The mother of all sports games

In 1991, the standard for all future football video games was set when Nintendo released Tecmo Super Bowl. The game combined button mashing, strategy, and real-life NFL players (minus Randall Cunningham, Jim Kelly, and Bernie Kosar) to create what some feel is the greatest sports game of all time. Break out your old school Nintendo and play with one, or all five, of these awesome teams. It will take you back to a time when phones still had cords and MTV still played videos.

5. Los Angeles Raiders
This game is so old that there were actually two teams in LA when it came out. Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen gave the Raiders a sick two-headed rushing attack. Bo was so fast and Marcus so good that you could tolerate the anemic passing attack led by QB Jay Schroeder. LA’s defense wasn’t much to write home about either, although NFL on Fox’s Howie Long would get you an occasional sack. All in all, maybe LA wasn’t your ideal dynasty team, but how fun was it to use Bo Jackson, and run circles around defenses?

4. Chicago Bears
Chicago’s offense wasn’t that potent, but their defense made up for a weak passing game. Running back Neal Anderson could fly, and fullback Brad Muster was a bruiser. While the passing game was just mediocre, Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton, and the rest of the defense pretty much guaranteed the other team wasn’t going to be scoring much. How do you plan on running the ball against Richard Dent and ‘Refrigerator’ Perry? And how you gonna throw it on Mark Carrier and Lemuel Stinson in the secondary?

3. San Francisco 49ers
Much like the time frame, you picked or watched the 49ers for their unbelievable offense. It was sometimes too easy with Joe Montana playing pitch and catch with Jerry Rice, John Taylor, and Brent Jones. Just when defenders started picking pass plays, you could hit them with Roger Craig and Tom Rathman coming out of the backfield. Oh yeah, when playing defense, use Ronnie Lott from his safety spot. He’s a headhunter.

2. New York Giants
While New York’s offense was about on par with the Bears, Lawrence Taylor was a strait beast from his linebacker spot. LT could punish quarterbacks and runners alike in a Joe Theismann-like fury. Just in case that wasn’t enough, he was also lined up in an ideal spot to block field goals and extra points. The rest of the defense was iron clad, as well, with Pepper Johnson, Carl Banks, and Leonard Marshall leading a fearsome front seven. CBS goon/QB Phil Simms led a decent passing game,  and you could pretty much bank on the Ottis Anderson/Dave Meggett running game to get you up and down the field.

1. Buffalo Bills
Some feel this may be a controversial pick, but I think Buffalo is the most well-rounded team on the game. Their passing game was dynamite with Jim Kelly, known as QB Bills, throwing to Andre Reed and James Lofton. RB Thurman Thomas was one of the game’s best. On D, they had spectacular players at each position, so regardless of where you preferred to line up, you had a superstar. Bruce Smith anchored the D-Line, Cornelius Bennett and Darrell Talley brought the pain at linebacker, and Mark Kelso and Nate Odomes held down the secondary.

Who were your Tecmo Bowl favorites? There were many other teams that you could dominate with, as long you knew how to use them. Share your thoughts.

The Bills' Andre Reed gettin loose