authored by Nate Smithson
After four straight years of growth, Tundra Bowl VI had quite a bar to meet. Working over the last year to formulate how we could provide the best experience possible for players, we came up with a revolutionary idea - creating two divisions of players based mainly on their skill levels. This Division 1 and Division 2 setup allowed the more veteran players and newer tournament players to compete against people of similar skill levels. While no one was turned down from the challenge of Division 1, it ensured that the Division 2 groups would be more evenly matched, and offered a cheaper entry fee, thus, becoming the more attractive option for those non-veterans. Knowing that people dedicate entire weekends to Tundra Bowl, we also created a Friday night event called RetroMania. This event centered around two different options for players: our RetroMania Challenge and our 2v2 Tecmo Super Bowl Tournament. While both provided an entertaining atmosphere, it was the sheer number of players, excitement, and overall feedback that deemed our new creations successful.
The year-long preparation of structure, promotion, and event planning certainly paid off. Tundra Bowl VI boasted a brand-new tournament record of 73 players, ensuring its fifth straight year of growth. Players came from all over the country to attend TBVI on a frigid weekend, with wind chills reaching over -20 degrees below zero, with nearly 30 players showing up throughout the day on Friday. Friday night’s festivities were certainly a sight to behold. With 8 stations broadcasting 2v2 Tecmo Super Bowl, the other 8 systems were running with Sega Saturns, Super Nintendos, Sega Genesis systems, and of course, the original Nintendo systems. Our RetroMania Challenge was a concoction of eight different tasks for players to complete within eight different games. Most had a time-limit, while others had other limitations. One of the most popular challenges that night was the Sonic 2 challenge of obtaining the most rings after 3 minutes. Not only was it one of the most popular, it was one of the most impressive feats. New TB player Tad (Tadalicious) obtained a score of 255 rings, which was a phenomenal score. Knowing that Kevin (KevinCabarello) was still to attempt the feat, it had a possibility to be broken with how much he had practiced. Kevin didn’t disappoint as he turned in a PERFECT score of 296 rings in less than 2 ½ minutes. To say people were impressed would be an understatement.
The year-long preparation of structure, promotion, and event planning certainly paid off. Tundra Bowl VI boasted a brand-new tournament record of 73 players, ensuring its fifth straight year of growth. Players came from all over the country to attend TBVI on a frigid weekend, with wind chills reaching over -20 degrees below zero, with nearly 30 players showing up throughout the day on Friday. Friday night’s festivities were certainly a sight to behold. With 8 stations broadcasting 2v2 Tecmo Super Bowl, the other 8 systems were running with Sega Saturns, Super Nintendos, Sega Genesis systems, and of course, the original Nintendo systems. Our RetroMania Challenge was a concoction of eight different tasks for players to complete within eight different games. Most had a time-limit, while others had other limitations. One of the most popular challenges that night was the Sonic 2 challenge of obtaining the most rings after 3 minutes. Not only was it one of the most popular, it was one of the most impressive feats. New TB player Tad (Tadalicious) obtained a score of 255 rings, which was a phenomenal score. Knowing that Kevin (KevinCabarello) was still to attempt the feat, it had a possibility to be broken with how much he had practiced. Kevin didn’t disappoint as he turned in a PERFECT score of 296 rings in less than 2 ½ minutes. To say people were impressed would be an understatement.
Kevin’s winning in individual challenges wouldn’t end there. He also turned in the top score for Paperboy, Bubsy (everyone’s favorite...kind of), and in Daytona U.S.A. Other individual challenge winners included Kramer (RypienYouANewOne) in TMNT II, Adam (SuperDuper) in R.B.I. Baseball, Levi (Nelson79) in Duck Hunt, and Hank (HankTheTank) in Super Mario World. While it later became a two-horse race, many of the competitors were hanging tight in most of the competitions. When the end of the night tallies came to completion, Kevin (65 pts.) managed to edge out Kramer (64 pts.) by just one point, winning a Tundra Bowl Weekend Pass for next year. Kramer attributed this to his subpar Sonic run, but he placed well in most of the challenges. Rounding out the the top 4 in our RetroMania Challenge were Levi (58 pts.) and Tunda Bowl’s own, Swagz (44 pts.). While the RetroMania Challenge did have a couple minor hiccups to iron out for next year, overall, people seemed to be enjoying the randomness and difficulty of the challenges.
Our 2v2 Tecmo Tournament was one of two surprise hits of the weekend. We originally had 13 teams scheduled in our inaugural competition, but after a late scratch, we ended up with 12 teams. Being that it was our first 2v2 Tecmo Tournament, and that 2v2 takes a large amount of strategy and attention to incracies that players may not be overly familiar with, we decided to randomly seed our tournament with the teams. Before each game, players had to declare whether they’d be controlling offense, defense, or what two quarters they would have control of the team over. This provided an interesting aspect to the game as the team controlling player 1 would have to declare first. We felt it eliminated the advantage of being player 1, as the second team could make their declaration with their strategy against what the first team had already decided. Often, throughout the tournament, we saw teams sticking with the same strategy they had for the entire tournament. There were a few who switched it up based on opponents, but most stuck to their original plans.
