Legend Bowl

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,585 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Legend Bowl Game Cover
A hail mary that tries to thread the needle between Tecmo Bowl and Madden and falls short of the goal line.
Starting at €20.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

Legend Bowl brings you back to the glory days of pixel-style football games of the past! Enjoy a hybrid of arcade-style football and simulation aspects on and off the field. Fully customize players and teams to create an endless amount of variety in your league. Sim-based controls with challenging gameplay mechanics bring the fight to your doorstep! Legend Bowl includes Exhibition Mode, Tournament…

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,585 reviews
gameplay196 positive mentions
stability26 negative mentions
  • Legend Bowl captures the nostalgic feel of classic football games while providing modern gameplay mechanics.
  • The game offers extensive customization options for teams, players, and rosters, allowing for a personalized experience.
  • The developer is highly responsive to community feedback and regularly updates the game, improving gameplay and fixing bugs.
  • The passing and kicking mechanics can be frustratingly difficult to master, often leading to inconsistent results.
  • The AI can exhibit poor decision-making, particularly in critical game situations, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Currently lacks a full franchise mode, limiting long-term gameplay and player progression options.
  • gameplay479 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its fun, engaging mechanics and retro charm, while others criticize its lack of depth and frustrating controls, particularly in passing and kicking. Many players appreciate the balance between arcade and simulation styles, noting that while the game has a steep learning curve, it offers rewarding gameplay once mastered. Overall, the game shows promise with frequent updates and a dedicated developer, but significant improvements are still needed in certain mechanics to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Best football game on the market - fun and challenging gameplay with a nice franchise mode too.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth, the controls feel deft and responsive, the art style is endearing, it's almost perfect.”
    • “What really makes this game shine is its fun factor, charm, and phenomenal gameplay.”
    • “Horrible gameplay!”
    • “Unintuitive or lacking menus, ridiculously bad (at times) gameplay, and I never once made it through a whole game without it crashing.”
    • “Finally, as others have said, the kicking and passing mechanics are some of the worst I've ever seen in a football game.”
  • graphics189 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by charming pixel art that evokes nostalgia for retro gaming, particularly reminiscent of the 16-bit era. While some players appreciate the aesthetic and find it appealing, others feel it appears dated compared to modern standards. Overall, the visuals are seen as a fun and integral part of the game's identity, complementing its surprisingly deep gameplay.

    • “The pixel graphics are beautiful and made with much care, but do not let the SNES/Genesis aesthetic deceive you; this game has great depth and is a must-play for anyone looking to go back to the golden era of simulation-style football.”
    • “An excellent and challenging retro-styled game, with a lot more depth than you would expect based on the (beautiful) pixel graphics.”
    • “The pixel art aesthetic is deceiving because there's a serious sim underneath, but they're also quite charming and add to the fun.”
    • “Graphics: 0/10”
    • “Well, I was hoping for a game with more emphasis on action and fun gameplay like Tecmo or Blitz, but I feel like what we have here is just Madden with worse graphics.”
    • “The old Commodore 64 games had better graphics and gameplay and mechanics =(”
  • music31 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its nostalgic 8-bit soundtracks, reminiscent of classic sports games like Tecmo Super Bowl, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the effort put into the soundtrack, noting its ability to create an engaging atmosphere while driving the football down the field. The music is described as both subtle and fitting, contributing to the game's charm and enjoyment.

    • “Sound design is great, music is also top notch with 8-bit bangers everywhere.”
    • “Music is subtle but fits as well and has a distinct charm that is obviously inspired by the classic sports games of old.”
    • “Soundtrack - there's a reason why the soundtrack is being offered as DLC, it slaps!”
    • “The soundtrack is being offered as DLC, which suggests it may not be integral to the game experience.”
    • “The music is subtle but fits well, though it lacks the impact of classic sports game soundtracks.”
    • “The game music is very reminiscent of the old Tecmo Super Bowl games, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table.”
  • stability26 mentions

    The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent random freezes, particularly at the end of matches, which can lead to lost progress and repeated gameplay. While it features enjoyable graphics and gameplay, many users report persistent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. As an early access title, players remain hopeful for improvements, but the current state is marked by frustration due to these stability problems.

    • “The game repeatedly freezes at the end of games, meaning that I regularly play a game 2 or 3 times before I can actually complete it.”
    • “After every attempt to save my season while exiting the game mode, the game freezes and won't accept input.”
    • “Still fairly buggy, limited in feature set, lacking a lot of depth we have seen from other sports games (no trading, extremely basic free agency simulation, facility management buggy/limited in scope, etc).”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its entertaining and quirky elements, including funny player chatter, hilarious AI play calling, and amusing in-game ads that parody NFL sponsors. However, some players noted that the tutorial features poorly written dialogue that detracts from the overall comedic experience. Despite minor gameplay issues, the retro aesthetic and lighthearted approach contribute to a fun and engaging atmosphere.

