8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

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8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby VideoGameCritic » August 6th, 2006, 11:00 am

I'd like to hear your thoughts on these. 
If you find any typos, please send them directly via email (dmrozek@comcast.net)
Thanks!


J.M. Vargas

8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby J.M. Vargas » August 6th, 2006, 11:29 am

Wow, Dave's reviews are coming fast and thick.  Keep 'em coming!

 

'Super Dragon Ball Z' surprised me as one of the few quality licensed games coming out these days on the zestpool of licensed crap (to which 'Pirates,' 'X-Men III' and 'Cars' belongs).  'Blitz' is a sports game for people, like me, that are sick of EA's barely-improving and sanitized football games.  Problem is that, unlike other sports titles, Midway's arcadey sports games cannot be updated every year with new stuff like EA's games (which are deliberately incomplete from year to year to make sheep gamers continue buying the upgrades).  What can a new 'Blitz' offer next year: more hoes, more drugs, more violent collisions?  Those might work on a new 'GTA' sequel but for a (still decent) football game?  No way!  


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8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby a1 » August 6th, 2006, 5:28 pm

You said Pirates of the Caribbean proves that magazines like any game, but Game Informer didn't like the game at all. Which magazines are you referring to?

 


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8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » August 7th, 2006, 11:58 am

Personally I think these are some of your best written reviews Critic.

I have a few questions about the Blitz: The League review.

I guess my biggest question is are you knocking the game for being to crude or is it because the gameplay is lacking?  You really only mention the gameplay very briefly and then you tear into the lewd nature of the game.  Honestly, steroids, hookers bribes and things of that nature don't bother me in a sports title, because its not the most unrealistic thing.  The Tour de France winner is gonna be stripped of his title for sterioid use and football players are getting caught with hookers (well cops pretending to hookers anyway) all the time!  Pro atheletes aren't saints and I give Midway credit for putting these things into their game. 

Sure the cheerleaders are lame and the curse words are gratuitous, but the core gameplay elements are rock solid.  Can you honestly tell me that when you are playing a friend you don't mock him with glee and talk all sorts of trash after the camera zooms in to reveal a painful ACL tearing hit?   Its also a fantastic rush to perform slow motion jukes with your QB to avoid sacks. 

Personally I felt that the game was far more exciting to play than a typical game of Madden. Plus a typical game could be completed in about 10 minutes (nice!).  I have the Xbox version and I felt the graphics were a notch below a madden game. You are correct that the kicking game sucks though.

For the most part you can turn off the annoying in game cutscenes as well as the other offensive content.  If you judge this game simply on gameplay I think it deserves a higher mark than the one given.




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8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby VideoGameCritic » August 7th, 2006, 5:16 pm

You have to take into consideration the entire package.  The gameplay is good but not great.  Maybe a C+.  But when you're forced to watch non-stop cut-scenes (which you can't turn off), cheerleaders bending over, and endless load screens, something's got to give.  Sometimes less is more, and it is possible to ruin a game by adding annoying extraneous stuff.

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8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » August 7th, 2006, 5:41 pm

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]You have to take into consideration the entire package.  The gameplay is good but not great.  Maybe a C+.  But when you're forced to watch non-stop cut-scenes (which you can't turn off), cheerleaders bending over, and endless load screens, something's got to give.  Sometimes less is more, and it is possible to ruin a game by adding annoying extraneous stuff.
[/QUOTE]

You make valid points Critic and I respect your opinion.  I know for a fact that I shut off the in-game cut screens though.  It helps speed up the game and you don't constantly have to skip them with the B button.  As for the story cut-scenes those cannot be skipped, but they are short and never really bothered me.  I know you reviewed the game on the PS2, but I think the Xbox version has much faster load times.  I never saw them as a problem and I'm one impatient bastard.

I still really like the gameplay and I find multiplayer exciting even now and I bought the game back in November.  The game really appealed to me because Madden has become so stale.  The only thing they do is add to the franchise modes and make incremental improvements to gameplay.  Not worth the $50 in my opinion.  I loved ESPN 2K5 and I was crushed to learn about EA's purchasing of the NFL license.  If the Madden for Wii gets favorable reviews I might pick that up when I get my Wii.  If not I will continue to boycott EA's football games and get Blitz for the Wii instead. 



Austin

8/6/2006: Playstation 2: Blitz: The League, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Super Dragon Ball Z

Postby Austin » August 21st, 2006, 5:09 pm

I liked Pirates more than you did, thou it's pretty hard



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