Among the teams, Jeff (TecmoBo) and Joey (JoeyGats) were the favorites. Other heavy-hitting teams included Jared (TundraYeti311) and Tim (TimPapi), Kyle (ImFlo) and Louis (Red98SetHutHut), Justin (JustinPeters51) and Tim (TheShield), and Jeff (JEBigRed) and Matt (CasualT), of which the latter two teams did a considerable amount of trash-talking prior to the tournament. While the matchup would never come to fruition, the team of BigRed and CasualT lasted considerably longer in the tournament, finishing fourth. A team that made quite a surprising run was the team of Kris (SammieSmith33) and Kramer. They started their 2v2 Tournament by defeating Justin and Tim, and winning a close one against Dan (DPS) and Joseph (GreenMajik), 21-14. Eventually, they would run into the buzzsaw that is Gats and Bo, but nearly pulled out a victory, losing 24-21. In order to get another shot at the team, they beat Tim and Jared by a score of 17-7, as the team of Yeti and Papi finished third. Unfortunately for Kris and Kramer, their run to the championship would come to a screeching halt as Bo and Gats dominated this time around, winning 30-7, and capturing the first Tundra 2v2 Tournament title. They also each won themselves a Tundra Bowl Weekend Pass for 2020 by becoming the champions.
Among the teams, Jeff (TecmoBo) and Joey (JoeyGats) were the favorites. Other heavy-hitting teams included Jared (TundraYeti311) and Tim (TimPapi), Kyle (ImFlo) and Louis (Red98SetHutHut), Justin (JustinPeters51) and Tim (TheShield), and Jeff (JEBigRed) and Matt (CasualT), of which the latter two teams did a considerable amount of trash-talking prior to the tournament. While the matchup would never come to fruition, the team of BigRed and CasualT lasted considerably longer in the tournament, finishing fourth. A team that made quite a surprising run was the team of Kris (SammieSmith33) and Kramer. They started their 2v2 Tournament by defeating Justin and Tim, and winning a close one against Dan (DPS) and Joseph (GreenMajik), 21-14. Eventually, they would run into the buzzsaw that is Gats and Bo, but nearly pulled out a victory, losing 24-21. In order to get another shot at the team, they beat Tim and Jared by a score of 17-7, as the team of Yeti and Papi finished third. Unfortunately for Kris and Kramer, their run to the championship would come to a screeching halt as Bo and Gats dominated this time around, winning 30-7, and capturing the first Tundra 2v2 Tournament title. They also each won themselves a Tundra Bowl Weekend Pass for 2020 by becoming the champions.
In our Tundra Bowl VI main event on Saturday, our newly formed Division 1 had a turnout of 44 players, while our Division 2 had 29 players. The new format was certainly as innovative as it was ambitious. Coordinating the structure and groups of each of the divisions, as well as the streaming stations (8 different stations this year on the Tundra RedZone stream!!) and newly constructed schedules this year were among the challenges. Thankfully, there were many people that helped contribute to our successful tournament this year. Jon B. (QBBrowns) was an excellent co-host on our live reveal video, and helped with his seeding expertise for both of the divisions. Jon W. put in countless hours into the tech side of things, working with new equipment and experimenting with the capabilities of our stream this year leading up to the tournament. Mike T. helped immensely with the stream during the tournament and assisted Jon with the setup, and helped manage our social media updates throughout TBVI. Stephen A. lent his analytical prowess to the bracketology and helped greatly with the overall TB experience. Swagz is our digital media specialist, and created nearly all of the promotional media you see. He also helped a great deal on the tear-down of the event afterwards. A big shout out also goes to Mike C. as the leader of our gameday ops. He did a phenomenal job of keeping things running on schedule, looking for exciting games to broadcast on the stream, and probably logged a week’s worth of exercise into one day with how much he ran around. Our streaming commentators on the RedZone stream were none other than Dave H. (HoffNasty9) returning to his second TB from New York, as well as Illinois-native Jeff G. (TecmoBo). This team of commentators did a phenomenal job, and so much positive feedback was given on the job they did. We are incredibly grateful for their time on the stream, and the insight they provided. This effort from everyone is the reason the players get the second-to-none experience they do at each Tundra Bowl. A huge thank you to all of those people, and those who chipped in throughout the day; you are very much appreciated.
One other aspect that people found to be one of the coolest Tecmo experiences they’ve had was the presence of 3-time Super Bowl Champion, and in-game 49ers running back, Harry Sydney at our event. Harry agreed to come out to the event to take pictures, sign autographs, and mingled among the crowd this past weekend. All of the proceeds raised during his appearance at Tundra Bowl went to his foundation, My Brother’s Keeper. Their work in mentoring local young men and boys helps thousands around the area. With his appearance, we managed to raise $550 for his foundation, and we look forward to this partnership moving forward! Thank you for all of your contributions Tundra players!
