View source for Tecmo Super Bowl

{{short description|1991 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Tecmo Super Bowl
|image = Tecmo Super Bowl.jpg
|caption = North American NES box art
|developer = [[Tecmo]]
|publisher = Tecmo
|director = [[Shin-ichiro Tomie]]
|programmer = Akihiko Shimoji<br />[[Tomonobu Itagaki]]
|artist = Kazushige Tomita<br />Yoshitaka Mizushima
|composer = [[Keiji Yamagishi]]<br />Ryuichi Nitta
|series = ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]''
|platforms = [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[Sega Genesis]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]
|released = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|December 13, 1991}}|'''NES'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP|December 13, 1991<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/|title=All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015061257/https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/|url-status=dead}}</ref>|NA|December 1991<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |publisher=Nintendo of America |title=NES Games |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611225644/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |archive-date=June 11, 2014 }}</ref>}} '''Super NES''' {{vgrelease|JP|November 26, 1993<ref name="SNES-JapanDate">{{cite web |title=スーパーファミコンソフト [Super Famicom Software] |url=http://www.tecmo.co.jp/product/sufami.htm |website=[[Tecmo]] |access-date=October 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010626234429/http://www.tecmo.co.jp/product/sufami.htm |archive-date=June 26, 2001 |quote=９３年１１月２６日 - テクモスーパーボウル |language=Japanese |url-status=live}}</ref>|NA|November 1993<ref>{{cite web |title=Nintendo.com - Complete old games list (NES, SNES, GB, GBC, VB, N64) |url=https://archive.org/details/completeoldgameslist/page/n39/mode/2up |website=Internet Archive |access-date=January 5, 2025 |date=2003}}</ref>}} '''Genesis''' {{vgrelease|JP|November 26, 1993<ref>{{cite web |title=ソフトウェア一覧（ソフトライセンシー発売） {{!}} メガドライブ {{!}} セガハード大百科 |url=https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html |website=ソフトウェア一覧（ソフトライセンシー発売） {{!}} メガドライブ {{!}} セガハード大百科 |access-date=January 5, 2025 |language=ja}}</ref>|NA|1993}} '''PlayStation'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|1996}}
}}
|genre = [[Sports video game|Sports]] ([[List of American football video games|American football]])
|modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
}}
'''''Tecmo Super Bowl'''''{{efn|Known in Japan as テクモスーパーボウル ''Tekumo Sūpā Bōru''}} is a 1991 [[List of American football video games|American football video game]] developed and published by [[Tecmo]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES). It is the sequel to 1987's ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]'', as well as the first video game to be licensed by both the [[National Football League]] and the [[National Football League Players Association]], thus allowing the game to use the names and attributes of real NFL teams and players. Prior games used either the real teams, the real players, or fictional substitutes, but not real teams and players together.

The game was a major success,<ref name="ign">[https://web.archive.org/web/20050716052117/http://top100.ign.com/2005/021-030.html IGN's top 100 Games] (ranked 24) retrieved October 31, 2006</ref> resulting in several follow-ups for subsequent game consoles. The NES original has had an extensive [[cult following]] across the decades,<ref name="cult">{{cite magazine|last=Burke|first=Chris|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/07/07/tecmo-super-bowl-nfl-video-games-nintendo|title=Tecmo Super Bowl's popularity lives on 25 years later - 25 years later, Tecmo Super Bowl maintains cult following|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|publisher=theMaven, Inc.|date=July 6, 2016|access-date=2020-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815015804/https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/07/07/tecmo-super-bowl-nfl-video-games-nintendo|archive-date=2020-08-15|url-status=live}}</ref> with widely covered tournaments as the [[Mod (video games)|game modification]] community provides annual roster updates. It has been variously named as one of the best NES games, one of the best sports games, and one of the most influential video games of all time.

== Overview ==
With ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]'' for [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] in 1989, Tecmo had procured an official license from the [[National Football League Players Association]], providing twelve teams and a truncated roster. The full NFL team license was unavailable because of the exclusive license held for another NES game, ''[[NFL (video game)|NFL]]'' published by [[LJN]].<ref name="NFL Football">[http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/home/587483.html NFL Football] retrieved August 25, 2009</ref> The success of ''Tecmo Bowl'' was followed by the release of ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' in 1991 in North America and Japan,<ref name="Release Date">[http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/data/587686.html Release Date] retrieved August 25, 2009</ref> for which Tecmo acquired both sets of the NFL/NFLPA licenses, making it the first and only NES game to feature both real NFL teams and players. Although the game was released in late 1991, all team rosters and player attributes are from the prior [[1990 NFL season|1990–91 NFL season]], so it contains no rookies taken in the [[1991 NFL draft]] and no player team changes executed before the start of the 1991 season.

