Tecmo Bowl Throwback huddles up on XBL, PSN this spring

Tecmo Koei is reaching deep into the old playbook for its next downloadable console game, as the publisher today announced Tecmo Bowl Throwback for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. And although the NFL doesn't kick off again until the fall, the unlicensed Tecmo Bowl Throwback will arrive in time for spring. (Currently, Electronic Arts holds the exclusive NFL license.)

Like other retro revamps, Tecmo Bowl: Throwback will include options aimed at purists, as well as those desiring a modern update. The game will let players switch from classic-style 2D graphics to new 3D visuals, customize their teams and rosters, and hit the global gridiron with an online multiplayer mode.

Throwback is currently in development at Sweden-based Southend Interactive. The developer is no stranger to retro remakes, having created the Xbox Live Arcade versions of Lode Runner and R-Type Dimensions. In the previous generation of consoles, it also worked on retail titles like the original Xbox editions of Ubisoft's cel-shaded first-person shooter XIII and the futuristic sports title Deathrow.

An 8-bit and 16-bit staple for sports gamers, Tecmo Bowl's original run ended with a single appearance on the PlayStation in 1996. Tecmo returned to the brand in 2008 with Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff for the DS, which managed a lukewarm critical reception. Tecmo Bowl: Throwback will be the company's first downloadable sports title since last year's NBA Unrivaled, which fouled out with critics.