=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CAPTAIN TSUBASA 2 : SUPER STRIKER [ キャプテン翼　スーパストライカー ] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "I can block any of your shots, fool!" - Wakashimazu "But can you block my teammate's shots?" - Tsubasa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Captain Tsubasa 2 FAQ/Walkthrough System: NES Written by: Orochi K E-mail: kartelkertra caramail com FAQ created on October 1, 2001 Final Version -- Last revised: August 12, 2002 *************************************************************************** Note : This guide makes use of EUC characters. Most computers usually have the option to view these characters, but if you cannot be bothered to go read your browser's documentation, use a third-party program like JWPce : http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/jwpce.html. All translations have been included in brackets [ ]. While it doesn't matter if you cannot view them, it certainly would make things easier for you and is a necessity if you intend to print the guide. *************************************************************************** (c) 2001-2002, Orochi K. All rights reserved. This is a free publication and cannot be used for any profitable purposes. You may print it for your personal use and may even distribute it freely as long as the content remains unchanged and full credit is given to me. Webmasters, if you wish to post this on your site, e-mail me first and send me the URL of the site in question. Captain Tsubasa 2 is (c) 1990, TECMO. The Captain Tsubasa series (c) 1986, Yoichi Takahashi. The latest version of this FAQ can always be found at www.gamefaqs.com. ================== REVISION HISTORY ================== Version 1.00 on October 1, 2001 - First release. Version 1.50 on October 12, 2001 - Some corrections contributed by Video Game Addicted Person. Version 1.60 on October 20, 2001 - More corrections still by Video Game Addicted Person. Version 1.85 on December 9, 2001 - Updated the whole FAQ with new strategies. Changed the lay-out a bit. Great update! I might consider translating the shots and other stuff too now that I am able to do so. Just drop me a line if you want me to do so! Final Version on December 26, 2001 - Last revision. I won't be updating the guide anymore but your e-mails are still welcome. I scrapped the idea of translating the stuff. Just consult Brain's FAQ if you need those, he did a great job! =) Final Version on February 10, 2002 - Some excellent stuff in this update. I played through the game again and discovered some techniques that will make the match against Germany easier. If you had already downloaded the previous final version, just scroll down to the section and prepare for some awesome news! :) Final Version on April 29, 2002 - E-mail change! Final Version on May 14, 2002 - Strategy against Brazil updated. It is now official, Orochi K is addicted to this game. Some minor updates to several other matches as well. Final Version on June 8, 2002 - Brushed up some sections. I also managed to get the books, so names have been added at certain points for the sake of the storyline and any mistakes I had made previously (such as a confusion between Wakashimazu and Wakabayashi) have been corrected. Well, I hope. Final Version on July 12, 2002 - Upon reading the guide again, I came across some points that needed a better explanation. All done now. Version 2.00 on July 23, 2002 - Added the translations. Most of the controls have now been duly translated. Some are missing because I haven't been able to get into the specific situations yet. Ironically, I also managed to watch an episode of CT this morning. This version is 2.00 because I intend to work on the guide again (just translations though). Version 2.20 on July 26, 2002 - Added a couple of translations and expanded some strategies (mainly the final stages of the World Cup tournament). Final Version on August 12, 2002 - Nothing new ; just submitting the last update of this guide. ============== INTRODUCTION ============== This guide contains the explanation of the commands in Captain Tsubasa 2 just like in my Captain Tsubasa FAQ if you've read it. This should see you through the game quite easily before you get used to it yourself. I originally planned the guide to list only the commands but I read the FAQ by Brain and I must say that I do not agree with his strategies. I've played the game a lot of times since it first came out and I know how to deal with the top players. And that is why I'm now writing this guide to make the game as easy as possible for you (and to ensure you don't become totally insane upon playing it). =================== TABLE OF CONTENTS =================== I. FAQ a) Game controls b) Playing the game c) Explanation of the controls - When in possession - When in possession and surrounded by opponents - When not in possession - When not in possession but close to opponent - Air ball in your own half - Air ball in opponent's half - Half-time - Team management during half-time II. Walkthrough a) Sao Paulo Matches - vs. Fluminense - vs. Corinthians - vs. Gremio - vs. Palmeiras - vs. Santos - vs. Flamengo b) Nankatsu Matches (Japan Tournament) - vs. Kunimi - vs. Akita - vs. Kunami - vs. Musashi - vs. Furano - vs. Toho c) Friendly matches - vs. AS Roma - vs. Uruguay - vs. Hamburg SV - vs. Japan d) Asian Cup matches - vs. Syria - vs. China - vs. Iran - vs. China Tai Pei - vs. Arabia - vs. Korea e) Exhibition matches - vs. Vasco da Gama - vs. Poland - vs. England - vs. Russia - vs. France f) World Cup matches - vs. Mexico - vs. Italy - vs. Holland - vs. Argentina - vs. Germany - vs. Brazil III. Tips - Lone striker - Leading the match - Funny commentator - Fast players - Level up IV. Funnies - Developpers ran out of inspiration V. Outro ===== FAQ ===== :::::: GAME CONTROLS :::::: Below going into more details, here are the game controls on the field. Control Pad ---> move selected player A button ---> confirm selection B button ---> bring up menu while