Sports games in my younger years probably had an outsized role in my personal video gaming history because I played a lot of sports. I even went to a college to play a sport. Without all the information we have now in our pocket, sports games were a sort of manual of how to, and later, a of Wiki of rosters and teams.
When I stumbled across a game called "Legend Bowl" I couldn't help but take a closer look. On the surface, it looked like it wanted to be a Techmo Bowl-like release that showers you with nostalgia while you play. There's a problem with that approach as Techmo Bowl remains such a part of the collective video gaming conscience that plopping down even one cent for a clone in 2023 seemed almost like a chore.
After working through all of that in my little brain, I bought the game - and don't regret it at all.
It's a fun version of the game that fits like a glove as a video game. I love it and it isn't nostalgia pushing that love forward. Besides, I don't have the Techmo Bowl memories that many others might have as I was never a Nintendo-owning person. So, on its own merits, as a game in 2020's, it's great. I am a little hesitant to use the phrase "great to pick up and play but also has depth," but it does fit here. The more you play, the more familiar you are with how the game behaves, the better it becomes. It's like having a great meal. Each item on the plate along with the paired drink all working together to pull out flavors you never knew possible.
On nostalgia - I can say - if you fire this game up on a cool Saturday morning you might feel a little rush. The morning sun will be a bit brighter and problems in your life a little less important as you push for that last-second TD.
I'm not going to do a traditional review score for this game. Sports games don't really fit into that. I will say that this game is a definite buy for $20 bucks, especially with "football season" just starting. Javier Martinez has created a bit of magic here.