Retro Bowl analysis
Our Verdict
This retro-inspired, stripped-down sports management game can compete with the best; an excellent new football game for mobile.
We were desperate when we took over as the Cleveland team's head coach. A squad that was unable to secure a winning record was tragic. It seems inconceivable that any sane seasoned player would have desired to be dealt there. Rookies were always afraid they would be picked there and have their career cut short before it even began. Football in Cleveland was a complete failure.
Six years later, the stadium is packed with supporters ready to cheer our team into the playoffs each and every game. Our attack, which leads the league in consistency, is capable of scoring on every drive. Newcomers arrive in Cleveland with the goal of joining the organization as a franchise player and building a successful franchise. We are now inevitable and not just an afterthought.Retro Bowl is the next location.
We wouldn't anticipate this kind of engagement from a game this little.The goal of Retro Bowl is to develop an American football simulator that can compete with Madden, the industry titan. It just cannot compete with that enormous gaming empire, whose aesthetic is so powerful that real-world sports have been copying it for years. However, Retro Bowl is unique when you take into account its scope and the platform it's exclusive to. When it comes to mobile football games, it is unmatched, even by the Madden port and other upscaled versions that are often found on the App Store. If you're searching for a list of the top mobile sports management games, have a look at this.
Its deft blending of concentrated gameplay with a team management simulation is what makes it successful. You oversee things like team rosters, coach morale, player morale, and facility quality prior to the games. However, since this level of detailed micromanagement may be laborious, Retro Bowl only contains the most important information. You manage the stars, but your team has enough players to field them for the whole game. Enough to keep all the random no-name gamers in line is to maintain the happiness and health of a small number of people.
This seems to be a very good imitation of a sports mindset. Naturally, each player on a genuine football squad is an individual. However, a non-analyst will seldom assess a team's strength or potential based on anything other than how outstanding its top players are. There's a reason why the New England Patriots are associated with quarterback Tom Brady rather than kicker Steve Gostkowski. Putting aside the potential spread of the sports-forward mindset that turns individuals into mindless human capital, Retro Bowl may be praised for its design decision, which is realistic in regards to how we engage with sports.
When they are on your squad, these elite players may also become better. Every time you play, they acquire experience, and when they level up, some of their stats may be increased to their predicted maximum. New players you acquire via trade or draft will have two ratings: one for their current status and another for their potential. Keeping this basic group together from season to season requires a lot of forethought. Knowing that a quality three-star player is all they have to offer, should you retain them? Do you give them up for a two-star who, in a few seasons, may improve to a four and a half? How does this relate to your salary cap?
Retro Bowl also takes a number of shortcuts when it comes time to play. On every play, you have two choices: pass the ball to a running back or a receiver. You may aim the pass at any time by sliding back on the screen to observe the trajectory of your throw. Once the ball is grabbed, you may quickly swipe up or down to go around opponents or swipe forward to dive for more yards. These all function rather well and are greatly influenced by the player's stats. Low-strength running backs can only jump a lot fewer times before they begin to move slowly. Low throw accuracy quarterbacks have short trajectory lines, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the precise location of the ball.
This simplified technique is enjoyable and easy to use. The pocket pressure that makes huge plays so thrilling is effectively translated as you see your receivers struggle to get open and feel the defensive line squeezing in. You cannot move your quarterback around the pocket during a play. The caliber of your players will determine how dependable certain skills are, but I've seen enough of instances when a very talented wide receiver stands wide open down field and the ball bounces off of their head.
Retro Bowl is full with randomness of the kind.You cannot, for instance, call your own plays. You can only toss or run the patterns that are put out for you at the start of a play. It's unclear how this play came to be called in the game. Is the defense considered in it? Does calling certain plays depend on who is a better offensive coordinator? Play-calling little details, like audibles and play action, is OK in my opinion, but it feels awful to be forced into a play that doesn't look good, to not know why it was called, and to have no way to amend it. particularly if your offensive toolkit is limited to mediocre ones.
Furthermore, there aren't any defensive plays at all. A sequence of text boxes that provide you with an overview of the opponent team's drive are used to play defence. The effectiveness of your defense as a whole dictates the success of your defense. The caliber of your defensive players and coordinators will decide that. However, it always seems random. It's safest to assume that when opposition teams have average or superior offensive units, they will score every time they have the ball. It makes me think of blackjack, where the optimum strategy is to always presume that the dealer's face-down card is a 10. Gambling is unpleasant as well.
The football simulation experience is well translated to the tiny screen thanks to the simplified features and dynamics. The game's tremendous lack of information and copious RNG make it difficult to truly immerse yourself in. All in all, you won't find a better substitute for Retro Bowl if you're looking for fast fix football and head coach management expertise from the big guys.