in possession/cancel selection Start ---> pause game :::::: PLAYING THE GAME :::::: Here's how the game is played (you may also check my review which will be up soon ). When you have the ball, press the directional buttons to move the player around. If you want to shoot, pass the ball or do some other action, press B to bring up your menu. You may then choose your action and the game will resume. I will be explaining all these in the next section. Note also that the menu also shows up when another player (only opponents, nothing happens when you're near your own players). You must then choose whether you'll pass the ball to someone else, dribble, etc... For spot kicks, a player automatically takes it but you may change the player if you want. You then choose your action. When the ball is with the opponent, you need to catch up with that player to bring the menu up and confirm your actions. To toggle between the players on the field, press A or B and press the directional buttons to chase the opponent around. :::::: EXPLANATION OF THE CONTROLS :::::: * * * WHEN IN POSSESSION * * * Let's assume that you now have the ball. Don't worry about getting used to those too late because the first match is very easy and you'll have the ball nearly all the time. When you need to do an action, press B. The real explanations start now! If you don't want to bother about looking up the Japanese characters in the game itself, just remember the directions. This feature does tend to make the game easier to comprehend but I worked on the translations for the sake of completion. Please note that I don't talk Japanese myself and thus, some translations may be a bit off. Don't worry though, everything will still be crystal clear (this is football, for Pete's sake :). Press B button ---> Bring up menu From here, press the following directions for the respective commands. Left ---> Pass [ パス ] If the players has multiple passes, a new window opens and you can choose which one you want him to use. Right ---> Shoot [ シュート ] A new window opens if the player has special abilities. Otherwise, just confirm it and maybe you'll score a goal. Note that the option remains the same in any case, i.e. SHOOT. What I mean here is that even if the player will perform a header or a volley, the same option will be written all the time in the first window. Down ---> One-Two [ ワン・ツー ] The option is always listed but of course, you can use it only when there are no opponents between you and another guy from your team. Some players have special one-two's between them and in these cases, you can still pull them out since the poor players who are in the path of the ball will be sent flying away when they touch the ball. Up ---> Dribble [ ドリブル ] (correction by Video Game Addicted Person) The player will keep dribbling. Some time seems to elapse in that period because, as you'll notice it on the scree, the players are no longer in the same position. * * * WHEN IN POSSESSION AND SURROUNDED BY OPPONENTS * * * The options which are available when players are blocking your way. Left ---> Pass [ パス ] Try passing the ball to one of your fellow players. In this case, 2 things may happen. Either one of the players around you tries to steal the ball while you're about to hit the ball or they'll try to intercept the ball. Special passes open up in a new window. Right ---> Shoot [ シュート ] If the player has a special shot, a new window opens for you to choose it. Down ---> One-Two [ ワン・ツー ] Try to outrun them with the help of an unmarked player. Up ---> Dribble [ ドリブル ] Be a man and try to dribble all of them. Most players have only the regular one and this will enable them to dribble at most 3 players. You can very rarely hope of dribbling 4 or 5 players unless you're very lucky. Special dribbles open in a new window and are better. I once dribbled 5 players including the goalkeeper with Tsubasa's Heel Dribble. * * * WHEN BALL IS IN MID-AIR * * * (Contributed by Video Game Addicted Person) When the ball is in mid-air, there are in fact 2 situations that may arise. The first one is when there are no opponents around you to interefere and the second one is when an enemy player is closer to the ball than you. === WHEN CLOSER TO THE BALL === Left ---> Pass [ パス ] The player will head/pass the ball to someone else. Right ---> Clear [ クリアー ] He will clear the ball. Note that the ball won't necessarily fall to one of your players then! Down ---> Trap [ トラップ ] The player will attempt to control the ball and bring it down such that he can't control it again. If the player is not a suitable position, the ball will just hit him or he will even miss it. Up ---> Trap [ トラップ ] Same here. === WHEN OPPONENT IS CLOSER TO BALL === Left ---> Passcut [ パスかツト ] Intercept the ball and tries to bring it down. Right ---> Clear [ クリアー ] Down ---> Don't do anything The player will just look at the ball. Up ---> Don't do anything * * * WHEN NOT IN POSSESSION * * * Not much controls here! A or B ---> Toggle between players Directions ---> Move selected player * * * WHEN NOT IN POSSESSION BUT CLOSE TO OPPONENT * * * Left ---> Passcut [ パスかツト ] The player will wait for the opponent to shoot and will try to intercept the ball or to deviate its trajectory. If the opponent decides to keep the ball, he will try to steal it from him. Right ---> Block [ ブロック ] The player runs forward and tries to block the ball. May cause fouls if player is too rough. Down ---> Stay The player doesn't do anything. Up ---> Tackle [ タツクハ ] The player will tackle the opponent if he still has the ball. If the latter has already passed/shot the ball, he will run and try to intercept it. * * * AIR BALL IN YOUR OWN HALF * * * Left ---> Pass [ パス ] Pass the ball to a team-mate. Right ---> Clear the ball [ クリアー ] The player will attempt to clear the ball and doesn't care to see if it will go towards one of his fellows. High-risk choice since the ball goes to the opponent most of the time. Down ---> - Up ---> Trap [ トラップ ] The player will stop the ball and bring