(American) Football is a surprisingly complicated sport; it may not look like it as we watch enormous humans endanger themselves while wearing a lot of padding, but it's a game with playbooks and elaborate calls that sound to the uninitiated like the outbursts of lunatics. For most of us fans it's a simple but incredibly satisfying game, with few things better than a skilled quarterback dropping back, surveying the landscape and releasing a perfect throw just as a hulk of a defender brings them down.
That's the feeling Retro Bowl shoots for, along with the classic 8-bit vibe of Tecmo Bowl on NES. Before now a popular mobile game that's gone a bit viral on TikTok, it arrives on Switch with a very modest price and having been carefully balanced for the system. The developers have spent their time well, as you wouldn't know this was previously a mobile game from playing it on Switch — and it even supports the NES and SNES Switch Online pads if you're feeling really old-school.
When you start up you can either pick your favourite team or take charge of a random side with the goal of rising to the top and earning your dream job. Going with the latter, it gave us the New York Jets, so it was eager to give us a real challenge, and we started managing our team and franchise as Head Coach / GM. This management side of the game finds a nice balance of being just deep enough that you actually want to review your roster and staff, but simple to the degree that it's not time-consuming. You only manage up to a dozen 'star' players, with the rest being fill-ins, and you also control facilities, coaches and contracts. You can dip into free agency, build through the draft or initiate trades, but it's all basic enough that we didn't mind diving into it.
At the heart of this system is a currency (coach credits) that initially feels slow to earn. You earn coins as a mix of prestige, results, and sometimes as consequences of your choices. For example, in between games you can get quizzed on your team, choose who to praise, or prioritise sucking up to ownership ahead of a team event. You're always trying to build up your coach points while keeping fans on board and players happy. It's fun and most importantly fair; with a bit of luck — and we'd like to think some smart calls — we were able to build our team through the draft along with a couple of superstar free agents. We didn't have enough money to do everything, so we had to prioritise. Much like a simplistic recreation of real life, then.
But, of course, the main event is the actual games. You only handle offence, with opposition team possessions summarised quickly with text; you still need to build up your defence, though, as our weak starting group got torched in early games. Quarters are only 1, 2 or 3 minutes depending on choice, too, so you rattle through matches. On offence you deal with field goals / add-on points and, most importantly, quarterback play. Occasionally you'll hand off to a running back, but most of the time you'll be dropping back in the pocket, trying to keep your cool and throwing a dime to a receiver. This is all done with the left stick and one button, or you can juke with a runner if you're feeling fancy. It's simple but, good grief, it's fun.
Though this is a pretend NFL, it really feels like backyard football. Playing quarterback with a few friends, spraying it around and pretending you're Patrick Mahomes. Retro Bowl captures this feel beautifully, and as our season wore on we even found ourselves taking the results seriously, as the fantasy drop-back quarterback play combined with actual play-off hopes — for the Jets, madness. (We're told leaderboard support is scheduled for a post-launch update, too.)
That's the key with this game — it's addictive but most importantly simple, immersive fun. A reminder that getting hooked on a game can be due to its design rather than complexity or realism. There are a few flaws — the game has an obsession with fumbles that give you possession on your opponent's 18-yard line, and opposition coaches never seem to use time outs to help their chances. But as a game to play regularly in short bursts, or occasionally in longer sessions, Retro Bowl is a hoot. It's backyard football disguised as the NFL in 8-bit form... and that's brilliant.
Comments (62)
Never been a fan of American (or otherwise) football but have fond memories of drunken Super Tecmo Bowl tourneys in college. Might have to pick this up.
Can I transfer my Bo Jackson NFT from Tecmo to this?
Tecmo Bowl is still the king but this one’s pretty fun. As a Broncos fan, they’re as pants in this as real life! Also, go Bengals!
At least the game didn't 'fumble' on Switch like EA but it seems rather fun. Wishlist time!
@FredBiletnikoff No, it's too overpowered!🤪
Nice one. I just pre-ordered it. With the 40% off, it only cost a couple of quid odds. I have never really liked American football but I loved the 8bit/16bit era games. I also used to love the simpler football manager games, especially ones that also let you get involved in the action, like Footballer of the Year on the Spectrum.
Thanks for the review! Already preordered.
I might give this one a try. Oh, and as a life long Bears fan, I'm not surprised their offense is terrible. Even in a video game I expect nothing less 😃
DUUUUH Bears!
…and only $2.99 right now?! Heck yeah! Why not!?
@thedudeabides05 Hopefully the Browns and Vikings also both suck as well when I play as them. I want a moderate degree of realism here.
