Tecmo Super Bowl on NES is the kind of game that makes you forget about modern football sims. You pick a team—Raiders were my go-to—and suddenly you're throwing bombs with Bo Jackson or scrambling with Randall Cunningham. The animations are simple but satisfying, especially when you break a tackle and leave defenders in the dust.

What’s wild is how much personality the game has despite the 8-bit limits. The digitized crowd noise, the way players celebrate after touchdowns, even the hilariously overpowered running backs (looking at you, Christian Okoye). The season mode was ahead of its time too—you actually manage injuries and stats like a mini-GM.

Controls take a second to click if you’re used to modern layouts, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be pulling off fake spikes and diving catches without thinking. Just mash Z for turbo and pray your receiver holds onto the ball.

If you burn through this one, the sequels add more teams and plays, but the original’s got that perfect mix of chaos and charm. Still holds up when you want a quick game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.