Are you in the mood for even more NFL action and looking for a new time-waster on your smartphone? Boy, do I have news for you. Retro Bowl is the perfect game for the armchair quarterback and it’s probably the most fun I’ve had in a mobile game in years.
Retro Bowl Throwback
If you remember playing Tecmo Bowl, you’ll probably get some serious waves of nostalgia coming at you just from looking at the screenshots. The game’s not exactly like Tecmo Bowl, but Retro Bowl clearly takes some design inspiration from 1987 football games and adds its own charm.
It’s somewhat of a mix between an arcade game and a simulation game; you take over as the coach of an NFL franchise, and you’re responsible for managing your staff and roster every week. Players and coaches have morale, the fans will turn on you if you go on a losing streak, and there’s a salary cap to deal with while you draft new players, sign free agents, and make trades.
The gameplay is pretty simple, giving you a random play call each time where you can choose to either pass the ball or run it. Quarters only last two minutes and defense is simulated, so you can knock out games pretty quickly. I finished an entire season in about two sittings.
Honestly, Retro Bowl seems like one of those games that strike the perfect balance of mobile gameplay mixed with some strategic elements without getting too bogged down in numbers and simulations. It’s quirky, it’s fun, and it’s something you can either play for a few hours after work or knock out a couple of games on your lunch break. Either way, you’re on your way to building the next NFL dynasty right on your smartphone.
The free version of the game lets you play five or so games first, but the full version is just $0.99. There are no ads, and the only other microtransactions are for extra coaching points that make it easier to sign free agents, upgrade your stadium, or sign coaches. The game’s pretty well balanced without needing to spend money on IAPs so check it out via the Play Store and App Store links below.
