Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff Review

Tecmo’s classic football franchise has finally made its way to the new millennium. Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff will bring a tear to the eyes of gamers with taste for nostalgia. But, don’t expect more than a tear. In an era of next-gen consoles still dominated by Madden fever, you may just find yourself needing more than a blast from the past to maintain your interest.

Now that sports games have sold out to the highest bidder, Tecmo Bowl finds itself without any official NFL team names. You’ll find yourself playing with teams like the Supercocks instead of say the Giants, Raiders or Bears. Supercocks? Yes, somehow a porn-crazed developer got the name Supercocks past quality control and into your child’s hands.

Also, you’ll find yourself without Bo Jackson. Yes, Tecmo Bowl was all about Bo Jackson. Every play was either Touchdown or at the least a first down. Sure, you’ll be able to rename players, but the real Bo just won’t know Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff.

As far as AI goes, you’ll be hard pressed for a challenge against the computer. But, if you’ve been overly vexed the learning curve in next-gen games, then having a moment to play a simple game like Tecmo Bowl, may be the breath of fresh air you need.

If defense is your game, then Tecmo Bowl has it in loads. You’ll love having the opportunity to go for the sack and actually be able to take down a receiver - something that’s lacking in Madden. Unfortunately, on the opposite side of the coin, offensive fans will suffer from repetitive fumbles. Also, the passing game takes some time to get used to as you waste precious seconds getting the ball to the right receiver. On the plus side your QB occasionally gets hot and will lick off a Hail-Mary pass at random.

The controls are all pretty straight forward with the use of the DS stylus being a nice addition. Also, all of the little cut scenes are a nice touch for added fun.

All-in-all Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is a fun game that could benefit from a little tender-love-and-care. If Tecmo decides to crank out an upgraded version every year or so, the franchise may just find a new life.