10-Yard Fight: Games of the Retro-Bit Super Retro-Cade
Irem, 1983
10-Yard Fight, in its time, was a curious release. An interpretation of the American sport of football from a developer in a country where, even today, the sport is incredibly niche was bound to take a few liberties with the rules, and 10-Yard Fight indeed does just that. While most other football games from American developers were trying to simulate the sport as best they could on some very limited technology, Irem opted to deliver a simplified take that tried to hit some of the highlights. The game was a reasonable success, and when its reworked NES port was made part of the launch line-up in America, 10-Yard Fight’s place in history was assured.
Like most games that try to approximate a real thing, 10-Yard Fight felt hopelessly dated just a few years after it released. By now, it’s practically a relic. Its unique rules and streamlined gameplay mean that I’m more likely to play this than any of its contemporaries in the genre, but to tell the truth, I can’t get much enjoyment out of this title. You only ever play offense, your options are severely limited, and feels like you’re doing the same things again and again after only a couple of minutes. I’m sure there are some people out there who still like this, but I’m not one of them.
Previous: 1943 (Arcade)
Next: Air Duel (Arcade)