**************************************************************** * * * -Full FAQ * * * * for * * __ __ ___ ____ ____ ______ ___ _ * * / \ / \ / _ \ | _ \ | _ \ | ____| | \ | | * * | |\ \/ /| | / / \ \ | | \ \ | | \ \ | |___ | |\ \ | | * * | | \__/ | | / /___\ \ | | | || | | || ___| | | \ \ | | * * | | | | | | | || |_/ / | |_/ / | |____ | | \ \| | * * |_| |_| |_| |_||____/ |____/ |______| |_| \___| * * * * ______ ____ ____ _______ * * |_____ \ / __ \ / __ \ \_____ \ * * | | | / \ || / \ | ___| | * * ____/ / | | | || | | | |___ < * * / ___/_ | \__/ || \__/ | _____| | * * |________| \____/ \____/ \_____/ * * * * Version - 1.01 * * * * for Gameboy Advance * * * * -FAQ Written by Zephyrmaster * * Andrew Sherman - zephyrmaster@yahoo.com * * * **************************************************************** Created on: 1/15/03 by zephyrmaster (zephyrmaster@yahoo.com) Updates: 0 Last Update: n/a Version: 1.00 Table of Contents: ------------------ -Version History -Introduction 1. FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions 2. Menu/Options Guide -Main Menu -In Game Menu -Options 3. How To Play -Buttons 4. Team Info/Statistics -Complete Team Statistics -All-Madden Team players -Indepth Team Info/Strategies -New NFL Team Alignments 5. Season Info -Game listing 6. Front Office Mode Information -Creating Players 7. Offensive Plays and Strategies -Controls -Best plays -General strategies 8. Defensive Plays and Strategies -Controls -Best plays -General strategies 9. Special Teams Strategies -Controls 10. General Hints and Tips 11. Cheats, Easter Eggs, etc... 12. Credits, Extras, etc... Version History- 1.01 (2/24/03) - Minor changes **************************************************************** * Introduction * **************************************************************** Madden 2003 for the Gameboy Advance is one of a few american football games that can be found for the system. It was made by EA Sports and is almost a direct port of an older SNES Madden game with extras added in. Madden 2003 is a large improvement over the previous Madden for the GBA (2002), which didn't have many of the options that Madden 2003 has. Enjoy the game and enjoy my FAQ. **************************************************************** * 1. FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions * **************************************************************** Q: Does this game have franchise mode? A: No, this game only has a Season Mode. Q: How do I tackle on defense? A: Press L. Q: How many created players can I save onto the cart? A: Each player takes about 2.5% of the cart's space for custom made characters, so: 100/2.5 = 40 players! Q: How do I save in Season Mode? A: The cart saves automatically in Season Mode everytime you finish a week. Q: How do I create the best possible player? A: There is no secret strategy, the best you can do is try hard on the training minigames. Q: Are you able to go all the way to the Superbowl if you play in Season Mode or does it just feature the regular season? A: In Season Mode you can take a team all the way to the big party, the Superbowl. **************************************************************** * 2. Menus/Options Guide * **************************************************************** This is for people who don't own the manual or don't understand it. It isn't a copy from the manual. The Menus --------- Main Menu --------- Play Now Season Play Front Office Records Explanations: Play Now- Allows you to immediately start a game, after choosing the teams, weather, stadium, rules, and controllers. This is also how you play a multiplayer game. Season Play- Allows you to start or continue a Playoff or Season mode. Front Office- Allows you to create players and trade players between teams or the free agent pool. Records- Allows you to view the league leaders in several different record areas. Pause Menu ---------- Resume Game Instant Replay Gameplay Options Call Timeout Substitutions Statistics Injury Reports NFL Records EA Sports Ticker Credits End Game Now Explanations: Resume Game- Resumes your game. Instant Replay- Allows you to view the last play played on the field. In this mode, you use the control pad to move the view point. The A button is play, the B button is frame advance, the L button is rewind and the R button is fast foward. Gameplay Options- More on this below... Call Timeout- Calls a timeout, which stops the clock. You only have 3 timeouts in each half. Substitutions- Allows you to sub in and out players. Look in "How to Play". Statistics- Game Stats: Statistical breakdown for both teams Team Stats: Individual stats for both teams Scoring Summary: Quarter by quarter breakdown of points scored. Injury Reports- Allows you to view the injuries of any NFL team. This option is only available in Season Mode. NFL Records- Allows you to view the current NFL records. EA Sports Ticker- Allows you to see the scores of other teams in the same week. Season Mode only. Credits- View the credits. End Game Now- Ends the game immediately at the current score. Options ------- Game Rules ---------- Quarter Length (3,5,10,15 minutes) Location Weather (Fair, Windy, Raining, Snowing, Night, or Variable) Endurance (On/Off) Injuries (On/Off) Rosters (Original/Modified) Explanations: Quarter Length- Choose a length of quarter Location- (Play Now Mode only) Choose a stadium to play in. There are stadiums for all of the teams and some are domed and some are uncovered. Weather- (Play Now Mode only) Choose a weather mode. Dome stadiums aren't affected by weather conditions. Endurance- When Endurance is on, your players will become tired. When off, your players will always have full energy. Injuries- (Season Mode only) When On, players can become injured in games. Rosters- The modified roster is the roster with all of the trades and created players. Ingame Options -------------- Set Audibles Skill Level Penalty Levels Set Offense Control Set Music Set Brightness Pass Catch Mode Passing Mode Quick Pass Mode Injury Mode Explanations: Set Audibles- Set audibles for offense and defense (3 each). Skill level- Set the skill level (Pro/All Madden) The difference between the two is the AI and the speed of the game. All Madden mode is faster than Pro mode. Penalty Levels- Set the frequency at which penalties occur. Set Offense Control- (Automatic/Manual) When automatic, the computer decides who you control on offense. Set Music- (On/Off) Turn Music on or off. Set Brightness- Change the contrast (1-10) Pass Catch Mode- (Manual/Auto) When manual, you take control of the reciever BEFORE the reception. If auto, you only gain control of him after the reception. Passing Mode- (Four/Single) In four reciever mode, each button corresponds to a reciever. In single reciever mode there is only one eligible reciever. Quick Pass Mode- (On/Off) When on, you don't have to press 'A' to call up a list of recievers. Injury Mode- (On/Off) Turn injuries on or off. **************************************************************** * 3. How to Play * **************************************************************** Button List ----------- Kicking/Punting: A: Snap the ball <- ->: Aim kick A: Kick the ball Select: Fair catch Offense (Before snap): <- ->: Set man in motion B, then A,B, or R: Call an aubible L: Cancel audible A: Snap the ball Select: Fake snap Running: Control Pad: Run in a direction R: Jump (Hurdle) L: Dive B: Spin A: Speed burst L: Dive/or QB slide (if QB) Select: Lateral the ball Passing: Control Pad: Move the QB A: Call up passing symbols (When quick pass if OFF only) A,B,L,R: Pass to a reciever Select: Throw the ball away Recieving: A: Select reciever R: Jump/Catch pass L: Dive Defense (Before snap): Control Pad: Move selected player L,A: Select a player R: Show blitz B: Call audible Defense: Control Pad: Move selected player A: Select defender closest to the ball B: Speed burst/Power Tackle R: Jump/Raise Hands L: Dive **************************************************************** * 4. Team Info/Statistics/Strategies * **************************************************************** ############################ # Complete Team Statistics # ############################ Key --- OVERALL- Overall Rating DL- Defensive Line QB- Quarterbacks L- Linebackers RB- Runningbacks S- Safties R- Recievers P- Punters OL- Offensive Line K- Kickers Team Name OVERALL QB RB R OL DL L S P K ---------------------------------------------------------- Bears 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 Bengal 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 Bills 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 Broncos 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 Browns 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 Buccaneers 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 Cardinals 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 Chargers 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 Chiefs 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 Team Name OVERALL QB RB R OL DL L S P K ---------------------------------------------------------- Colts 1 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 3 Cowboys 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 Dolphins 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 Eagles 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 Falcons 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 49'ers 2 3 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 Giants 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Jaguars 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 Jets 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 Team Name OVERALL QB RB R OL DL L S P K ---------------------------------------------------------- Lions 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 Packers 2 3 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 Panthers 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 3 Patriots 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 Raiders 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Rams 2 3 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 Ravens 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 1 3 3 Redskins 2 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 Team Name OVERALL QB RB R OL DL L S P K ---------------------------------------------------------- Saints 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 Seahawks 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 3 Steelers 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 Texans 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 Titans 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 Vikings 2 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 All-Madden 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Overview- --------- Best Teams: All Madden, Buccaneers, Broncos Worst Teams: Bears, Bengals, Lions, Panthers ###################################### # All-Madden Team Player Information # ###################################### QB: Brett Farve (Packers), Jeff Garcia (49'ers), Kurt Warner (Rams) RB: Marshall Faulk (Rams), A. Green, Garrison Hearst (49'ers) Ricky Williams (Saints), A. Thomas WR: Terrell Owens (49'ers), Issac Bruce (Rams), J. Horn, Marvin Harrison (Colts), M. Booker, Kevin Johnson TE: Shannon Sharpe (Ravens), Tony Gonzalez, W. Walls OL: O. Pace, Leroy Allen, M. Birk, Timmerman, J. Ruyan, Tony Boselli, R. Brown, E. Mulitalo LB: C. Brown, Brian Urlacher (Bears), J. Trotter, D. Brooks Keith Brooking (Falcons!), Jesse Armstead, D. Woodson CB: A. Plummer, A. Williams, T. Vincent, D. Abraham S: B. Dawkins, J. Lynch, M. Mckenzie (Packers), S. Knight K: Gramatica P: D. Bennett KR: J. Horn, Marvin Harrison PR: J. Horn ################################# # In Depth Team Info/Strategies # ################################# Bears ----- City: Chicago Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 Key Players: Brian Urlacher (LB) - Pro Bowl Linebacker Strategy: Split between pass and run, the Bears have no key advantages in either category. The Bears are a pretty lackluster team and on offense yardage will be hard to garner. The defense of the Bears is better than their offense, and they have some bright spots (such as Urlacher). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bengals ------- City: Cinncinati Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 Key Players: Corey Dillion (RB) - Good, solid running back Strategy: Keep the ball on the ground most of the time, and regulate your passes to short ones. The Bengals don't have a good QB, so running will probably be the dominate strategy with this team. The Bengals' defense is horrid, so be careful and play wisely or else better teams will score big gains against your weak offense. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bills ----- City: Buffalo Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 Key Players: None Strategy: Survive. The Bills have a mediocre offense and a mediocre defense to go with it. Even though they don't have any super strong points, they are a fairly good team overall; if used properly. Concentrate on passing, from short lobs and screens to long bombs down the field. Mix in a few running plays to keep the defense guessing, but primarily concentrate on passing the ball. The Bills' defense isn't that bad, but you can't always depend on your defense to win you a game. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Broncos ------- City: Denver Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 Key Players: Brian Griese (QB) - Mediocre quarterback Terrell Davis (RB) - Great running back. Strategy: The Broncos are one of the highest rated teams in Madden 2003, yet they didn't even make the playoffs in real life... Regard- less, the Broncos are a good team that is solid all around. The strongest point of the offense is the great Terrell Davis, who is one of the best runningbacks currently in the league. Griese, the QB, isn't that great, so I would recommend a largely conservative offense with running the focal point of the offense in the games. The defense of the Broncos is good, and you should not have to much problem stopping drives. One interesting facet of the Broncos is their superb kicker, Jason Elam, who holds the record for longest field goal ever. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Browns ------ City: Clevland Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 1 Key Players: None Strategy: The Browns have a no name offense and a lackluster defense. The QB, Holcomb, is young and not a superb player. On offense, you just have to scrape whatever yardage you can with this team, whether on the ground or in the air. The quarterbacks, running- backs, and recievers are all no-name players. The defense of the Browns is much better than their offense, and that is the only factor making the Browns a viable team. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Buccaneers ---------- City: Tampa Bay Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 Key Players: Mike Alstot (FB) - Stong fullback Brad Johnson (QB) - Good quaterback Keyshawn Johnson (WR) - Superb wide reciever Strategy: The divisional rivals of my personal favorite team, even people who dislike the Buccaneers must admit that they have a very stacked team, packed with star players. The Tampa Bay offense has everything they need to either run or pass the ball effectively. Personally, I would recommend that you pass the ball more than you run it because the Buccaneer's passer and recievers are so good. The defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is their strongest point. They have superb lineman, with the likes of Warren Sapp providing superb protection for the QB or pressuring the opposing QB. This team is the second best team in the game right behind the All-Madden Team. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Cardinals --------- City: Arizona (Pheonix) Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 Key Players: Jake Plummer (QB) - Above average quaterback Strategy: Tilt the offense toward passing the ball rather than running it. The Cardinals have almost no good running game, so passing is one of the only choices. Spread out your passes, because there is no great reciever that you should hit repeatedly. Don't exclude runs from your offense totally though; make sure that you run the ball occasionally, preferablly toward the outside of the field. The defense of the Cardinals is mediocre, and you'll probably want to concentrate on protecting against the run. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Chargers -------- City: San Diego Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 Key Players: None Strategy: On offense, almost everything about this team is pointing toward running plays rather than passing plays. Even though the they don't have any good running backs, their passing unit is even worse. The offensive line is very poor quality, and so is the quarterback. Tilt your offense toward running plays, but be careful to avoid 3rd and long situations. The defense of the Chargers is good, especially against the pass. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Chiefs ------ City: Kansas City Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 Key Players: None Strategy: The Chiefs have a fairly high-powered offense but at the expense of their defense. On offense, spread your plays out between passes and runs. A set of downs could look like this: 1st- Run up the middle, 2nd- Short pass or run, 3rd- Pass. Take some shots down field on 1st down occasionally, because the Chiefs have a unit that could possibly garner big gains. The defense of the Chiefs is weak, especially against the run. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Colts ----- City: Indianapolis Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 3 Key Players: Peyton Manning (QB) - Great quaterback Marvin Harrison (WR) - Superb wide reciever Strategy: Tilt your offensive strategy far toward passing the ball. EA Sports gave Peyton Manning a very nice rating, and the Colts have some good recievers for him to pass the ball to. The Colts are a high-powered passing orientated offense, so you shouldn't be reluctant to launch some some long bombs down the field. Mix in a few running plays, but be aware that you can't depend on the run with such poor runningbacks. The defense of the Colts is horrid, they preform poorly against the run and the pass. Call your plays very wisely on defense. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Cowboys ------- City: Dallas Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 Key Players: None Strategy: Ouch. The Cowboys have one of the most lackluster offenses in the NFL. They don't have any key or even star players on offense (unless you count Emmitt Smith, who is much past his prime), and you will have a hard time generating successful drives with this team. The running unit is spearheaded by Emmitt Smith, a superb runningback who is just to far past his prime to be very effective. The quarterback is very young, and the recievers are not any good. Spread out your plays between pass and run plays until you find something that works well against the team you are facing. The defense of the Cowboys isn't as bad, and it actually could be considered "good". If you call your defensive plays wisely, you should be able to stop drives. Computer AI Notes: When you face the Cowboys, they like the run much more than the pass. In fact, they almost exclusively run the ball, only passing when necessary! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dolphins -------- City: Miami Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 Key Players: Jay Fielder (QB) - Above average quarterback Ricky Williams (RB) - Great young runningback Strategy: The offense of the Dolphins is merely average. The Dolphins have a good quarterback and runningback, so you should have a healthy mix of pass and run plays in your offensive repetoire. The receivers of the Dolphins are very poor quality, so you should pass some nice screen passes to confuse the defense. The defense of the Dolphins is bad, especially against the run. Take special care in 1st down situations, because many teams chould have great running gains if you call the wrong play. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Eagles ------ City: Philadelphia Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 Key Players: Donavan McNabb (QB) - Tough QB who is an accurate passer Duce Staley (RB) - Solid runningback Strategy: Above average team. On offense, concentrate on forming a good passing game. You should tilt your overall choices toward passes, but once you have developed a good passing game, then you should start using running plays. The offensive line of the Eagles is not great, so be careful of defenders who penetrate through your linemen. On defense, the Eagles are great. Choose your plays wisely and your should stop the opposing offenses. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Falcons ------- City: Atlanta Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 Key Players: Michael Vick (QB) - Extremely fast, accurate passer Strategy: Editorial Comment- The Falcons are my favorite team. They have various weaknesses, including most of their offensive unit and their linemen. On offense, you should concentrate on passing plays with a few running plays utilizing Michael Vick's speed or Warrick Dunn's abilities. The offensive line of the Falcons is bad, so watch out for sacks. On defense, the Falcons are weak against the run. Use blitzes to pressure the quarter- back and to stop running plays. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 49'ers ------ City: San Francisco Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 3 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 Key Players: Jeff Garcia (QB) - A good quaterback (overrated in my opinion) Garrison Hearst (RB) - Hardworking runningback Strategy: The 49'ers have a very lopsided team which is primarily offense geared team. They have a great quarterback and good wide recievers and runningbacks, so you should spread your offense between passes and run plays to keep the defense on their toes. On offense you have the capability to pull off almost every play (such as long bombs or trick runs), so your should vary your play selection a lot. On defense, the 49'ers are very weak against the run, so you should concentrate on throwing a variety of blitzes and tight defenses against the other team. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Giants ------ City: New York Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Key Players: Kerry Collins (QB) - Solid quaterback Strategy: A very average team. The ratings for this team are all 2, and they are only team with all of the same rating! On offense, you should spread your plays evenly between run and pass plays. On defense, just call plays based on what you believe the computer is going to do on offense. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jaguars ------- City: Jacksonville Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 Key Players: Mark Brunell (QB) - Great quaterback Strategy: The Jaguars have a below average team on both sides of the ball. On offense, try to get whatever yardage you can by using run and pass plays effectively. You should probably lean toward a game of passes rather than one that concentrates on running the ball. The Jaguars have poor linemen, so your quarterback will be pressured often. On defense, the Jags have weak linemen and a weak secondary! Make sure you call wise defensive plays or else the opposing team could have huge gains against your defense. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jets ---- City: New York Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 Key Players: Chad Pennington (QB) - Very young QB who is showing some skill Strategy: The Jets are a below average team on both offense and defense. On offense, tilt your plays toward the run, because the Jets' quarterback isn't that great. The offensive line of the Jets is very weak, so try to run toward the outside or do short passes with the quarterback. On defense, the greatest weakness of the Jets is their run defense and their ability to pressure the quarterback. Use blitzes and run defense plays to prevent large running plays and to pressure the opposing the opponent's quarterback. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Lions ----- City: Detroit Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 Key Players: None Strategy: The Lions have really no good players to carry them on offense or defense. On offense, try to scrape whatever yards and points you can by spreading your offensive strategy between pass and running plays until you find strategies that work. If you are having tremendous trouble, try running toward the outside or shorter passes. On defense, the Lions are average against both the pass and the run. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Packers ------- City: Green Bay Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 3 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 Key Players: Brett Farve (QB) - Future hall-of-famer, one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. Strategy: The only notable weakness in this team is the linemen on both sides of the ball. On offense, concentrate on creating a nice mix of pass and run plays, leaning slightly toward a passing offense. Brett Farve is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever and you should exploit his skill. Ahman Green, the Packers main runningback, is a solid runningback who can gain major yardage if used well. The offensive line may not give you much time to pass the ball, so be ready to try to avoid sacks or pass the ball quickly. On defense, the Packers have a much better pass defense than run defense. If the offense is showing run, move your players up to the line or call an audible that is good against the run. Computer AI: The Packers, when controlled by the computer, loves to exploit defenses for long passes. Early in the game the Packers usually throw a variety of passes with just a few runs. Once they gain a lead, they lean more towards their running game. Watch out for the long bomb though. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Panthers -------- City: Carolina (?) Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 3 Key Players: None Strategy: Scrap what you can. The brightest part of this team is their defense, which, while not great, is much better than their pathetic offensive capabilities. Mix up your plays with this team until you find some strategies that you like, passes and runs should be used and mixed around. The linemen on this team are very bad, on either side of the ball. On defense, be ready for running plays, and on offense be ready to be pressured by the opposing team. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Patriots -------- City: New England (?) Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 Key Players: Tom Brady (QB) - Superbowl winning QB who was chosen over Drew Bledsoe. Strategy: On offense, concentrate on passing the ball. If you find that you can pass fairly consistently or can't pass at all, then you should start intergrating running plays into your offense. In most games you should have a mix of runs and passes that leans toward passing plays. The defense of the Patriots is good, but they are a little weak against the run. If you think the opposing team is going to run the ball, than don't be afraid to play a 3-4 blitz play, because the Patriots' secondary is very good. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Raiders ------- City: Oakland Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Key Players: Rich Gannon (QB) - Great passer, though he is aging (37). He won the MVP award. Jerry Rice (WR) - Aging wide reciever, who holds many of the NFL records in recieving. One of the greatest recievers ever. Strategy: Run and pass your way to victory. Even though this team looks very "average", they do have some really good star players hidden in their team. In fact, they made it to the superbowl this season! On the offensive side of the ball, you should tilt your play calling toward passing. Running is difficult with the Raiders because they don't have a big name runningback. The defense of the Raiders is good, but in real life they are prone to penalities. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Rams ---- City: St. Louis Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 3 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 Key Players: Kurt Warner (QB) - One of the best passers in the game, when he is healthy. Marshall Faulk (RB) - Great runningback Issac Bruce (WR) - Good wide reciever Strategy: Pass the ball! The Rams have a high geared offense that is perfect for long shots down field and long pass attempts. Use a variety of pass plays mixing different routes and formations. Even though you should concentrate on passing, don't be afraid to run the ball because the Rams have a good running offense in addition to one of the best passing offenses! The defense of the Rams is mediocre, and they have problems in pressuring the opposing quaterback. The oddest thing about this team is what happened in real life. Warner went 0-5, and when he became injured, the third stringer won 5 straight. After Warners return the team continued to lose... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Ravens ------ City: Baltimore Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 1 3 3 Key Players: J. Lewis (RB) - Mediocre runningback Strategy: What a fall from grace huh? The former NFL champions' ratings in Madden 2003 are terrible, and with good reason. The passing game for the Ravens is horrible. Even with the acquisition of Elvis Gerbac and the dropping of Trent Dilfer, the passing game of the Ravens needs a lot of work. The best part of this team is in the defense, but not all of it. Only the linebackers on this team are good. On offense, run the ball more than you pass it, and try to find plays that work for you. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Redskins -------- City: Washington (D.C.) Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 Key Players: None Strategy: Scrap what you can. The brightest part of this team is their defense, which, while not great, is much better than their pathetic offensive capabilities. Mix up your plays with this team until you find some strategies that you like, passes and runs should be used and mixed around. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Saints ------ City: New Orleans Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 Key Players: None Strategy: An almost average team. They have a great young running back in Ricky Williams, and their quarterback is also fairly young. Run the ball a lot with this team, and mix the running offense with trick plays and a mixture of passes. Your QB isn't very protected when you play this team, so be careful not to be sacked. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Seahawks -------- City: Seattle Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 3 Key Players: None Strategy: One of the most average teams in the league. Vary your offense when playing the Seahawks, mix a variety of passes with different running plays until you find a weakness in the offense you believe that you can exploit. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Steelers -------- City: Pittsburgh Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 Key Players: Tommy Maddox (QB) - Came from the laughed at XFL to become the comeback player of the year! Good solid QB. Jerome Bettis (RB) - Aging running back who can still break tackles. Nickname: The Bus Strategy: The Steelers have a fairly good team, and if played correctly can easily make the playoffs. While most of their players are just above average, they do have some obvious weaknesses. Pass the ball a lot with this team, but throw in some up the middle runs with Jerome Bettis to gain some extra yardage and throw the defense off. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Texans ------ City: Houston Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 Key Players: None Strategy: The Texans are a below average team due to their only recent induction into the NFL. They do have a fairly good running back and QB, so splitting plays between running and passing plays is a great strategy. The defense of the Texans isn't very bad, and you should be able to stop many drives with wise play calling. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Titans ------ City: Tennessee Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 Key Players: Steve McNair (QB) - Strong, accurate passer Eddie George (RB) - Great running back Strategy: The Titans are a very good balanced team. Steve McNair is one of the best quarterbacks in the game, and when Eddie George is healthy he can be deadly to the opposing team. With the Titans you should have a healthy balance between running and passing, because the Titans can do each one very effectively. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Vikings ------- City: Minnesota (?) Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 2 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 Key Players: Randy Moss (WR) - Very fast wide reciever Daute Culpepper (QB) - Strong, mobile, accurate passer Strategy: Focus on the passing game because the Vikings have problems trying to run the ball. The Vikings also has a poor defense, so be ready for big gains by the opposing team. When passing, Randy Moss should be your main target, as he can blow past defenders if used correctly. ---------------------------------------------------------------- All-Madden ---------- City: None Ratings: Overall QB RB R OL DL L S P K 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Key Players: Brett Farve (QB) - One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time Marshall Faulk (RB) - Superb running back Strategy: Run and pass at will. The All-Madden team has drastically better players than any other team. Passing with this team is great because of Brett Farve, who is a superb passer. Running is also a breeze with Marshall Faulk, who can break tackles fairly easily while running at a good pace. ####################### # New Team Alignments # ####################### The NFL recently made changes to the NFL team alignments in their divisions. AFC ---------------------------------------------------------------- EAST | Buffalo Miami New England N.Y. Jets NORTH | Baltimore Cincinnati Cleveland Pittsburgh SOUTH | Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Tennessee WEST | Denver Kansas City Oakland San Diego NFC ---------------------------------------------------------------- EAST | Dallas N.Y. Giants Philadelphia Washington NORTH | Chicago Detroit Green Bay Minnesota SOUTH | Atlanta Carolina New Orleans Tampa Bay WEST | Arizona St. Louis San Francisco Seattle **************************************************************** * 5. Season Info * **************************************************************** ################ # Season Games # + Real scores! ################ Compare your season to the real one, or just see what happened in real life! WEEK 1 ------ San Francisco 16, N.Y. Giants 13 Washington 31, Arizona 23 Green Bay 37, Atlanta 34 (OT) Carolina 10, Baltimore 7 Miami 49, Detroit 21 Indianapolis 28, Jacksonville 25 Kansas City 40, Cleveland 39 Chicago 27, Minnesota 23 N.Y. Jets 37, Buffalo 31 (OT) Tennessee 27, Philadelphia 24 San Diego 34, Cincinnati 6 New Orleans 26, Tampa Bay 20 (OT) Oakland 31, Seattle 17 Denver 23, St. Louis 16 Houston 19, Dallas 10 New England 30, Pittsburgh 14 WEEK 2 ------ Chicago 14, Atlanta 13 Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 7 Carolina 31, Detroit 7 New Orleans 35, Green Bay 20 Jacksonville 23, Kansas City 16 Miami 21, Indianapolis 