We recently had an opportunity to interview Tecmo Bowl Throwback Producer, Mike Fahrny. Questions were submitted by our readers.

Operation Sports:  When comparing this game to the original Tecmo Bowl, are we to assume the same style of gameplay with better graphics and animation or are we looking at something completely different here?

Mike Fahrny:  Our goal from the beginning was to keep this version as close to the original as possible. We really wanted to give fans that nostalgic arcade football experience they've been asking for. You'll be able to find all your old favorites along with some new features in Tecmo Bowl Throwback.

OS:  Will we be able to customize any aspect of the game? For example, player names, team names or individual player ratings?

MF:  Player and team names will be fully customizable in the new game.

OS:  Will there be any online modes, leaderboards, etc.? If so, could you detail them?

MF:  There will be online MP in Throwback - you can play head to head in PreSeason against other players.  For the leaderboards, you will be able to track you're overall win/loss ratio against other ranked players in a weekly/monthly/all time format.

OS:  Did you bring over the original Tecmo Bowl music?

MF:  Of course! All your favorite old sounds and music are there.

OS:  Are there different body types for different positions or are they all basically the same model?

MF:  We decided at the beginning to go for a particular muscular body type instead of spending too much time trying to vary a bunch of different options and mix/match each team. Our focus was on getting the gameplay right.

OS:  Compared to the original Tecmo Bowl, how many more in game cinema screens are there?

MF:  We have tried to mirror the original as best we could. So all the new cut ins will trigger at the same moment in 3D as their 2D counterparts will.

OS:  Will we see field degradation in bad weather games (if there is a weather option)?

MF:  There sure is a weather option and there will be a certain amount of field degradation.

OS:  Will there be a variety of difficulty levels?

MF:  The game difficulty will ramp or lower depending on the teams stats that you're playing. All stats were taken from the SNES version.

OS:  We keep hearing April 27th, what is the actual release date and how much will it cost PS3 and 360 owners?

MF:  It will be coming out very, very soon - that's all I can say for now.

Any future plans for the series?

Well, that's a tough question and one that I can't really answer yet. I'm guessing it will largely depend on the success of Throwback. Who knows what the future will hold. 

OS:  We certainly appreciate the interview, is there anything else you would like to add?

MF:  I really hope that people enjoy the old school arcade experience we've tried to put together for all the fans of this series. I've been honored to take part in trying to remake a classic that I'm not only a fan of but is also one of the games that inspired me (and many others I'm sure) to follow my dreams and makes games for a living.