As far as I know, Ben "Mouse" McShane is the undisputed king of gaming.
He often focuses on the topic. I don't. Unlike Mouse, I have never used an XBox or Nintendo Gamecube.
Obviously, regarding these matters, Mouse is more knowledgeable, and I refer to him and his opinions with high esteem.
But, even in all his wisdom, I think he has overlooked a video game so glorious that mortal novices are compelled to fall to their knees in its presence.
I can no longer ignore my immeasurable responsibility to spread the gospel of this game. Some may sing the praises of Donkey Kong or Super Mario Bros. 3. Others may scoff at the 8-bit mediocrity of NES and shout the high-fidelity splendor of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
But, certainly, it is unfair of me to compare these or any game otherwise inferior to the single greatest video game ever created: Tecmo Super Bowl for Super Nintendo.
I know you may disagree with that, but indisputably, Tecmo Super Bowl is magical 16-bit ecstasy cased in blissful gray plastic. Nothing is better. Nothing will ever be better.
Closely related to its precursors, Tecmo Bowl and Tecmo Super Bowl for NES, Tecmo Super Bowl for SNES boasts simple game play and an unprecedented realistic approach to professional football simulation.
Whether a user is banging away at a John Madden game or another cheap EA Sports imitation, he or she will always feel incomplete.
No self-respecting man or woman could carry on with such a hollow sensation burrowing into a soul debased by subpar gridiron replication. He or she will ask, "Shouldn't there be more to it than this?"
Yes, my friend. There should.
No other game offers the excitement, challenge and tenacity that Tecmo Super Bowl offers. Players, admirers and dreamers alike are drawn again and again to the exasperating chase of the ever-elusive 800-yard passing game. They are obsessed with the constant pursuit of "graphics" and the resulting accumulation of "trifectas."
(This is technical jargon a novice could never understand. A "graphic" is a special Tecmo video blurb shown after a tremendous tackle, catch or pass. A "trifecta" denotes scoring three graphics in one game. And no, they are not easy to achieve.)
Two local Tecmo aficionados, Michael Perso and Milos "Miki" Savic, are currently in the throes of another grueling 18-week season.
After last week's 783-yard passing performance with Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins, Perso, a sophomore, said, "Well, I'm pleased, I guess. But, Miki's 668-yard performance back in week four makes me a little nervous. I'm going to have to start winning more onside kicks if I want to pass for 10,000 yards this season."
Perso's friend, rival and foe, Savic, a junior, said, "The tidal wave of emotions -- anger, rage, malice, love, jubilation -- I experience in one game is comparable to watching five blockbuster movies at a time."
So, Mouse, while I'm positive your games are enriching, challenging, interesting and entertaining, I urge you to help me spread the word of Tecmo.
I urge everyone else to retire your complex, realistic, modern games and give in to the two-dimensional, zigzagging, play-guessing glory that is Tecmo Super Bowl.
Write to Allyn at aswest@bsu.edu
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