BLiP Football is an excellent re-creation of the classic handheld Mattel Electronic Football game. The object is to move your player (represented by a red blip) across the field, avoiding the other team's blips, until you can score a touchdown. The computer always controls defense, so you and another player must take turns playing offense. For those who have fond memories of those old LED games, the nostalgia factor of BLiP Football will instantly transport you back some 30 years.
The sound effects and graphics nicely mimic the original game, and it's just as addictive as ever. There's still something to be said for gameplay at its simplest, and BLiP Football delivers. While the game itself is faithful to the original, the programmers weren't content to just leave it at that. Besides an option to enhance the graphics, they also added a nice-looking title screen with some of the most wonderfully pretentious music ever to grace a 2600 game - Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" - which runs for nearly three full minutes.
Hopefully, we'll get to see more games in the series, like BLiP Football 2, or BLiP Auto Race. Better still, would be a multi-cart with several BLiP games on it. If you ever whiled away hours playing those classic LED handhelds, pick up a copy of BLiP Football!
Did you grow up playing those handheld electronic football games? Initially released in 1977 (the same year as the Atari VCS), these portable football games became wildly popular, eventually spawning many variants. Thanks to 2600 programmers David Galloway and Bob Montgomery, you can now enjoy this classic handheld football game on the 2600 in the form of BLiP Football. Faithfully mimicked in appearance, audio and gameplay, BLiP Football recreates the experience of playing the original electronic football.
In BLiP Football you control a running back and must get by the defenders trying to stop your progress! You can see nine yards of the playing field at any time--when you go beyond one edge of the field, your player wraps around to the opposite edge, showing another nine yard segment of the field. The game is comprised of four 15-second quarters. On the fourth down you can optionally kick the ball instead of running it.
In addition to the default "classic mode" display (which shows red players against a black field), you can switch to an enhanced, more colorful display by pressing the SELECT switch during gameplay. BLiP Football is a two-player game, with the game controller swapped back and forth between possessions.
Includes cartridge and full color manual.
| Author | David Galloway and Bob Montgomery |
| Label, Manual Design | Dave Exton |
| Number of Players | 2 |
| Controller | Joystick |
| Cartridge Size | 8K |
Blip Football is an accurate simulation of the old Mattel handheld football game released back in 1977. The premise is simple yet addicting. Using the joystick, you have four trys to advance the ball carrier (the bright red blip) the length of the field for a touchdown, kick a field goal, or get 10 yards for a first down and get four more trys. Although a two-player only game, it's fun as a one player game as well, switching between teams on the change of possession.
I am really impressed by how well the feeling of the original handheld game has translated to the 2600. The control is very intuitive and responsive. Graphics are minimal but adequate, which is expected when you are only representing blips! However, the title page and button graphics are all done exceptionally well. The scoreboard is recreated very nicely as well. The sound is pretty accurate to the original as well, and the title screen tune sounds great. Two skill levels and an enhanced graphics mode add to the experience and variety.
I recommend this game and hope that Blip Football 2 is in the works!
I am really impressed by how well the feeling of the original handheld game has translated to the 2600. The control is very intuitive and responsive. Graphics are minimal but adequate, which is expected when you are only representing blips! However, the title page and button graphics are all done exceptionally well. The scoreboard is recreated very nicely as well. The sound is pretty accurate to the original as well, and the title screen tune sounds great. Two skill levels and an enhanced graphics mode add to the experience and variety.
I recommend this game and hope that Blip Football 2 is in the works!
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord