We’ve refreshed this guide ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, which takes place on February 11 and will see the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers. There’s a lot at stake here, so to ease the tension, why not grab some snacks and check out what American football games you can get on Nintendo Switch…
American football — or just football, depending on where you are in the world. For some it is a way of life. For others it is another sport. But the thrill of watching teams fight for control of the ball is simply unmatched.
Considering how big the NFL is and the size of the annual championship, the Super Bowl (or Superb Owl for you witty types), you’d be surprised how few American football games there are, especially on the Nintendo Switch. The Super Bowl is one of the world’s biggest sporting events and – contrary to popular belief – there are quite a few non-Americans who enjoy it. Although your humble scribe is (foolishly) a Chicago Bears fan, you’ll find me watching the big games in the early hours of the morning in Britain while munching on pretzels. It’s a dream.
Either way, the Nintendo Switch and American football aren’t the dream love we all want, but there are a handful of games you can score a touchdown on the little hybrid console. And if you’re looking for football, then it’s good that the list is covered.
So let’s take a look at them in no particular order — Best American Football Nintendo Switch Games, Worst American Football Nintendo Switch Games… in fact, ALL Nintendo Switch American Football Games. To enjoy!
Retro Bowl, like most of the games on this list, goes for a stylized approach inspired by Tecmo Bowl; it’s quite addictive. You are the main manager / head coach / quarterback in this game; in the ‘sim’ part you draft players, trade players, play nice with the owner, renew contracts, appease the fans and much more. The actual game is all about rebounding and playing guard, and it’s incredibly fun. A great distraction whether in preparation for a big game or to help in the long, long off-season.
We didn’t really praise it in our review, but the developers promised to add the missing content in a free update many months ago. Some also enjoy this game, the spiritual successor to the cult classic on the SEGA Mega Drive; it’s played like ‘real’ football to an extent, although of course the concept means that all sorts of extravagant and violent shenanigans also take place.
SNK has produced a wide variety of sports games for the Neo Geo, so of course this is the American Football part of the series. It’s got the chunky ghosts familiar to fans of the company’s products, with some neat touches like player-over-the-top celebration animations and a fancy spiral ball when in the air. As expected, of course, the version of Arcade Archives on Switch has many little things and options thanks to the work of HRČKA.
This is only available in the North American eShop (we can’t find it in the UK store anyway), and this is the premium iteration after the previous mobile release. It draws some inspiration from Tecmo Bowl, but naturally offers more modern visuals, a faster pace, and added depth in terms of game selection. It also offers a bit of combat for comedic effect, while Season Mode has some RPG-lite twists. All in all, it’s a game that seems best suited to modest expectations, short bursts, and casual fun.
This is a game that has a place in the hearts of many, especially the original NES release which provided (at the time) dizzying depth in terms of technology. It’s pretty cool, then, that we get to experience the more technically impressive version that was found in many arcades in the late 80s. It’s surprising how it looks different from the legendary 8-bit versionso if you’re interested in what Tecmo could achieve without struggling with hardware limitations, this eShop version is worth checking out.
It comes from the publisher of such software as AAA Clock, AAA watch Happy editionand Ultra Happy Edition AAA watch (to name just three of the 38 AAA Clock classics available on the Switch eShop), we declined to review this one and therefore can’t speak to its quality… or anything else about the game, honestly. It appears to be a fun race-based game with football details, but at $14.99 we’re not about to explore how much gridiron this one actually contains. We’d bet ‘not much’ though.
What is that? It spends most of its time on sale for only $1.99, right? No, you’re fine. We will watch this from the sidelines.
Yes, we had to cheat to cram more quality into this list. This is a rather different but fondly remembered NES version of the game. It’s not on the eShop, but it is is in the NES app for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. If that doesn’t make NSO worth applying then we don’t know what to say…
The 10-yard scramble is as bare-bones as you’d expect from the first real attempt at a true American football simulation. There are no plugins, no fancy audio or music (except for some good digitized speech), and no depth that you might be used to in modern takes on the game. However, it is a real part of video game history and a brave attempt by Irem that paved the way for other giants of the genre. If you were around when it was first released, you’re sure to have as much fun with it today as you did back in 1983. As for other soccer enthusiasts, you’re probably better off not playing this one.
The Legend Bowl game is full of charm; an interesting hybrid of retro style and attempted Madden-esque depth in the playbook and mechanics. He is full of heart and makes you smile with his humor and attention to detail; unfortunately, it does not convert all these positive sides in full. Performance has improved since the patch, but there’s still room for improvement, while some odd designs and UI choices are hard to ignore. If you can look past the flaws, which may be addressed in future updates, there are some real merits to Legend Bowl for fans of the sport; he just needs to cover the longest yardage to reach his full potential.
We have to admit that Upside Down Bird’s Axis Football 2023 passed us by. Billed as a “simulation-style” affair, “with the franchise’s best mode in the industry, massive customization and realistic gameplay,” it certainly speaks volumes. Short trip to Metacritic shows only one critical review across all platforms, though it’s an 85 for the PC version. So it is possible that this is a gem despite very uninspiring key art. Let us know in the comments if you touched on this.
Wild Card Football is an ambitious take on the sport, with a decent mix of modes and enjoyable depth for those willing to give it their all. The offline season mode may entice many Switch players, but once you dive into the ‘Dream Squad’-style Ultimate Team, you’ll eventually feel the urge to take your hard-earned fantasy roster online. This is where the lack of fluidity and clarity in gameplay can really bite. A sport as crazy as American football needs a little more lean performance level than what we found here. However, that’s just it only less than the first drop, so if you’re happy to live with the trade-offs, then this may still be worth a punt.
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And that’s it, it’s time for the winning formation. Let us know your favorites — and the ones we somehow missed! — down in the comments.
