And the Kick is Off...

PREVIEW: That's right, a sort of reminder for a little game coming out soon, and no, it's not Animal Crossing. You might ask, why cover Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff and not Nintendo's next blockbuster? Simply put, it takes a lot for me to get excited about a DS game; the last game I picked up for the handheld was Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. That's pretty crazy considering that this will put an end to a 10 month absence of buying DS games. And now I'm here, to give you just a little taste of why I'm stoked to play 2D football again.

I guess I might as well start off by admitting I'm an addict; I love football. Over the past 8 years or so it has become my favorite sport hands down. My world has become totally encompassed with just about everything relating to football. Every Sunday you'll find me with my brother or Dad, sitting in front of the TV, watching games all day. Recently I've become a stat fanatic, rattling off the best performances of the weekend. It's just something that will never change now-- I can only imagine what the NFL will be like when I have kids (the horror!).

Hopefully that gives you a better idea of where I'm coming from and why I'm talking about the new installment of Tecmo Bowl. One of the biggest draws to this game is the amount of customization it offers. You will be able to choose from various team colors, create emblems, name your players and cities, and handpick your special abilities. Players will also be able to compile a complete playbook; picking plays from whichever team(s) they want. But the biggest feature that Kickoff boasts over its previous installments is the inclusion of wireless multiplayer, as well as Wi-Fi matches. (There is even an option to trade players with friends over Wi-Fi.).

With only 3 days till launch, what more can football fans ask for? And the truth of the matter is, you don't even have to be a football fan to enjoy Tecmo Bowl. It takes football makes it into a simplified game so that anyone can enjoy it. Many oldschool gamers consider it one of the best games of all time. This new iteration is clearly aimed at that same audience of players who can still enjoy 2D gaming, in an era of gaming where graphics are essentially everything. If you enjoyed past entries of the series, it's a definite day one purchase. And if you've never played one before, you're missing out on some oldschool fun. You can expect a full review some time later this week. It's time to dust off your DS and pick up the pigskin, as Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff rushes into stores on November 18th!