What sport is featured in the video game "Tecmo Bowl"?

What sport is featured in the video game "Tecmo Bowl"? The answer is football. More specifically, it is American football, presented as a fast-paced video-game version of the sport.

Tecmo Bowl was developed and published by Tecmo, first appearing in arcades in 1987 before arriving on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. Players select offensive plays, control ball carriers, pass, tackle, and attempt to win a championship. The NES version became especially famous for its simple controls, exaggerated animations, and memorable long runs.

The game used fictional team names because Tecmo did not have a full NFL team license, although its NES release used player names through an NFL Players Association license. That is why teams were identified by cities or regions, while recognizable players such as Bo Jackson appeared in the roster. Tecmo Bowl is sometimes confused with Tecmo Super Bowl, its 1991 sequel, which included officially licensed NFL teams and a fuller season format.