In the creation of Division 1 (Groups 1-9) and Division 2 (Groups 10-15), we managed to make more competitive groups, while still ensuring that players were able to enjoy their Tundra Bowl experience. Division 2 was all-new this year, and provided an opportunity for people new to Tecmo, as well as Tecmo veterans to compete together in our first year with this format. Division 2 was a little more difficult to seed with a lot of first-year players, but still provided some excellent matchups and upsets.
One other aspect that people found to be one of the coolest Tecmo experiences they’ve had was the presence of 3-time Super Bowl Champion, and in-game 49ers running back, Harry Sydney at our event. Harry agreed to come out to the event to take pictures, sign autographs, and mingled among the crowd this past weekend. All of the proceeds raised during his appearance at Tundra Bowl went to his foundation, My Brother’s Keeper. Their work in mentoring local young men and boys helps thousands around the area. With his appearance, we managed to raise $550 for his foundation, and we look forward to this partnership moving forward! Thank you for all of your contributions Tundra players!
In the creation of Division 1 (Groups 1-9) and Division 2 (Groups 10-15), we managed to make more competitive groups, while still ensuring that players were able to enjoy their Tundra Bowl experience. Division 2 was all-new this year, and provided an opportunity for people new to Tecmo, as well as Tecmo veterans to compete together in our first year with this format. Division 2 was a little more difficult to seed with a lot of first-year players, but still provided some excellent matchups and upsets.
In Group 10, #1 seed Kramer ended up making the D2 bracket, though didn’t win the group as Johnny N. (JohnnyTecmo) took home that feather in his cap. Those two were the only two from their group to move on to the double-elimination bracket of 16. In Group 11, another #1 seed failed to capture the group, but did make the playoffs, going 2-2 with a +3 point differential. The winner of Group 11, Chase M., lost only to Richard in Group Play, but was seeded at #6 overall in the D2 bracket. Group 12 favorite, and picked by QBBrowns to end up in the title game, SuperDuper didn’t disappoint. He went 4-0, winning each game by an average of 14 points, and capturing the #2 seed overall in the D2 bracket. Two others in his group went on to the bracket with him, Eric N. (3-1, #5), and Brad G. (2-2, #11). In Group 13, Troy E. (NMUFred) continued his Tecmo success returning to Tundra Bowl, going 3-1 and getting the #7 overall in D2. Robert also made the bracket with the same record, pegged at #8 overall after Group Play. In Group 14, Swagz went a surprising 3-1, topping everyone in his group and got the #9 seed overall. Chris K. (PunkyQB) and newcomer Robert B. (Budabomb) got out of the group stage in Group 9. In the final group in D2, Group 15, Shaun B. (ShowerBabies) went an impressive 4-0 overall and snatched the #1 seed overall in the D2 bracket with a +61 point differential. Three others went 2-2 in the group, but only Tim P. and Billy B. moving on, leaving Jesse D. (JD) on the outside looking in in his second Tundra Bowl.
The bracket for D2 was one filled with challenging and close games, as well as impressive runs. In the first round, there were no major upsets, but in the second round, Robert B. took out the #1 seed Shaun in a shocker, winning 27-21. Shaun would go on to win his next two games to battle back into the D2 Final Four by defeating SuperDuper 21-17, ending Adam’s successful tournament run. Shaun joined Chase and JohnnyTecmo, as well as Iowa-native Kramer in the Final Four. Johnny earlier took out Kramer 24-12, but Kramer managed to battle back into the D2 Championship by defeating Chase narrowly, 24-23 after Chase eliminated Shaun. Having to win two games against JohnnyTecmo, Kramer managed to win a close one with Pittsburgh over the Cowboys 21-20 in Game 1, setting up a second game when he scored a touchdown to go-ahead with less than 40 seconds to play. Game 2 wasn’t as close this time around, as Kramer took his Jets and defeated Johnny’s Browns by the score of 28-14, capturing the first ever Tundra Bowl Division 2 Championship! Congratulations Kramer!
The bracket for D2 was one filled with challenging and close games, as well as impressive runs. In the first round, there were no major upsets, but in the second round, Robert B. took out the #1 seed Shaun in a shocker, winning 27-21. Shaun would go on to win his next two games to battle back into the D2 Final Four by defeating SuperDuper 21-17, ending Adam’s successful tournament run. Shaun joined Chase and JohnnyTecmo, as well as Iowa-native Kramer in the Final Four. Johnny earlier took out Kramer 24-12, but Kramer managed to battle back into the D2 Championship by defeating Chase narrowly, 24-23 after Chase eliminated Shaun. Having to win two games against JohnnyTecmo, Kramer managed to win a close one with Pittsburgh over the Cowboys 21-20 in Game 1, setting up a second game when he scored a touchdown to go-ahead with less than 40 seconds to play. Game 2 wasn’t as close this time around, as Kramer took his Jets and defeated Johnny’s Browns by the score of 28-14, capturing the first ever Tundra Bowl Division 2 Championship! Congratulations Kramer!
