Fans of the classic football game from Tecmo finally have something solid to bank on. Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff, the much awaited return of the arcade title which popularized Thurman Thomas as a beast on the field, has been officially announced for the Nintendo DS.

Aside from the make-over of controls utilizing the handheld's touch screen, Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff promises "huge plays and exciting cut-scenes." There was no mention of the original's famed NES port contributor, Tomonobu Itagaki, but the new features are quite promising. Not to mention, it will stay true to the 2D gameplay we all grew to love.

Here's a skinny of what Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff has to offer:

• Customizable Teams: Choose team colors, emblems, player names, team cities and abilities.
• Super Abilities: Tactically use over-the-top plays to take over a game.
• Wi-Fi and Wireless Multiplayer: Play against friends across the country or across the room.
• Stylus Control: Feel the action by using the stylus to control your player.
• Variety of Teams: Choose from 32 different teams.
• Cut-Scenes: All-new cut-scenes showing off the dramatic presentation of various plays.
• Customizable Playbook: Prepare for gridiron greatness by customizing your playbook.
• Music and Sound Effects: Turn up the heat on your opponent as you play the game to rock ‘n’ roll remixes of the most memorable tunes in football gaming history!

Furthermore, MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo reportedly got a hold of a Tecmo representative to inquire about the upcoming revival. According to Totilo, the rep stated Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff won't steer too far away from the original.

As such, teams won't be from the NFL and actual players such as the retired Bo Jackson won't be in the roster. However, we'll get to play 32 teams based on the cities of the original Tecmo Bowl this time.

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is scheduled for release this fall. While this confirmation is for the DS version, it is believed that the game will touchdown on the Wii. It did make an appearance on the Virtual Console, and we have our fingers crossed for a remake.