I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I haven’t touched a football video game since the mid-’90s. Once the Madden era took over, the games just got too complicated and realistic for me, and I couldn’t be bothered to put in the time to learn all the intricacies. In the years before that, though, my brother and I must have logged hundreds of hours on Tecmo Bowl for the NES. This was basically the perfect football game for me: quick and easy, with just a handful of plays to choose from. I think the sequel, Tecmo Super Bowl, was the ultimate version since it had official NFL teams, plus a slightly expended playbook.

Anyway, with the recent announcement of Tecmo Bowl Throwback for Xbox Live Arcade, I’m excited to see if they can recreate the feel of the original. I know they released a new Tecmo Bowl game for the DS a couple of years ago, but I never played it. Releasing it for Xbox Live makes a lot of sense because it is perfect for online competition. I’m a bit unsure about the ability to switch between 2-D and 3-D on the fly, but I guess it makes it accessible for both old school gamers and newcomers. Unfortunately they don’t have the NFL license anymore, but I kind of have a soft spot for sports games that use fictional teams and players. Tecmo Bowl Throwback will be available on Wed. April 28th for 800 points. The PSN release is still TBA. This is a definite download for me, what about you?