In Division 1, there were many groups winners that were not projected to come out on top, and there were some other shocking developments in regards to player records in both divisions. Group 1 was headlined by 3-time defending Tecmo Madison champion JoeyGats. While players in his group played well, Gats wasn’t in a game deicded by less than two scores, and went 4-0 in his group. Tim O. (TimPapi) was the #2 seed in the group, and managed to pull out a 3-1 record, losing only to Gats. Nick S. (Sanchez) was also in Group 1, going 1-3, and missing out on the bracket by just 5 points. Overall, there were three 1-3 players to get into the 32-person bracket, a number sure to decrease as Tundra Bowl’s player totals increase.
Group 2 held a little bit of suspense in it. Headlined by Tundra Bowl IV winner, and one of the best players in the world, Kyle M. (Regulator), the group had three players going 3-1 overall, having all three ranked in the top 14 when it came to bracket play. Regulator’s only loss in group play came in an overtime loss to KevinCabarello, 17-14, SD over TB. Kevin’s only loss came at the hands of Ben B. (DarthRockman), who ended up with a 2-point greater point differential than did Regulator in the end of group play. Four players from this group made it into bracket play, the three aforementioned, as well as Jon H. (MadTownSpliffStars).
The #1 seed in Group 3 was Mort, and the group included Jeff E. (JEBigRed), Troy H. (PrimeTime), Jason C. (Malferds), and Jared M. (TundraYeti311). While, on paper, this was Mort’s group to lose, this ended up being one of the more competitive groups in Division 1. Shockingly, Mort was one of the seven players in D1 that ended up going 0-4 in Group Play, and would miss out on the bracket. While two of his games were within 6 points, the other losses were by two scores (Malferds) and three scores (JEBigRed). This was arguably the biggest surprise all day, and at the very least, in Group Play. Two players ended up going 3-1 in the group, JEBigRed and PrimeTime. Two other players (Malferds and Yeti) also managed to make the bracket after going 2-2.
Group 4 was led by Tundra Bowl V champion Lou. Lou had some competition with last-minute addition, and Tundra Bowl III champion, Josh A. (Coconuts). All of the games within this group were decided within 16 points except two, and 6 of the 10 games were decided by one score or less. This was one of the more equally distributed groups, and while Lou didn’t capture the winner title of this group (that went to a 4-0 Coconuts), he did manage to get into the bracket at #19. Through the first four groups, the #1 seed didn’t win the group in 3 of the 4 cases, only Gats fulfilled the projected winner label within the first four groups.
Group 2 held a little bit of suspense in it. Headlined by Tundra Bowl IV winner, and one of the best players in the world, Kyle M. (Regulator), the group had three players going 3-1 overall, having all three ranked in the top 14 when it came to bracket play. Regulator’s only loss in group play came in an overtime loss to KevinCabarello, 17-14, SD over TB. Kevin’s only loss came at the hands of Ben B. (DarthRockman), who ended up with a 2-point greater point differential than did Regulator in the end of group play. Four players from this group made it into bracket play, the three aforementioned, as well as Jon H. (MadTownSpliffStars).
The #1 seed in Group 3 was Mort, and the group included Jeff E. (JEBigRed), Troy H. (PrimeTime), Jason C. (Malferds), and Jared M. (TundraYeti311). While, on paper, this was Mort’s group to lose, this ended up being one of the more competitive groups in Division 1. Shockingly, Mort was one of the seven players in D1 that ended up going 0-4 in Group Play, and would miss out on the bracket. While two of his games were within 6 points, the other losses were by two scores (Malferds) and three scores (JEBigRed). This was arguably the biggest surprise all day, and at the very least, in Group Play. Two players ended up going 3-1 in the group, JEBigRed and PrimeTime. Two other players (Malferds and Yeti) also managed to make the bracket after going 2-2.
Group 4 was led by Tundra Bowl V champion Lou. Lou had some competition with last-minute addition, and Tundra Bowl III champion, Josh A. (Coconuts). All of the games within this group were decided within 16 points except two, and 6 of the 10 games were decided by one score or less. This was one of the more equally distributed groups, and while Lou didn’t capture the winner title of this group (that went to a 4-0 Coconuts), he did manage to get into the bracket at #19. Through the first four groups, the #1 seed didn’t win the group in 3 of the 4 cases, only Gats fulfilled the projected winner label within the first four groups.
I was the #1 seed in Group 5, with Tecmo Lincoln runner-up Jeremy S. (Hawkeye) and Wisconsin Tecmo stalwart Matt B. (Heechy) in my group as well. My first two games, I found myself down by double-digits to my competitors. Starting slow seemed to be how I was playing the few few games, but I managed to comeback both times, winning tight games against Hawkeye (4 points) and Heechy (3 points). Hawkeye and Heechy also played in a tight game, separated by only one score. The three of us moved on to Bracket Play in Tundra Bowl VI.
