Overview
- Number of Players
- 2
- Genre
- Release Date
NES
- Feb 1989
Wii (Wii Shop)
- 12th Mar 2007, 500 points
3DS eShop
- 12th Sep 2013, $4.99
Wii U eShop
- 10th Sep 2015, $4.99
- 17th Sep 2015, £3.49
Nintendo Switch Online (Subscription)
- Available Now
- Also Available On
- Series
- Tags
- Controller Support
Reviews
Review Tecmo Bowl (Wii U eShop / NES)
Move over Madden 16, Tecmo Bowl is back and stealing the NFL spotlight
1989 wasn't just an amazing year because that's when this writer was born. It's an also amazing year because that's when Tecmo Bowl received its home console release on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Boasting an impressive roster from the 1988 NFL season, players could now...
Review Tecmo Bowl (3DS eShop / NES)
Watch that 3DS hinge on the snap
Before video game football became just as complex as real-life football, there was Tecmo Bowl. There weren't hundreds of plays with varying formations or special spin moves to worry about, in fact you didn't actually have to know much about the game of football to enjoy and play it. It was this simplicity that made...
Review Tecmo Bowl (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Will you be bowled over by this one?
Before video game football became just as complex as real-life football, there was Tecmo Bowl. There weren't hundreds of plays with varying formations or special spin moves to worry about, in fact you didn't actually have to know much about the game of football to enjoy and play it. It was this simplicity that...
Screenshots 5
Tecmo Bowl Guides
Guide Every American Football Game On Nintendo Switch
Enough to make you mad(den)
We've given this guide a good refresh ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, which takes place on 11th February and sees defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs go up against the San Francisco 49ers. There's a lot at stake here, so to help diffuse the tension, why not grab some game snacks and check out what American football...
Tecmo Bowl News
News Homage's Range Of Tecmo Bowl Apparel Looks Like A Touchdown For Retro Sports Fans
T-shirt collections are dropping over the next month
American retailer of vintage-inspired graphic t-shirts Homage has announced that it has teamed up with Koei Tecmo for a range of Tecmo Bowl apparel, the first item of which is available on the Homage website today. Launching with the Tecmo Bowl American flag logo t-shirt (now available for $32),...
Soapbox Why I'm Not Excited About Playing NES Games On The Nintendo Switch
All NES'ed out
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Nintendo Life Operations Director Darren Calvert admits that he's not in the least bit excited about the prospect of playing NES games again in 2018... They say that...
Nintendo Download 17th September (Europe)
Year Walk! Mario vs. Donkey Kongs! Bowls of Tecmo!
Another week, another helping of digital delights from Nintendo. If you're in Europe and you want to know exactly what titles you can download to your Wii U and 3DS this week, then you've certainly come to the right place. Wii U eShop: Year Walk (Simogo, £6.29 / €6.99) - Grim tales, horrifying...
Nintendo Download 10th September (North America)
Super Mario Maker! The Swindle! Q.U.B.E! Tecmo Bowl! More!
It's that time again, North American eShop fans, for the Nintendo Download Update details. This week brings one of the year's biggest Wii U retail releases and a range of promising downloads on the home console. On the 3DS we have Hatsune Miku, a theme and... did we mention how good the Wii...
News NES Sports Title Tecmo Bowl Rated By The Australian Classification Board
Marks the title's Virtual Console debut in PAL regions
The NFL arcade game originally developed by Tecmo in 1987 and ported to the NES in 1989 is expected to arrive soon on the Virtual Console in PAL regions after it was recently rated by the Australian Classification Board. This will be the first time Tecmo Bowl has been released in this region as...
Nintendo Download 12th September (North America)
Things get Wonderful, an untold story has a demo, discounts galore and more
It's Nintendo Download time, North America, with a host of new offerings to tempt you this week. We have a wonderful PlatinumGames Wii U retail exclusive, classic Zelda, a promising demo, various sales and more. The DSi even gets some love this week, leaving the Wii as the...
News Classic Retro Titles Coming To North American eShop Later This Year
Super Mario Bros. 3 will be on both Wii U and 3DS
During today's Nintendo Direct it was announced that North America will be getting some timeless classics made available on the eShop. Broadcasting from the Nintendo Treehouse - we're not sure if it's actually a real treehouse - Erik Peterson confirmed five titles will be coming later this year...
