Tecmo Super Bowl Quirks

Part of what makes Tecmo Super Bowl so great are the little quirks that is has. Things like not knowing if your DB is going to jump for the ball or not, having your player dive when you really just don't want to, and having absolutely no idea how long the CPU is going to toy with you before it lets anybody pick up that bouncing fumble. But beyond all of these there are the wierd things that just seem like they weren't supposed to happen: little glitches that occur from time to time. Below is a list of ones I and others have experienced (please feel free to submit your own as well) with a description and a rating of their likelihood of occurance. Through time this list has become more of a list of full-on glitches than just merely quirks. The line is kind of unclear but I've tried to divide them up:

* = UNCOMMON
** = RARE
*** = VERY RARE

Quirks:
3 Seconds of COA Mode (*)
This happens when you're on offense sometimes, the other team recovers your fumble or picks the ball off or something, and you can't control your player. He just runs in a particular direction (usually not towards the opponent either) and dives to the ground or eventually just comes back under your control. This isn't just the 'ol make your guy dive, this is actually a noticable span of time in which you just can't control your guy. Needless to say this very frustrating upon occurance, as you watch now 11 mindless drones, instead of just 10, missing tackles left and right.

Get Up and Don't Try Again (*)
This one occurs sometimes when a defender is grappling and gets thrown. If he gets up just as the player is running over him, and starts heading in the same direction there is a chance that he will just run on top of him and not be able to touch him until one of them changes directions. It basically looks like the defender is pursuing, but just not trying to tackle the runner. Often this goes unnoticed if it is in the middle of a crowd of would-be tacklers.

The Whistling Moon (**)
From time to time, a long pass will emit a high-pitched whistle while it travels through the air. This seems to occur most often to Warren Moon of the Houston Oilers. This may be partly due to the simple rules of probabilty: if you throw the ball every play like Houston does you will probably be more likely to encounter a passing glitch. In any case, I seem to remember this happening to Moon myself, so maybe it's just him. [Submitted by Chris Riley]

The Super Jump (*)
This does happen a little more than I thought, but it is still somewhat of a rarity, and it's pretty cool when it happens. Basically if a good cornerback and a good receiver (I don't think I've seen any other positions involved in this) are both going for a pass, and it is overthrown, and both players jump to try and catch it you get this animated sequence. It shows the receiver jump up and off the screen. Then it shows the corner do the same. Then it shows one set of hands catching the pass, and finally it shows which of the two it was who caught the ball. It kind of makes you feel good inside just to see this happen. One rarity I have heard of is a super jump where neither player catches the ball...but I've never seen it (then again I've only seen like three of these in ten years).

The Race-Changing Injury (*)
This one happens only during seasons (obsiously). When a black player gets injured, he appears white on the screen where he's lying on the field and the paramedics are rushing in to help him. But then when he's being carried off he's back to normal. I don't know why this would be, since it doesn't seem like it would take any programming effort simply to leave them in the same state they were when they went down. For some reason the programmers decided to make it so that everyone who gets injured looks white from afar.

The Moonwalk (**)
Player scores a touchdown and does a moonwalk for about 5 yards afterwards. Happens maybe 2 or 3 times a season, but is awesome every time, unless of course it's being done to you. [Submitted by Beau Sorrell]

Rules, Schmules... (*)
Here's a glitch that occured while I was playing with the Eagles - I attempted a pass from the end zone, it was deflected by a lineman out of the side of the end zone, and it was ruled a safety. [Submitted by Tyler Stone]

Close Enough (*)
You get credit for a sack or safety on the reverse flea-flicker play by engaging and tackling the WR right as he is pitching it back to the QB while the QB is in the endzone. [Submitted by Jeff Prizner]

I was defending the reverse flea flicker and tackled the running back on the five yard line. as the running back was going down he threw the ball to the quarterback. When the quarterback caught the ball they immediately called a safety. [Submitted by Sean Hart]