Group 6 featured Jeff G. (TecmoBo) in his first Tundra Bowl appearance. Coming off of the satellite tournament victory, Levi showed that he had improved greatly on his tapping. Matt T. (MattGT37) was our lone player from Missouri, and the story of how he made it to Tundra Bowl VI is one for the ages. The next time you see him, ask him about his journey to Wisconsin. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to the tournament this year. Also in Group 6 was Matt A. (Flash80) and Tim A. from Milwaukee. Surprisingly, in this group of good to great Tecmo players, there were a number of 3+ score blowouts (5 of the 10 games). Bo had two of these blowout victories, which led him to the #1 overall seed heading into Bracket Play with a +80 point differential. Only Flash80 would join him in the bracket as Group 6 provided the least amount of participants to the bracket in Tundra Bowl VI.
Group 7 was also one of an immense amount of 3+ score victories (6 of the 10 games). Woodshed, the Tecmo Cleveland champion, entered his first Tundra Bowl as well this year, and didn’t disappoint. He went 4-0 with the second-largest point differential heading into the bracket. Tomczak Bowl founder Jake I. (BeefJuice) was also coming to his first Tundra Bowl, and turned in a 3-1 record, beating Flo by a touchdown with Seattle over New England. Flo ended up going 2-2, but that record and point differential was good to get into the bracket as #17 overall. BeefJuice and Flo would square off once again in the single-elimination Round of 32.
The #1 seed in Group 8 was Matt M. (Ones11Fahzu), coming in from Indiana. David H. (HoffNasty9) and Tim U. (TheShield) were also in Group 8, and the three of them provided some very close games. DPS, in his first Tundra Bowl, also made some noise in the group by upsetting Hoff by a touchdown, KC over CIN, and ended up going 2-2 alongside Hoff. Four players in this group moved onto the bracket, with Ones obtaining the #10 seed, with TheShield (#11) close on his heels thanks to a convincing head-to-head victory.
The last group in Division 1 was Group 9, led by Tecmo Lincoln champion Justin P. JP51 also was one of five #1 seeds that went 4-0 on the day, winning each game by an average of 12 points. Three players went 2-2 in the group, including SammieSmith33, Rico, and Dustin R. Dustin was a first-year player last year, and helped his overall record by upsetting Sammie by 4 points in the first game of the group. Justin came into the bracket as the #4 overall seed, with Sammie (#23), Rico (#24) and Dustin (#28) joining him.
Group 6 featured Jeff G. (TecmoBo) in his first Tundra Bowl appearance. Coming off of the satellite tournament victory, Levi showed that he had improved greatly on his tapping. Matt T. (MattGT37) was our lone player from Missouri, and the story of how he made it to Tundra Bowl VI is one for the ages. The next time you see him, ask him about his journey to Wisconsin. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to the tournament this year. Also in Group 6 was Matt A. (Flash80) and Tim A. from Milwaukee. Surprisingly, in this group of good to great Tecmo players, there were a number of 3+ score blowouts (5 of the 10 games). Bo had two of these blowout victories, which led him to the #1 overall seed heading into Bracket Play with a +80 point differential. Only Flash80 would join him in the bracket as Group 6 provided the least amount of participants to the bracket in Tundra Bowl VI.
Group 7 was also one of an immense amount of 3+ score victories (6 of the 10 games). Woodshed, the Tecmo Cleveland champion, entered his first Tundra Bowl as well this year, and didn’t disappoint. He went 4-0 with the second-largest point differential heading into the bracket. Tomczak Bowl founder Jake I. (BeefJuice) was also coming to his first Tundra Bowl, and turned in a 3-1 record, beating Flo by a touchdown with Seattle over New England. Flo ended up going 2-2, but that record and point differential was good to get into the bracket as #17 overall. BeefJuice and Flo would square off once again in the single-elimination Round of 32.
The #1 seed in Group 8 was Matt M. (Ones11Fahzu), coming in from Indiana. David H. (HoffNasty9) and Tim U. (TheShield) were also in Group 8, and the three of them provided some very close games. DPS, in his first Tundra Bowl, also made some noise in the group by upsetting Hoff by a touchdown, KC over CIN, and ended up going 2-2 alongside Hoff. Four players in this group moved onto the bracket, with Ones obtaining the #10 seed, with TheShield (#11) close on his heels thanks to a convincing head-to-head victory.
The last group in Division 1 was Group 9, led by Tecmo Lincoln champion Justin P. JP51 also was one of five #1 seeds that went 4-0 on the day, winning each game by an average of 12 points. Three players went 2-2 in the group, including SammieSmith33, Rico, and Dustin R. Dustin was a first-year player last year, and helped his overall record by upsetting Sammie by 4 points in the first game of the group. Justin came into the bracket as the #4 overall seed, with Sammie (#23), Rico (#24) and Dustin (#28) joining him.
