The NFL arcade game originally developed by Tecmo in 1987 and ported to the NES in 1989 is expected to arrive soon on the Virtual Console in PAL regions after it was recently rated by the Australian Classification Board. This will be the first time Tecmo Bowl has been released in this region as a digital offering and follows the Virtual Console title’s 2013 US debut on the 3DS eShop.

The NES iteration of Tecmo Bowl was well-received and eclipsed the popularity of its arcade counterpart. It is also the first console game to include real NFL players. The most recent Virtual Console release on the 3DS follows the original US digital launch on the Wii in 2007. Given the digital history of Tecmo Bowl, this latest classification could be for either of Nintendo's systems.

If you are located in a PAL region, let us know in the comments if you’re excited for the Virtual Console release of Tecmo Bowl.