I threw a bomb of a pass and my receiver dove in the endzone to catch it. The music stopped after it hit his hands and he dropped it. The ball made the "bouncing noise" as it hit the ground. Then, even though he dropped it, the touchdown music started playing and it counted as a touchdown. [Submitted by Mike Reim]

I was in my own endzone trying to throw a pass. The ball was deflected and then I was tackled. For some reason the game counted it as a safety immediately after the deflected pass. [Submitted by Mike Reim]

Out and In (*)
Sometimes fumbles that bounce out of bounds and then return to play can be recovered and advanced. [Submitted by Sean Spooner]

Interception Out of Bounds (*)
This might be more of a difference in rules than anything, but any time a player catches the ball in the air out of bounds (whether a completion or interception) it is ruled a catch. This can happen frequently with Slot L Z Drive if you throw the ball quickly after the snap.

Extracurricular Activity (*)
One time after I scored a TD, and the defenders all crouched over and bow their heads for pity (normal so far) ... one of my offensive guys came over and did a dive at one of the defenders out of bounds and sent him flying off the bottom of the screen into the blackness. Kinda cool since sometimes those defenders never hear the whistle blow and think they can come up to you and body slam ya when in the endzone. Another thing you sometimes see is a defender diving, then staying in the 'dive' position and sliding all the way across the screen like he's on ice. [Submitted by Frank Coyle]

Forward Motion (**)
Now and then if you control the cornerback on defense, you can move your player before the ball is snapped. It doesn't work every time, but once I even moved offsides with Deion Sanders and I got the sack on the play. I was shocked when it happened the first time, but it has happened a few times since. It wasn't just the player moving with the man in motion, it was as if he was showing a corner blitz, which indeed I was doing. Deion is the only one that has done this for me, but it might be possible with others. [Submitted by Adam Davidson] I've noticed this, too, but I don't know if I've actually seen anyone run offsides, but it looks like he does because he moves forward before running across the field.

Fumblerooski/No Fumblerooski (*)
I was coaching one of games for the Raiders and I installed a WR reverse (so I could get the ball to an excellent conditioned Tim Brown). It is the play in the last run box where the top reciver comes down on a reverse. Well Bo ran up there and flipped the ball to Tim Brown, but he missed the ball! There was nobody around him to cause the fumble. Well the ball bounced once, then sat there, then Brown went over and picked up the ball. I've never seen and incomplete pitch before unless the pitch-ee was knocked down. [Observed by Carey]

I have seen the RB go and toss the ball back to the QB for a Flea Flicker....and the ball goes about 10 yards behind the QB....but instead of it hitting the ground, it is just suddenly in the QB's hands.

Bouncing Punt (*)
If your return guy is very slow sometimes the punt will hit the ground and take a bounce before the return man picks it up.

The Invisible Ball (***)
Occasionally when the ball is fumbled, it disappears and it seems as though nobody can pick it up. Thus, all the computer players keep running around in circles near where the ball is. Unless you can manage to manuever yourself successfully through the crowd of people to touch the ball and end the play, you have to reset the game to continue. [Submitted by Beau Sorrell/Sean Hagstrom]

The Concussed Punter (*)
During a couple of computer vs. computer games, I've watched a supercharged defensive player (usually a right outside linebacker) blow past a blocker and begin wrestling with the punter. If an offensive lineman comes over and popcorns the defender, the punter will just sit there, unable to move - or punt the ball. I've never had it happen to me, so I'm not sure if a human player could control the punter, but for all intents and purposes, the computer cannot punt the ball when this happens. The play ends, then, when defenders swarm and tackle the punter. [Submitted by Stephen Swoyer]

The Chop-Blocker (*)
There are certainly plays you can run which will sometimes cause one of your blockers to become a superhuman chop-blocker. The two plays I've found this happens most frequently on are the Pro T and Run and Shoot sweeps to the bottom of the screen. The blocker just dives sideways, blowing all the opponents in his path out of the way. This blocker can be incredibly useful in taking out human opponents, you just can't bank on it always happening, though.

