Tecmo Bowl Kickoff DS Review

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff

DS Review
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Released: November 18, 2008

Tecmo Bowl is a game that is the all-time favorite for many fans of the sports genre of video games.  If you ask die-hard Tecmo Bowl fans, they will tell you that nothing else has ever touched it in regards to a sports game.

The original NES of the Super NES sequel are right up there and have been up there as some of the best and most exciting brands of football in history.

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff marks a resurgence of the franchise, as the game has been brought back for the Nintendo DS.  The new game is very unique in that it really does not attempt to reinvent itself all that much.

Instead, the new Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff actually relies on the old game design a great deal.  The franchise has always been known for arcade-style football and does so once again on the Nintendo DS.

The only thing with this offering though is that without the NFL license, there are no real teams or players, but that is not all that big of a deal once you start playing.

The way in which the game controls on the Nintendo DS is very simplistic, and is definitely more of a pick-up-and-play style of football, just like the original.  The game retains all of the original feel of the NES and Super NES offerings.

An example of this is when you drop back to throw a pass, scrolling through your receivers with the use of a single button.  Once you try this stuff out for the first time, it will feel very different from Madden, but will also provide a nostalgia feeling.

You can use the stylus for some of the gameplay bits, such as choosing receivers and such, but to be honest it is not a recommended way to play the game and takes away from the experience greatly.

In regards to game modes, there is the great Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection feature for multi-player, player trades, and more.  On top of that, there is the extensive one-player Season Mode you can get knee deep in.

The level of customization in the game is also well-done, as you can pretty much change the name of every player on every roster, including team names.  So if you want to get all of the pro players in the game you technically have the ability to do so.

You have to take Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff for what it is, as it is a classic game that has been updated for the Nintendo DS.  The target audience is clearly the same gamers who grew up loving Tecmo Bowl, and those gamers are going to have a blast with this release.  The game is a fast-paced brand of football, and is a lot of fun on the Nintendo DS.  I’ll take this over Madden football on the DS any day, even without the NFL license!

Graphics: 7.8 The graphics are actually pretty well-done considering how nice of a job Tecmo did keeping the game looking like it did back in the 16-bit era, good colors.

Sound: 7.0 The sound is underwhelming to say the least, sound effects could have been improved.

Gameplay: 8.0 The same classic formula returns on the DS, simple, fast and highly-addictive!

Replay Value: 8.0 Plenty to do here with the Wi-Fi support, season mode, and the ability to edit player names and all of that jazz.

Final Score: 7.9

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