It began as a 1997 arcade game NFL Blitz that was ported to home consoles and spawned a series of sequels.

The game took the series back to the original style of Blitz, but removed the late hits due to input by the NFL.

[1] Late hits and some tackles were also removed in the Arcade1Up re-release of the first two games (and NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition), which was released in 2022.

"[3] The Blitz titles largely follow standard American football rules as outlined by the NFL, but with key differences to encourage faster and more aggressive play.

Quarters have been shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time; this includes overtime, which isn't sudden death.

Plays such as "Da Bomb" allowed for a quarterback to accurately throw the ball most of the length of the field at will and receivers could make impossible catches.

On the other side, defensive players were able to leap up and swat (if not intercept) balls no other game could allow for or dive incredible lengths to make a stop.

One of the most common was for a defensive player to grab his opponent and spin him around and fling him to the ground, sometimes giving them extra yards in the process.

[4] In addition, the team with the lead often receives kick-offs deeper in its own territory and are more likely to fumble or throw interceptions to help level the gameplay and encourage closer games.

The game contains a significant amount of explicit content not seen in other entries of the series, such as the use of anabolic steroids and "juicing" injured players with what seems to be the equivalent of a cortisone shot.

EA Sports intended the new NFL Blitz to be an "arcade" football experience, different from the simulation-oriented Madden series.