Video Games

1st down and 10. No, I am not talking about “downing” my first beer with ten to go. I am talking about America’s sporting past time, football! What’s bigger than the Super Bowl? It seems nothing much else, except for the FIFA World Cup final and perhaps the 100M sprint at the Olympics.

Well, when it comes to video games based on American football, you had a few choices in the 1980s. Sorry Tecmo Super Bowl, you miss out by a couple of years (Ed: I can hear the collective boos!). Let’s just say, the 80s football games were a tad crude when compared to their more illustrious contemporaries.

So, which gridiron games from the 1980s were (and still are) worthy of a play? We set out to sort the wheat from the chaff and have come up with a list of (somewhat) worthy 80s football video game contenders that will help you pass a few hours and also get you in the mood for the upcoming Super Bowl.  Hut, hut, hut!

RealSports Football [Year: 1982 | Publisher: Atari | Format: Atari 8-bit platforms]
Football video games had to start somewhere. This is not the most realistic football game, but you have to appreciate it for the time it was released. Overly simplistic with five players on each side, this was the Madden of its day!

10-Yard Fight [Year: 1985 | Publisher: Nintendo | Format: NES]
As far as arcade conversions go, this was a crude top-down vertically scrolling football game. However, back in 1985, you didn’t have much choice when it came to football games on the Famicom/NES.

4th and Inches [Year: 1987 | Publisher: Accolade | Format: C64]
Before the glitzy TV Sports Football on the C64, 4th and Inches was the definitive American football game on the 8-bit micro, with a side-on play field to boot!

TV Sports: Football [Year: 1988 | Publisher: Cinemaware | Format: Atari ST / Amiga / C64 / DOS]
As the 80s drew to a close, Cinemaware published this very sleek and thoroughly enjoyable gridiron game. This was the genesis for latter football video games. Simply brilliant.

NFL [Year: 1989 | Publisher: LJN | Format: NES]
It comes as no surprise that the much loved NES had an embarrassing riches of football games. NFL didn’t get the best reception, but at least you could play one of 28 official NFL teams from 1988. It also featured a packed playbook, which was novel for its time.

Tecmo Bowl [Year: 1989 | Publisher: Tecmo | Format: NES]
This game does not need any introduction – its reputation precedes it. It was the first football game to feature real NFL players. It was only bettered by its sequel, the sublime Tecmo Super Bowl. Get your NES out and play it!

Before you mention it, we are sorry, we had to exclude Cyberball, for obvious reasons, and we also had to forget about any arcade based football games from the 80s. Did we pick any football games you liked (still like) playing? If not, you can throw your helmet at our editor!

Enjoy the Super Bowl!