it down. He may then run forward and the game resumes. * * * AIR BALL IN OPPONENT'S HALF * * * Left ---> Pass [ パス ] Pass the ball to a nearby player. Right ---> Shoot [ シュート ] If the player has special volleys or bicycle kicks, a new window will open with the list of options. Down ---> Through [ スルー ] Up ---> Trap [ トラップ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following have been contributed by Video Game Addicted Person: When the ball is in mid-air of enemy side, there are actually 2 situations that may occur. The first one is when your own player is closer to the ball and the second one is when there is an opponent who's closer to the ball. If you are closer to the ball, the Through option will cause the player to let the ball slip by. The player will attempt to do an action but he won't touch the ball and will let it flow in its original path. This is done to fool the keeper. But use it with caution though because if your player isn't even in the path of the ball, well you already know what will happen! :) Here are the new options: Left ---> Passcut [ パスかツト ] Your player will attempt to intercept the pass or shot (provided the opponent decides to do this). Right ---> Compete [ せりあう ] This is effective against Clear and Trap but it actually doesn't give you the ball back unless you are at an extremely high level (compared to the opponent). It'll only change its trajectory. Still, if you have a lot of players around, you may want to use this option since it has a pretty high success rate. Down ---> Do nothing Up ---> Do nothing --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** GOALKEEPER *** Up - Punch [ パンチ ] The keeper will punch the ball out. Left/Right - Catch [ キャッチ ] The player will attempt to catch the ball. * * * HALF-TIME * * * At half-time, you'll first be presented with 2 options. First option ---> Team management You can view your players' stats and change their formation, etc... Second option ---> Resume game Second half starts immediately. * * * TEAM MANAGEMENT DURING HALF-TIME * * * You need to choose the first option during half-time to open this new window. Here's a brief description of what you'll see. A couple of translations are a bit literal (blame the dictionaries :). .----------------. | PLAYERS | O-> OPTIONS <-O |----------------| | P. No P. Name | - Formation [ フォーメーション ] | P. No P. Name | | P. No P. Name | - Defense [ ディフェンスタイプ ] | P. No P. Name | | P. No P. Name | - Line-up [ チェンヅ ] | P. No P. Name | | P. No P. Name | - Level [レベル ] | P. No P. Name | | P. No P. Name | - End [ おわり ] | P. No P. Name | | GK P. Name | O-> PICTURE OF PITCH <-O '----------------' Further explanations on the options! - Formation Change the formation of your team. The following formations are available: 4-3-3 4-4-2 3-5-2 Sweeper The choice is all yours here. - Defense (corrected by Video Game Addicted Person) Choose your defense! * Nornal * Press * Counter - Line-up This option allows you to make players who are currently playing change position. And no, you cannot mess with your goalkeeper! :) Once you start playing as the national team, use this to make substitutions. - Level Allows you to view your players' stats and how much guts each move requires. If the player has a special ability, a new window appears after the one with the regular moves. - End Takes you to the previous screen where you can choose the second option (if you paused the match ; last option if you are still in the lockers or if it is half-time) to begin the second half. ============= WALKTHROUGH ============= Here's the walkthrough for the game. Wow, a walkthrough for a football game! You don't see that every day... =--=--=--=--=--=--= SAO PAULO MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--= --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Fluminense --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: - Difficulty: Manchester United vs. Queens Park Rangers! No real problem here. This is, in fact, a very easy match so that you can get used to the game. It is impossible to lose here because their keeper is very lame. Any shot will find its way to the net. Their defenders are lame (except maybe No 4) and you can get past any of them without much difficulty. Better watch out for their counters though! Consider this as a practice session and get used to the controls. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Corinthians --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 6 (DF) No 9 (MF) No 10 (FW) Difficulty: Rather easy! Beware of No 9 (MF), he's a very good player and has a very strong shot. It says in the other FAQ that his special shot can't be blocked. False! I have beaten the team by 7 goals to nil once without having Tsubasa shoot at least once!! Your keeper can block his shot, it's all a matter of luck. Here's how to prevent him from making all your defenders look stupid. When he runs to your half, don't run after him. Instead have all your players run with No 10. They always use One-Two's between them even when there's no need to do so. It is very difficult to take the ball from him but it is easier to intercept the ball when they pass it around. Have Tsubasa in the ball's path as he's damn good at intercepting balls. If you do this, they won't even make it to your net and you'll win very easily. That's how I do and I always beat them. No 10 has a very powerful shot but more than that, he's a pro at intercepting passes. I had a tough time dealing with him the first times I played the game. Avoid running near him all the time. No 6 is an impressive defender with incredible tackles and dribbles. He will steal the ball from you all the time and even worse, he always passes the ball to No 9 or No 10 as soon as he has the ball. Make sure you do not meet him if you want to score goals. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Gremio --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [You'll see Gremio's goalkeeper for the first time just after your match against the Corinthians. He challenges Tsubasa to a spot kick and the latter accepts. Tsubasa will use his Eagle Shot but will be amazed when the keeper stops it without much effort...Ouch! How'd he do that!? What will Tsabusa do now??] Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: Harder but not much! During the match, shoot as soon as possible. Don't use Tsubasa's special shot as even that won't work. When his team-mates shoot and the keeper stops them all, you'll see how Tsubasa's react. After some time, he will say something and you'll find as if the play has stopped. Now, you won't be controlling anything during what happens next. Tsubasa's will take the ball and will do a new bicycle kick. The keeper will try to stop it but will fail miserably. You'll get a free goal and note that Tsubasa's guts won't even be used up. You'll be able to score goals after this small event. It is necessary to use his new move or even his Eagle Shot because the keeper is no longer the same. Just have any do a volley or a header as soon as you can. Volleys and headers seem to have more chances of successfully netting. There's also a very good way to score goals but it doesn't always work and you need to be good at the game. Simply enter the half diagonally and shoot if there's no opponent between you and the keeper. 2 things may happen: either the keeper misses it completely and you've just scored one, or else the ball will strike the ball and another player will head it in. I've also put No 9 because he is a very good striker and has some cool dribbling capabilities (Zidane is a baby compared to him...). Just have Tsubasa mark him or make sure he never touches the ball. Anyway, he isn't that much of a threat because for each goal he scores, you'll put in 2! So, why bother!? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Palemiras --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [You'll see another player before the match and there'll be a conversation between him and the coach. He appears to be a top player too!] Watch out for: No 10 (MF) No 8 (MF) Difficulty: Go to the toilets before the match starts!! Don't worry about scoring goals because the keeper is just a regular one. It's not that necessary to use Tsubasa's special shots or volleys either. The real problem in this match is No 10. If you watched the anime, you have probably recognized him. He is no other than "The Magician" and it is almost impossible to take the ball away from him. Only Tsubasa's tackle may work but don't count on him to succeed very often. This midfielder's technique consists of running very quickly and suddenly disappearing. Another fact is that even when you manage to tackle him, he will be given a foul all the time. Try to keep possession as much as possible and have a lot of players mark him. A foul is better than a goal! :) No 8 is another big problem. He has a special shot which is hard to block. But that's not even all! He can use a volley along with No 10's special shot for one of the best volleys in the game and this one is almost impossible to block. But it is stoppable if a couple of players have tried to stop it on the way. The only way you can prevent him from using the shot is by marking him. Just adopt this strategy and you'll make it through quite easily. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Santos --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 4 (DF) No 7 (MF) No 9 (CF) Difficulty: How about a snack!? No 9 has a shot similar to Tsubusa but luckily, your keeper will be able to stop it after he has been knocked out 2 or 3 times. His first shots cannot be blocked. Note how he likes to pass the ball around to be able to get in your half. You can use this to your advantage. Have players mark No 4 and No 7 because he'll always pass the ball to these two before shooting. He won't be able to do much then and the rest is not too tough. Headers and volleys as well as Tsubasa'a abilities work fine against him. A cheap way of scoring goals is to have Tsubasa in front of the net and have him try to shoot. The defenders of Santos are pretty rough and you may get penalties! I once even got 3 PK in a match (and then went ahead and struck the post twice). Just stick to these strategies and they're not that hard. The only thing you need to do is to keep scoring goals, which shouldn't be that hard if you are at a reasonable level. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Flamengo --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The opponent's music in this match is awesome!! Watch out for: No 8 (MF) No 10 (CF) Difficulty: In real life, this team would probably be Bayern Munchen in the 70's!!! This is a very tough match. Notice how the music is different when the opponent has the ball...Try to be the first one to score, it helps a lot! No 10 has a weird shot where the ball flashes in every color and it seems to disappear. Your keeper will not be able to block these shots. Even if he manages to touch it, he'll be sent flying away. This player also has special dribbling abilities (but not as good as "The Magician"!). Have Platon (No 2) mark him, he's a very good tackler. Beware of conceding fouls though. I remember giving more than 5 fouls only to him. Just don't tackle him inside your own half. No 8 is quite good too but just mark him with a good defender and he won't be able to do much! And don't worry too much. Once you have the ball in the opposite half, scoring is a piece of cake. You don't even have to use Tsubasa's special shots. I just had my strikers dribble the keeper all the time and managed to score 6 goals like that! :) [There will be a very long sequence after the match and you'll be on to tackle the Japanese Tournament with the Nankatsu team.] =--=--=--=--=--=--= NANKATSU MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--= --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs Kunimi --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 4 (DF) No 8 (MF) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: Easy if you're fully awake! No 