Collection essentials #275: Tecmo Super Bowl (SNES)

This is a remake of an NES game of the same name which I already talked about. You can read about it here.


Tecmo Super Bowl on NES is one of the most beloved sports games of all-time, so it’s always kind of surprised me at how little attention this SNES version seems to get by comparison. I didn’t even know it existed for a long time, and was surprised to learn that it did. This version has new graphics and audio, and really doesn’t do anything to ruin what was great about the original. So you could argue that this version is even better, if the new look and sounds are to your liking. Perhaps it’s because the NES game was first and therefore more people played it. 


This version came out in 1993, two years after the 1991 NES original. The rosters are updated to be current for the game’s release. That is a pretty significant change, as the teams and players now perform differently. Perhaps most notable is that Bo Jackson was clearly the best player in the original game, but by 1993 he was out of the NFL and therefore does not appear at all in this SNES version. Maybe that’s another reason why some people stick with the original. I’m not an expert on this game, so I’m sure there are a variety of reasons why people might prefer one version or the other. Either way, you certainly can’t go wrong.


There were two more Tecmo Bowl games on SNES which were supposedly very good, but I’ve barely played them at all, and while I do own them, I don’t feel the impetus to put them on this list too. Perhaps if I get more experience with them my mind could change. The iconic original, though, is certainly a sportssential.

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