''Tecmo Super Bowl'' surpasses its predecessor with the complete 1991 league of 28 teams,<ref name="NFL History 1991–2000">[http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1991-2000 NFL History 1991–2000] retrieved August 25, 2009</ref><ref name="NFL History 2001-">[http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/2001- NFL History 2001–] retrieved August 25, 2009</ref> expanded rosters, expanded playbooks, and statistical tracking including NFL records. [[Jim Kelly]], [[Randall Cunningham]], and [[Bernie Kosar]] are represented by generic names of QB Bills, QB Eagles, and QB Browns, respectively, because the players were not members of the NFLPA's marketing contract.<ref name=NFLPA-Lie>{{cite web|title=QB Eagles and the NFLPA Lie|url=https://tecmobowlers.com/2015/09/29/qb-eagles-nflpa-lie/|first=Keith|last=Good|date=September 29, 2015|work=Tecmo Bowlers|access-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref> This gameplay foundation would be expanded upon during the course of the series' run.

== Gameplay ==
{{Empty section|date=October 2025}}
[[File:Tecmosuperbowl.png|thumb|[[Bo Jackson]] is carrying the ball.]]

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews 
| Allgame = {{Rating|4|5}} (SNES)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14153&tab=review |title=Tecmo Super Bowl (SNES) Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116001137/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14153&tab=review |archive-date=16 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{Rating|4|5}} (GEN)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12599&tab=review |title=Tecmo Super Bowl (Genesis) Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116001140/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12599&tab=review |archive-date=16 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{Rating|2.5|5}} (PS1)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7978&tab=review |title=Tecmo Super Bowl (PlayStation) Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116045828/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7978&tab=review |archive-date=16 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

In the United States, ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' topped [[Babbage's]] NES sales charts for three months in 1992, from October to December.<ref name="EGMDec1992">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20041%20%28December%201992%29/page/n47 |title=EGM Top Ten |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=41 |date=December 1992 |page=48}}</ref><ref name="EGMJan1993">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20042%20%28January%201993%29/page/n45 |title=EGM Top Ten |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=42 |date=January 1993 |page=46}}</ref><ref name="EGMFeb1993">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthly_201902/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%20043%20%28February%201993%29/page/n37 |title=EGM Top Ten |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=43 |date=February 1993 |page=38}}</ref> At a retail price of $54.99 ({{Inflation|US|55|1992|fmt=eq|r=0}}), it was the most expensive NES game released to date.<ref>{{cite news |last=Plunkett |first=Judy A. |date=1992-01-31 |title=Would-Be Buyers Frustrated over Super Bowl Video Game |work=[[The Miami Herald]] |page=10A |quote=...a $54.99 cartridge—the most expensive ever offered for the Nintendo eight-bit system...}}</ref>

In 1997, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' and ''[[IGN]]'' each named ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' as one of the top 100 video games of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=100 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=November 1997|page=120}}</ref><ref name="ign"/> [[IGN]] ranked ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' number 53 in its top 100 NES games.<ref name="IGN Top 100 NES">[http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/53.html IGN Top 100 NES]</ref> [[GamesRadar]] ranked it number 22 in its list of the best NES games, noting that it may be the only football game from the NES still widely played.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best NES Games of all time |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/ |work=[[GamesRadar]] |date=April 16, 2012 |access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> ''[[PC Magazine]]'' ranked the game number 10 in its list of the ten most-influential video games of all time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Jeffrey L.|title=The 10 Most Influential Video Games of All Time|url=https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1206,l=251652&a=251651,00.asp|work=[[PC Magazine]]|access-date=April 19, 2012|date=June 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411053612/http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1206,l=251652&a=251651,00.asp|archive-date=April 11, 2012}}</ref> [[ESPN]] named ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' the greatest sports video game of all time.<ref name="ESPN">[https://www.espn.com/espnradio/story?id=6165623 ESPN Top Sports Games] retrieved August 31, 2011</ref>

==Legacy==
===Sequels and related games===
Tecmo produced several direct sequels to ''Tecmo Super Bowl'', and other games originating with the ''Tecmo Bowl'' engine. 16-bit versions of ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] and [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] were released in 1993 (reflecting the rosters and attributes for [[1993 NFL season|that season]]), which fixed many bugs and added some new features. New features include these: improved game graphics and sound; official NFL team logos in the [[end zone]]s; user-controlled touchbacks; the ability to control a player to attempt a punt block; the in-game option to change plays in a team's playbook during games; a running back "dive play" option; a designated return team that includes defensive backs; statistical achievements during games; and three weather conditions (sunny, rain and snow), which can occur randomly in Season mode. Accelerated fifteen-minute and ten-minute quarters can only be used for Exhibition and Pro Bowl games. The game can play three consecutive seasons (1991–1993). Sequels to these versions, ''[[Tecmo Super Bowl II: Special Edition]]'' and ''[[Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition]]'', were released in subsequent years for the Super NES and Genesis. These were followed by ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] in 1996.