During our formulation of the bracket, we wanted to give players something to participate in. Last year, it was watching KCab and Ryan S. (Ryan11p) break the world record in NBA Jam. This year, we shook things up a bit. Prior to TBVI, I made a list of all 28 teams, randomized them, then has two blanks for each team. The first 56 players in the door were assigned a team as presented in order on the list. The first player was Detroit, the second was New England, and so on, until all 28 were filled. Then, the next 28 went in the same order. During the time between group and bracket play, we simulated a season on the big screen for everyone to see. The Super Bowl-winning team would have had two players assigned to them, and those two players, once the simulated season was over, faced off in a sudden death game, first score wins, for prizes. A couple of highlights were Tampa Bay winning the NFC Central, but most impressively, were the Colts going 12-4 and making the playoffs. Take a look at the assigned teams and simulation videos (to be posted later) to get a taste of what went on; this simulation will definitely return at Tundra Bowl VII. Shortly after that simulation, we gave away a TON of prizes, including an autographed Bo Jackson jersey and more!
Lining up Bracket Play for the Round of 32 had finished, and players were in anticipation of who they’d play. Being that the Round of 32 is a single-elimination round, there is no room for error. A few of the notable games from that round included: the #1 seed in the bracket, TecmoBo, getting upset by #32 GreenMajik 17-14; #9 Regulator beating #24 Rico 14-10, Flo getting his revenge on BeefJuice 37-0, and #11 TheShield surviving #22 DPS 9-3. Defending Tundra Bowl champion Red98 was knocked out by KCab in convincing fashion, 30-3. The game of the round however was between SammieSmith33 and Ones. Ones, up by two scores with less than a minute left, lost to Sammie 30-24 by the rare combo of JJ/short return fumble/JJ/win. It was certainly a game for the ages for those that were in attendance, and one that Ones will look to avenge next year.
In the Sweet 16, there were a number of upsets that happened as well. With this talent pool, upsets are going to happen, and likely, more often within our Division 1 players. Regulator, once again, asserted his dominance with a decisive 28-13 victory over #8 DarthRockman. I lost to #11 TheShield after being up by two scores, 24-21 in a close game. GreenMajik continued his impressive run with a win over #17 Flo, 17-14. In the first round of the loser’s bracket, the days were ended in a Sweet 16 run for #8 Darth (losing to #Flo with a game-ending INT 19-14), #12 TimPapi (losing to #13 JEBigRed 14-7), #23 Sammie (losing to PrimeTime 24-3, MIN over DEN) and #14 KCab (losing to RetroNathan 23-10, KC over MIA). Round 2 of the winner’s bracket in the Sweet 16 was quite interesting. Favorited to win Tundra Bowl, JoeyGats found himself in an unusual SD-PHI matchup with TheShield. In a very rare personnel error by Gats, he left in Kenny Jackson rather than Keith Jackson for the majority of the game. The error would prove to be a costly one as QB Eagles only threw for 135 yards in a losing effort, 31-21. This was the first loss for Joey, sending him to the loser’s bracket as TheShield continued his impressive run. Other Round 2 winner’s bracket scores included Woodhsed by a TD over Heechy, JP51 beating Coco by 6, and Regulator handling business against GreenMajik 21-7.
In the second round of the loser’s bracket, all games were incredibly close, with all four being decided by 6 points or less with the winner’s moving onto the Elite 8. Flo called a RAI-CHI matchup against Gats, and if he would have seen my Elite 8 Madison call against Gats, calling this matchup was a mistake (I lost by two scores). Flo did end up taking Gats to OT, and he won the toss. Taking the ball on his own 11, he threw a pick on the very first play with a possible mistap. Gats scored a TD on the very next play, and Flo’s day was done, losing 27-21. JEBigRed and Heechy battled in another classic game, finishing with the same exact score as Heechy won 27-21 in overtime. A questionable call going for it on his own 13 yard line, BigRed threw an incomplete, and the rest is history. Coconuts beat PrimeTime 24-21, and I outlasted GreenMajik 6-3 as Joseph decided to go for the win rather than the tie on the last play of regulation. Impressive run by him on the day.
In the third round of the winner’s bracket, there were only four left that had not been beaten in the Bracket Play: TheShield, Woodshed, Regulator, and JP51. JP51 and Woodshed were the only undefeated people on the day up until this point, but thanks to an extremely well-played game, TheShield was able to pull off the upset over Woodshed, winning 10-7. Much like their counterparts, Regulator and Justin played in another slugfest, with Justin continuing his undefeated streak, winning 14-10 and sending Regs to play the winner of Heechy-Gats. Gats was able to handle business, playing dominating ball against Heech, winning 28-14. I had to play Tundra Bowl III champion Coconuts, and he called a Seattle-New England matchup. This is one of the first times I have had this called on me, and knowing that Coconuts prefers Seattle strongly, I contemplated it. While I normally would choose Seattle, I went with my gut and took the Patriots. Marv Cook was able to show up big for me, and I ended up winning in a great game, 17-14.