Widescreen Tecmo Bowl for $3... Absolutely.
I wonder if my Switch NES controllers will work?
Well i bought it after seeing the score. Then read the review. Then got disappointed you don't play defense lol. Oh well, I'll still check it out. It's only 2.99 after all.
I'm super interested in this and will buy.
I'd love to know how it compares to Football Heroes Turbo (and I guess I'll find out!).
Football Heroes Turbo is also retro styled, also has light GM/Franchise and it has an XP/Leveling system for the players (though the team leveling is broken - making it a real chore after you're 15 hours in).
I pre-ordered this - seems like a no-brainer at the cost, and I'm hopeful!
...I'm also hopeful Madden comes to Switch this year, but that might be just too much wishful thinking!
Thought this game looked familiar, I picked it up on the iPad early 2020. It’s a lot of fun! I think i’ll double dip for £2 on Switch for physical controls and playing on the TV.
@ThomasBW84 This has no local play or online versus though, right? I was really excited about this but the description the game on the eShop says one player... can you confirm?
I would much prefer something closer to NFL Blitz on the Switch... but without the complete disregard for rules. The most recent version from 2012 on PS3 is super fun.
@HolyGeez03 Those were a blast!
I’ve preordered… saw you can edit team names and rosters and £3 and I’m in.
We need a NFL street/blitz/playground and a Madden/college ball game on switch but this will do for now!!!
I’ll spend a good few hours editing teams!
3 mi it’s quarters are super short unless it plays like tecmo did and stops the clock between plays time runs like real time when it does and not the fast Tecmo time.
I actually started a new season on Super Tecmo Bowl for SNES last night. I’m waiting to try this out and already preordered.
Yeah been playing this on the phone.
It's awesome.
Go Chiefs!
It's a fun game (played on iOS), would recommend!
Have this on my phone…for free. Still worth the $3 purchase though, tons of fun!
Random nonsense:
A football game is 60mins.
With a 40sec play clock, meaning, roughly 90 total plays for offense, 45 for each team(sake of arguement).
A run play, if they go to the house, is about 15secs. Much less if tackled short. A pass play is about 10secs.
So, of the actual 60mins a football game, an offense/defense spends about 450-675 seconds actually playing(7-11 mins).
With 17 games a year, that comes out to 3hrs 6mins of work, a football season, not counting practices.
League minimum is $660k.
The lowest of footballers get paid $220k an hour.
I tried the mobile game and I wasn't a fan of no defense.
@PhhhCough Most American Football games that are either collegiate or professional last between three and four hours without overtime. You're not counting the number of times the play clock stops.
You're also not factoring in all of the work players put in over the course of a week/year: practice, film room study, interviews, weightroom, track, PR and community events for the team, and much more.
You're also not considering that the players, aka the product and the reason anyone cares, only make about 49.5 percent of the league's total revenue. The rest goes to the owners, a much smaller group of far wealthier individuals who don't have to put their health and safety on the line.
We truly need a modern day NFL/college football game on the Switch. These retro games are fun and all, but it's pathetic the Switch has sold over 103 million units and we still don't have one modern day football game. That and NHL hockey are the only sports still missing on this console. The NFL needs to pressure EA to make a Switch version of Madden.
Not being able to play defense is a huge bummer, but the offensive gameplay and team management is fantastic, and is definitely worth the three bones.
I need realism man. My Packers need to be unstoppable in the regular season but pushovers come playoff time.
May check this out, as its been a minute since I've played any football games...and someone who's from Chicago....ouch haha
@burninmylight first paragraph, fine, 3+hrs of football, where it's still 7-11mins of actual game time.
Second paragraph, including playoffs, superbowl and byes, its only 4 months of "work". With one game a week, for 7-11mins. With 3 practices a week, with two of them non-contact, due to nflpa. Most of the weight room and practices is to stay healthy and knowledgeable.
Third paragraph, league total revenue doesn't affect the player minimum. Which is $660k, not counting incentives, bonuses, etc. So that special teams player, out there for punts and kickoffs and field goals, gets $660k at least.
I'm not trying to negate what these athletes do. I'm just saying, "they're grown men, playing a child's game, getting a kings ransom" -lorenzo neal
@thedudeabides05 I said it as a Bears fan; the team's stats (one of the screens at the top of the review) made me laugh.
@MeloMan Yes, it's just single player. It's the core mode of managing your team and playing the offence.
It's brilliant at what it does and is good value, but for sure if you prefer multiplayer it may not be what you're looking for.
Well it's kinda hard to hate on a $5 game that isn't terrible.
