Legend Bowl brings you back to the glory days of pixel-style football games of the past! Enjoy a hybrid of arcade-style football and simulation aspects on and off the field. Fully customize players and teams to create an endless amount of variety in your league. Sim-based controls with challenging gameplay mechanics bring the fight to your doorstep! Legend Bowl includes Exhibition Mode, Tournament Mode, Franchise Mode, Training Camp Mode, and a boatload of customization options.
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Legend Bowl impresses as a 2D football game despite some limitations that come along with the retro style.
Gameplay-wise, running the ball and following your blockers feels good. Passing feels almost like shooting a ball out of a cannon rather than throwing a football. Even once I got the hang of the passing controls, throwing a good pass just didn't feel as satisfying to me as it does in other football games, 2D or 3D. Defense is mostly fine, but pass coverage is hit and miss and it can be hard to get to the QB. I'm not a fan of the "mash turbo" approach in sports games, but I set an action on the back paddle of my Steam Deck to do it in a single press.
The franchise mode, while not particularly deep, is still really cool for a game this size. The inclusion of multiple roster sets is also appreciated considering the licensing restrictions. The fictional teams are fun though conceptually inconsistent. Some teams feel entirely original while others are parodies of NFL teams. For example, there's the Seattle Emeralds (original), the LA Voltage (Chargers parody), and the San Diego Kraken (Seahawks parody but in San Diego). As a whole, it works, but a few teams feel out of place.
There is an impressive amount of depth here for a 2D football game, especially considering it was developed by just one person. I did find myself missing certain things from 3D football games–things like breaking tackles based on angle, using momentum to fall forward for extra yards, and jump balls. These are the types of plays that make football feel like football, and they are hard to recreate in 2D. As such, I don't necessarily see this as a full-time Madden replacement, but if you are a sports gamer, this is a commendable effort.
Gameplay-wise, running the ball and following your blockers feels good. Passing feels almost like shooting a ball out of a cannon rather than throwing a football. Even once I got the hang of the passing controls, throwing a good pass just didn't feel as satisfying to me as it does in other football games, 2D or 3D. Defense is mostly fine, but pass coverage is hit and miss and it can be hard to get to the QB. I'm not a fan of the "mash turbo" approach in sports games, but I set an action on the back paddle of my Steam Deck to do it in a single press.
The franchise mode, while not particularly deep, is still really cool for a game this size. The inclusion of multiple roster sets is also appreciated considering the licensing restrictions. The fictional teams are fun though conceptually inconsistent. Some teams feel entirely original while others are parodies of NFL teams. For example, there's the Seattle Emeralds (original), the LA Voltage (Chargers parody), and the San Diego Kraken (Seahawks parody but in San Diego). As a whole, it works, but a few teams feel out of place.
There is an impressive amount of depth here for a 2D football game, especially considering it was developed by just one person. I did find myself missing certain things from 3D football games–things like breaking tackles based on angle, using momentum to fall forward for extra yards, and jump balls. These are the types of plays that make football feel like football, and they are hard to recreate in 2D. As such, I don't necessarily see this as a full-time Madden replacement, but if you are a sports gamer, this is a commendable effort.
Retro looking (sprites) indie football game inspired by the Tecmo Bowl games of the past. Despite its retro presentation and feel, the game has a surprising amount of layers that keep the game more on the sim side rather than arcade feel such as extended play books, audible and hot route calling, detailed statistics, etc.
Unfortunately, the game does not hold the NFL license but there are fan mods that address this and feature updated teams and rosters. Gameplay and AI difficulty can be on the frustrating side. Kicking punts, field goals etc. feels way more complicated than it needs to be. Playbooks are good and feature tons of different plays.
Unfortunately, the game does not hold the NFL license but there are fan mods that address this and feature updated teams and rosters. Gameplay and AI difficulty can be on the frustrating side. Kicking punts, field goals etc. feels way more complicated than it needs to be. Playbooks are good and feature tons of different plays.