    • “AI play calling is hilarious!”
    • “The in-game ads are funny parodies of actual NFL sponsors.”
    • “The player chatter on the field is hilarious and awesome.”
    • “The tutorials spend lots of time with poorly written, unfunny dialogue about why things are explained in video game terms, but then fail to explain how to actually play.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with players noting occasional stuttering and performance issues, particularly on older hardware. Suggestions for improvement include disabling replays and virtual fans to enhance performance. While the game is well-optimized for controllers and performs well on the Steam Deck, further patches are needed to address lingering performance concerns and some design choices.

    • “* Optimized for controller (Xbox, PS, Nintendo), but very playable on keyboard (what I'm on).”
    • “If you are having performance problems, be sure to turn off the replay, which helped overall performance. Do you really need those virtual fans in the stands? That's another way to improve performance.”
    • “I didn't read the community board for this game much, but if there isn't something focused on how to improve performance, it would have been helpful. I was about ready to not recommend this game at this point due to performance issues on an old HP laptop with a GeForce GT 740M GPU along with a quad-core Intel CPU.”
    • “Performance is improved following patches but still has space to get better, while some odd design and UI choices are hard to ignore.”
  • story16 mentions

    The game's story aspect is seen as lacking depth, with some players expressing a desire for more dramatic storylines and character interactions, particularly in franchise mode. While the game is appreciated for its unique approach compared to titles like Madden and 2K5, the absence of a compelling narrative leaves some players wanting more engagement and ongoing story development. Overall, the visuals may not reflect the game's potential, but the desire for a richer story experience is evident among fans.

    • “No, it isn't Madden (thank god) and it's not 2K5; it's in its own lane doing its own thing, and that's great. People see graphics like this and are turned off, but as an old school gamer, the looks don't tell the whole story of how great this game is!”
    • “We want the storylines and the drama!”
    • “Also, some options to interact with players, like improving low morale or convincing a star to take a pay cut, would really help franchise mode feel like an ongoing story.”
    • “☑ no story”
  • monetization10 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being a cash grab, particularly in comparison to Madden, which has faced backlash for its own monetization practices. However, some players appreciate the humorous in-game ads that parody actual NFL sponsors, suggesting a lighthearted approach to monetization. Overall, the game is seen as a nostalgic throwback without the heavy microtransactions typical of other football games.

    • “If you are looking for a football game that delivers the gameplay and in-depth mechanics of Madden without the monetization issues, get this game.”
    • “Weak, mediocre nostalgia bait football game using Madden's recent hate bombing as a lazy cash grab.”
    • “I hate EA and microtransactions.”
    • “If you are looking for a football game that delivers the gameplay and in-depth mechanics of Madden without the monetization BS, get this game.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its engaging gameplay and extensive customization options, particularly enhanced by community mods like the NFL mod. While the user interface for customization could be simplified, players find it enjoyable to return to, especially when seeking a break from other titles.

    • “Gameplay is fun and the ability to customize teams adds to the replayability.”
    • “A great football arcade/sim unlike modern Madden games, great customization depth. It becomes a lot more replayable with an NFL mod and other tools, overall a really solid fun game to come back to when you have nothing else you want to play.”
    • “A great football arcade/sim unlike modern Madden games. Great customization depth, although it could be a lot more simple with the UI when customizing with colors and whatnot. It becomes a lot more replayable with an NFL mod and other tools. Overall, a really solid fun game to come back to when you have nothing else you want to play.”
    • “Gameplay is fun, and the ability to customize teams adds to the replayability.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious, often requiring a significant time investment that feels overwhelming.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's just unnecessarily tedious.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its impressive quality, particularly given its genre. Players express a desire for enhancements, such as more vibrant crowds, cheerleaders, and mascots, to further enrich the experience.

    • “The overall atmosphere in the game is amazing, especially considering the style of the game.”
    • “Hopefully, visuals and atmosphere will be expanded to include cheerleaders, more detailed and fanatical crowds, custom anthem singers, and larger roles for mascots.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a sense of emotional engagement through the thrill of competition and personal improvement, highlighting the joy of friendly matches and the wholesome fun that comes from shared experiences, even when they feel distant from mastery.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

Buy Legend Bowl

Play time

12hMedian play time
45hAverage play time
3-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News