Jump to content

Seattle Tecmo Tournament Recap


Recommended Posts

The Seattle Tecmo Super Bowl Tournament took place this past Friday at Another Castle, a new and used Video Game store just north of Seattle. Ten guys paid their ten bucks to enter with the following rules.

Double Elimination tournament.

Teams were broken up into 3 tiers and players chose one team from each tier. If the same team was chosen by both players for the top tier, then the teams for the 2nd tier were used, and if those were the same, the 3rd tier teams would be used. If these were the same, then players would choose their opponent's team. (This never happened)

Here is the list of tiers and teams as best as I can remember.

Tier 1 San Francisco, Buffalo, NY Giants, LA Raiders, Houston, Detroit, KC Chiefs, Cincinnati, Philly

Tier 2 Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, San Diego, Denver, Atlanta, Miami, Pitt, NY Jets,

Tier 3 Dallas, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Seattle, Indy, New England, New Orleans, LA Rams, Green Bay, Cleveland

(I'm not sure about Atlanta, NY Jets, Pitt, or GB, but I do remember thinking Atlanta was a tier too high. Rams and Tampa seemed a tier too low)

Players drew numbers to determine seeding, and the higher seed would choose player 1 or 2 controller. Onsides were allowed, DL play was allowed. Lurching and using 4th man LB to block fgs and xps was to be agreed upon before the game (most chose no lurching but allowed the 4th man to try to block kicks). The rest of the rules will be at the end of this post.

The Winner would get 60 bucks, 2nd place got 20, and their were four $5 prizes for tournament game highs in scoring, total yards, first downs, and completion percentage.

I drew number 8 ( a good thing for me, personal superstition speaking) and had to wait for the winner of the 3 and 4 seed matchup. My homie Corkster drew number 9 (causing some apprehension as we didn't want to play each other early in the draw) but he played the 10 seed. As for the tiered teams I chose San Fran (so I wouldn't have to play against Joe2Rice), Chicago, and Dallas (If I weren't such a Cowboy fan, I'd probably roll with Tampa Bay and the Haddix and his vaunted PTS (Possession Transfer System). By my count, five guys chose San Fran, a surprising 3 chose Kansas City, the tourney organizer, Matt, chose Houston, and Corky had his beloved Buffalo Bills. I had to wait to play and watched the first 3 games in nervous anticipation. The 1 2 matchup featured the eventual 4th place guy (a big jovial guy, whose reactions to his tecmo success and demise was highly entertaining) against a guy who admitted he had never played tecmo before. (he was there with his friend). The rookie had KC against the 49ers and it was not a pretty match, ending 42-0. The 3-4 Matchup was another SF - KC Matchup, and I drew the winner of this one. Eric the player with KC won a tight one after coming back in the 2nd half. The 5 6 matchup featured a Houston matchup with either KC or SF, where Matt had the Oilers, and I think the Oilers pulled it out.

My first game arrived at last, and I brought Joe, Jerry, Roger and crew to battle. The game started out with both teams scoring. Eric was in my head from the get go, picking several of my first few plays, but a couple of John Taylor picked play CCs kept the drive going and Joe found Brent Jones for the 1st score. The Chiefs scoring on a sick 10 yard run 2 off tackle that was picked and he managed to take it to the bottom of the screen and in. Eric had his controller on the floor and went to town on that A button for every grapple, winning every one against me. But in the end, Waymer and Lott shut down Okoye and Waymer picked off a couple of DeBerg passes, to hold down the Chiefs' attack. Joe was slicing and dicing as well, hitting open receivers all day, and a beautiful one to a covered Brent Jones on a pass 3 deep post that was just sicktastic, Jones catching it on the fly beyond his defender and taking it to the house for his 2nd TD. Okoye scored a late TD, but the 49ers were simply too much, winning it 42-14.

