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NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987)
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About NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987)
NFL Blitz delivers an exaggerated American football experience through high-speed mechanics. Players utilize the Turbo button to accelerate gameplay and engage in aggressive collisions using the Jump/Tackle command. This arcade-style sports title supports up to 2 players, emphasizing wild rules and superhuman athleticism over standard league simulation.
Player layout in our catalog: 2P sim.
If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.
Open Play on this page to start NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.
NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) — play guide
What NFL Blitz wants from you
NFL Blitz (Midway) is arcade football with arcade violence: score through turbo chaos, manage hits and catches, and respect turnovers that punish greed tourism into every pack. Holding turbo forever into every defender empties possessions. Your job is play selection—pass under pressure, run when open, and stop treating every down like a highlight reel. Continues buy match literacy; the exam is still wins with composure left under Blitz paint.
First minutes in NFL Blitz
First quarter: learn a safe pass-out and a short run before inventing full-field turbo tourism. Throw when the lane is honest; forcing every deep bomb into a wall of hits is expensive. Early minutes are spacing labs under NFL Blitz dressing. One clean drive with the ball secure beats three turnover deaths that looked flashy until a hit you ignored arrived.
Core systems in NFL Blitz
Runs, passes, turbo, hits/tackles, and down structure define NFL Blitz. Turbo is a finite advantage—burn it on empty grass and you meet the press dry. Deep throws are commitments; whiff into a crowd and the turnover completes. Later AI tightens; greed solo runs fail. NFL art sells sports fantasy; the stick still wants patient play selection under Midway arcade rules.
Score, continues, and resources in NFL Blitz
Games won with fewer turnovers beat turbo tourism that empties possessions. Continues while hit deaths repeat; cut them once pass-outs are automatic. Farming quarter one for vanity deep bombs teaches the wrong muscle. Extends follow score when awarded—claim them after play selection feels honest under denser presses, not after turbo holds that still turn the ball over.
Mistakes that burn credits in NFL Blitz
Mash-tackling every play, ignoring coverage peeks, and never waiting for a clean window burn NFL Blitz credits. Players also tunnel on scenery while a sack finishes the drive. Holding one vanity deep bomb through a packed secondary ends the chance early. Freezing mid-build for looks while the clock dies is classic tilt. Next run: peek coverage, throw on plan, reclaim midfield after turnovers—stop mash tourism for scenery mid-drive.
Next steps after NFL Blitz
NBA Jam is Midway if Blitz’s turbo chaos still feels opaque—arcade sports literacy under clearer two-on-two rules teaches calm before football densifies. Arch Rivals keeps Midway sports company warm under dunk chaos. Tehkan World Cup once pass honesty sticks and you want soccer instead of gridiron hits. Stay in Midway sports until turbo-hold religion stops causing turnovers on every last quarter.
Sources cited below under Further reading.
Cabinet dossier
NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) is filed in our catalog as a 1997 release.
Player layout on this cabinet: 2P sim.
Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Sports, Sports / Football (American).
Credit line lists Midway as developer.
Screenshots
Next cabinets
Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):NFL Blitz '99 (ver 1.30, Sep 22 1998), SportStation: NBA Showtime NBA on NBC (ver 2.1, Sep 22 1999) / NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.5, Sep 22 1999), NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.2, Sep 22 1999), NBA Hangtime (ver L1.3 10/10/96), WWF: Wrestlemania (rev 1.30 08/10/95), Bowling Alley, Double Play, NBA Jam (rev 3.01 4/07/93), Super High Impact (rev LA1 09/30/91), Shuffleboard, Mortal Kombat 4 (version 3.0), Off Road Challenge (v1.63)
Explore more on this site
Same series
NFL Blitz '99 (ver 1.30, Sep 22 1998) · SportStation: NBA Showtime NBA on NBC (ver 2.1, Sep 22 1999) / NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.5, Sep 22 1999) · NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.2, Sep 22 1999)
Same genre
NFL Blitz '99 (ver 1.30, Sep 22 1998) · SportStation: NBA Showtime NBA on NBC (ver 2.1, Sep 22 1999) / NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.5, Sep 22 1999) · NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.2, Sep 22 1999) · NBA Hangtime (ver L1.3 10/10/96) · WWF: Wrestlemania (rev 1.30 08/10/95) · Bowling Alley · Double Play · NBA Jam (rev 3.01 4/07/93) · Super High Impact (rev LA1 09/30/91) · Shuffleboard · Eleven Beat · 3 On 3 Dunk Madness
Same studio
NBA Hangtime (ver L1.3 10/10/96) · WWF: Wrestlemania (rev 1.30 08/10/95) · Bowling Alley · Double Play · NBA Jam (rev 3.01 4/07/93) · Super High Impact (rev LA1 09/30/91) · Shuffleboard · Mortal Kombat 4 (version 3.0) · Off Road Challenge (v1.63) · Rampage: World Tour (rev 1.3) · Clowns (rev. 2) · Dog Patch
How to play NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) online
- Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start.
- USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
- On phones, open the on-screen pad from the emulator bar; rotate sits next to fullscreen.
- Save states, load, volume, and fullscreen stay on the emulator bar between credits.
Studio notes — Midway
Midway appears on this cabinet’s credit line. Browse more titles from the same studio on the developer shelf, or stay on this page and try the next cabinets in the same hall.
NBA Hangtime (ver L1.3 10/10/96) · WWF: Wrestlemania (rev 1.30 08/10/95) · Bowling Alley · Double Play · NBA Jam (rev 3.01 4/07/93) · Super High Impact (rev LA1 09/30/91) · Shuffleboard · Mortal Kombat 4 (version 3.0)
Questions about NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987)
Can I play NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) free in a browser?
Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) as a Arcade cabinet you can start on this page. The emulator loads in the browser; you do not need to install a separate app.
What controls does NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987) support?
Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start. USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
Are there other games in the same series as NFL Blitz (ver 1.21, Dec 5 1987)?
Yes — related series cabinets on this site include NFL Blitz '99 (ver 1.30, Sep 22 1998), SportStation: NBA Showtime NBA on NBC (ver 2.1, Sep 22 1999) / NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.5, Sep 22 1999), NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition (ver 1.2, Sep 22 1999). Each has its own play page with the same browser emulator path.
Further reading
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