A great game, where even the Bears can win
I never could get into Madden. Maybe I just haven't played it enough, but it seems like it (and the rest of the modern football games) are too complex and difficult to play, not to mention boring, confusing, and just plain not fun. To me, there is only one football series that is worth playing - the legendary Tecmo Bowl. Of course, the original game is so old and simplistic that even that one is a bit of a chore to play. But fortunately, sequels were made, this one being the last. And fortunately, despite one glaring problem, it's quite good.
This is, of course, a sequel to the classic Tecmo Bowl games, which is probably its biggest strength. It may be heavily updated, but most of the charm of the original game is still here. See, it's not really a simulation of football, or at least not of NFL football. Anyone can pick it up and immediately know what's going on; anyone can get an immediate thrill. You can have 50 yard gains regularly, or score 8 touchdowns in a game. And on defense, it's not uncommon to see interceptions and sacks. In short, it heightens the exciting parts of the game at the cost of realism. But who needs realism when you're having fun, right? In all honesty, it's more like a pickup game than a professional one, as long bombs or crazy runs are encouraged and fun is of the essence. There's a reason I've never felt the need to look much beyond the Tecmo Bowl series for my football games. I don't want a boring accurate rendition like Madden gives me, but this series gives me exactly what I want.
And being a sequel, this particular game does much more than its aged predecessor. You have all the stats you could ever want, 16 plays to choose from (and the option of replacing them with other plays), fake kicks, onside kicks, 2 point conversions, different weather, and pretty much anything you'd expect from a regular football game. The sprites are much larger than in the NES games, which also tends to help out. In all honesty, I can't think of a single thing they left out that should have been included. And naturally, this game is more balanced than the NES ones, so you won't have to worry that every pass will end up as an interception. The game also flows much smoother, faster, and more natural than the NES games, which is always a plus. All of this shouldn't be surprising, as this is the last rendition of the series. Since all they did was improve, it's naturally the best version around.
It also helps that the game is still represented in two dimensions rather than three. I'm not one of those 3D haters, but I just can't stand the cameras in Madden and its ilk. With Tecmo Bowl, it's nice and simple. You can see the entire line, and thus able to notice immediately where the weaknesses are and whether a sack is coming or not. You can see all your receivers at the same time, unless of course they run too far downfield. And if they do, well, longer passes should be harder, right? Besides, you saw them run out, so you'll know roughly how well guarded they are. In 2D, you can make snap decisions at all times, because you know where everyone is on the field. Same thing with defense - the ''camera'' obviously can't favor the offense if it's static, and so you'll be able to see everything you want. I never got the hang of playing defense in Madden, but here it's just as easy as offense. Once again, it's sacrificing realism for fun and ease of use, and I don't mind in the least. Granted, Tecmo didn't exactly have a choice, as the SNES certainly couldn't have handled a 3D football game. But it's still one of the primary reasons why this is the latest football game I own, and will probably remain that way for a long time. Unless major camera changes occur in the football world, I'll stick with Tecmo Bowl forever.
So basically, Super Tecmo Bowl 3 is everything that it should be, the perfect evolution of the finely crafted Tecmo Bowl series. It has everything I want - all the options and none of the hassle. It's fun, it's refined, it's easy...
Ah, that's where the other shoe drops. The game is severely hurt by the incompetence of the computer. My very first season, not yet comfortable with the SNES controller, and playing as the Chicago Bears of all teams, and I made it to the Super Bowl (just barely losing). I haven't done that ''badly'' since. 16-0 seasons aren't at all uncommon, and racking up touchdown after touchdown just isn't that tough to do. I'm not sure what they could have done to improve this, but it's a travesty. The AI must be better than this; I demand to be challenged. Where is the joy of taking your team to the Super Bowl when it's already almost a foregone conclusion, and when the other teams are playing blind? Having an actual human competitor to play against is really the best way to go with this. Only then do you really focus on surviving rather than trying cool things or racking up your stats, because only then are you actually challenged. As it is, it's just too easy.
And with the create-a-player mode, it gets even easier. Make up a quarterback and a wide receiver, and you'll get 40+ yards per pass, never get an incomplete or an interception, and jump to the top of the charts in no time. Running backs can bounce off defenders, cornerbacks intercept the ball with ease, and your linemen can become unstoppable. Without my new players, I was winning all the time. But with them, it became 100 point victories and gaining 1000 yards per game. I'm all for sacrificing realism for fun, but here it just goes too far.
So the question must be asked, how much does this lack of challenge hurt the game? It's tough to tell. After all, the Tecmo Bowl series has always been a cakewalk, so it's not like this is anything new. And it does open the game up to other challenges (such as, say, having all of the top 5 scorers in the NFL on your team) and allowing you to experiment. I still have yet to be bored by the title, so I guess I can get past the issue. It is a stain on what is otherwise my perfect football game, but not enough to make me shun it. It's still a refined classic, full of all the joys of a football sim without the hassle that I just don't care about. It still manages to keep me playing, keep me inventing new styles and crazy ideas. It gives me everything I would have asked for except the satisfaction of a well earned victory. But I can live with that.
Final Score - 8.2
