Tecmo Super Bowl

Released for the NES in 1991, Tecmo Super Bowl took the fast, arcade-style football of Tecmo Bowl and turned it into a much deeper sports game. It was the first game to combine licenses from both the NFL and NFL Players Association, allowing it to feature all 28 NFL teams of the era alongside real players. That alone made it a huge step forward for football games on the NES.

The biggest improvement is the amount of control given to the player. Instead of a handful of teams and plays, Tecmo Super Bowl offers eight plays to choose from during games, customizable playbooks, substitutions, fumbles, injuries, improved kicking, and a much larger roster system. Each team has 30 players, while player attributes help determine things such as speed, passing, running, and ball control.

The real star, however, is the Regular Season mode. You can take control of a team and work through the full NFL season, keeping track of standings, player statistics, league leaders, and eventually the playoffs. Teams can also be set to different control styles, allowing you to personally play games, act as a coach and call plays, let the computer handle everything, or skip games and simply follow the results.

Despite all these additions, Tecmo Super Bowl never loses the immediacy that made its predecessor so fun. Games move quickly, big plays feel exciting, and the famous player cutscenes give important moments plenty of personality. For many NES players, it remains one of the best football games ever made for the system.