Glitches:
The Super Overthrow (**)
One night this happened just a ridiculous number of times. Maybe the cartridge loaded wrong or something, but almost every pass that was overthrown was overthrown by like 30 yards (literally). You wouldn't even see receivers on the screen when the ball landed. It was nuts, you'd go from a normal good throw to an incredibly horrible throw on consecutive passes. And it wasn't just happening to one QB, it happened to both teams.

The Traitor (**)
This has only happened to me once in all the times I've played Tecmo. I fumbled, the computer recovered and one of my players, instead of pursuing him, decided to be his lead blocker into the endzone. So he couldn't actually block my guys, but basically he just ran away from the guy with the ball. Needless to say, he was benched.

The Immaculate Teception (***)
This is when a ball is thrown and it is tipped but a player still manages to catch. Think it can't happen...well you're half right. Every account I've heard of this (and there are several now) claims a pass was thrown, a player was shown jumping and tipping it in the cinematic sequence and then the ball was caught anyway. The real catch to this is that the ball never appears to change its trajectory. This seems to imply that the ball was actually not tipped, but that the wrong cinematic scene was loaded (the hands tipping the ball instead of whiffing at it). Cool to see, nonetheless, though. [Submitted by Chris Riley]

The Bills Finally Win the Super Bowl (n/r)
In the words of Matthew: My brother Chris was playing a season in Tecmo Super Bowl, he had finally finished it and was ready to begin the playoffs, but something strange had happened. When he went to the view playoff seedings screen, every team was the Bills. He went to team data and every team was the Bills. A very strange happening that we have never seen before or since. He pressed the reset button and all of the teams were back to normal. [Submitted by Matthew Delja] This one can actually be reproduced. If no team has clinched the division until after the final week of the season then you can reset during their celebration screen and when you go to look at the playoff schedule all of the teams should be the Bills. The team which was winning the division at the time or the reset will also have played an extra game in the final standings. [Submitted by Jonathan]

Phil Simms' All-Iron Man Team (n/r)
I have had something very interesting happen while I was playing Tecmo Superbowl. I started a season with the Giants and during my fourth game Phil Simms got hurt. When I went to replace him with Jeff Hostetler his name had mysteriously changed to Phil Simms. So, I knew there was something wrong with the game, like a glitch or something. As I moved down my list of players I noticed that all my offensive players had been replaced by Phil Simms. When I began to play believe it or not, all of my players were Phil Simms. I threw a pass from Phil Simms to Phil Simms and completed it for a first down. He was in poor condition when I started the game and when he caught the pass he was moving very slowly and got plastered by a defender. [Submitted by Corey Cooper] This is another one that can be reproduced, if you use the Game Genie code ZXTIOT. I'm not sure why this would happen otherwise, but I have heard of it several times.

The Redskins Steal the Game Away (***)
I was BROWNS and it was week 14 so I was playing COLTS. Everything seemed fine until I scored a TD and then it said "TD Redskins." On the scoreboard it also called my team "WAS" for Washington, even though I had all the BROWNS players! For instance, I scored a TD with "QB Browns" and all that was fine. Metcalf, Mack, all the names were fine, but the scoreboard said "WAS". Then after the game when it shows the stats instead of listing BROWNS players, it listed REDSKINS players! This had me totally freaked out, since I've played the game ever since it first came out like 11 years ago and never seen this before! It gets better.... so I finished the season and guess what?? My record with the Browns was 9-6 (only 15 games, by the way, the 6 losses were on auto skip, since I wanted to get thru with the season tonight).... then I checked the Redskins record and it was 9-8 (17 games)! Unbelieveable! They actually counted it as a Redskin win and the Browns only played 15 games!!
Final record for Washington was 9-8 ..529 with 397 PF and 430 PA
Final record for Cleveland was 9-6 .600 with 468 PF and 375 PA
[Submitted by Tom Breslawski]