@AnnoyingFrenzy I beat the Packers in the Super Bowl... as the Jets. Hope that helps
@ThomasBW84 you know what, ill take it, at least they got there finally.
@FredBiletnikoff
Bo Knows ✔️
@thedudeabides05 Chicago born and bred and I have to agree. We can even give the devs an extra point in realism. 😩
Have this on my phone and despite having 0 interest on football for the past decade i found it pretty fun.
Surprised it got a 9 though since the difficulties are either too easy or BS.
They need to do a baseball game in this style too.
I pre-ordered to get the discount. Washington Commandos about to win a super bowl.
Aww, in tecmo bowl, u got to control a defensive back, to break up passes. That's disappointing. Glad to hear it's great, tho.
@ThomasBW84 Those '85 Bears, tho. The only undefeated team besides my '72 Dolphins (probably a worse team over history than the Bears, tho😥).
@PhhhCough how can you not count practices? That's 95% of what the players do...
@burninmylight to be fair, that's how any organization is. The people who put up the money to make the sport, or business, etc possible, make the lion's share. It wouldn't exist without them. Also,, revenue isn't profit. I wish people who criticize "big sports" (like UFC) would understand the difference (not saying u don't, but most who bring up revenue when talking about player/fighter pay do not).
@burninmylight Let's not take into account the other operating expenses that a typical NFL team owner is responsible for, such as the leasing of the stadium, the utilities expenses of operating the stadium, hiring and paying stadium maintenance crew, the concessions products and paying the workers selling them, the salaries of the employees that run the team, such as administrators, marketers, accounting, analysts, etc., the leasing of office space for those employees and the utilities expenses of said office space, the practice facilities that the athletes do their daily routines in, the salaries of those workers who operate those practice facilities. Not to mention all the health, vision, dental insurance and retirement fund benefits for those salaried employees. I can go on and on and on. Tell me if a 6 foot 2 inch-plus, 220+ pound athlete with a Bachelor's degree in Gender Studies would be able to take responsibility for such a large scope of expenses, workers, and employees.
I'm hoping they add defence plays and ramp up the difficulty in the future.
@PhhhCough you find me a game that last 60mins!!! Whilst that’s the time on the clock. They are 3 hours plus.
@ThomasBW84 as the JETS! As a Jets fan I question the realism of this game. Next you’ll tell me you drafted sensibly! Ha.
@nessisonett Gooooooooooooooooo Bengals!!!!
@nessisonett @YANDMAN Hopefully, the Rams destroy them. Joe Booger needs to learn some humility. One of the worst attitudes and people in sports. Worse than Antonio Brown.
Looks like a lot of fun. Might have to pick it up.
Pre-ordered this already so pleased to see it's reviewing well
This focuses too much on management and not enough on actual gameplay for my tastes.
Ugh. So glad I only spent a couple bucks on this and at a discount. This didn't even remotely scratch that Tecmo Bowl itch. The control scheme is awful. I was willing to overlook the management component of it but I apparently glossed over the review too quickly and didn't see the lack of a defense part. Uninstalled this game. Blah.
This is nice.. especially in this weekend where my new orleans outragously is nit playing
This is brilliant! Addictive. Well developed. A cracking little title
"Scratches that Tecmo Bowl throwback itch beautifully"
Let's see...
Tecmo Bowl:
Arcade = 4 players
NES = 2 players
Retro Bowl = 1 player
insert stinky poop emoji
I have enjoyed my time with Retro Bowl while on mobile, and since the switch release I have enjoyed some of the added features this new version offers as well! I hope it leads to better updates in the future!
@bronZfonZ And NFL owners still make money hand over fist from their teams despite all of those operating expenses. And who are the people largely responsible for the billions that the NFL makes? The players.
When you watch a football game, are you tuning in to see players play, or owners own? Did you buy card packs of your favorite players, or your favorite owners?
Tell me if a 5 foot 8 old white man that comes from old money and never worked a blue collar job in his life could get people to buy a ticket, buy a cable package, or get kids to wear jerseys with his name on the back.
@PhhhCough Then stop negating what these athletes do. It stopped being a child's game once people decided that they'd pay hard-earned money to watch other people play the game, and the people playing devote their lives, careers and long-term health to getting someone to pay them to do it.
When you go to a concert, you don't accuse a band, singer or musician of rolling out of bed just to bang a few drums and sing a few notes before calling it a day. I'm pretty sure you acknowledge the hours of painstaking practice and tuning it take to create an album or performance worthy of your time. Just because I sound like Marvin Gaye in the shower doesn't make the profession of singing "child's play".
@twztid13 The 1985 Bears were not undefeated. They went 15-1, their one loss to the Dolphins.
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