Marion Butts Still Running Hard: Best of Tecmo Super Bowl

 

I was recently watching a show on one of my ESPN networks called Sports Nation. Normally I buzz right by this show, because it seems so similar to the other shows where journalists share their opinions. However, today was different.

They were talking about a new sneaker dedicated to the Tecmo Super Bowl version of Bo Jackson.

Tecmo Super Bowl was the follow up to Tecmo Bowl, which was one of the first Nintendo football games. Tecmo Super Bowl was also one of the first games that was backed by the players association, thus the first time you played with the actual names of the players.

The rosters were from the 1991 season, and the Bills, Raiders, 49ers, and Giants were the best four teams on the game. What was always ridiculous, was how certain players were given attributes that made them nearly invincible But wasn’t that half the fun?

So who were the best of the best in this legendary game?

Here is my list, in no particular order. I give you the top 3 Tecmo Super Bowl players in history.

Christian Okoye

On a Chiefs team that was quarterbacked my Steve DeBerg, you have to have a strong running game, or at least one hell of a defense. When Percy Snow wasn’t sacking quarterbacks you gave the ball to Christian Okoye, who lived up to his nickname, The Nigerian Nightmare. You would hand the ball off to Okoye, he would hit the hole, a linebacker or defensive end would hit him, and Okoye would not just break the tackle, he would knock the defender across the TV screen. All you simply had to do was give him the ball and he would go for 10 plus yards every carry and flatten at least three defenders. Okoye had some good seasons in the NFL, but come on! No one flattens NFL defenders week in and week out.

QB Eagles

This mysterious phenom was none other than Randall Cunningham. Evidently he wasn’t comfortable with Tecmo using his name to go along with those crazy attributes they gave him. He must have thought people would give him wedgies in the locker room or something. But QB Eagles was Michael Vick before Michael Vick could pee standing up. All you had to do was drop him into the pocket, if one receiver got wide open, like many of them did, you threw it. If no one was open, ol QB Eagles took off with Bo Jackson like speed. He didn’t batter defenders across the screen like Okoye, but he beat guys to the corner and made NFL corners look like tubby slow lineman. Again, Michael Vick before Michael Vick. Enough said.

Bo Jackson

Bo knows being unrealistically good in video games. In this 1991 version he was quick, allusive, and managed to run for O.J. Simpson like numbers each season. Bo could take a pitch, knock a defender across the screen, then make all ten others miss. Bo was simply the best back on the game. There was not one other back that could pile up the stats that Jackson did. Not even the great Barry Sanders was as good as Bo in the game. Too bad those attributes didn’t help Bo in the real NFL.

Others of Note

In the game there were certain positions/plays where you could make even the biggest turd an all pro. Nose Tackles, number one receivers, and outside linebackers seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted. Plus, almost every quarterback was decent; I mean who explain how Billie Joe Tolliver could throw for over 4000 yards.

Bob Nelson was the Packers nose guard. This slow piece excrement could always go right around the opposing center and sack the quarterback. I am not even sure if Bob Nelson ever recorded a sack in his NFL career, let alone 20 in one season.

Ricky Proehl had the benefit of catching passes from the great Tim Rosenbach. Who? Oh, this was the bald guy that took over for Neil Lomax. All Proehl ever had to do was run a flag pattern and no one ever covered him. Baldy would step back in the pocket, air mail it, and Proehl would be well on his way to a 200 yard game.

Andre Ware  was a Heisman winner at Houston, but never really turned out to be much of an NFL prospect. Too bad he didn’t let the folks at Tecmo attribute points towards his career, because if they did, this guy would have been the starter over Rodney Peete. Ware had a good arm, and was quicker than Peete. Hell, Ware may have been as fast as Barry Sanders, which says it all.

Neal Anderson was the feature back for the Bears, and was also too fast for his own feet. Pitch it to Anderson and he is gone. This guy could run for more yards in one season of Tecmo than he did his entire NFL career.

Gil Byrd, interception machine. This Chargers corner seemed to always lead the league in picks. It never failed to look up the league leaders when it was all said and done, and there was Gil.Gil Byrd, a Tecmo Hall of Famer.

There were a number of players that were unreasonably good on Tecmo, but that was what made it fun. There was nothing like watching Vinny Testaverde throw an 80 yard pass on the fly to Reggie Cobb out of the backfield.

Nothing is better than seeing Freddie Jo Nunn recording 30 sacks a season.

Just the thought of Via Sikahema fielding a punt makes me want to try and find a copy of the game.

Tecmo Super Bowl was simply the Madden before Madden became what it is today. It is one of those sports games that has developed a cult following.

Whether you used Bo to run over the competition, Don Majkowski to throw 70 yard bombs, or Kelly Stoufer to lead the Seahawks to the promise land, one thing is for sure, you loved that game.

Who are your favorite Tecmo Super Bowl players of all time? Who are the guys you said WTF to? Will there ever be another game that developes such a following?