Another Traitor (***)
My friend was Chicago playing the Packers and fumbled. Mark Murphy recovered and was running it back, one of his teamates started running to far ahead of him, then a Chicago player caught up with Murphy and Murphy's teamate came back and knocked the Chicago player off. Right after that Murphy's teammate the guy who had just laid an excellent block, dove and tackled him. Basically what happened is Green Bay recovered the fumble, a Green Bay player set a block for the man who recovered it and then tackled that exact man. What might have happend is that the defensive players are programmed to tackle the ball carrier, so something might have messed up with that. [Submitted by Jason Stauffer]

The Ultimate Play-Fake(s) (***)
The computer ran a handoff. The QB handed it to the running back, and the "2" went above the running back. He ran upwards, then stopped and assumed the quarteback pose. I tried to tackle him, but just as I got to him the "2" magically jumped to another player running up the sideline at the bottom of the screen. Clearly, I was completely faked out by this play. I have no idea why this happened, the only thing I can imagine is that the computer accidently reversed the roles of the two players during the play.

I was playing a game of TSB and the computer team (Cardinals) ran a WR reverse. I tackled the WR just as he was getting the ball from Johnny Johnson, and he was down. So I was thinking, ok, it's 2nd and 17 or whatever. well I was wrong. the next thing I know, Timm Rosenbach is throwing the ball downfield! he magically had the downed football transported to his possession, and took a shot to the other receiver on that play, Ricky Proehl. As a matter of fact, the pass was incomplete, but that is the only time the possession has changed on a reverse when the WR or RB was not tackled for a safety. This was on the original Cardinals playbook with that reverse pass play as the 4th pass option. [Submitted by Brett Borden]

Protect The Ball (***)
I've only seen or heard of this happening once, but it happened to me a couple of years ago. I blocked a field goal playing against the computer. The ball bounced around in the backfield and for the first second or 2 it seemed the computer was going after it. Then it decided that it would form a ring around the ball. All 11 computer players made a circle around the now motionless ball and proceeded to block my players from recovering the loose ball. Apparently all of the computer players must have gotten stuck in blocking mode, even the kicker and holder were blocking. After a good five minutes (real life time, not tecmo timer time) I was finally able to dive through the ring and knock it to the edge where was finally recovered, although I can't remember by who. Luckily I had Derrick Thomas or I’d still be trying to get the ball from those stupid Saints. [Submitted by Lake Fly]

What Is This, The XFL? (***)
This has only happened to me once in all the time I have played. It was a punt, and my player fumbled the ball when he recieved it. It would be like a player in real life dropping a punt. It was completely unprovoked, but the player simply dropped the ball without being hit. [Submitted by Shaun Doughtery]

Turning Your Back on Tecmo (***)
One team ran a flea flicker, and I believe the other team picked the right play. Well they tackled the running back, but not before he pitched the ball back to the quarterback. The QB got it, and had two men wide open down field. Unfortunately, he was facing the wrong end zone. Needless to say he was sacked. I've seen that happen when a QB was grappling with somone and then got some help from a fullback and then when they broke free they were facing the wrong way, but never when he had not been touched previously. [Submitted by Beau Sorrell]

First and 99 (***)
I'm playing with the Cardinals, and it's 4th and 4 from the Eagles 5 yrd line. I run Johnson, and he fumbles at the one. The ball does its little fumble dance in the endzone for awhile, then right as it's going out of bounds my player picks it up. I figure its a touchdown, but the touchdown screen doesn't play. Instead, it puts me back at the play screen. I figured, ok, they put me at the one yard line then. I look at the screen and it says 1st and 99, and the little position arrow was in the middle of the Eagles endzone. I call a play and ... I'm 2 yrds deep INTO the endzone !!! I make a mad dash around the house, scrambling for a camera. I can't find one !!!! AHHH !!! Right now the game is still sitting there .. hut hut hut hut hut. I was thinking about going to the store to buy a disposable camera, but it's raining outside and I'm too lazy. I chose the Johnson running play up the middle. When I hiked the ball, Tupa was credited with the touchdown. He didn't even hand off the ball. He just hiked it, nobody moved, and it instantly said "touchdown!". Then the other players slightly moved for their touchdown dancing routines. [Observed by "Super Duper"]

