Developer: Tecmo Publisher: Tecmo Release: 02/89 Genre: Sports
Sports games on the NES were usually of the arcade variety early on. That is probably the reason I was into them, the quick pick up and play aspect. I am not one for simulation games and traditional sports titles fall in that category. But occasionally a game is so great that I can set my bias aside and appreciate its greatness. Tecmo Bowl is one of those games. Before there was Madden, NFL 2k or Joe Montana Football Tecmo Bowl was the football game to beat.
The NES version of Tecmo Bowl is a loose port of the arcade game and mostly only shares the name. In the arcade it was an up to four player game with only two fictional teams, the Wildcats and Bulldogs. For its Nintendo debut Tecmo acquired the NFL player’s license, one of the first to do so. While there are only twelve fictional teams the player names and stats make up for it. As one of the first real attempts at simulating football it is a milestone for the genre and still fondly remembered today.
First concessions have been made to fit on the NES. There are only nine players on each side compared to the standard eleven. Game and season stats do not exist which would have been a bit much for a 1989 game. This is also to facilitate the game’s password system which probably would have been too complex to save a full season’s progress. While not a compromise I appreciate the fact that each quarter is only 1:30 rather than a full fifteen minutes. The game still remembers its arcade roots which makes games quicker.
Tecmo Bowl’s take on football is all about realism and does so within the confines of the NES. On offense and defense you can choose from four plays. For offense they are split between passing and running plays. You do not get to choose who to hand off to in a running play as it defaults to the team’s running back. Passing plays are almost as limited as the aggressive AI does not allow enough time to try and pick who will receive your pass before the quarterback is sacked. On defense it is a guessing game as to what the computer will attempt. Choose correctly and you will blitz the offense. But make a wrong decision and the game has no qualms about running end to end for an easy touchdown.
What is most impressive about the game is its pace. The game is snappy with each down almost always lasting seconds. Because the AI is so good most passing plays will only cover a few yards. Your wide receiver has a few seconds to gain some distance before the computer will break out and sack the quarterback. Running plays are no different. It is rare to break away completely as there is some rubberbanding involved. Although there are no official teams with the player roster and stats you will notice each team’s individual play styles. The Giants have the best defense in the game while San Francisco and Chicago have the best running game. Each teams playbook differs based on their specialty but there are other oddities within the game.
While Tecmo Bowl offers some depth with its limited options you can clearly see how it cheats and is unfair. Certain players like Bo Jackson are virtually unstoppable when they have the ball and will knock away any defender in his path. Now granted the man was a monster in real life but in game form it is not fun being on the receiving end of his power. Running backs like Walter Payton and Barry Sanders will outrun any opposing player and the computer takes advantage of this, as it should. The AI is aggressive when it comes to interceptions which make passing plays a 50/50 gamble. These quirks are annoying but not game breaking however. You will simply notice them over time as they become blatant.
From a technical standpoint Tecmo Bowl is impressive. Having eighteen players on the field is no small feat; go back and play 10-Yard Fight and see how slow the game is. There is next to no flickering sprites and the game does not slow down. In a similar vein as Double Dribble there are cutscenes for the half time show and scoring a touchdown. But the most impressive aspect is its soundtrack. There are only a few tunes but they are catchy and play during the game rather than leave you in silence. It is also dynamic to highlight certain actions like interceptions and touchdowns. Add in a few voice samples and you have a game that flies under the radar on a technical level for that year.
In Closing
For a generation Tecmo Bowl was their first football game. Thank God it is also a great one. While limited it is still a great game and has a diehard fan base to this day. They are so committed in fact they update the rosters of this game and its sequel every year. That is dedication. I enjoyed revisiting this one and highly recommend it even now.