5743712666_e91cb22cf3_m.jpg

My raw dog Corky started his tournament with a Buffalo SF matchup. He started with a TD and safety to get the ball back with a 9-0 lead. He was about to run it in for another score when (cue Berman) FUM-BLE! After Thurman coughs it up the Niners come back to take a 21-16 lead late in the game. Buffalo scored on a last second short TD pass to Lofton, the top receiver on R&S pass 1, for the W.

5743162319_d3b4a092d2_m.jpg

These first two games would eventually pay us back our entry fee, as I got high score and percentage completions and Cork got total yards and 1st downs.

Unfortunately for both of us, we ended up having to play each other in the 2nd round and the 49er defense stepped up, especially on a plethora of picked plays (we know each other too well), holding QB Bills to 33 percent passing and stuffing Thurman in the backfield on a couple of the 4th down picked plays. The 49ers used the stellar D and a balanced offensive attack for the 42-14 victory.

5743712490_c4a13ea280_m.jpg

My next opponent ended up being against Joe aka Cochise Blue, the dude I was most concerned about, as he seemed very quiet and observant through the preliminary action and displayed excellent defense in the one game I saw of his, a 21 - 3 win with Chicago over Washington against the eventual 3rd place finisher Stu.

Both our top 2 tier teams were identical, so we were set up with a Dallas New Orleans matchup, and he chose the player 2 side. I won the toss and kicked off. He got to about midfield before I got a stop an a called running play on 4th down and short. I went with mostly pass plays, against my normal style of relying heavily on Emmitt, and got pretty lucky for my first score with a Shotgun Pass 4 cross screen from top to bottom pass to a diving Michael Irvin in the endzone, a pass I've never completed before in all my extensive Dallas playing Tecmo days. Joe was very efficient with the New Orleans running attack, getting 100 plus out of Dalton Hilliard and the offset I Runs 1 and 4, and single back toss Run 3. I had the ball late down 17-14, but regrettably threw a deep pick trying to sneak one quickly to the Playmaker, on a play that I had several open receivers, but impatiently thought I could get it by Cochise's man defender, and was WRONG. Cochise was able to run out the clock and I had my first L of the tournament.

5743712516_1eb0463c4f_m.jpg

The bad news for me was that I was one loss away from elimination, and ended up having to wait for about 3 rounds of games for my next game. However, the adrenaline that was pumping through the game I just played was precisely what I was hoping for in anticipation of this tourney. And it only got better...

The play of the tournament came up in a game between San Fran (Jovial Big guy) and Matt, the tourney host, as Houston. I believe Matt answered a 7-0 lead with 21 straight points, aided by at least one pick of Joe Cool. Late in the 4th quarter, San Fran had just scored to cut it to 21-14 and Houston was driving with less than a minute left. Unfortunately for Matt, the Oilers turned it over and the power of Joe2Rice was given an opportunity to affect yet another TSB classic. San Fran was able to get an unpicked pass play, and the Houston defender did not go back. Rice was covered, but does that ever matter? He got a JJ with 3 guys around him at around the 15 with no ticks left on the clock that elicited a huge roar from the crowd. I thought for sure he'd get tackled as the 3 defenders converged, but the 1st one engaged Jerry with a grapple and the other two magically bounced off the grapple as Rice broke free of his man and ran it into the endzone as I and most of the rest of this Tecmo crew went batshit crazy. He kicked the XP and won the coin toss. One more big play from Joe to an open Rice this time sealed it, and Big Jovial shared that he wouldn't be adverse to having gay sex with Joe Montana if Joe asked for it.

Big Jovial then had a loser out game vs Cork while Cork's first opponent, who eliminated the noob earlier, had a loser out game vs Stu. The winners of these games would play each other next for the right to play me to earn a shot at the title vs Cochise in the finals. Big Jovial won another close one scoring with barely any time left to beat Cork and end his tourney hopes. Here's a pic of them in game. 5743712704_29274e44e4_m.jpg Corkster is on the left in the Kona shirt, Big Jovial is on the right.