13 New England 44, N.Y. Jets 7 Tampa Bay 25, Baltimore 0 Dallas 21, Tennessee 13 Arizona 24, Seattle 13 N.Y. Giants 26, St. Louis 21 Buffalo 45, Minnesota 39 (OT) Denver 24, San Francisco 14 San Diego 24, Houston 3 Oakland 30, Pittsburgh 17 Philadelphia 37, Washington 7 WEEK 3 ------ Carolina 21, Minnesota 14 Cleveland 31, Tennessee 28 (OT) Philadelphia 44, Dallas 13 Indianapolis 23, Houston 3 New England 41, Kansas City 38 (OT) New Orleans 29, Chicago 23 Miami 30, N.Y. Jets 3 Denver 28, Buffalo 23 San Diego 23, Arizona 15 Green Bay 37, Detroit 31 N.Y. Giants 9, Seattle 6 San Francisco 20, Washington 10 Atlanta 30, Cincinnati 3 Tampa Bay 26, St. Louis 14 Open date: Baltimore, Jacksonville, Oakland, Pittsburgh WEEK 4 ------ Green Bay 17, Carolina 14 Buffalo 33, Chicago 27 (OT) Pittsburgh 16, Cleveland 13 (OT) Dallas 13, St. Louis 10 Philadelphia 35, Houston 17 Kansas City 48, Miami 30 Detroit 26, New Orleans 21 Jacksonville 28, N.Y. Jets 3 Arizona 21, N.Y. Giants 7 Tampa Bay 35, Cincinnati 7 San Diego 21, New England 14 Oakland 52, Tennessee 25 Seattle 48, Minnesota 23 Baltimore 34, Denver 23 Open date: Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Washington WEEK 5 ------ Arizona 16, Carolina 13 Indianapolis 28, Cincinnati 21 Miami 26, New England 13 N.Y. Giants 21, Dallas 17 Oakland 49, Buffalo 31 New Orleans 32, Pittsburgh 29 Tampa Bay 20, Atlanta 6 Washington 31, Tennessee 14 Kansas City 29, N.Y. Jets 25 Denver 26, San Diego 9 Jacksonville 28, Philadelphia 25 San Francisco 37, St. Louis 13 Baltimore 26, Cleveland 21 Green Bay 34, Chicago 21 Open date: Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, Seattle WEEK 6 ------ Atlanta 17, N.Y. Giants 10 Indianapolis 22, Baltimore 20 Buffalo 31, Houston 24 Dallas 14, Carolina 13 Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 3 Minnesota 31, Detroit 24 Green Bay 28, New England 10 New Orleans 43, Washington 27 Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 7 Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 1 San Diego 35, Kansas City 34 St. Louis 28, Oakland 13 Miami 24, Denver 22 San Francisco 28, Seattle 21 Open date: Arizona, Chicago, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia WEEK 7 ------ Buffalo 23, Miami 10 Atlanta 30, Carolina 0 Detroit 23, Chicago 20 (OT) Denver 37, Kansas City 34 (OT) Baltimore 17, Jacksonville 10 N.Y. Jets 20, Minnesota St. Louis 37, Seattle 20 New Orleans 35, San Francisco 27 Cleveland 34, Houston 17 San Diego 27, Oakland 21 (OT) Arizona 9, Dallas 6 (OT) Philadelphia 20, Tampa Bay 10 Green Bay 30, Washington 9 Pittsburgh 28, Indianapolis 10 Open date: Cincinnati, New England, N.Y. Giants, Tennessee WEEK 8 ------ Atlanta 37, New Orleans 35 Minnesota 25, Chicago 7 Cleveland 24, N.Y. Jets 21 Buffalo 24, Detroit 17 Kansas City 20, Oakland 10 Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 18 Seattle 17, Dallas 14 Tampa Bay 12, Carolina 9 Tennessee 30, Cincinnati 24 San Francisco 38, Arizona 28 Denver 24, New England 16 Houston 21, Jacksonville 19 Washington 26, Indianapolis 21 Philadelphia 17, N.Y. Giants 3 Open date: Green Bay, Miami, San Diego, St. Louis WEEK 9 ------ Atlanta 20, Baltimore 17 Cincinnati 38, Houston 3 Detroit 9, Dallas 7 Tampa Bay 38, Minnesota 24 New England 38, Buffalo 7 Philadelphia 19, Chicago 13 Pittsburgh 23, Cleveland 20 Tennessee 23, Indianapolis 15 N.Y. Jets 44, San Diego 13 San Francisco 23, Oakland 20 (OT) St. Louis 27, Arizona 14 Washington 14, Seattle 3 N.Y. Giants 24, Jacksonville 17 Green Bay 24, Miami 10 Open date: Carolina, Denver, Kansas City, New Orleans WEEK 10 ------- Pittsburgh 34, Atlanta 34 (OT) Baltimore 38, Cincinnati 27 Green Bay 40, Detroit 14 Tennessee 17, Houston 10 Indianapolis 35, Philadelphia 13 New Orleans 34, Carolina 24 N.Y. Giants 27, Minnesota 20 St. Louis 28, San Diego 24 Seattle 27, Arizona 6 Jacksonville 26, Washington 7 San Francisco 17, Kansas City 13 New England 33, Chicago 30 N.Y. Jets 13, Miami 10 Oakland 34, Denver 10 Open date: Buffalo, Cleveland, Dallas, Tampa Bay WEEK 11 ------- Philadelphia 38, Arizona 14 Kansas City 17, Buffalo 16 Cleveland 27, Cincinnati 20 Indianapolis 20, Dallas 3 Minnesota 31, Green Bay 21 Jacksonville 24, Houston 21 Atlanta 24, New Orleans 17 Tennessee 31, Pittsburgh 23 N.Y. Giants 19, Washington 17 Tampa Bay 23, Carolina 10 San Diego 20, San Francisco 17 (OT) Miami 26, Baltimore 7 Denver 31, Seattle 9 N.Y. Jets 31, Detroit 14 Oakland 27, New England 20 St. Louis 21, Chicago 16 WEEK 12 ------- Atlanta 41, Carolina 0 N.Y. Jets 31, Buffalo 13 Pittsburgh 29, Cincinnati 21 Cleveland 24, New Orleans 15 Chicago 20, Detroit 17 (OT) Dallas 21, Jacksonville 19 New England 24, Minnesota 17 Miami 30, San Diego 3 Washington 20, St. Louis 17 Baltimore 13, Tennessee 12 Seattle 39, Kansas City 32 Oakland 41, Arizona 20 Tampa Bay 21, Green Bay 7 Houston 16, N.Y. Giants 14 Indianapolis 23, Denver 20 (OT) Philadelphia 38, San Francisco 17 WEEK 13 ------- New England 20, Detroit 12 Dallas 27, Washington 20 Kansas City 49, Arizona 0 Atlanta 30, Minnesota 24 (OT) Baltimore 27, Cincinnati 23 Carolina 13, Cleveland 6 Green Bay 30, Chicago 20 Buffalo 38, Miami 21 Pittsburgh 25, Jacksonville 23 Tennessee 32, N.Y. Giants 29 (OT) San Diego 30, Denver 27 (OT) Indianapolis 19, Houston 3 San Francisco 31, Seattle 24 Philadelphia 10, St. Louis 3 New Orleans 23, Tampa Bay 20 Oakland 26, N.Y. Jets 20 WEEK 14 ------- Tampa Bay 34, Atlanta 10 New England 27, Buffalo 17 Carolina 52, Cincinnati 31 Cleveland 21, Jacksonville 20 Houston 24, Pittsburgh 6 Tennessee 27, Indianapolis 17 N.Y. Giants 27, Washington 21 San Francisco 31, Dallas 27 Kansas City 49, St. Louis 10 Arizona 23, Detroit 20 (OT) New Orleans 37, Baltimore 25 Philadelphia 27, Seattle 20 N.Y. Jets 19, Denver 13 Oakland 27, San Diego 7 Green Bay 26, Minnesota 22 Miami 27, Chicago 9 WEEK 15 ------- Baltimore 23, Houston 19 Pittsburgh 30, Carolina 14 Indianapolis 28, Cleveland 23 Jacksonville 29, Cincinnati 15 Minnesota 32, New Orleans 31 Chicago 20, N.Y. Jets 13 Miami 23, Oakland 17 Buffalo 20, San Diego 13 Seattle 30, Atlanta 24 (OT) Tampa Bay 23, Detroit 20 Philadelphia 34, Washington 21 Denver 31, Kansas City 24 N.Y. Giants 37, Dallas 7 Green Bay 20, San Francisco 14 St. Louis 30, Arizona 28 Tennessee 24, New England 7 WEEK 16 ------- Minnesota 20, Miami 17 San Francisco 17, Arizona 14 Philadelphia 27, Dallas 3 Green Bay 10, Buffalo 0 Carolina 24, Chicago 14 Atlanta 36, Detroit 15 Washington 26, Houston 10 Cincinnati 20, New Orleans 13 N.Y. Giants 44, Indianapolis 27 Kansas City 24, San Diego 22 Tennessee 28, Jacksonville 10 Seattle 30, St. Louis 10 Cleveland 14, Baltimore 13 Oakland 28, Denver 16 N.Y. Jets 30, New England 17 Pittsburgh 17, Tampa Bay 7 WEEK 17 ------- N.Y. Giants 10, Philadelphia 7 (OT) Oakland 24, Kansas City 0 Cleveland 24, Atlanta 16 Pittsburgh 34, Baltimore 31 Carolina 10, New Orleans 6 Buffalo 27, Cincinnati 9 Washington 20, Dallas 14 New England 27, Miami 24 (OT) Minnesota 38, Detroit 36 Tennessee 13, Houston 3 Indianapolis 20, Jacksonville 13 Denver 37, Arizona 7 N.Y. Jets 42, Green Bay 17 Seattle 31, San Diego 28 (OT) Tampa Bay 15, Chicago 0 St. Louis 31, San Francisco 20 POSTSEASON ---------- Wild Card Weekend N.Y. Jets 41, Indianapolis 