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Joystiq impressions: Tecmo Bowl Kickoff (DS)
Game companies must find old IP profitable, with yet another retro remake on the way in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff. This DS diversion plunges into the nostalgia glands within our hypothalamus; we fondly associate the NES original with grade-school sleep-overs. Maybe there's a direct connection between our memories and Visa card after all.And on that level, Tecmo Bowl wins. It's hokey, clunky, and fun. We think gamers who missed the NES or SNES versions won't enjoy it nearly as much as their John Maddens. But the Tecmo Bowl simplicity can even be elegant. You're limited to just a few runs and passes. There's no play clock. Team names and players are fictitious. Cut-scene interludes show the biggest graphical effects, with on-field play just clear enough to make out what's happening.%Gallery-33768%
Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff trailer tells us everything else is just a football game
For those of us that enjoyed the original Tecmo Bowl and its SNES sequel, Super Tecmo Bowl, this trailer is going to be chock full of nostalgia. It looks like Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is going to include those awesome cutscenes, like when trying to dive over the line into the endzone. Other than an annoying trailer narrator, we're liking what we see here.%Gallery-23836%
Tecmo Bowl Kickoff trailer touches down
With its epic voice-over and claims that you've pretty much never played football like this ever, the latest trailer for Tecmo Bowl Kickoff nearly makes the game seem like it will have you saving the universe. Of course, unless you squint to catch the actual gameplay on the bottom screen, you'd also think it's comprised entirely of cinematics. Still, it's nice to see this level of production being lavished on a handheld treatment of the bona fide classic, even if it is a bit extreme ... as extreme as pint-sized pigskin can get, at least. Oh, and we think you have played a football game like this before: the original Tecmo Bowl. (That's not a bad thing.)
Fresh footage for Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff breaks through the line
Ah, Tecmo Bowl. We have some very fond memories of you, namely getting together with the cousins and other relatives on holidays and racing upstairs to the NES so we could throw the virtual pigskin around. Those were good times.And when Tecmo announced that the series was making a comeback, we found ourselves to be cautiously optimistic. Sure, we had hoped the traditional approach would return, but when things are revisited so many years later, there's a danger of losing what originally made the source material great. Thankfully, that isn't the case here, and we feel that Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is not only a must-have, but also could very well be a cheap ticket back to the wonderful days of our childhood.%Gallery-23836%
E308: Welcome to the Tecmo Bowl
The whip-yielding soul suckers at Joystiq told us about some of Tecmo Bowl Kickoff's DS enhancements when they got their hands on the game, but this video reveals a few more things (and straight from producer Ryan Gilbo's mouth). We like how Tecmo really thought this remake through, and didn't just create a shabby port for the handheld. Not only does on-the-go Tecmo Bowl warm our arcade-loving hearts, but the customization options and super moves available only add a dash of excellence to the idea. We're definitely going to take a look at Tecmo Bowl Kickoff this fall, but the question is -- which version? From all the nice perks we've been hearing about the DS title, that's probably the one we'll be behind.
All 300 employees suing Tecmo
Or, at least, representatives of all 300. As hard as it may be to believe, Team Ninja's departure isn't the worst thing to happen to Tecmo this week. The two executive officers of their labor union have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming, as both Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja (reportedly) have, that Tecmo owes them unpaid wages. Evidently, Tecmo used an illegal "flexible hours" pay scheme that denied employees overtime.We would imagine that if Tecmo has to pay all these lawsuits out, they're done. It puts the future of their upcoming games -- Tecmo Bowl Kickoff, Monster Farm DS 2, the Rygar Wii port, and the Mighty Bomb Jack revival that only existed in our minds anyway. Beyond that stuff, it's sad to see such a classic game company on its way out, and it's terrible for all those employees whose jobs may be over (though perhaps they'll end up moving to a company who pays them).Tecmo's response to Famitsu states that they have (coincidentally) phased out the flexi-time this year, and that they were "consulting with an external specialist to ensure compliance with labour laws" while devising their systems. The Tecmo rep said that the company had discussed the unpaid wages with its employees in April, and that Tecmo was "currently calculating those unpaid wages."
