NES Play Action Football
Game Boy · 2007
About this game
Nintendo takes its game to the gridiron with NES Play Action Football.
While Nintendo did not get the NFL license for this one, it did secure the license of the NFL Player's Association, so the 8 teams to choose from (all named after the appropriate NFL cities) are all stocked up with real pro players from the 1989 season.
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You can even substitute second-stringers for the "skill" positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, and FS/SS) when your starters get tired.
Play perspective is very unusual: top-down slightly modified with a three-quarters tilt behind the offense, and the scrolling is diagonal, from the bottom left to upper right of the screen.
Each team has 12 passing and 12 running plays on offense, and the option to reverse play designs effectively gives you a total of 48 potential plays to run.
The defense has 8 cover plays and 8 blitzes to select from.
The kicking and punting games are handled with a fairly typical directional arrow/power meter system.
Games are divided into four 15-minute (accelerated real-time) quarters.
There are no penalties, but referees do appear onscreen to signal touchdowns/field goals, take measurements on short yardage plays, and shout "First Down!" (in audio) whenever a team moves the chains.
Team stats are displayed on a summary screen after every quarter of play.
Highest scoring team wins, which in playoffs mode means moving on to the next round--and an eventual shot at winning it all in the Power Bowl!
About Game Boy
The original Game Boy (1989) proved that handheld gaming didn't need cutting-edge graphics to succeed — its monochrome screen and legendary battery life, combined with Tetris as a pack-in, made it a cultural phenomenon. Game Boy cartridges are famously durable, so this remains one of the more accessible retro platforms to collect, though translucent color variants and complete-in-box copies with the original brick-sized manual add real value for condition-focused collectors.
Gamevaro tracks NES Play Action Football for Game Boy with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding NES Play Action Football to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This GB release dates back to 2007.
Market values by condition
PAL
NTSC-U
NTSC-J
Recent sales
| Date | Type | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-09 | Loose / Item only | NTSC-U | €6.96 |
| 2026-07-09 | Loose / Item only | NTSC-J | €6.94 |
| 2026-07-08 | Loose / Item only | PAL | €6.36 |
Market insights
Rarity & condition
Only a handful of market sales have been tracked for NES Play Action Football, suggesting it doesn't trade hands very often — a sign of relative scarcity compared to more common Game Boy titles.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is NES Play Action Football worth?
NES Play Action Football for Game Boy is currently worth €6.36 loose. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.
Is NES Play Action Football rare?
NES Play Action Football has only a handful of tracked market sales, suggesting relative scarcity compared to more common Game Boy titles.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for NES Play Action Football?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. These are tracked as separate market values because the price gap between them can be significant, especially for older releases.
Is NES Play Action Football worth more in PAL or NTSC?
The PAL version of NES Play Action Football is currently worth €6.36 loose, versus €6.96 for NTSC-U. Regional price differences usually come down to print run size and regional collector demand.
Ratings & Reviews
Also on other platforms
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