4 is a very big problem in this match. He has a dribble that you cannot deal with and one special shot that will send your keeper flying. He'll shoot the ball a bit like Tsubasa but another player will then volley it in. How the hell are you supposed to stop that!? The best thing you can do is to prevent the others from passing the ball to him and he won't be able to pull these damn shots. And I'll also add that he has a bone-crushing tackle. Don't even think of dribbling him! No 8 will literally break your defense apart with his dribbling. It's just the usual dribbling but it is very tough to take the ball away from his feet! No 9 is good too with a special shot but thankfully, your new keeper can stop it as long as you've made the correct choice. The best strategy to adopt in this match is to score as many goals as you can and to prevent them from making it to your half! Their keeper is not that good. If you manage to lead by a 2-goal margin all the time, the match is not that tough. Rely a lot on your strikers, they're very good with volleys and headers (specially No 9 - I had him score all my goals!). I even managed to beat them by 9-0 (no kidding!) but by the end of the match, all my players' guts were below 100!! [I seemed to have some luck while writing this FAQ because all their special shots would strike the post and since I had set my team as Defensive, I always got back the ball :)] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs. Akita --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) No 11 (FW) Difficulty: Akira! The twins are even more deadly than when they were in Captain Tsubasa 1's third match (as if that was possible...). Their double shot cannot be stopped or else, your keeper will take himself for a bird! And to make matters worse, their keeper is very good. He will catch the ball instead of just blocking it! Your midfielders are good against him though. Have them volley the ball in to score those precious goals. The best way to deal with the twins is, of course, to prevent them from getting the ball. If one of them gets the ball, try to mark the other. They like to pass the ball between each other. Have your defenders intercept the ball and be ready for the counter. Once you have the ball, do not try to dribble them. Pass the ball to a team-mate instead and even then, make sure they can't intercept the ball They're the only real threat though. The other players are just average and as long as you deal with those 2, you're on a winning streak! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs. Kunami --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 3 (DF) No 4 (DF) Difficulty: Take some pills along! When you're moving in the opponent's half, make sure you don't meet DF No 4. His tackles are very good and he never misses the ball. On top of that, he likes to score goals and he has a special shot which is hard to block. (It can be blocked but very rarely!) He also has a powerful pass which can travel the whole pitch but he doesn't use it very often. Just avoid passing the ball too much around him and if he comes near you, quickly pass the ball to another player - use your map to locate him. If he manages to get the ball, mark him with your midfielders - I'll say it again, they're extremely good at marking players! Fans of Tsubasa, recognise the keeper? Thankfully for us, he's not as good as in the anime. Your volleys are good enough but if you're still having problems, turn to your special shots. Try to pass the ball around so that your player will head or volley the ball in; he seems to be particularly good against regular shots. No 3 has very good dribbles and you'll concede some fouls against him but he doesn't do more than that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs. Mushashi --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: - nobody in particular during the first half - No 10 (MF) during the second half Difficulty: Reserve your place at the hospital! Thankfully, their true captain plays only in the second half (to give you a small chance of winning, probably...). Try to score as many goals as you can in the first half. There are quite good defenders in the team but if you pass the ball around well, they won't pose that much of a problem. Their keeper is also pretty good but he cannot deal with two much pressure. He's kinda slow! Don't hesitate to your your special shots here. A good idea is to set your team strategy to "Pressure" in the first half and to change it to "Defense" in the second half. Once the midfielder comes in, just defend and try to score on counters. Have 2 defenders mark him and it's also preferable to make your midfields play defensively. They will pass the ball around a lot while they run into your area. You should also definitely keep a striker well in front. Their defense cannot deal with counters very well and you should take this opportunity to score a surprise goal. If you manage to score a few goals before half-time, things will be much easier and you'll eventually win! And do not worry too much about Mushashi's other strikers, they're not that good. If you've made it this far, they shouldn't pose a big problem. There's another stuff I've remarked if you concede penalties. He will always take those. Well, I managed to choose the good direction but still, the keeper could never reach the ball. I think that you cannot stop his penalties (is he a god or what!?). Don't foul him in your area! [Note: there'll be a sequence before the second half begins and the midfielder will then start playing. Yeah, just to show you how important he is!! And also another one if you win - this one is between the top 2 players!