Stu won the other game and took the Washington Redskins vs Big Jovial's Bears. As I had the winner of this game, I had no idea who I preferred to win. If Stu won, I would be taking the Bears against his Redskins. If Big Jovial won, I'd have the Cowboys against his Rams.

This game turned out to be a defensive slugfest, as the Skins beat the Bears 10-3, and Big Jovial cursing Harbaugh with intensity in his demise, a frustrating defeat for sure as he was picked a couple times and Stu's run D was beastly.

So if I wanted to have a shot at the title, cash and revenge, I needed to beat Stu's skins with Chicago. 'Curiously, Stu won the toss and chose to receive the ball instead of defer possession to the 2nd half. Stu's run D was again stout and as there was no rule against using wr's as rb's, I had to contend with Ricky Sanders as a running back. I put Johnny Bailey in the backfield with Neal and put Muster in at TE. We both went scoreless on our first drives, I think, and he scored a fg to go up 3-0. I got a long pass off to Ron Morris, not the receiver I was trying to throw to, over the top just beyond the Was DB to set up a TD. As the ball was hucked deep toward Morris and the lurking defender, I was instilled with fear as my experience with any shitty quarterback is that every bad pass is a pick. Luckily, Harbaugh's strong arm won out, the ball beating the defender to my receiver for a long catch. It was 7-3 at the half, I believe my first drive of the second half resulted in bupkus, as I'm pretty sure I found myself down 10-7 in the second half on a deep JJ to Monk amidst several defenders, including my Man controlled Stinson. Adrenaline was pumping as I knew that any mistake could spell doom if I turned it over here. I turned to Johnny Bailey and he (and the blocking for run 2) delivered. Finally able to get the run game on track, I took the lead back pretty quickly, 14-10. I then concentrated on preventing Ricky Sanders from beating me, and trying to bait Rypien into a bad pass. The strategery worked as Ricky Sanders was held in check, and even though I had picked a run play and all the receivers were seemingly open, I was able to lure Rypien into throwing it deep on Stinson Island. I was almost overthrown, but the JJ pick WAS in full effect and I had the ball and the lead early in the 4th. I got lucky again with a deep pass over the secondary by Harbaugh, this time to Wendell Davis I believe. Regardless, I got up 2 scores midway through the 4th and felt pretty close to sealing the deal. Stu answered quickly with a long Sanders td run while my Man defender got JACKED UP! I get the ball back with just under 2 minutes to play, and deep in my territory up 21-17. First down, I decide to lay my cards on the table and go play action. The ploy works as I get a pass quickly off to Morris up top to move the ball to midfield. I had one last nice run with Bailey to get a crucial first down, turning around Stu's otherwise stout run d, and was able to run out the rest of the clock with a punt in the end zone.

5743162409_c0f8ab11d0_m.jpgFinal score, 21-17 Chicago... on to the finals.

Cochise had a pretty long wait for our rematch, and only needed to beat me once more to win the 'ship, while I needed to take him out twice to win. I changed my plays up to hopefully free up Emmitt a little better, as Cochise remained stout with Pat Swilling, Massey and every once in a while Maxie or one of the ILB's. I don't remember most of the specifics of the early part of this game. I do know Emmitt fumbled in the red zone after a long run, and Aikman overthrew an open receiver in the end zone on the last play of the 1st half. Pretty sure the halftime score was 3-3. I forgot when, but I was also able to finally get a pick of Fourcade with Ike Holt. The difference for me in this game was that I was finally able to contain Cochise's running attack. I was also finally able to bust Emmitt loose again, Cochise getting chucked by some good blocking, and I had a 10-3 lead. I got a stop on Cochise and got the ball back with the lead deep in my own territory and a couple of minutes left in the game. He forced a 4th and 1 near my 15 yard line and I wanted no part in giving him the ball back. I picked pass 2, single back formation, and Cochise called it. Aikman is feeling, as am I, as the game is in the balance, and he eludes the rush just long enough to throw it up top to KMart. The D is sitting there waiting for the pass, but KMart makes a CLUTCH diving CC and I've got a new set of downs. I had one more scary moment as he picked a shotgun pass play, and I couldn't throw it out of bounds, but luckily Aikman wasn't snatched upon. I got a little revenge with a 10-3 W to force a game 3 in our series, and a winner take all Championship game.

