What Pushes My Buttons

Nintendo Night

So last night I regressed about 20 years. I sat and played a whole season of Tecmo Bowl. Yes Tecmo Bowl. Nintendo. Lemme 'splain.

I got a Yobo for xmas. Yobo is a new age Nintendo system that plays all of the old nintendo games. It's a top loading system and miraculously plays the games without much trouble. No more blowing the cartridge. Or cotton swabs with rubbing alcohol. And the controller is rounded instead of square so you don't get the calluses inside your hands from playing too long. It's a Christmas miracle that this was developed!! Good thing I held onto my old Nintendo games like Ice Hockey, Double Dribble, Zelda, Super Mario 1, 2 and 3, Blades of Steel, Contra, Tetris...list goes on and on. I'd rather play any of my old nintendo games than any new gaming system like PS3 or Xbox 360. Yes, I know, the graphics don't compare, but the game play back then was much simplier. I mean how much easier does it get to play Contra, a game that had great graphics and intense play. To play that now, you would need to hold left trigger, X, Y, Turbo, right thumbstick to the left, left hand on blue, all just to shoot your gun. Needless to say I'm a gaming purist, so this Yobo was like my favorite gift ever (well, except when I got Nintendo the first time many moons ago).

Anyway, without missing a beat, I tried to plow through Tecmo Bowl with the Bears. The 1989 Bears. With Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Willie Gault, Richard Dent, Fridge Perry, Mike Singletary. My goal was to try to sweep through the season without giving up a point. A bit ambitious considering I hadn't played in quite a while. But without further adieu here are the results and summary of each game:

Game 1: Bears vs. 49ers. The 49ers never get past midfield as Singletary notches 7 INTs. Complete blowout as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig were overwhelmed. Final score 77-0.

Game 2: Bears vs. Vikings. Vikings never get past midfield either. 6 more Singletary INTs. Last second 54 yard FG by Kevin Butler as time expires makes the final score 73-0.

Game 3: Bears vs. Giants. Everyone who plays Tecmo knows 2 things. 1) the opponents get tougher (faster) each week. 2) Lawrence Taylor can block any FG or extra point. Plus through in a tough Joe Morris at RB and Mark Bavaro at TE and this should be a minor challenge right? The Giants broke midfield once, they got to the Bears 49 and no further. Taylor does block an extra point, which keeps the Bears from hitting 70 again. Final score, 69-0.

Game 4: Bears vs. Cowboys. My favorite team was no match for Da Bears. Hershel Walker was held in check all game. The Cowboys do get as far as the Bears 35 yard line, but a Singletary tackle on 4th and inches stops the drive and any chance for the Cowboys to score. Final score, 63-0.

Game 5: Bears vs Dolphins. 1972 Dolphins went undefeated, and they celebrate each time a team these days fails to equal their feat. The 1985 Bears almost went undefeated as these Dolphins tried to stop the 89 Bears from doing the same. Dennis Gentry takes the opening kickoff for a TD to put the Bears up 7-0. It's all Bears until Marino hits Duper for a long TD pass (Singletary just missed the INT and tackle). Marino catches fire and sets up a Lorenzo Hampton 1 yard TD run on 3rd and goal to break the Bears scoreless streak. Pissed off, Gentry returns the ensuing kickoff for his 2nd kickoff return for a TD of the game. Marino, Duper, clayton and company were shut down from there. Singletary ices the game with a 40 yard TD INT return as time expires. Final score, 63-6.

Game 6: Bears vs Broncos. After losing their bid to plow through the season without given up a point, the Bears took their frustration out on John Elway and his "three amigos" (Jackson, Johnson and Nattiel). The Broncos get no further than the Bears 48 as the Bears decide to eat up some clock with Walter Peyton. Bears blitz John Elway and nearly sack him for a safety twice. Bears score 14 points in each quarter. Final score, 56-0.

Game 7: Bears vs. Colts. These Colts are certainly not the Peyton Manning colts. They rely heavily on their workhouse Eric Dickerson. Jack Trudeau is the QB and he has a popgun arm. So the Bears were ready for run, run, run. The Colts don't disappoint and go 3 and out with Dickerson numerous times as Dickerson didn't have a single run for positive yardage. He did have 2 screen passes for 3 yards. He probably had -30 yards rushing thanks to a Bears blitzkreig. Trudeau goes on to throw 5 passes (2 to Dickerson) and the other 3 end up in the hands of Singletary. Dennis Gentry gets many punt return opportunities, but can't break one. Bears put together long drives all game which holds the scoring output down. However they explode for a 21 point 4th Quarter. Final score, 56-0.