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs. Furano --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Yet another one of those sequences!] Watch out for: No 9 (CF) No 10 (MF) - Matsuyama Difficulty: Not hard but not easy either... If the midfielder gets the ball and says something as soon as he starts running, you'd better take the ball from him as soon as possible. He'd be using his special shot soon and your keeper has a tough time dealing with his shots. Mark him with your best defender. Have the other defenders stay in the keeper's area to try and stop the special shots. The midfields should prevent the rival centre-forwards from going any further into your own half. Luckily, Furano has lousy defenders and their keeper is just average. Their midfielder is the only problem here. He's good at dribbling and blocking too! Just don't let him get the ball! Beware of No 9 too. It's very difficult to take the ball from him. Note that your best defender (No 6) can cut the special shot in some cases. When this happens, your keeper will be able to block the ball. Try to make the correct choice! I also had fun dribbling their keeper!! [Sequence!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nankatsu vs. Toho --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be afraid! Be very afraid!! Hyuga...The Great Hyuga is here!!! [Haha, new music just for him, I bet! And once again, TECMO delivers an awesome music!!] Watch out for: No 1 (GK) - Wakashimazu No 9 (CF) - Hyuga Difficulty: Infinite if you're goofing around Average if you know what you're doing Toho's keeper is one of the best in the whole game. Normal shots will never pass him and his super stops enable him to deal with all your super shots very easily. The best thing you can do is to come in front of the net and use your special shots when he comes at you. Note that he may still stop those; it's all matter of luck. Another thing you may try out is to get a lot of players in the box and to continue shooting at him in the hope that you'll take him by surprise while he's still recovering. I managed to score a couple of goals using this but there's the risk of conceding goals on the counter. Anyway, just have your striker well in front and use your special shots (keep an eye on your guts though!). In real life, Hyuga would be a combination of Matthaus, Beckenbauer, Pele and Gerd "Bomber" Muller. That resumes him perfectly. He has a very good dribble. Choose "Tackle" all the time. Your 2 players that have special shots stand a chance against him. They will not be able to steal the ball completely but they will at least make him lose possession. And watch out for his shots! They cannot be blocked by your keeper alone; try placing a lot of defenders on the ball's path to reduce its speed and strength. Your defenders should prevent the ball from falling to the other strikers and midfields since they will always pass the ball to Hyuga. It's also good to mark Hyuga with your 2 players but by doing so, you're reducing your own chances of scoring goals. Their keeper may be extremely good but he misses the ball sometimes. I have scored goals from outside the penalty area a number of times (special shots of course!) and even with normal headers and volleys. Keep hoping for this to happen to you too! :) [Sequence and shaking of hands between 2 rivals who've just become friends (don't expect something like that in real life though :))] =--=--=--=--=--=--= FRIENDLY MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--= You'll be playing as Sao Paulo again in these series of fixtures. Yay, Tsubasa is back! I would also like to take this opportunity and thank the programmers at Tecmo for transposing the real meaning of "Friendly matches" in this game. In other words, prepare to piss in your pants! :) [A very long sequence will be shown before the match. Something important seems to be happening! Is Tsubasa already hurt!? No, it's too early for that. Something else then...] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. AS Roma --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) Difficulty: It's the first match dude!! :) No 9 has a very powerful header that will send your keeper in the air but that's the only thing you'll have to worry about. Thier goalkeeper is just average and the other players are not that good. I wouldn't advise you to try dribbling them a lot of times though. Just pass the ball around until you're near the net and volley/head the ball in. Have fun! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Uruguay --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) No 10 (MF) Difficulty: Grab something to drink! To score goals easily, have Tsubasa use his special dribble against their keeper. Don't try dribbling with the other players though! The keeper will almost always catch the ball! No 9 is very good at dribbling and it's damn hard to make him lose possession. He likes to dribble your keeper and the latter is ineffective against him. Mark him with Tsubasa to prevent him from getting the ball. No 10 also likes dribbling but more importantly, he has terrific shots. Luckily for you, your keeper is now better and he may deal with those from time to time. Mark him well. The match isn't that hard. Their defenders are good at intercepting ball and lousy at stealing balls from you. As long as you keep scoring goals, they won't pose that much of a problem. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Hamburg SV --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Sequence before the match where you'll get introduced to Wakashimazu, the best keeper in the game.] Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 8 (MF) No 10 (FW) Difficulty: Tough! I consider their keeper as the best in the game. He's just like in the anime, cool and deadly. The best way to score against him is to make Tsubasa dribble him or to continue shooting until he does not have time to get back on his feet. Even then, you may still have to cope with a defender in the net. Don't use Tsubasa's special shots, you'll only be wasting your guts. Have him dribble Wakashimazu instead! I scored a few goals using this method alone. No 8 is very good at dribbling and you'll have to try really hard to steal the ball from him. Mark him well. No 10 has a special shot that will require some miracles from your keeper. The shot can be blocked but this rarely happens. His shot once injured 2 defenders and my keeper but luckily, that was "enough" to deviate the ball. He's also very good at dribbling but if you're at a good level, Tsubasa will almost always steal the ball from him. Otherwise, he'll send all your players away. Prevent him from getting the ball because he's a real pain in the ass. After much playing, I managed to win this match by 3-1 and Tsubasa's guts were at 50 at the end of the match!! [A sequence because we're just too good!!