Retro games that hark people back to the good old pixelated days of button-bashing are making a comeback right around the world, with people going potty for everything from game soundtracks being repackaged as vinyl special editions to old consoles fetching more than their modern counterparts online.

The same goes for video games that allow fans to tap into the excitement of the NFL, with the dreadful EA Madden franchise forcing people to look anywhere but the league’s official flagship series of glitch-ridden games.

Here are some of the best retro football games, which draw inspiration in shape or form from the wacky world of gridiron.

The first game that allowed you to officially win the Super Bowl was Tecmo Super Bowl for the NES

Tecmo Super Bowl

It hard to know quite why things have gone so wrong with NFL licensed video games, especially because things started out so well, with Tecmo Super Bowl for the NES.

Released in 1991, the game became an instant hit among fans, who not only loved the fact they could take control of their favorite players and franchises, but that the game’s ergonomic controls made them feel like they really were in the midst of the cut and thrust of a Sunday night ball game.

The game’s appeal remains strong to this day, with it having attained something of a cult status among fans who count it as part of their matchday schedule of intense snacking, the selecting of NFL betting odds, and the admonishment of sports commentators who know nothing about the game. The old saying, “They don’t make them like they used to” certainly applies in the case of Tecmo Super Bowl.

All these retro classics allowed NFL fans to pick up the ball and run with it

NFL Blitz

Like so many classic games of yesteryear NFL Blitz started life as an arcade hit before making a seamless transition over to the Nintendo 64 where it quickly became recognized as one of the most absorbing American football video games ever made.

Just as with other Nintendo 64 classics such as Goldeneye and Mario Kart, NFL Blitz has been enjoying an unexpected revival of late, as gamers begin to favor gameplay quality over flashy and overblown graphics.

All that said, the game was never perfect, with players complaining about dodgy play calling in clutch moments, but overall, it was a banger of a game, with dangerous late hits being a particular favorite of gaming masochists everywhere.

Unfortunately, EA got hold of the game recently and, under pressure from the NFL hierarchy, removed the late hits feature, showing once again that EA truly are on a mission to dilute the quality of all NFL video games.

Joe Montana Football

Sometimes a game becomes a beloved go-to title not because it is any good but simply due to it rousing an array of fond emotions, that hark a player back to a quarterback hero, or a team that once raised the hairs on the back of their neck.

One such game was Joe Montana Football which despite being average to poor in almost every way still maintains a decent modern day following among Sega Genesis fans, who just cannot get enough of the legend that is and was Joe Montana.

Any 49ers fan worth their salt will always tell you that Joe Montana Football is the greatest video game of all time, even if they have not played it.

In the end, Sega would lose out to EA in the battle for NFL video game supremacy, but that can never take away the beautiful memories this game helped nurture.

NFL2K

Generally speaking, real fans of American sports leagues have always tended to gravitate towards the 2K games rather than other available titles.

The same can be said for NFL devotees who fell in love with this game when it was first released on the long-forgotten Sega Dreamcast, way back when in 1999. The game still stands up better than most!

Carl Williams

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