''Tecmo Super Bowl'' for the PlayStation sports new features such as a new player editor which can make unlimited amounts of unrestricted trades, change jersey numbers, edit player attributes, edit names, and swap player portraits. It has a play-by-play announcer voice. Offenses can pick a formation before selecting a particular play. The game has alternate camera angles, instant replay, and the option to adjust AI difficulty in regular season games. This is the last entry in the series to have the NFL and NFLPA licenses, and reflected the rosters and attributes of the [[1996 NFL season|1996 season]].

A [[Sega Saturn]] version was in development,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Later this Season... |magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=97 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=October 1996 |page=100}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Tecmo Super Bowl |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=89|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=December 1996|page=314}}</ref> but was never released. Subsequent entries, such as 2008's ''[[Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff]]'' for the [[Nintendo DS]],<ref name=ignannouncement>{{cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/articles/870/870922p1.html|title=Tecmo Bowl Returns|last=Harris|first=Craig|work=[[IGN]]|date=May 1, 2008}}</ref> and 2010's ''[[Tecmo Bowl Throwback]]'' for the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PS3]] feature generic players and teams, due to [[Electronic Arts]] obtaining the exclusive NFL and NFLPA licenses in 2004 for the [[Madden NFL]] series.

===Cult following===
Since the advent of modern [[Video game console emulator|console emulation]] on computers, ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' is one of the most [[Mod (video games)|modified]] NES games. This contributes greatly to its [[cult following]] as it is constantly updated with rosters for college and professional football. Numerous websites are dedicated to pickup games, online leagues, and message boards for the original game and its mods.<ref name="cult"/> In 2016, popularity spiked with 26 national tournaments,<ref name=TecmoBowl.org>{{cite web|title=Tecmo Super Bowl Live Tournaments|url=http://tecmobowl.org/forum/159-tecmo-tournaments/}}</ref> Tecmo Madison XIII's livestream having 161,076 viewers,<ref name=TecmoMadison.com>{{cite web|title=Tecmo Madison XIII Sees Newfound Success, Same Champion|url=http://tecmomadison.com/tecmo-madison-xiii-sees-newfound-success-champion/|first=Chris|last=Vogt|date=May 3, 2017|work=MWTecmo.com|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref> and ESPN.com providing coverage.<ref name=ESPNTecmoMadison>{{cite web|title=Tecmo Super Bowl gunning for resurgence with esports|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/19095180/tecmo-super-bowl-gunning-resurgence-esports|first=Michael|last=Rothstein|date=April 7, 2017|work=ESPN|access-date=April 7, 2017}}</ref><ref name=ESPNTecmoMadison2>{{cite web|title=Tecmo Madison Recap|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0654817491540778707-4|first=Michael|last=Rothstein|date=May 1, 2017|work=ESPN|access-date=May 1, 2017}}</ref>

An episode of ''[[NFL Films]] Presents'' documents the video game and its cult following. Centering on the annual world championship tournament in [[Madison, Wisconsin]],<ref name="tecmomadison">{{cite web|url=http://www.tecmomadison.com/|title=Tecmo Madison – Official Site of the Tecmo Super Bowl World Championships|publisher=TecmoMadison.com|access-date=May 27, 2014}}</ref> the episode includes interviews with NFL greats such as [[Emmitt Smith]] and [[Christian Okoye]]<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/10/23/okoye-tecmo-super-bowl/1651951/ | title=Chiefs legend Christian Okoye discovers his Tecmo Super Bowl dominance | first=Chris | last=Strauss | work=USA Today | date=2012-10-23}}</ref> who are featured in the original game, and modern NFL players such as [[Philip Rivers]] who discuss their passion for the game.<ref name=KotakuDoc>{{cite web|title=The NFL's Greatest Players Revere Tecmo Bowl Too|url=http://www.kotaku.com/5954671/the-nfls-greatest-players-revere-tecmo-bowl-too/|first=Owen|last=Good|date=October 24, 2012|work=Kotaku|publisher=Gawker Media|access-date=October 26, 2012}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
Gameplay is featured in the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Run, Chris, Run]]", where [[Peter Griffin|Peter]] uses [[Bo Jackson]] to beat [[Glenn Quagmire|Quagmire]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Paget|first1=Mat|title=Family Guy Used NES Game Footage From YouTube, Then Claimed Copyright on Same Video|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/family-guy-used-nes-game-footage-from-youtube-then/1100-6440033/|website=GameSpot|access-date=May 21, 2016}}</ref>

''Tecmo Bowl'' is a central theme for two 2016 [[Kia Sorento]] commercials, starring Bo Jackson and playing off his ridiculously advantageous in-game characteristics. One features [[Brian Bosworth]], who had been famously run over by Jackson during a ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' game in 1987 as he attempted to score a touchdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/09/bo-jackson-tecmo-super-bowl-kia-commercial-video |title=Bo Jackson stars in awesome new 'Tecmo Super Bowl'-themed commercial &#124; For The Win |website=Google.com |date=September 9, 2016 |access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Tecmo Bowl}}
{{Tomonobu Itagaki}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tecmo Super Bowl}}
[[Category:1991 video games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis games]]
[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Tecmo Bowl]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Keiji Yamagishi]]