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sao Paulo vs. Japan --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Only a small sequence between Tsubasa and Misaki.] Watch out for: EVERYBODY!!! Difficulty: Now is the time to make your will! Welcome to the toughest match in the game. The first time I reached this part, I managed to make it through only on the sixth attempt after much level-up. Thankfully, Wakabayashi is not in the team yet. I won't even imagine how it would have been with him in the net and all those players up-front!! At least, their keeper will still miss the ball from time to time. Use that to your advantage! Tsubasa has the most chances of scoring goals in this match. Headers seem to work particularly well and I managed to have other players score too. Shoot repeatedly at him until he leaves the net and you'll surely manage to score. BEWARE OF THE DEFENDERS THOUGH!! They can cut all your passes and block you. Their tackles have a percentage success of 98%. Don't even think of dribbling them. Their passes are extremely accurate and all you can do here is to mark their strikers well. Try to intercept the ball when they pass it around and strike on the counter. Hyuga remains the biggest threat to your defense with his dribbles and shots. But note that your keeper will now be able to stops his shots alone sometimes. He'll be injured in the process but he'll manage to deviate it. Beware of the combination between the twins and another player. This is, by far, the strongest shot in the game! My best score here was 5-2. I must say I was very lucky because their special shots struck the post most of the time and their keeper seemed pretty disturbed that day. :) Good luck!! You'll need it!! (Use the "Lone Striker" cheat to score a couple of goals - see "TIPS" section. It will be very helpful in this match!) [Of course, there will be a sequence after the match!] =--=--=--=--=--=--= ASIAN CUP MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--= The best part of the game begins now! Why? Because you're controlling the Japanese Team. Tsubasa, Hyuga and the twins are all in your team!! Yay!!! Oh my God, what music!!! That's a good reason enough to keep possession at all times!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Syria --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: Keeper and defense!! Difficulty: Yes, difficult! The keeper will stop even your special shots without much difficulty. He can't block the combination ones but it's useless to use the first special shots against him. If you don't want to waste your guts, have Tsubasa dribble him. It works very often! Syria's defense is a solid one and they can intercept most passes and block your shots. Don't try dribbling them too much or you'll lose possession. Thankfully, their attack is not that good and even if you'll have some difficulty scoring goals too, you'll make it through. And you should too because they're easy compared to what's coming next!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. China --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 9 (FW) No 11 (FW) Difficulty: Snooze off! Their keeper is good and can deal with your other shots quite easily. Of course, he can't block those much powerful ones but still, you won't score a lot of goals in this match. The best way of scoring remains dribbling the keeper or making him come out and have another one shoot while the net is wide open. Tsubasa is very good against him with his special dribble. The team's real strength lies in its attack. The brothers share a shot that is almost impossible to stops even if you use your goalie's special block abilities. They are also quite good at dribbling but they can't do anything against your players' special tackles! Thankfully, they're the only threat in the team and you shouldn't have any difficulty winning. Just mark them well and prevent them from keeping the ball too long! [There'll be a sequence when you've won the match!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Iran --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: Defenders! Difficulty: The developers of this game are completely crazy!! The first time I played this match, I thought the team was like 1968 Manchester United or something like that!!! The defenders in this team will make your life very difficult. They tackle like Keane and are accurate as can be! There'll be a lot of fouls in this match. Other than that, they'll do wonders at blocking the ball and intercepting passes. My advice is to pass the ball around " a la Germany" and wait until you see an opening. Don't try to pass the ball over them or to dribble them, you'll most likely lose the ball. They'll also send your players flying as soon as they make contact. I even had all my players fouled once. I won't even tell you how it is when your centre-forward is surrounded by 3 players! :( The keeper is also good but he'll let some shots pass and you'll manage to score a few goals if you took the time to build up some levels before. He's, however, very good in one-on-one situations. So, beware!! And as for the forwards, they don't have any particular abilities and yet, your keeper won't know what to do when he has to face one of them. They are extremely precise and damn good with their headers and volleys. Be sure to mark the 2 centre-forwards and try to score on the counter. You may also have Tsubasa and Hyuga dribble their keeper with their specials. They're actually your best chance of scoring in this very tough fixture... If you manage to win this match on the first try, you're a true BOSS!