News Nintendo Download 29-30 September 2009 (Japan)
Things are back on track with a 2-4-7 week!
After another download holiday Japanese downloaders (and their importing compatriots) are having a week that's more VC than WiiWare and more DSiWare than anything else. WiiWareHamekomi Lucky Puzzle Wii Returns (500pts - Tryfirst) -- This is the sequel to the game known as NEVES Plus elsewhere: a puzzle...
About The Game
Tecmo Bowl pits the player versus the computer in 11-game, single-elimination playoff action. Players also can go head-to-head with a human opponent in action or coach mode. The player can select from 12 teams. On offense there are usually two run and two pass plays to choose from.
The player takes control of the quarterback before the snap and then either hands off to the running back or works through his receiver progression from the top to the bottom of the screen.
Defense consists of trying to guess which offensive play the opponent will select and then taking control of one of the defensive players before the snap. A very simple power-meter system is used for kicking field goals, extra points and punts.
Comments 36
Oh man.....I used to take Bo Jackson to the end zone every play....Ah, those were the days. Bo knows sports!
I think the game is dreadfully boring and after playing it for free on tons of other platforms, I'd actually REFUSE to spend $5 on it. You're better off holding out for StarFox 64 or something.
I remember this was thee game to play back in the days. Everyone loved it, and couldn't wait for their turn when you had more than 2 peeps. Sure, it's in the "it's an old game" dept. but i'm sure it's still fun to play. It's simplicity is it's charm.
Tecmo Bowl is great, worth the 5 bucks and all but where is the NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl thats where it is at.
I was really hoping the far superior Tecmo Super Bowl would make it first. While it was the one I grew up with and had the most memories playing, comparing it to Tecmo Bowl, this feels like an incomplete game. Super had every team in the NFL at the time, a season mode, twice as many plays per round, cooler music, better graphics in cutscenes, etc. I'd say 3 stars is a more appropriate rating. Just because Tecmo Super Bowl IS a much better game in the series.
This one DOES NOT have player names. Yes it has numbers, but no names. No "Bo Jackson" or "Lawrence Taylor" Just their numbers and their kick assery so you assume its them. I love when you make a touch town with Bo and yet 2 white guys hug in the end zone.
The original Tecmo Bowl had player names, and was specifically endorsed by the NFL Player's Association-in fact, there are three versions of the rosters: the original, with Eric Dickerson on the Colts, a revised version without Dickerson, and the Japanese release, which updated rosters from the '87 season to the '89 season.
The original Tecmo Bowl had the names as well, but with EA Sports having the exclusive rights to the NFL license, there was no way Tecmo was going to be able to include them.
That settles it, I'm getting it.
Seems pointless to me until Nintendo implements an online play system for VC games. :/
This is one of THE best Nes games every made! But you need someone to play against to make it any fun. Simplicity, an craziness of throwing a pass the entire length of the field, LOL! Absolutely an awesome game
An ya Online play? Over the top fun if they could do it, an allow 4 players just like the original arcade version.
This is one of the most enjoyable two-player games that I have ever played. The one-player mode is a bit too easy, but I have not played a more addictive football game since this. Tecmo Bowl gets 5/5.
It's a good game, but wait for Tecmo Super Bowl. We all love the Tecmo Bowl game play, but what made TSB great was the full season, stat tracking, injuries, and so on.
I agree, if they were going to release a Football game it has to be Super Tecmo Bowl. **Off subject, If there was a game I would love to see released as a virtual Console game. BaseBall Stars (first one), the ability to make your own team, add abilities, trade, release and play any team (Friends), that did not get the chance to play that day it did not matter. For an NES game, that felt like a whole game, that could still be playable (not comparable) to todays games.
I played this at my nephew's house and instantly fell in love with it. Although i never won, but that'll change!
(There's a code that'll make your team invisible! I'm not saying what it is, though!)
This is a good game but the VC version is ruined by licence issues. The real names made a big difference. Its fun but not as fun as it used to be.
I totally had a flashback and laugh @ Joseph's comment. I guess football wasn't integrated in Nintendo cut-scene land. And I agree with everyone. Tecmo - get your heads straight and bring out Tecmo Super Bowl so I can run for 225 yards on eight carries with Barry Sanders in average condition, run up the score and throw my classic controller at my tv in disgust when I throw my first interception of the year with Montana in week 14 bringing my 325 qb rating down a point or two.