5743712458_2c40983c9e_m.jpg

We had a brief break before the big finale, and I decide to change my run and pass 2 to the T formation dive and the pass 2 I know and love so dear. I also change my receivers, moving Irvin to the top receiver against the slower corner while putting KMart down below with Massey. Cochise wins the toss, his first win in four tries, and defers. I received the ball but can't muster up any points, I think I punted but not sure. Cochise works it down the field and scores ( I honestly forget how ) to go up 7-0. I get the ball back and score as well (again I forget how). Cochise starts a drive with a little less than a minute left to go in the 1st half tied at 7 and I pick his play a couple of times, the second one leading to a safety, and I'm up 9-7 with the ball and about 15 seconds left. I get the deep JJ to the Playmaker, but he catches it inside the five and is immediately tackled as the crowd reacts, and I'm pissed that I missed an opportunity to go up 9 entering the 2nd half. Cochise receives the ball to start the 2nd half and I force a punt. Unfortunately, the ball is coughed up by Perryman on the punt return, deep in my own territory. I do manage to force a fg attempt and the kick is true, Cochise going up 10-9. On my next possession, I again screw up, trying to throw it quickly to KMart down below on a play where many guys are open. I feel I didn't throw it soon enough, and Cochise was able to make it over for the snatch. Cochise gets his ground game going again with Hilliard and punches it in with Ironhead Heyward where my man defender tried to meet him in the Run 2 T formation dive hole. My guy got blown back so forcefully, it reminded me of a scene where someone approaches a door and it explodes sending him flying back. My guy looked like a rag doll, seriously. Down 17-9, and with barely a minute left, I try one quick pass unsuccessfully, and then decide to try for a run to get into fg range on one play, hopefully kicking a 3, getting an onside kick, then praying for a glorious tournament winning JJ. Well, this plan didn't get very far as Emmitt is bottled up and then coughs it up, and the bitter pangs of defeat set in. Game, set, Championship. Big props to Joe aka Cochise Blue as he definitely earned this title with stellar D and an efficient ball control offense. He also beat me for being the entrant who travelled the farthest coming from Centralia, about an hour longer away than my current home of Tacoma.

5743162153_bbe27a93fc_m.jpg

In retrospect, I realize I went away from Emmitt Smith too much (in no small part to Cochise' D) and should have stuck with focusing on stopping the run late in the final game.

Overall, this was a great experience and tournament. All the guys were classy as classy can be. There was much conversation that there needs to be more of these tourneys in our area, and the best player won. I want another shot at Cochise, obviously, so Cochise, holla back. We can set up a mini tournament with our respective Tecmo crews. I hope Cochise can get online but he's stuck with a satellite internet connection. This whole experience has inspired me to think about setting up another tecmo tournament, with rules similar to the Madison tourney. The more of these the better, right?

231161_200922716610380_119964941372825_469107_8148939_n.jpg

The rest of the rules follow, for imfornational purposes only.

Players being idiots and causing game to reset would be disqualified. Controllers could be switched if players didn't like their controllers, but not after the game started. General sportsmanship and the like, yadda yadda. Pretty strict rule about letting the coin flip occur without disruption (dq I believe). Game freezes would essentially start from halftime if frozen in 2nd half, start over in stuck in 1st. OT had similar rules to college. If game ended in tie, player receiving ball to start new game would still have to defend if they only managed a fg. If the opponent then got ball and scored TD, they won. Rules unclear on if first possession of the new game OT ended in TD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...