We've just published hands-on looks at two upcoming Midway sports titles--L.A. Rush and Blitz: The League--both of which are revivals of popular series from the 90s. Of the two, Blitz: The League is dealing with a lot more in terms of fan expectations and competitive pressure. After all Blitz, along with 989's Road to Sunday and whatever football game 2K Sports develops, are going up against an EA Sports juggernaut that owns sole rights to the NFL license. As such, the rest of the pigskin titles will need to find other ways to sell their brand of football to a skeptical buying public. We've already seen the road down which 989 is taking their game--complete with underground fighting, Jamaican crime bosses, and gambling. Now it's Blitz's turn to show off.

　　As a company, Midway is taking an interesting tact when hyping their game; one that essentially says, "Here's a game the NFL didn't want you to have." After all, as Blitz producers told us, the series ran into trouble from the NFL back when the game was an officially licensed product for its over the top celebrations and vicious hits. Now that the NFL is off their back, so Midway says, the company is free to create a game that truly fits their vision of the next wave of football games.

　　The question is: Will this no-holds barred approach work? Though our time with Blitz: The League was relatively short, it's certain that the developers are going to great lengths to create a gritty, grimey, brutal looking football game--and I use those terms in their best possible sense. Players are big and thick, the over-the-top hits are vicious, varied and (in some cases) very funny and, if the menus and other incidentals take some getting used to, it's only because we've been conditioned by playing traditional football games for so long.

　　There's still a lot more to see and say about Blitz: The League--we're hoping to catch a full trailer at E3 and hopefully see more of the game. For now, it's just nice to know the series is back on consoles and ticking off the NFL once again. Just as it should be.