Guys, you can't say Tecmo bowl's a bad game just you think Tecmo Super bowl is better. To be honest, I think TB is better.
I disagree with Vann Styrke on the music factor. In my opinion, This one has better music.
I'm among the "Tecmo Super Bowl is far better" crowd, but the original Tecmo Bowl is better than nothing.
I'm scared that they won't be able to bring TSB to the Virtual Console. Taking the names out is easy (although I prefer fake names to blank space), but there are tons of NFL logos in the game that would need to be removed, aren't there? I don't think it would be worth Tecmo's while to do that extensive an amount of work on that ROM.
Hey, Guys! They're making Tecmo Bowl '08(Working title)!
What?! Gametrailers says that Tecmo Super Bowl is one of the Greatest games ever made? And I thought Tecmo Bowl was better. (sigh)
It's amazing how a game so simple can be so addicting and so fun. I still can remember 15 years ago when my friend and I were playing and we intercepted the ball from each other on six straight plays. Just picked up the actual cartridge this past summer and love it.
Why isn't Europe getting this, there are football fans here too!!
(Not many, but some )
^Yeah. Come on, we get tons of baseball games, but they can't hand us one tiny football game?
There are probably better games for the VC but it would be cool if it came over here in europe as it sounds like a title that is well worth a look.
Good game (walter payton is all I have to say), but Tecmo Super Bowl improved on it massively.
I thought about getting this, despite the fact that I don't care that much about sports games, especially old ones, but I think i should just wait for Tecmo Super Bowl, or that new Tecmo Bowl coming out for DS. Plus, the removal of licensed players does suck.
Even though Tecmo Super Bowl is significantly better, it wouldn't exist if this masterpiece didn't come first. The thing that nulifies this normally sure-fire purchase is the lack of player names. There were video football games before Tecmo Bowl, but none had the real player names. That was the charm of Tecmo Bowl. You were the real guys. It's just not as fun not having them on there.
Despite the fact that the players' names have been removed, this is the best possible type of nostalgia. Played this one (and Super Tecmo Bowl) constantly while in high school and college. It's a classic that really was the first great video football game.
i remember really liking this game as a kid and maybe madden has spoiled me...i ended up getting this and got real bored, real quick. i wish i hadn't spent the $5. in 2008, this game leaves a lot to be desired. i don't know how anyone wouldn't get bored of this game very quickly. not recommended.
Tecmo Bowl is legendary. Although not the original Arcade game, it's the first of it's kind on the NES. Yes, Tecmo Super Bowl is better than Tecmo Bowl - but that's besides the point.
This game's simplicity, even to that of Tecmo Super Bowl, is something that can allow nearly anyone to pick up a controller and play (only 4 plays). Personally, I love this game - as I grew up playing this (as well as the Gameboy version) more so than Tecmo Super Bowl. Unfortunately the real rosters could not be used on the VC version... because the slightly older rosters than Tecmo Super Bowl in this version were real neat. I will not be buying this most likely, only because I still have the original cartridges for both systems.
In terms of gameplay, very rarely are there incompletions. This adds up to a very interesting dynamic. Nearly every single pass in this game is either completed or intercepted. I've honestly only seen about 5 incompletions in nearly 50 games played.
I have extremely fond memories of playing through the entire season with the password system (some days even just playing the entire way straight through). Ahh, back in the glory days of my beloved 49ers...
If you are a football game fan or nostalgic NFL fan like I am, you will love this game. I gave it a 5/5, partially because of my bias... a more honest assessment would be 4/5, I suppose.
"Hut hut hut hut hut hut hut hut..." Oh man. I forgot how fun this game was. It's tough to remember what teams were really good back in those days. I am a Seattle Seahawks fan but back then (when I was like 9) I was a NY Giants fan. They were good in the game... Seattle was not. Ah the memories.
I am not a football fan and I like it,4 stars!
I spent more then a few hours with this game back in the 8-bit era. Me and my friends spent many a Friday night playing away at this game. It's certainly not for anyone expecting an in-depth football experience, but it's the best arcade-style football game ever made.
Send me a request my Tecmo bowlaz! Let’s play sometime! SW-0263-0264-6340 cleanup2k
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