Down to six people, in the loser’s bracket there were matchups of myself against the #2 seed Woodshed, and the matchup everyone thought would be for the championship, Gats versus Regulator. In my game versus Woodshed, it was a good battle throughout, but I managed to pull away and win 28-17. The game versus Gats and Regulator was another classic battle between, arguably, the two best Tecmo Super Bowl players on the planet. Another PHI-RAI matchup, Gats held the lead late, 13-7 with Regs driving. Looking to take some time off the clock, Regs threw one to the endzone, completing the all-important CC to go ahead with less than a minute remaining. A couple failed bombs later, and Regs was moving on to face me, RetroNathan, in the Tundra Bowl VI Final Four.
I decided that a Seattle-New England call would be the best against a superior player. I knew I had to bring him down to my level if I was going to have a chance. Regulator was leading in the 4th quarter when I took a chance with a long JJ. The pass was completed to Irving Fryar, and knowing I didn’t have the tap advantage, I tried to score straight away. Regulator dove, tackling me on the 1-pixel line, and four failed tying attempts later, Regs took over inside his own 5. He put together an impressive drive, and scored the go-ahead field goal, holding on to win 17-7. I managed to come away with a 4th-place finish for my second time in the last three years at Tundra Bowl. Happy with my performance, I look to build on the momentum of the last two years in future Tecmo tournaments. Regulator would go on to play TheShield for the right to go on to the Tundra Bowl VI Championship as he lost to JP 17-7.
Regulator and TheShield played one for the ages, and thankfully, like many other classic finishes on the day, it was caught on our Tundra Bowl RedZone stream. Regulator called a PHI-RAI matchup, obviously comfortable with both teams regardless of which one Tim chose. Knowing Regs with the Eagles is fairly unstoppable, Tim chose Philadelphia, giving Kyle the Bears. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Tim had pulled within 10-6 with a field goal. On the ensuing possession on the very first play from scrimmage, Regs fumbled the ball back to Tim, and he immediately had it in the red zone. Stopping him on the first three plays, Tim runs in for a TD on 4th and Goal, going ahead by a field goal with 3:05 left. A second fumble by Kyle with 1:25 left looked to seal the game as Philadelphia recovered. Faced with a 4th down with 34 seconds left, Tim elected to punt it into the endzone. With no time left, Regs bombed a JJ to Johnny Bailey, and won the right to get back into the championship against JP, winning 17-13. Tim’s Cinderella run came to an end, but I suspect this won’t be the last we see of him in the Elite 8 of tournaments in the future.
In the Sweet 16, there were a number of upsets that happened as well. With this talent pool, upsets are going to happen, and likely, more often within our Division 1 players. Regulator, once again, asserted his dominance with a decisive 28-13 victory over #8 DarthRockman. I lost to #11 TheShield after being up by two scores, 24-21 in a close game. GreenMajik continued his impressive run with a win over #17 Flo, 17-14. In the first round of the loser’s bracket, the days were ended in a Sweet 16 run for #8 Darth (losing to #Flo with a game-ending INT 19-14), #12 TimPapi (losing to #13 JEBigRed 14-7), #23 Sammie (losing to PrimeTime 24-3, MIN over DEN) and #14 KCab (losing to RetroNathan 23-10, KC over MIA). Round 2 of the winner’s bracket in the Sweet 16 was quite interesting. Favorited to win Tundra Bowl, JoeyGats found himself in an unusual SD-PHI matchup with TheShield. In a very rare personnel error by Gats, he left in Kenny Jackson rather than Keith Jackson for the majority of the game. The error would prove to be a costly one as QB Eagles only threw for 135 yards in a losing effort, 31-21. This was the first loss for Joey, sending him to the loser’s bracket as TheShield continued his impressive run. Other Round 2 winner’s bracket scores included Woodhsed by a TD over Heechy, JP51 beating Coco by 6, and Regulator handling business against GreenMajik 21-7.
In the second round of the loser’s bracket, all games were incredibly close, with all four being decided by 6 points or less with the winner’s moving onto the Elite 8. Flo called a RAI-CHI matchup against Gats, and if he would have seen my Elite 8 Madison call against Gats, calling this matchup was a mistake (I lost by two scores). Flo did end up taking Gats to OT, and he won the toss. Taking the ball on his own 11, he threw a pick on the very first play with a possible mistap. Gats scored a TD on the very next play, and Flo’s day was done, losing 27-21. JEBigRed and Heechy battled in another classic game, finishing with the same exact score as Heechy won 27-21 in overtime. A questionable call going for it on his own 13 yard line, BigRed threw an incomplete, and the rest is history. Coconuts beat PrimeTime 24-21, and I outlasted GreenMajik 6-3 as Joseph decided to go for the win rather than the tie on the last play of regulation. Impressive run by him on the day.
