At first glance, Legend bowl seems to be some sort of nostalgic homage to football games of the past, such as the legendary Tecmo Super Bowl (1991). This passion project from the studio Super Pixel Games is however much more than a pale copy of the successes of yesteryear. It stands out for its gameplay “simularcade” type, its depth and its customization options.
Over the years, sports games have evolved towards ever higher levels of realism, be it in terms of graphics, animations and game mechanics. In the world of football, it’s the franchise. Madden EA which dominates the market, without any real competition, but with results which, year after year, leave amateurs dissatisfied. With its presentation in pixel art caricature-like and its gameplay hybrid, Legend bowl therefore appears to be a novelty, the success of which is far from certain.
Its first strength is its solid mix of retro looks and clever soccer game. On the one hand, the action on the pitch, the movement of the players and the general aesthetic make us relive our youth in front of the SNES and the Sega Genesis. On the other hand, the game mechanics and the execution in general correspond more to the expectations that one has of a simulation game.
Each player has different skill and athleticism levels. The difference that comes with having a talented offensive line, a precise quarterback or a fast running back is felt with every throw-in. To hope to beat a team better endowed in talent than ours, our decisions must be smart and our game plan, solid. The fate of a match is never left to chance.
Its controls, while simple and intuitive, offer an impressive range of maneuvers and movements. A player in possession of the ball, for example, may perform feints, dive, jump over an obstacle or block a tackle with his arm.
Another force of Legend bowl is that it is modifiable from A to Z. It immediately offers a fictitious league that we can appreciate as it is, but it can be completely personalized, as much the players (their name, their appearance and their attributes) as the teams (their name, city and uniforms). There is even a mod easy to install that replicates the NFL.
At the moment, the main game modes offered are Exhibition Match, Tournament or Season Mode, with full roster management and an incredible amount of aggregate statistics. The big one missing is the franchise mode, which most players today take for granted. It feels bad to blame him, since Super Pixel Games is actually one hard-working man. According to the developer, Legend bowl is being adapted for consoles, and in doing so, no significant additions are planned for the coming months.
As much as we feel that the addition of a franchise mode could explode its popularity, it is obvious that we will have to be patient. That said, that doesn’t stop us from recommending it.