Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Release Date: February 1989
Is there a more “back in my day” game than Temo Bowl? It’s a game that turns perfectly reasonable 80s kids into crusty old men. You kids and your Madden. Back in my day, we only had four plays, and we liked it! This attitude annoys me in a few different ways. For one thing it makes me feel super old which is never fun. I am also happen to enjoy modern games just as much as classics. I hate to say that one is better than the other, and I don't think there is a correct answer to the simple vs. complex debate. It’s not like Tecmo Bowl even did it on purpose. Tecmo Bowl kept things simple because it was made in the late 80s, and they didn’t have that much of a choice. At the time it was flashy and modern. They had real players and although they couldn’t get the actual teams, they at least included the correct cities. It’s miles ahead of the earlier 10-Yard Fight which featured generic players and teams plus even simpler gameplay. Another reason the “simple vs. complex” argument is bad in Tecmo Bowl’s case is that the four-play setup is a negative as much as a positive. There’s a reason every football game that came out after Tecmo Bowl featured more complexity. Football is just not meant to be a simple game.
Every team has four offensive plays to choose from, but in reality, it’s even simpler than that. Much like 10-Yard Fight the passing game in Tecmo Bowl is completely broken. If there’s a defensive player even in the vicinity of the receiver than it’s going to be an interception. Meanwhile it’s impossible to fumble, so running plays are always safe. This means that you are going to be running on offense, and either guarding against the run or trying to intercept on defense. There are field goals and punts which are controlled by a power bar and nothing else, but that is about it. It’s missing the penalties and many of the more nuanced areas such as fakes and two-point conversions. This makes for a very fast-paced football game, but also a repetitive one. You’re going to be doing the same thing in the same way many times as you play, and while it never gets tedious, I do wish the passing game was more reliable. It would add some much-needed variety to the game.
For all my complaints, however, I do think this is a good game. I certainly had fun playing it. I think what makes it work so well is the personality. Despite the limited options each team feels unique. It helps that the lineups are stacked with iconic players. It’s hard not to feel intimidated playing against legends like Joe Montana and Eric Dickerson. Opponents aren’t as afraid of passing either so there’s more variety. Some have tougher defenses to break through, and some make things more difficult on offense. Also, the teams have their own plays based on their strengths, so it’s not the same four for every team. I also appreciate that they are not perfect. Sometimes they miss an easy field go or extra point. Personality was something fairly new to consoles. Earlier games didn’t have the technology to do much more than stick guy on a black background. Tecmo Bowl was one of the first console sports games to have so much character. Even with the overly simplistic gameplay, it’s not hard to see why this game is so iconic.
I have not delved deep into NES football games, and I am not even much of a football fan in general anymore. Playing Tecmo Bowl makes me want to check out some of the others. It’s usually a good sign when a game makes me want to play even more games. I don’t usually need more encouragement, but since I’m still trying to find 101 good NES games it’s good to play something the nudges me in the right direction. It’s slotting in just under Yars’ Revenge on the overall list at #41, and it’s #10 on the NES list just above Double Dragon. Now that summer is turning into fall and football season is in progress, I can’t think of a better time to start playing. Just let me know if you have any strategies for beating Chicago. I just can’t break through their defense.
NES Quality Percentage: 18/33 or 54.54%
