The system's first football game to feature an NFLPA license for professional players, Tecmo Bowl is a fast-paced take on the sport viewed from a side-scrolling perspective. On offense, you can select one of four plays before taking the field. The defense also chooses from the same list of plays. If a correct guess is made on defense, the result will likely be a sack or a tackle for a loss.

As quarterback, you can cycle through your receivers before pressing the pass button, or automatically hand the ball off to the running back. You then control the ball carrier while trying to elude defenders. Moves are limited to running with the directional pad and attempting to break tackles by repeatedly tapping a single button. On defense, you can switch players before the snap and make diving tackles. Make a big play and a cinematic cut-scene will display a close-up view of the action.

Twelve non-licensed teams are available, each named after a home city: Indianapolis, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Cleveland, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington, Dallas, New York, and Minnesota. Each features 21 real-life stars from the 1988 season, from Dan Marino and Joe Montana to Jerry Rice and Walter Payton. Play against the computer in an 11-team tournament, challenge a friend to a single game, or sit back and simply call plays in the coach mode.