Game 8: Bears vs. Seahawks. Bears visit Dave Kreig and Steve Largent and Curt Warner (the black RB not the white QB). The unsung hero for Seattle is their kick returner Edmonds, who breaks a few long kickoff returns to put Seattle in scoring position. However the Bears shut down the offense from there as the Seahawks only get one first down all game. Warner is held to negative rushing yards. McMahon throws his first INT as the Bears were driving. Butler kicks a 47 yard FG as time expires to complete 24 point 4th Quarter. Final score, 66-0.

Game 9: Divisional Playoff Game: Bears vs. Browns. Cleveland and their stingy defense are next up for the Bears. Bernie Kosar is at QB with Reggie Langhorne, Webster Slaughter and Ozzie Newsome at WR. Kevin Mack is the tough RB. Tough team to play late in the game. The Browns blitz all game as the Bears have to take short yardage each time. The Browns take away Peyton and Gault so McMahon is forced to lean on Cap Boso (TE) and Ron Morris (WR) over the middle as he was under pressure all game. Boso catches 4 TDs for a career day. Reggie McNeil proves to be a key weapon returning kicks for the Browns. One of his long returns sets up a Kosar to Langhorn 34 yard TD pass, the second score the Bears allow this season. The Browns play strong, but the Bears are too much. Final score, 49-7.

Game 10: Divisional Championship Game: Bears vs. Redskins. Doug Williams and the "Fun Bunch" (Monk, Clark and Didier) are a tough passing team. Timmy Smith is the unsung RB, however the strength of this Redskins team is their defense led by Dexter Manley and Darrell Green. The Bears are looking to roll after a tough game vs. the Browns. They shut down the running game once again as Timmy Smith runs for negative yards. The Skins D plays tough, but Peyton and Gault are able to break free for some big plays. Doug Williams has some success in the air, but Singletary is a ball hawk as usual. The Redskins have a chance to score in the 3rd Quarter, but Singletary picks off Williams on the 1 yard line. The Bears take the next drive 95 yards capped off by a Peyton TD rush. Peyton also breaks off a TD as time expires as the Bears roll. Final score, 56-0.

Game 11: TECMO BOWL. Bears vs Raiders. The Black and Blue vs the Silver and Black. Bo Jackson. Marcus Allen. The Raiders running game is one of the unstoppable forces in Tecmo Bowl. The Bears play them at their toughest, in the Tecmo Bowl. The Bears haven't allowed positive yards on the ground all season but know the Jackson and Allen are capable of breaking the big one on every play. Schroeder is the QB and has Tim Brown and Todd Christensen to make plays through the air. Clearly the Bears toughest test. The one chink in the armor for the Raiders? Their pass defense. The Bears open with a long scoring drive capped off by a Willie Gault TD to go up 7-0. A Schroeder INT leads to another McMahon to Gault strike, 14-0. Butler tackles Tim Brown on the Raiders 15 on the kickoff. However Marcus Allen breaks through the hole on the 1st play of the drive, going 85 yards untouched to make the score 14-7. The Bears recover quickly and put together a long drive as McMahon finds Gault yet again to make the score 21-7. Schroeder throws an INT as the Bears however McMahon throws an INT on the ensuing possession (his second of the season). The Bears capitalize as Bo Jackson gets in on the fun, ripping off a 45 yard TD run. However the Bears block the extra point and the score is 21-13 at halftime. The Bears shut down the Raiders on their possession to start the second half and McMahon finds Gault for the 4th time on the next drive to make the score 28-13. The Bears are keyed in on Allen and Jackson on the next drive, and shut down both leading to a 3 and out. McMahon finds Gault for the 5th time on the next drive as the Bears take a 35-13 lead at the end of the 3rd Quarter. Allen breaks a few mini runs on the next possession, but a Schroeder INT ends the drive in Bears territory. McMahon capitalizes by finding (who else) Willie Gault for his 6th TD of the game to put the Bears up 42-13. The Raiders go three and out on their next possession and the Bears get the ball back on their own 18 with 30 seconds left in the 4th Quarter. McMahon drives the team to Raiders territory, and tries to find Gault for a 7th TD catch. However the Raiders have Gault covered, and the Bears settle for a Butler 36 yard FG as time expired to make the final score 45-13.

So in case you're counting at home, the Bears pitch 8 shutouts on the season and outscore their opponents 673-26. Not bad, but certainly room for improvement. I'll try again for another sweep, after I play some Tetris, and Zelda and Contra :)