First quarter, Oilers have the ball on my 25yd line. They fumble on a running play and no one can pick up the ball, for either team. Players run around the ball, tackling each other, for the entire first quarter and the clock goes directly into the 2nd quarter and continues to tick. I take my guy and start running towards my own endzone for no real reason. The Oilers start to chase me and tackle me on the 10yd line. FIRST DOWN OILERS!!!! But the ball is still sitting on the 25. Why? I don't know. Then it gets much worse! From my 10yd line, Moon throws a pass, it goes incomplete and lands in the endzone. FIRST DOWN OILERS!!!! The ball is placed five yards INSIDE MY ENDZONE!!!! From the shotgun, Moon takes the snap on the 2yd line and throws an incompletion. 2ND AND 99!!!!! The ball is still five yards into my endzone. Houston calls the SHOTGUN DRAW. The RB takes the snap a yd inside my endzone, glides (not runs) straight to the back of the endzone and TOUCHDOWN OILERS!!!! [Observed by mfvivyan]

Truly Invincible (***)
I intercepted a pass with Fulcher aganist the hated 49er's I started run back the pick. It was the best pick return ever. Fulcher would just zoom across the field like he was on ice...and no one could touch him. I first ran it back to my endzone which was about a 90 + yd. return. But no td. signal would go off. I kept zooming through the 49er offense but no one could tackle him even when I let Fulcher sit, guys would still bounce off. Eventually I had to reset b/c the clock ran out and Fulcher was invicible. For awhile anyway, I would just sit at one end of the field and wait for the 49er team to come after me and then I would fly right trough them, with 49er bodies flying everwhere. [Observed by "Rueben Mayes"]

Messed up Punt (**)
My team was the Pats I was forced to punt, my punter went to kick the ball and the fumble sound went off the ball went flying 60 yds. downfield to the computer return man and just when he was about to catch it the punt action screen popped up and then he caught. It added some excitement to a boring game with the high-profile New England offense at the helm. [Observed by "Rueben Mayes"]

The Pick that Wasn't (**)
I was coaching with the Patriots against the relentless Cardinals, and Rosenbach went to throw a bomb to Ron Wolfley (Johnson was injured). The throw was too high, so Wolfley jumped. The cut scene showed him jumping up, flailing his arms, and missing it. Then when the screen came back, the ball hit the ground, and the play was over. But then Fred Marion, who was near the ball, suddenly had it (the 1 was over his head). But instead of acting like he intercepted the ball, he simply continued on with his coverage. Well since the play was ruled incomplete, the Cardinals went to punt the ball. Awesome thing is, after the game I checked Marion's stats and they credited him with an interception! [Observed Anonymously]

Intentional Grounding (***)
I was playing as the Dolphins, first down on my own 20. I picked a shotgun and rolled Marino back to about the 5 yard line and heaved a throw down field, overthrowing my receiver. But instead of second and ten, the ball was for some reason marked back on the 5 yard line, giving me second and 25! It was as if I had gotten called for intentional grounding and moved back fifteen yards.  [Observed by Joshua Paddison]

Fumble Punt (**)
This was truly bizarre. I was the Raiders, and I punted the ball from my own 40 yard line. It was a totally normal punt, except when my punter kicked the ball, the fumble noise sounded. The ball still sailed down field, but landed on about the 10 yard line before my opponent's player could run back for it. When his player finally touched the ball, the play immediately ended and he had the ball first and 10 back on my 40 yard line! [Observed by Joshua Paddison]

Special Cases:

The Black Hole (n/r)
My friend had a version of tecmo that was damaged. In the middle of the field was a large black pit. When the players ran into it you couldn't see them. It added an interesting twist to the game, because you could see them after they came out of the mosh pit but not while they were in it. [Submitted by Mike Reim]