GRAPHICS SOUND CONTROL FRUSTRATION FUN FACTOR OVERALL

NES Sports 1-2 Players Password Feature Tecmo could possibly be called the pioneer of early sports games for home consoles. Sure, other companies tried their hand at making sports games, and they succeeded... the only problem was, they lacked the playability and fun that Tecmo brought to the genre. Tecmo's niche in the market has always been how easy it is for almost anyone to pick up one of their games and just start playing. Even those with no prior knowledge of the sport can pick up this game and become good at it in a matter of a few games. This ease of play also makes the multiplayer aspect of Tecmo Bowl very fun, especially when two skilled players duke it out. The game proceeds like so: you choose your team (there wasn't a full license, so only about half of the teams are available), and start a season on your way to the Tecmo Bowl. In between games there is a newspaper that displays the final score and your password so you can continue playing later on. You keep doing this over and over again until you finally beat the final team (which is not an easy feat). The actual game mechanics are simple. The A button snaps the ball, breaks tackles, and selects your player, while the B button is used for passing and making diving tackles. Your play selection is sparse, as each team only has four plays to choose from on offense. Most teams have two running plays and two passing plays, but a few have three passing and one running play. On defense, your responsiblity is to try and guess which play your opponent will choose on that down. If you are successful, your defense will "read" the play, and absolutely slaughter the offense. Running the ball is much safer than passing, since it's impossible to fumble the ball, and if your receiver is covered, even if by just one defender, he'll be intercepted 99% of the time. As a result, I found myself running circles around the defense (go, Herschel Walker!) rather than sticking to my usual passing style (boo, Danny White!). Defense is a bit awkward due to the fact that you can only control one of your defenders on any given play. This means if the opposing ball carrier gets past you, you can usually count on it being a touchdown. Rather than just running straight at the ball carrier and going for the tackle, your computer buddies on defense will run around them and try to get them from behind, where they'll dive and miss almost everytime. Once you get the hang of defense, it'll be easy to intercept just about any pass your opponent may throw at you, unless you're Dallas playing Cleveland in the Tecmo Bowl... The game uses real names for the teams, but not their real logos. However, there's an extensive player roster with vital stats for each player. There seems to be a bit of a difference as to how the players perform based on their stats, but not much. Most of the fun of this game is making the plays yourself; the teams are so evenly matched that it's almost impossible to totally blow another team out of the water (though I did manage to flog Cleveland in the Tecmo Bowl with Dallas 35-3). This greatly adds to the realism of the game, as the player can't just sit back and relax, they actually have to use strategy in choosing their plays. The only gripe I have with the game is the insane difficulty toward the end of the season. While not as bad as I had thought (based on others' opinions), the game is pretty unforgiving in the last three games. One botched play on defense and the computer is guaranteed a touchdown. However, just like in the real game, practice makes perfect. Graphics: There is a bit of flickering with all of those little guys on the screen at one time, but it's nothing major. Some of the teams' colors are very similar to one another, and it can get confusing as to who's who at times, which is not a good thing. other than that, the graphics are excellent. The endzones even have team abbreviations in them, and the crowd moves (only a little bit, but hey), and you can actually see peoples' faces as opposed to the usual dots. BLASPHEMY! Sound & Music: From the moment you press the power button, you're greeted with some wonderful music that actually gets you psyched up. The few tunes the play during the game aren't much, but they don't take away from the game at all. In fact, I'd have to go so far as to say they add to the game. The sound effects are excellent as well. Before snapping the ball, your quarterback will bark "Ready! Down! Hut hut hut hut hut...", in traditional NES-style. Marvelous. When I was a kid I thought he was saying "Face down! Hut hut hut hut hut..." Ah, youth... Gameplay: Gameplay is so simple that it's hard not to enjoy this game. Choose a play, run it, hope the defense doesn't "read" it, repeat. Passing can take some getting used to, but once you catch on, look out! Not much to say here, really. It's flawless, especially with two people. Replay Value: I've been playing this game for close to two months straight now, and I've yet to tire of it. I've only played through one complete season, but that's because I tend to play it against humans. It's much more enjoyable. This is one of the few games I can be beaten at (Damn you and your Bears, Payton!), but even in losing the games are so close that it doesn't lead to boredom or frustration. Nostalgia Value: I loved this game when I was just 7 years old. I had no grasp of the sport of football at that age, yet I got a kick out of playing the game. I only beat the computer a handful of times, but I still loved it. Especially the quarterback yelling "Face down!" before every play. Those were the good old days. As is the case with many of my NES games, my friends loved it then, and still love it. Realism: The game is unrealistic in some ways, while realistic in others. The blend of arcade and simulation makes for a game that any person can pick up and play without sacrificing any of the aspects of the great game of football. Sure, there aren't any penalties, injuries, or instant replays, but this game is all about fun. The aforementioned things just slow the game down and aren't necessary to provide a semi-realistic game that anyone can play. Kudos to Tecmo for knowing where to draw the line... I like simplicity. ......BOTTOM LINE: Overall, Tecmo Bowl is a great entry into the NES sports arena, especially for being such an early title. -FlowingMindspin