In the third round of the winner’s bracket, there were only four left that had not been beaten in the Bracket Play: TheShield, Woodshed, Regulator, and JP51. JP51 and Woodshed were the only undefeated people on the day up until this point, but thanks to an extremely well-played game, TheShield was able to pull off the upset over Woodshed, winning 10-7. Much like their counterparts, Regulator and Justin played in another slugfest, with Justin continuing his undefeated streak, winning 14-10 and sending Regs to play the winner of Heechy-Gats. Gats was able to handle business, playing dominating ball against Heech, winning 28-14. I had to play Tundra Bowl III champion Coconuts, and he called a Seattle-New England matchup. This is one of the first times I have had this called on me, and knowing that Coconuts prefers Seattle strongly, I contemplated it. While I normally would choose Seattle, I went with my gut and took the Patriots. Marv Cook was able to show up big for me, and I ended up winning in a great game, 17-14.
Down to six people, in the loser’s bracket there were matchups of myself against the #2 seed Woodshed, and the matchup everyone thought would be for the championship, Gats versus Regulator. In my game versus Woodshed, it was a good battle throughout, but I managed to pull away and win 28-17. The game versus Gats and Regulator was another classic battle between, arguably, the two best Tecmo Super Bowl players on the planet. Another PHI-RAI matchup, Gats held the lead late, 13-7 with Regs driving. Looking to take some time off the clock, Regs threw one to the endzone, completing the all-important CC to go ahead with less than a minute remaining. A couple failed bombs later, and Regs was moving on to face me, RetroNathan, in the Tundra Bowl VI Final Four.
I decided that a Seattle-New England call would be the best against a superior player. I knew I had to bring him down to my level if I was going to have a chance. Regulator was leading in the 4th quarter when I took a chance with a long JJ. The pass was completed to Irving Fryar, and knowing I didn’t have the tap advantage, I tried to score straight away. Regulator dove, tackling me on the 1-pixel line, and four failed tying attempts later, Regs took over inside his own 5. He put together an impressive drive, and scored the go-ahead field goal, holding on to win 17-7. I managed to come away with a 4th-place finish for my second time in the last three years at Tundra Bowl. Happy with my performance, I look to build on the momentum of the last two years in future Tecmo tournaments. Regulator would go on to play TheShield for the right to go on to the Tundra Bowl VI Championship as he lost to JP 17-7.
Regulator and TheShield played one for the ages, and thankfully, like many other classic finishes on the day, it was caught on our Tundra Bowl RedZone stream. Regulator called a PHI-RAI matchup, obviously comfortable with both teams regardless of which one Tim chose. Knowing Regs with the Eagles is fairly unstoppable, Tim chose Philadelphia, giving Kyle the Bears. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Tim had pulled within 10-6 with a field goal. On the ensuing possession on the very first play from scrimmage, Regs fumbled the ball back to Tim, and he immediately had it in the red zone. Stopping him on the first three plays, Tim runs in for a TD on 4th and Goal, going ahead by a field goal with 3:05 left. A second fumble by Kyle with 1:25 left looked to seal the game as Philadelphia recovered. Faced with a 4th down with 34 seconds left, Tim elected to punt it into the endzone. With no time left, Regs bombed a JJ to Johnny Bailey, and won the right to get back into the championship against JP, winning 17-13. Tim’s Cinderella run came to an end, but I suspect this won’t be the last we see of him in the Elite 8 of tournaments in the future.
This classic matchup couldn’t be more fitting for a championship played in the frozen tundra of Green Bay, WI. A methodical and chunking offense on both sides, the game was 17-14 at the half, thanks to a long JJ to Slaughter and getting out of bounds with 1 second left in the second quarter. With the second half kickoff going to JP, he was in control of his destiny. Regs forced a punt halfway through the 3rd, and took control with Majkowski. On the last play of the 3rd, Regs took the lead 21-17 with a QB run for the TD. An incomplete pass on third down on a misfire by QB Browns, JP went for it on fourth down on his own 20. A stop by Reg put him in firm control, and when he took over, within a couple plays, he scored with another Majkowski TD run. JP wasn’t done yet as a long JJ and quick TD by Metcalf pulled him within 4. The ensuing onside kick was not successful as he missed the meter and kicked it deep. Regulator wins the Tundra Bowl VI championship by the final of 28-24, becoming the first two-time Tundra Bowl Champion!
As we march on towards 2020 and Tundra Bowl VII, I can confidently say that this was our most successful tournament to date. An excellent after-party at Aunt Ethel's was an amazing way to cap Tundra Bowl Weekend off! Years of continual growth, innovation, and most importantly, the camaraderie are the high points of Tundra every year. We strive annually to bring you the best experience you can possibly have, and thanks to your continued support, have made Tundra Bowl what it is today. Stay tuned throughout the year for more TB news, stats, and updates. We hope to see you all in 2020!
As we march on towards 2020 and Tundra Bowl VII, I can confidently say that this was our most successful tournament to date. An excellent after-party at Aunt Ethel's was an amazing way to cap Tundra Bowl Weekend off! Years of continual growth, innovation, and most importantly, the camaraderie are the high points of Tundra every year. We strive annually to bring you the best experience you can possibly have, and thanks to your continued support, have made Tundra Bowl what it is today. Stay tuned throughout the year for more TB news, stats, and updates. We hope to see you all in 2020!