Lawrence Taylor. Walter Payton. Bernie Kosar. Three names etched into the fabric of the NFL's past. Legends. Three first-ballot Hall of Famers. Three guys you can find on Tecmo Bowl, the vastly-inferior predecessor to Tecmo SUPER Bowl. Don't confuse yourself, I'm not pimping Tecmo Bowl. I'm pimping its more athletic, easier to hang out with younger brother.

Tecmo Super Bowl found that perfect balance between next-gen superfluousness and Tecmo Bowl minimalism. You got ALL the teams and ALL the players. It gave you eight plays per team. C'mon, do you really need more than that? It gave you a season, and it miraculously tracked the stats correctly. The 8-bit players had personality. Depending on which side of the ball you lined up, you'd either love or hate Jerry Rice. Randall Cunningham was Michael Vick 10 years earlier...only Cunningham was actually good. And I don't need to say anything more than "Bo Jackson."

Simply put, the game has proven to be timeless like no other game. Who knows when we'll see another of its like, but I don't see it on the horizon. Have any of you gone back and played any of those Madden games on the 64 or PS1? Can you last more than a quarter? Of course not. I first picked up TSB as a bright-eyed 11 year old. At the time it was revolutionary. I recall my first game like it was yesterday. I was KC and was introduced to the Christian Okoye experience in videogame form. 200-some odd yards and 47 broken tackles later, I was hooked. Today, as a 26 year old, I'm obviously still playing.

That all being said, I realize how much of a tool I have to be to put this little page together. No matter the wit with which you construct your e-mail, you're not going to enlighten me. I've come to terms with this. I'm sorry.

That is why Tecmo Super Bowl. I can play this game all day long if allowed, and will find nearly-unhealthy pleasure in the game for years to come. As long as I'm able to boot the game I'll play it. And as long as I pay my website bills, you'll read about it.