From a gameplay perspective, not much changed from Tecmo Bowl to Tecmo Super Bowl. The action still took place on a horizontally scrolling field, but the graphics were slightly miniaturized to accommodate 11 players per side and sidelines that featured realistic first-down markers and animated cheerleaders and crowds. Play selection once again consisted of the offensive and defensive teams choosing from the same set of diagramed plays, with the defense trying to guess the play the offense would run next. Super Bowl offered twice the number of selectable plays however, plus a comprehensive play book that any team could dip into if their existing set of plays proved unsuccessful. And while the lovable things remained, like music that played all throughout the game to complement the non-stop action on the field; the quarterback barking out, "Ready, down—hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut" infinitely until the ball was snapped; and the relentless jamming of the B button to shed would-be tacklers from your ball carrier, the gameplay was refined to make the experience more authentic. Defenders could no longer make automatic interceptions by simply guarding an open receiver until the ball was thrown his way. Other gameplay tweaks also went far in balancing the gameplay, like giving the players on the field the ability to jump. In a way that would make Randy Moss jealous, receivers could go up and grab passes that would have otherwise been overthrown. Defenders could also use this ability to intercept passes or even deflect them, which resulted in a little "X" on the field that revealed where the ball would land. (Curiously, no matter how many players on either team stood on the "X," no one ever, EVER caught the tipped ball—perhaps a cheat implemented late in development to prevent a flood of interceptions in a game.)

Though it was vastly improved, the gameplay in Super Bowl was a familiar formula to anyone who played the first game. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about it is that it didn't complicate the issue. The game brought more to the table and was still simple and fun to play. But however good it was, the gameplay wasn't what put Tecmo Super Bowl on the map. To discuss the many other vital aspects of the game is a daunting task simply because practically everything we now take for granted in our sports games began with this game. I'll try anyway.

One of the most obvious things Tecmo Super Bowl did that no other console sports game had done before was successfully include real teams and players. Because it was licensed by the NFL and the NFLPA, the game had all of the official teams and logos, and complete team rosters filled with real NFL players. Even more amazing was how the game accurately reflected the skill levels of the actual players and teams of the time. (Being a huge Buffalo Bills fan, this was a real treat for me, because the Bills are among the best teams in the game!) Each player was measured in various skill categories, ranging from running speed to hitting power to ball control. While these variables were adjusted to the talents of their real life counterparts, they could change throughout the course of a season depending on a player's physical condition—which in turn would affect his performance on the field (players in poor shape were more prone to fumbles and injuries, while players in "excellent" condition could run like the wind). Conceptually, no other sports game had attempted to capture such authenticity, and this just served as Super Bowl's foundation.