Midway is known for their raucous, unrealistic, over-the-top sports games – a genre that they more or less launched years ago, dating back to NBA Jam in the early '90s. After success both in the hoops and hockey arenas (remember the countless "Wayne Gretzky" games?), Midway turned their attention to a wild and woolly brand of NFL Football with NFL Blitz. It became an arcade favorite in the mid-late '90s and found similar success on platforms like the N64 at the same time.

After a few years of generally recycled installments on the 64, the franchise was brought over to the GameCube just a few months ago with Blitz 2002, boasting a few new features in the gameplay department.

NFL Blitz 2003 has quickly followed on the 'Cube, just in time for the new pigskin season, and it once again offers the same features as its predecessor, along with a few upgrades and enhancements that series fans will appreciate.

What distinguishes NFL Blitz from Madden or Sega's NFL 2K series is, of course, simple: insane arcade action all the way. This isn't football as we know it, but rather a cartoony, exaggerated version of the game that throws out the rulebook in favor of hard hits, big plays, and excessive celebrations.

In fact, NFL Blitz is the kind of game that can't be analyzed in-depth, because quite frankly, there's not a whole lot of depth to this game. That's both the blessing and the curse of this series, because as easy as it is to pick up 'n play, it also doesn't offer the deep features and modes of other NFL games. Along similar lines, the core game-play, while fun for a few minutes, will grow tiresome for many players after a while.

Midway's formula for frantic action immediately disposes of the intricacies of the sport and plays up interceptions, gang tackles, and various forms of what I would best describe as "unsportsman-like conduct."

Instead of 1st and 10, we have 1st and 30. Instead of a ton of customizable features, you have a minimum amount of options at your disposal as you select plays and formations (the playbooks, though, do offer a variety of plays to run). Players look like they've all been jacked up on steroids, and there's a plethora of trash talk provided by the likes of Michael Strahan, Ahman Green, and others.

The control scheme favors easy pick-up-and-play controls, though Midway has implemented some "advanced" moves that are going to require some practice (and studying of the instruction booklet) to pull off, even for die-hard fans of the series.

The A and Y buttons provide hurdling/tackling maneuvers while the X button tosses the ball (which you'll be doing a whole lot of, as NFL Blitz definitely does not favor the running game). The L trigger displays your receiver targets, as well as a juke move after the ball is in play. Most importantly, the R button is used for those all-important Turbo bursts of momentum, which are displayed via a meter at the bottom of the screen.

There are also tons of supplemental maneuvers, from hook slides to spin moves and laterals, most of which require combinations of the R trigger and double-tapping of other buttons. As much as the game stresses arcade action and simplicity, however, I found that these moves -- even after much practice -- where tough to pull off, making their presence mostly of note for die-hard Blitz fans. It should be noted that you can re-assign the various controller buttons, but you still have to make a succession of combo moves in order to pull the advanced maneuvers off, no matter what buttons you press.

How does Blitz play? Well, it goes without saying that the eight-on-eight football action is definitely frantic. Interceptions are easy to come by, and as anyone who has played Blitz before knows, you're not going to find any penalties being called. Creaming your opponent as he attempts to catch the ball, pounding him senselessly on the ground afterwards – these may be infractions in the NFL, but definitely not in Blitz! The arcade pacing makes for frenetic high-scoring contests, consistent with the Midway brand name, and last year's implementation of an "impact player" you designate to a CPU teammate (on either offense or defense) has brought a bit of a fresh twist to the tried-and-true Blitz gameplay.

NFL Blitz 2003 has incorporated some additional new elements into the series that fans will enjoy. There's a Create-A-Player option, where you assign points to your player's attributes, enhancing them by either winning games or answering NFL trivia questions. The Instant Replay function is also new, and it looks great, moving at a smooth frame rate when want to replay your last big hit. There are also secret codes and a few videos, including a look at the recording of in-game audio performed during last winter's Pro Bowl.

For game modes, Blitz is still pretty bare-bones. Quick Play and Exhibition are pretty self-explanatory, and the Season mode takes you through…um…this year's whole NFL season, albeit in typical Blitz style. User profiles enable full stat tracking, and a Tournament mode is available for multi-player madness. Load times are virtually non-existent, in keeping with the fast pace of the title itself.

As with past versions of the game, Blitz plays best in short bursts, and for the most satisfying way to appreciate the game, you'll need to engage in a little multi-player mayhem. This isn't a particularly fulfilling single-player game (and never has been), but rather the kind of title that gets its mileage out of partying with your pals and taking them on for a game or two.

On the audio side, the crowds are rowdy and the two-man commentary booth is surprisingly amusing. The announcers banter about with tongue-in-cheek comments from start till end, perfectly fitting the game's off-the-wall tone. Musically, Blitz offers bombastic anthems that pop up after every successful play and TD, while menu screens and licensed music are underscored by the likes of Qurashi and others.

Graphically, Blitz looks solid. Player animations are nicely rendered, as are tackles and the various playing fields. The stadiums are pretty basic looking, but since they're not seen very often, it's not a big problem. How much they've been updated from 2002's game, though, is questionable, as the Patriots, for example, are still playing in their now-defunct Foxboro confines and not in cushy new Gillette Field.

Overall, NFL Blitz 2003 is a polished new rendition of the arcade favorite. By this point, you should know if you're into this kind of game or not. If you're looking for a simulation of football or something that at least approximates it, NFL Blitz is not for you. This is almost as much of a fighting game (especially considering the amount of button combos you'll need to learn for the advanced moves) as it is a sports contest, offering the simple thrills of a good arcade experience. It's shallow but fun for what it is, and if you're a fan of the series, Blitz 2003 is your best bet for GameCube satisfaction.