| Tecmo Bowl | |
|---|---|
 European arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Tecmo[a] |
| Publisher | Tecmo |
| Composer | Keiji Yamagishi |
| Series | Tecmo Bowl |
| Platforms | Arcade,Nintendo Entertainment System,Game Boy |
| Release | ArcadeNESGame Boy |
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | PlayChoice-10 |
Tecmo Bowl[b] is a 1987American footballvideo game developed and published byTecmo forarcades.[6][7] The game features a large dual screencabinet with up to four players between two fictitious teams. Aport for theNintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in 1989 and was the firstconsole game to include realNational Football League players, via a license from theNFL Players Association. AGame Boy version developed bySculptured Software followed in 1991.
The NES version was extremely popular, spawning various sequels, starting with 1991'sTecmo Super Bowl. The NES original has been cited as one of the best sports video games ever made. The NES and arcade versions have been re-released (without the NFLPA license) for various platforms.
The original arcade version is distinguished by a large two-monitor cabinet, support for up to four players, and the ability to break tackles. Only two fictional teams can be chosen: the Wildcats and the Bulldogs. Its2D graphics are more advanced than the NES version, with a largercolor palette and more detailedsprites.
The NES version allows two players to play rather than the arcade's four players. The player can choose between three modes: one-player, two-player, and coach. In one-player mode, the player picks a football team and plays against the computer. After every game that the player wins, it is given a password to continue their quest for the championship and the computer picks another team to play as, and the player stays with the original choice. In the two-player and coach modes, the player and another human will play one game but the players only choose the plays in the coach mode (which cannot be done in the arcade version).
In both versions, the playbook consists of only four offensive plays. When on defense, a player selects a play based on the anticipation of the offense's choice; if chosen correctly, it results in a collapse of the offensive line and well-covered receivers, therefore setting up either a potentialsack or aninterception.
Although featuring the names, rosters, and statistics of realNational Football League (NFL) players from a mix of the1987 and1988 seasons, the gameplay limits how closely the video game players mimics real-life players. Unlike standard American football rules which have 11 players on each team, the arcade version only allows ten players on the field at a time and the NES version only allows nine for each. The offense tries to avoid the defense, and the defense tries to either avoid blockers, tackle the ball carrier, or intercept a pass.
Tecmo Bowl contains twelve teams, each equipped with four plays. Most teams have two running plays and two passing plays. The exceptions areSan Francisco andMiami, who have three passing plays and one running play.
Tecmo was not able an obtain an NFL league license to use real team names, as that had been given toLJN's NFL video game for the NES.[8] As a result, the teams in the game are identified solely by their home city or state, but through theNFLPA license, each roster mimics that of the NFL team based out of the same city or state.Tecmo Bowl only uses players from twelve of the best and most popular teams of the time.
The teams featured in the game areIndianapolis,Miami,Cleveland,Denver,Seattle,Los Angeles (Raiders),Washington,San Francisco,Dallas,New York (Giants),Chicago, andMinnesota.
| AFC | NFC |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (Raiders) | Washington |
| Indianapolis | San Francisco |
| Miami | Dallas |
| Denver | New York (Giants) |
| Seattle | Chicago |
| Cleveland | Minnesota |
Each team has a different level of effectiveness based on its personnel and play selection.
Two NES versions were released in the U.S. The first is identified by its black and gold seal of quality,Eric Dickerson as running back, andAlbert Bentley as a kick returner for Indianapolis. The second is identified by its white and gold seal, Albert Bentley as running back, andClarence Verdin as a kick returner. One year later, the Famicom version has many roster changes (from the same twelve teams available in the North American version) to reflect being released during the real1990 NFL season.
In 2005, the game was released on theXbox as part ofTecmo Classic Arcade. The NES version was released for theVirtual Console for theWii,Nintendo 3DS andWii U; the arcade version was also released for the Wii's Virtual Console.[9][10][11] The NES version was also released as one of 30 NES games included in theNorth American andPAL versions of theNES Classic Edition.[12] It was released on theNintendo Classics service in 2018, allowing multiplayer to be played online.[13]Hamster Corporation released the game as part of theirArcade Archives series for theNintendo Switch andPlayStation 4 in 2020.[14]
According to Tecmo USA's Dimitri Criona, the game was a smash hit in American arcades and an even bigger hit for the Nintendo Entertainment System, becoming a cultural phenomenon in the United States.[15] As of June 2007, theTecmo Bowl series had sold 5 million units worldwide.[16]
Sinclair User reviewed the arcade game in 1988, scoring it 8 out of 10. They called it a "superb" game that significantly improved on earlier American football games such as10-Yard Fight (1983).[17]
In the September 1997 issue ofNintendo Power, twelve staff members voted in a list for the top 100 games of all time,[18] puttingTecmo Bowl at 30th place.[19] BothGameSpot[20] andTime have also listedTecmo Bowl for the NES in their lists of all-time greatest video games.[21]Time noted that the arcade-like controls and "quasi-realistic teams and players" made it a "breakout hit that's still fun to pick up and play to this very day".[21]Game Informer placed the game 38th on its top 100 video games of all time in 2001.[22]
A documentary feature about the bestTecmo Bowl players in the world was shot in 2022 byCJ Wallis. The film takes place in Omaha, Nebraska where the National Championship takes place every year and features Super Bowl-winning quarterbackJim McMahon and SEC hostCole Cubelic.[23]
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