Joystiq hikes the handheld pigskin in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff
Joystiq managed to get their dirty hands on Tecmo Bowl Kickoff, and really enjoyed the redux of the old classic. According to our evil incredibly smart and good-looking overlords, the game both looked and played well on the DS -- what more can you ask for?When it comes to the controls, players have the option between using the D-pad/buttons or the stylus. Joystiq thought that the D-pad option was the better scheme, and was intuitive enough to make the game accessible to all gamers, not just those who've spent hours upon hours training with Madden. They also really enjoyed the addition of super moves, even though this new feature isn't an extravagant change to the gameplay. The point is, though, that Tecmo football didn't need a big overhaul.Their one major concern, though, was the WFC play. Not the fact that it exists, clearly. Yet, Tecmo Bowl Kickoff's customization scheme might be a little too deep for its own good, thereby ruining online play. You see, Tecmo cleverly worked around EA's NFL monopoly by adding tons of customization options (as seen in the video above). Player names and stats can be changed, among other things. In terms of multiplayer battles, however, we can foresee many gamers abusing such statistics in order to create an advantage over their opponents.Hopefully that won't be too much of an issue. In any case, pop on past the break to see some gameplay videos, or go here to read the unabridged impressions from Joystiq.%Gallery-23836%
Tecmo Bowl soon breaking tackles on Wii
For this blogger, sports is a big part of life. The competition, the stats and the camaraderie of sports is one that will never leave this blogger's life. And, being a huge game nerd, the love of sports and games both played a big part in developing the individual typing out this post in both Tecmo Bowl and Super Tecmo Bowl. Seriously, you have no idea how many hours were dumped into those games ...And now, like a lost puppy finding its way home, the franchise returns to Nintendo consoles. We don't have any information other than a confirmation from Tecmo that the franchise is coming to Wii, but we're pretty sure it'll be branded the same as the new DS game.
Joystiq hands-on: Tecmo Bowl Kickoff
We tried to get Hank Williams, Jr. to kick off this post with "Are You Ready for Some Football?" but he was booked. So, we're just going to assume that you are, in fact, ready for some football ... in this case, a rundown of our recent hands-and-stylus-on with Tecmo Bowl Kickoff for Nintendo DS. It's been 19 years since the original Tecmo Bowl hit the field on NES, making it one of the earliest football sims, not to mention one of the most famous. For its return on modern hardware, Tecmo drafted its first US executive producer, Ryan Gilbo, to head the project, and he promptly set out to update the game just enough, but not change too much.Read on for our full impressions and see first video of the game in action after the break.%Gallery-23985%
Tecmo Bowl touching down on Wii in '09
The original NES gridiron classic is available on Virtual Console, but Tecmo revealed at its Tuesday night coming out party for Tecmo Bowl Kickoff that an all-new game in the fan favorite football series is in development specifically for Wii. No details on the game were divulged, other than that it will hit the field sometime in 2009. Do we smell the faint aroma of a WiiWare-perfect title in there with sweaty pigskin players?
DS Daily: That tricky extra dimension
Tecmo's announcement that Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff would be a "classic 2D game" cheered us no end. Too often for our liking, developers seem desperate to recreate the kind of 3D games we'd find on beefier home consoles, and the results are rarely pretty. This blogger recently got around to trying out Brothers in Arms (on the advice that the game was a technical marvel), and found it to be a mess of treacly frame rates and choppy visuals. If World War II had moved at this pace, we'd still be fighting.Occasionally, however, 3D on the DS does work, and quite splendidly in some instances. It may sound odd, but I still consider Nintendogs to be one of the best uses of 3D on the platform, simply because it wouldn't have been a tenth as engaging in 2D. How about you, dear reader? What do you consider to be the finest 3D offerings on our humble handheld?
Details on Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff break through the line
For all of you fans of the gridiron, the news that the Tecmo Bowl franchise was getting a reboot and coming to the DS likely brought back fond memories of long passes for touchdowns and leaping over the pile at the goal line. Personally, we're dying to see a screen shot already, but that's beside the point. Prepare yourself to want this game more, though, because Tecmo let loose some details on the upcoming game.Known features include: Customizable teams: players can select color, emblem, player names, city and abilities Super abilities: some players will have special abilities that allow them to pull off big plays Wi-Fi and local multiplayer: oh yeah, you can play a friend in the same room or somebody across the country Stylus control: no other details on this one, yet Over 32 different teams Cut scenes: huh? Customizable playbook: no idea on how much you can customize it, but it's a nice feature So there you have it. Personally, these fresh details get us pumped to be out on the field, cracking heads. How about you?
Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff keeping it old school
Some of the details released yesterday about Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff didn't sound terribly old school to us (see: stylus control and internet play), but Tecmo wants us to know that the game's roots won't be forgotten in its DS rebirth.Rather than take the "janky 3D" direction chosen by other football games on the DS -- hello, Madden -- a Tecmo spokesperson assured MTV's Multiplayer blog that Kickoff would be a "classic 2D game." Score! We're already envisioning this as Tecmo Bowl with Super Dodgeball Brawlers-style visuals, and that makes us go all tingly inside.Also keeping with tradition (though arguably in a less appealing way), the title won't come with licensed NFL teams, thanks to the fact that EA recently secured the rights to those until the end of 2012. This means the game will instead come with 32 teams with names that "fit with the original spirit of Tecmo Bowl," which can then be customized within the game.
