by LaMarc Hubbart ’26

Retro Bowl is an American football game made by New Star Games, which was released for mobile devices in January 2020 and was given a Nintendo Switch version a year later. It gained a huge following after people discovered it on Tiktok, and the nostalgic simplicity of the game has continued to build its fan and user base.

Retro bowl has versions of all NFL teams (minus official team names) and focuses on building your team with unique fictional players and coaches. Each player will have 4 stats, with the 2 that all players have being speed and stamina .

Quarterbacks gain throwing accuracy and throwing strength which allows better control over passes. Wide receivers and running backs both have catching which allows them to dive and jump for passes, as well as strength which increases the chances of stiff arms. Most defensive players have blocking and strength but some will also have tackling as a stat in place of blocking.

Retro Bowl also has a paid version which you can buy for a dollar in-game. This version allows you to be a little more creative with your teams as you can change the jerseys and customize the players. You also can change the weather for games, which is always fun. The real extra bit of immersion comes from the kickoffs as you can now run them yourself. I will say that this version is free if you play on a website like poki but it’s a little harder to play on a computer. Altogether I’d say these additional features are certainly worth the one time cost of a buck.

So, if you’re a fan of sport/football video games, and are looking for a simple but fun option to play on the go, Retro Bowl absolutely deserves a place on your phone. Also, once you download it, feel free to stop by Mr. Sanchez’s class and challenge but inevitably lose to him in the exhibition mode!