areas, but is clearly the most effectively realized version of Mortal Kombat yet.

I have to admit it. Had I not chosen to review Defender, I probably never would have played this game. As I saw it, this title didn't appear to have much riding for it. Brad commented that one of the reasons why Midway decided to give this particular game a modern age overhaul is due to the immense popularity the original amassed.

Like the saying goes, everything old is new again. In recent years, weve seen a fairly sizable resurgence of classic titles attempt to make lightning strike a second time. Its pretty clear that some have been more successful than others, although I think the key to pulling it off is in retaining the core elements while also significantly expanding on them.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Game Description:  Prepare for an out-of-this-world, 3-D flying experience with the remake of the arcade classic Defender. Players must defend and protect the human race from an alien invasion as they assume the controls of next-generation combat-ready Defender ships. Battling an onslaught of vicious aliens, players strategically pilot their ships through more than 14 treacherous missions spanning the solar system, executing dynamic tactical maneuvers such as barrel rolls, 360-degree loops, and spinning reversals in order to evade the enemy.

Game Description: NFL Blitz 2002 has been completely reinvented by the original creators of the NFL Blitz arcade game to take advantage of the powerful PlayStation 2 platform. All of the 3D player models, NFL stadiums, and over-the-top animations have been re-created, along with the team-specific plays and intense sound effects. The over-the-top gameplay features players leaping, soaring, diving for passes, stiff-arming, the bulldozing and railroading of would-be defenders, and precision passing. Intuitive, fast-action, extreme-style controls allow for quick-response gameplay. The game is equipped with the original NFL Blitz point-'n'-pass system and icon passing. Dynamic camera angles capture all of the deep crossing routes and monster sticks by the linebackers.

My experience with NFL Blitz goes back to 1997, when it was introduced into arcades everywhere. I remember watching players complete 60-yard passes on offense and deliver some brutal hits on defense that I only thought Id see on a pro wrestling telecast. I had heard that Blitz was the brainchild of Mark Turmell, the same Midway programmer who spearheaded Midway's other immensely popular sports title, NBA Jam.