Tecmo Super Bowl

Console: NES, SNES, Sega Genesis
Release Date: 1991
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: None

Introduction: You like that new HD realistic Madden 09? Ha! It can't touch Tecmo Super Bowl! Tecmo Super Bowl is the sequel of the game that may have "Started it all" for football games today, Tecmo Bowl. Tecmo Bowl was alright, but it had many glitches, such as, and I'm not lying, the ability to make a 99 Yard Field goal. The Tecmo Bowl series birthed one or two more sequels and called it quits in 97', it would take 11 years until the next revival, Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff. But, for many Tecmo Bowl fans, Tecmo Super Bowl is and will always be the best in the series. Today, I'll be reviewing the NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl, or as I might call it, TSB.

Storyline: In Tecmo Super Bowl, you play as..well the whole team. The idea of the game is the same as the real NFL, win the Superbowl and bring home the glory! The 17 weeks of football are exiting, but unless you’re going up against the Bengals or the Lions, it's not a cakewalk. Making it to the end, and seeing your team rise up to the top, it's worth it the struggle.

...THE LIONS?

Graphics: Well, it's the NES, and what can you expect? Actually, for an NES game, it's not that bad. The field is somewhat generic, having "Tecmo" in both endzones no matter what team. The teams are all little sprites. The only difference is one might be black; one might be Hispanic, and another White. The menus are generic, nothing special. But the cutscenes, the cutscenes save the graphics. Tecmo Super Bowl has a plethora of different cutscenes that makes it stand out from other football games from it's time, such as an injury cutscene, or a little touchdown dance. Also, the Halftime shows, for something that's on the NES, impress me. Quite put, they are "PWN". No other way to describe them, really. For a NES game, when it comes to graphics, Tecmo Super Bowl is has some of the best NES cutscenes ever.

Your QB has been SACKED!

Game play: The gameplay of Tecmo Super Bowl makes it. No matter how much you may think the graphics suck, or the music stinks, you can't knock the gameplay. The controls for TSB are simple. On offense, A switches the receiver you wanna throw to, while b throws the ball. On defense, A is a grappling tackle while B is a diving tackle. When kicking and punting, there is a meter, the higher the meter when the meter when you press A, the farther it goes. That's it. It's very simple, but addicting. Like real football, you can fumble the ball, intercept it, and even get in a safety or two in. Each team has 8 plays, 4 running and 4 passing. Unlike its predecessor, Tecmo Super Bowl uses real teams, those teams, for the most part, have real players as well, with a few exceptions. The game also has a Pro Bowl mode, where you can either play as the AFC or NFC, or play as both with a pal. Another mode, the coach mode, lets you call the plays, but the computer does the playing. Tecmo Super Bowl was also one of the first sports games to archive stats and standings from your actual performance while playing it. To top it off, TSB has editable playbooks. Want the Vikings to have more shotgun plays? Just change your playbook. With simple and fun gameplay, with every team and player to boot, no doubt, Tecmo Super Bowl gets a perfect score in gameplay.

An example of the plays in TSB.

Longevity: TSB is one of those games that you can just pick up and play. It never really gets old, time after time as its just good clean fun. But if you DO find yourself bored with TSB, there are certain sites dedicated to updating it. You can acquire roms of Tecmo Super Bowl with New and Old NFL rosters of all kinds, there's even a few NCAA rosters! If you want the new rosters, here is the place you want to go. I literally find myself turning my DS on in the morning (DS Homebrew :]), and I try to beat my old score of 70-3 with the Eagles against the Cowboys. Tecmo Super Bowl: It never gets old.

The 8 Bit Action that never gets old!

Sound: Tecmo Super Bowl has some alright music for an NES game. The sound effects are top notch, such as the sound of a blocked punt or a sacked QB sound perfect. The overall music shifts from game type to game type, for example, A Pre-Season game and the Pro Bowl have two different background tracks. The cheering from the crowd sounds awesome, and the Ref's garbled decision always comes right on time. TSB's got it when it comes to sound.

Overall: Tecmo Super Bowl is a must have on your NES, or on your DS or GBA if you're using homebrew. If you see this in ANY kind of store, sack the guy in front of you and demand TSB. You won't regret the decision of buying or playing it. It's a great classic that has built the Football Genre of games as we know it. And that's good enough to give it a near perfect score from Pike.

And yes, I really did beat the Cowboys with the Eagles 70-3 :]

Pike's Breakdown of Tecmo super Bowl

Storyline: 5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Sound: 4/5
Longevity: 5/5

Overall: 96%