Tecmo's final football installment offers the same exciting season play along a few extra goodies.
THE GOOD
-Fun league play
-Thrilling multiplayer
-Create a player is a great new feature
-Sweet animations
-Large playbook
-More flexibility on offense and defense
THE BAD
-Overall pace is sluggish
-Swiss cheese pass defense
OVERVIEW
After the highly popular Tecmo Super Bowl hit the shelves in 1991, fans of the series waited eagerly for the next installment. The road to the Super Bowl continues one last time with Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition. All the rosters are updated based on the 1994-1995 NFL season. Major strides were taken to make this game more realistic by adding more plays and re-vamping the game play. Even though much has changed there are still a few glimpses of the old formula mixed in for good measure.
GAMEPLAY
Alright so if you're familiar with the franchise not too much has changed for you in regards to the main menu and game modes. The same game types are available which include Preseason, Season and Pro Bowl. The Preseason and Pro Bowl options are both exhibition type games where you and a friend can play against each other. If you don't have anybody to play with the computer will step in. Both modes are great for honing your skills or playing a quick match. The season mode is the "bread and butter" for the game and is highly addictive. You and your friends pick teams to control for the entire season, setup your playbooks, and switch around your starting lineup. The schedule is based on the 1994-1995 NFL season which consists 17 weeks of regular play with a single elimination playoff to the top teams. The game also keeps track of all team and player stats; for bragging rights of course.
The Superstar Editor is a great new feature for the series. Now you have the chance to create yourself and play for your favorite team. All the positions are available (defense and offense) and you get a random amount of points to put towards your physical attributes like passing accuracy, running speed and catching ability. If your characters perform well on the field they'll earn experience points which can be used to increase their skills. Now you have the change to be an NFL great like Joe Montana or Walter Payton.
The actual game play is the same side-scrolling format from the other games in the series. There is a bit more flexibility in the play calling. Along with over fifty plays to lock in your playbook, you now have the option to call an audible. Your playbook has also increased to hold eight passing and running plays. Playing defense this time around is a little more than just picking your opponents play in the hopes of getting an all-out blitz. You still do that but now you can choose one of four defensive formations: Goal-line, Normal, Nickel and Dime. The cool in-game animations are back when a close play happens like an attempt to block a kick or a pass into deep coverage.
All in all the game play is fun and feels realistic but there are a few annoyances worth bringing up. The overall pace of the game is a bit sluggish; I'm talking about player movement on the field. Another thing to mention is the weak offensive line when it comes to pass defense. The linemen take a couple steps back and always leave predictable holes for rushers which make it easy to put pressure on the quarterback.
Aside from the sluggish movement, the controls work really well. As the quarterback you have the option to chuck a bullet or float a pass to your receivers. Jamming on the "A" and "X" buttons while running with the ball will help you avoid tackles (via leaps and spin moves). The "Y" button will let you take a dive to gain an extra yard and stop the play. Defensively, nothing has really changed. The "B" button attempts a dive tackle while the "A" and "X" buttons are used to make a normal tackle.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The in-game graphics are decent but the cut scene animations are simply superb. These animations have been of a trademark for the series and the inclusion into this final edition was a great idea.
There really isn't that much to talk about in regards to the audio. The sound effects and music for the game are just OK; actually the music is kind of bland.
CONCLUSION
Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition isn't as good as its NES precursor, Tecmo Super Bowl, but it's still a great game in its own right. Playing a full season with your friends is still an awesome experience and now with the added Superstar Editor it gets even more addictive. The game has taken a more realistic approach which is nice to see but the slower pace may be a drawback for some. I would recommend this game to all football fans. In the end it's sad to see this hit series end but at least it went out with a bang.