0 Atlanta 27, Green Bay 7 Pittsburgh 36, Cleveland 33 San Francisco 39, N.Y. Giants 38 --- Divisional Playoffs Tennessee 34, Pittsburgh 31 (OT) Philadelphia 20, Atlanta 6 =( Tampa Bay 31, San Francisco 6 Oakland 30, N.Y. Jets 10 --- Conference Championships Tampa Bay 27, Philadelphia 10 Oakland 41, Tennessee 24 --- Superbowl XXXVII Oakland (?), Tampa Bay (?) **************************************************************** * 6. Front Office Mode * **************************************************************** In Front Office Mode you can create players, trade players in between teams, edit rosters, and delete rosters. ##################### # Creating a Player # ##################### When you create a player you must go through these steps: 1. Name your player 2. Assign player attributes (height, weight, team, position) 3. Play the minigames 4. Assign the player to a team Minigame/Training Guide (Running the Combine) ----------------------- Note: The "Instructions" are NOT copied from the manual, and instead are rewritten from it with extra unmentioned info. 40-Yard Dash: Instructions- After pressing start to begin the event, press the L and R buttons alternately. The faster you press the buttons, the faster your player goes. Hints- This event is very hard, and it will take a lot of practice to become good at it. If you don't press them alternately, you will slow down drastically if you are going fast. Obstacle Course: Instructions- After starting the event, hold down the A button to accelerate. Use the control pad to weave around the different colored dummies. Go to the left of the blue dummies, and go to the right of the red dummies. Making a mistake costs you 2 seconds Hints- Really avoid hitting any dummies because they completely stop your player, wasting you precious seconds to speed up again. Coach Rogers: Instructions- The coach will point a direction and say it, and after he is done you have to repeat what he did. Hints- This game is the only one that requires more intelligence than hand-eye coordination. This is one of the easiest mini-games, but if you are having trouble, you could write down the directions as you play or have someone else write them down for you. Protect QB Drill: Instructions- After starting, defenders (surrounding your player and the QB) will try to attack the QB one-by-one. The longer you hold them off, the higher your rating. Hints- This event is pretty easy. The defenders only approach one at a time in a clockwise direction. To stop them, just press the direction pad toward them, pushing into them until they fall down. Pass Range Drill: Instructions- After starting, quickly press L and R alternatively until you see the line. When you are close to the line, press and hold down the A button to determine a throwing angle. Hints- The running determines your power and how long you hold the A button determines the angle of your throw. Don't hold down the A button to little or too long, aim for about 30-60 degrees as an angle. 10-Yard Fight: Instructions- You start on the 10-yard line and have to score a touchdown. You are limited to a box outlined by the hash marks and the 15-yard line. More defenders come later. Hints- Versus one person, it is very easy to score. Just go at an angle and spin in direction into the end zone. If you do it right, you can't be tackled. When there is two opponents, you can try a similar strategy or actually move backwards before trying to get around them. When there are three people, you almost have to backtrack toward a corner before running around them. This can be extremely difficult. Rec Catch Drill: Intructions- After pressing L or R to start the exercise, you must get open for a pass which the QB will auto- matically throw in five seconds. Hints- When there is only one defender, one strategy is to run straight up until you reach the top of the endzone and then just run back down. If you do it correctly, the QB will throw it as you run down toward him. With more defenders, your primary goal should be to get in front of the defenders or just seperate yourself from them. Rush QB Drill: Instructions- You have seven seconds to sack the defended QB. Hints- Very straightfoward, just charge the QB each time, as trying to juke the defense can be very hard. Def. 10-Yard Fight: Intructions- The opposite of 10-yard fight, you must stop a ball carrier from scoring in the endzone. Hints- This event can be pretty hard if you are normally not the greatest at defense and at tackling players. Don't try to just jump out and tackle the ball carrier because he will just avoid it. Wait for him to make a move and then move in response. Kick Distance Drill: Instructions- Press the L and R buttons to gain speed. When you see the line, hold down the A button to determine your angle. Release the A button to kick the ball. Hints- The sholder buttons determine your power and the 'A' button is the angle of your kick. Try to gain as much speed as possible and have to angle at about 30-70 degrees. Kick Accuracy Drill: Instructions- Press the A button to start the kick. Use the control pad to determine the direction of your kick and the A button to determine the power of your kick. Watch for wind and compensate for it. Hints- The controls when field goal kicking are very sensitive, so be careful not to kick the ball too far in a direction that you want to kick towards. Just a tap to the left or the right will change the direction of the kick drastically. Punt Accuracy Drill: Instructions- Press the A button to start the kick. Use the control pad to determine the direction of your kick and the A button to determine the power of your kick. Watch for wind and compensate for it. Your goal is to punt the ball in between the 20 yard line and the goal line. Kicking it into the endzone is bad and gives you no points. Hints- The controls when trying to punt the ball are very sensitive, so be careful not to kick the ball too far in a direction that you want to kick towards. Just a tap to the left or the right will change the direction of the kick drastically. Try to kick the ball out-of-bounds near the endzone. **************************************************************** * 7. Offense * **************************************************************** ############ # Controls # ############ Offense (Before snap): <- ->: Set man in motion B, then A,B, or R: Call an aubible L: Cancel audible A: Snap the ball Select: Fake snap Running: Control Pad: Run in a direction R: Jump (Hurdle) L: Dive B: Spin A: Speed burst L: Dive/or QB slide (if QB) Select: Lateral the ball Passing: Control Pad: Move the QB A: Call up passing symbols (When quick pass if OFF only) A,B,L,R: Pass to a reciever Select: Throw the ball away Recieving: A: Select reciever R: Jump/Catch pass L: Dive ############## Key: WR- Wide Reciever TE- Tightend FB- Fullback # Best plays # RB- Runningback QB- Quarterback ############## R- Run P- Pass LY- Long yardage SY- Short Best Runs: ---------- Singleback - Normal - HB Dive : Short yardage situations (<3) I-Form - Normal - HB Strong : One of the best running plays that allows for big gains if done properly. Proform - Normal - HB Off Tackle: Another superb running play