Join Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. Tecmo Bowl Throwback seems like it will provide players with a nice trip down memory lane when it launches on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network in the next few weeks. It seems like this handcuffs the play experience slightly, as moves are still constrained to the old two-button setup. Even with the new 3D graphics flipped on, the movement is identical to the old style which enables players to switch between 2D and 3D at will. Tecmo Bowl Throwback certainly lives up to the "Throwback" portion of its title. At five dollars, this package would've been loved by gamers the world over, but at ten bucks I'm a little concerned that some will be too intimidated to take the plunge into what could (at least for younger players) appear to be an unproven football title. There's tournament play online, along with standard quick games. For ten bucks, you get a few modes including season, quick play and a few multiplayer options. Thankfully every pro NFL city is represented, so it shouldn't take you all that long to get the proper rosters locked in. Tecmo claims "customizable teams" as being included, but that only allows you to edit current squads. It also doesn't help that you can't create your own team, at least not in my preview version. From my relatively limited experience with Tecmo Bowl Throwback, I can say that there's a lot of nostalgic fun to be had, though it's not quite the same feeling as it was back in the good old days, due to the lack of the NFL license. Yes, Tecmo Bowl Throwback is football at its simplest, so don't expect to find a replacement for Madden. There's no speed burst, no hurdle, and no dive button.
You pass with one button, you switch your targeted receivers and players on defense (though never during a play) with another and you run with the left analog stick with the ability to break out of tackles by frantically tapping on a button. As it stands, the array of moves are limited to two buttons, no matter the visuals on-screen. While being able to scrub between the new HD visuals and the old, pixely sprites is undoubtedly cool, I can't help but think that users would be able to get more bang for their buck if the developers had separated the two presentation styles into different modes. That means that switching between the two different looks won't provide a strategic advantage to either player. What's even more impressive is that Tecmo has been able to keep the animations and feel of the movements on the field consistent, regardless of the graphics. It's a great feeling to break off a huge run and switch between the 3D view and the old school visuals as you sprint downfield. The coolest thing about Tecmo Bowl Throwback is the fact that you have the ability to switch between picture-perfect 2D visuals and new-school graphics with that coveted third dimension and an expanded color palette.
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