Tecmo Bowl Kickoff lands on DS this fall
Tecmo today announced Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff for DS, a revival of the classic sports franchise that will have to make due without an NFL license. Tecmo first confirmed the work-in-progress nearly a year ago, but at the time declined to specify the intended platform, saying only, "it's probably not going to be on the platform that you're expecting." But really, is there any other system better suited to Tecmo Bowl's patented zig-zagging runs than the DS with its stylus?Kickoff will feature arcade-style gameplay with various customization options, reports IGN. The game will also support local wireless multiplayer, as well as a Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode. Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is due this fall.Update: Here are some additional details straight from Tecmo:
Tecmo Bowl making a comeback on DS this fall
We've known for almost a year that Tecmo would be reviving the much-loved Tecmo Bowl franchise, though the company has remained tight-lipped on the intended platform. Until ... now. IGN just revealed that Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff would be hitting our DS screens this fall, complete with stylus control, fully customizable teams, players, and emblems, and both local wireless and internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.Apart from the logo above, there's no media for this one yet, but we're already chomping at the bit for some pigskin action. We recommend you warm up by grabbing the original from the Virtual Console. Hut hut!
The Joystiq Weekend: February 2 - 3, 2008
Unfortunately, Tecmo Bowl can't predict everything. Now that the Super Bowl (or, perhaps more importantly, the episode of House that came on after) is over, check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryPS Fanboy Week in Review: 1/28 - 2/3Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: It's a Gamer's LifeNewsSpace Siege console port is 'definitely' being consideredWiimote peripheral patent diagrams are hilarious, unsettlingRockstar already expects controversy over GTA IVVideo games give B-list actors a second chanceSecond Lost: Via Domus trailer is riddled with subliminal messagesRumors & SpeculationRumor: Novels on their way to European DSesCulture & CommunityFour48 crew takes on the world in Resident Evil 4 raceHacked PlayStation Eye does desktop VRNew GameSpot Editor in Chief wants to regain your trust GameTrailers Super Bowl simulation also picks Patriots
Today's most retro recap video: Super Tecmo Bowl XLII
Exactly one year ago, the BBPS gang tried to use Tecmo Bowl to predict the Super Bowl champs. The game simulation picked the Bears (yeah, that was wrong). This year, Madden 08 picked Tom Brady's New England Patriots as the winning time for Super Bowl XLII, but what does Tecmo Bowl say? ArmChairGM ran the simulation.We'll won't spoil the results (that link will), but you can watch the game in the two videos embedded after the break.
Super Swing Golf sequel features a Tecmo-tastic costume
The first Swing Golf Pangya (as Super Swing Golf was known in Japan) featured costumes that made your golfer look like Tecmo characters Kasumi or Ayane from the Dead or Alive series, or Ryu Hayabusa from both DOA and his own Ninja Gaiden series. For the sequel, Tecmo apparently wanted to make available the most Tecmo-y costume possible, and chose a recognizable uniform from a game that is not only well-known and well-regarded, but has Tecmo in the title. And, since it would be extraordinarily hard to swing a club dressed up like a Tecmo Stacker, they chose Tecmo Bowl. We're looking forward to future Rygar and (especially) Mighty Bomb Jack costumes, ourselves. There'd be no question about whether or not we'd be interested in a game that let you play golf in red tights and a horned helmet.
Don't buy these Virtual Console games
Aeropause's Steven Munn has compiled a list of potential Virtual Console games for suckers. These are all games that have superior versions that could show up on the Virtual Console, or, in the case of Street Fighter II, superior versions that already have shown up. Even without taking the arcade versions into consideration, there's still one more SNES Street Fighter II that could come out, so can you ever feel confident about buying one? We take issue with a couple of the items on the list. Munn recommends against buying Super Mario Bros., because buying it later as part of Super Mario All-Stars with Super Mario World will be cheaper. We disagree, only because we think the NES version is the definitive version of that game. Same with Ninja Gaiden Trilogy: should Tecmo ever decide to release the SNES compilation on the VC, it will be cheaper than buying all three NES games. However, those SNES remakes are a mess of barely-upgraded graphics and ruined music. The article does raise a good point, however. Why should we be expected to pay over and over again for inferior versions of the same game, when the best versions exist and can easily be ported? We're thinking of arcade games, here.
Tecmo Bowl returns in 2008
Licenses? Who needs licenses? With newly revealed plans to revive the Tecmo Bowl franchise in 2008, Tecmo joins Visual Concepts in an attempt to prove that football games can be fun without NFL trademarks. Ironic -- considering that the original Tecmo Bowl was the first sports game to popularize the use of official licenses (Tecmo Bowl was an NFLPA licensed game).How Tecmo plans to flip the script is still a mystery us ... and maybe even to Tecmo itself. Aside from a vague announcement during Tecmo's 'Night Out 07' event, the developer has shown little more than a logo of the new Tecmo Bowl (not the one pictured above) and refuses to discuss the intended platform. "I can't tell you what platform we're making it for. But I can tell you that it's probably not going to be on the platform that you're expecting ... if that makes any sense," hinted Tecmo vice president Mr. Inaga, adding, "This is going to be a brand new game for one of the new systems." Ready, down -- hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut...