that allows for huge gains. Best Passes: ------------ Shotgun - Normal - Quick Hitch : Great shorter yardage pass. Singleback - Normal - HB Screen : Great short pass. When you do this play, roll left to attract the defense then pass to your open runningback to the right of you. Potential for huge gains. Proform - Normal - Quick Out : Solid shorter pass. Pass the ball quickly with this play. Proform - Normal - All Streaks : The hail mary of this game. Potential for huge gains, if you watch all of your receivers. ###################### # General Strategies # ###################### - Mix up your plays between pass and run plays. - Exploit your best players and use them often. - Don't be afraid to set and call audibles if the defense you are facing calls an audible or play that if good against the offensive play you want to do. **************************************************************** * 8. Defense * **************************************************************** ############ # Controls # ############ Defense (Before snap): Control Pad: Move selected player L,A: Select a player R: Show blitz B: Call audible Defense: Control Pad: Move selected player A: Select defender closest to the ball B: Speed burst/Power Tackle R: Jump/Raise Hands L: Dive ############## # Best plays # ############## Anti Run- -------- Goaline - Anything : The epitome of anti-run plays. Only use this defense where suggested; the goaline. 3-4 - 533 *** : All of the 533 plays are superb blitz plays. 3-4 - Jam Middle : Goo anti-run and blitz play. Weak against the pass though. 4-3 - Monster : Great run stopper and blitz. 4-3 - Inside Out : Good blitzing play but really weak against the pass. 4-3 - Jam Middle : Middling run stopper, but a good compromise between an all out blitz and pass defense. Anti Pass- ---------- Nickel - 3 Deep : Good anti-pass play. Nickel - Double Out : Good compromise between run defense and pass plays. Weak on long passes though. Dime - Prevent (1 or 2) : Protection against the long bomb. Some people say using prevent "prevents" you from winning the game. Sorry for the bad pun, but it has some truth. Use this play when you think the offense of the other team is going to go for a long play. ###################### # General Strategies # ###################### - Some teams like to pass, some like to run. Run your defense according to the opposing team's prefered offense. - The computer, when down, plays much more pass plays than they would normally. - On 1st down, the computer is very likely going to run the ball. - On 3rd and long, run a blitz play to pressure the QB. **************************************************************** * 9. Special Teams Strategies * **************************************************************** - Avoid kicking onside kicks, because the chances of your team recovering the ball is very slim. - Use the wind to your advantage. Don't let it ruin your field goal kicks or punts. - Try to aim punts inside the 20. To do this, try kicking the ball so that it goes out of bounds after passing the 20. - Don't try to block field goals, as it's nearly impossilbe. - Only play Punt Rush when the opposing team is pushed way back into their own territory (and their punter is in the touchdown area). - On kickoffs, try to tackle the opposing returner. The kicker can tackle, and he starts off ahead of all of your other players. - Try to get inside at LEAST the 30rd yard line if you are going to try for a field goal. **************************************************************** * 10. General Hints and Tips * **************************************************************** - Manage the clock well. The time will always stop at the 2:00 minute mark in both the second and fourth quarters. Don't call timeouts if you have just run a player out of bounds, if there is an incomplete pass, or if there is a change of possesion. - Keep your players at good health. If your players seem to be running very slowly, think about switching them out for fresh players. - Change the settings to your preferences. For example, if you don't like the reciever's buttons automatically coming up, turn quick pass off. **************************************************************** * 11. Cheats, Easter Eggs, etc... * **************************************************************** ############### # Easter Eggs # ############### - After scoring a touchdown, pressing the A,B,L,or R buttons will each produce a different sound: A- Whistle B- Horn L- Grunt R- Tackle ################# # Cheap Tactics # ################# Note: Don't use these tactics unless you really want to suck the fun out of the game. I never use these tactics because I enjoy realistic scores and games. If you are having severe trouble though, you should maybe try some of these tactics: - On kick and punt returns, if you have a fast returner, simply run to the outside and run along the sideline. If done correctly you should be able to score touchdowns with frightening ease. (I was able to score 4 touchdowns on kick returns in a 3:00 minute quarter game... eww...) - Call a pass play like Proform-Normal- HB Toss Pass, where a player other than the QB has to throw the ball. With this particular play, press A to bring up the list of recievers and start running right. Players who whould normally try to tackle you on a run will try to play pass defense. Run the ball to the left. - More of an AI problem: On 4th and 1, if you call a goaline play such as QB Sneak (the best in that situation), the defense will often call an audible and move to a 4-3 set! This makes running up the middle with your quarterback very easy. - When you have to punt away the ball, while and after punting the ball hold the control pad in the up position. If done correctly the opposing team will get a penalty for running into or for roughing the kicker. Increasing the chances of this penalty happening in the options makes this easier to do. - Call a play that places your linebacker directly in front of the QB. Take control of the player and move him up to the line. When the ball is snapped, just run foward as hard as you possibly can. If done correctly, you should be able to get many sacks each game. (Keith Brooking once had 5 sacks in a 3:00 min. quarter game!) **************************************************************** * 12. Credits, Thanks, Extras, Etc... * **************************************************************** Thanks ====== CJayC : For created the wonderful Gamefaqs EA Sports : For publishing the game ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + All registered names or trademarks used in this faq + + are property of their respective owners. + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This FAQ and text in it is property of Andrew Sherman. The only sites that can use it are: www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com IF you want to use the FAQ on your own website, you must ask for permission by emailing me at: zephyrmaster@yahoo.com. 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0 0 0 Know something I don't? Have some tips/hints/updates that 0 0 you want to contribute to this faq? 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