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. China Tai Pei --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: Defenders and midfield! Difficulty: Not that hard (compared to what you've faced previously :)! There are no top players in China Tai Pei but that doesn't prevent them from being a very good team with a solid wall for a defense. The players work wonders when it comes to cutting, blocking and tackling. Avoid passing the ball around them as they're bound to deviate it or even intercept it. Their strikers are also pretty good and their headers will annoy your keeper in spite of his special abilities. Mark the centre-forwards well if you don't want to concede too many goals. Don't allow them to dribble your keeper, they're bound to score on those occasions. Have your top players dribble the keeper and you'll very easily score goals. Hyuga will be your best player here because the keeper will almost always be hurt from his special dribble. When you're in front of the net and are asked to choose a command, I'd advise you to go for dribble all the time. The keeper may still block your special shots however close you are to him and even if that shot is fairly strong like Tsubasa's shot. But it's fairly easy to score goals in this match! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Arabia --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) Difficulty: Send their keeper to hospital and sit back! Arabia's keeper is a real pain in the ass. He can stop nearly all your shots and he'll manage to steal the ball nearly all the time. Again, your super dribbles should help but even then, he'll sometimes manage to take the ball away from your feet. You won't be able to score many goals in this match but if you play well, you'll manage to win. Have Tsubasa and Hyuga pull their powerful shots once they're in front of the net. The keeper will miss the ball sometimes and you'll score (pray that there are no players in the net...). Be happy if they also do their Twin Shot during this match since that's a sure goal. Your other players may also try dribbling the keeper or you may have them shoot (regular or special) instead. I have scored some goals using this strategy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Korea --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) No 10 (MF) Difficulty: Guss Hiddink wus 'ere! Beware of these 2 players. They are excellent overall but, most of all, they have a combo shot that will make your keeper see stars. Mark them well and prevent them from ever getting the ball if you want to win this match. They're also good at dribbling and start praying if you have to face them. They'll easily take the ball. I had Hyuga as mifield in this match and whenever I could, I made Tsubasa foul them. Hey, a foul is better than a goal, right!? However, don't foul them in the keeper's area. Their penalties are always out of reach of your keeper. Set your strategy to pressure and score goals on the counter. Thankfully, their keeper is just average and you'll be able to score a handful of those. [There'll be another sequence with the whole Japanese team after the match. It seems something important is going on, mainly revolving around Tsubasa (of course!). You'll see the key players of your future opponents and will get to see what they can do - might as well start shuddering right now! -_-] =--=--=--=--=--=--=--= EXHIBITION MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--=--= You'll still be playing with the Japanese team. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Vasco da Gama --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: The commentator ^_^ Difficulty: Invisible! If you lose here, then you seriously need to level-up or to practice against a friend. [Yet another sequence after the match if you understand Japanese!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Poland --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: If it weren't for that damp keeper... Poland's goalkeeper is incredible. He'll stop even your most powerful shots with his technique which means scoring goals will be very difficult in this match. Do not waste your guts by trying out your special shots and volleys from a distance. Instead, come close to him until your player is facing him and go for a dribble/powerful shot. That's your best way of scoring goals throughout the match. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. England --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 4 (DF) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: Not very hard! The defender is very good at intercepting passes and his tackles work all the time even if your player may have special dribbles. You'd be better not coming in his way or you may very well lose the ball to him. The forward is somewhat strange - he doesn't have any special shots and yet, he scored nearly each time he shot. His shots seem to be kinda powerful and your keeper is rather weak against those. Make sure he doesn't get anywhere near the keeper's area if you don't wish to concede goals. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Russia --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 2 (DF) Difficulty: Oooh! Russia has an excellent keeper who will stop all your powerful shots using only one finger...OK, maybe I'm exaggerating but he really is that good. The best way to score remains to come near him and to use a special shot in the hope that he'll miss it. I have also remarked that Hyuga's shot has a better chance of passing by him but it may just be me... Anyway, try using this technique and if it does work for you, keep using Hyuga to score. Replace him once his guts are depleted and continue playing defensively. That's how I was able to beat Russia the first time. No 2 is good at blocking and very good when he has to deal with air balls. You should steer clear of him if you want to keep possession. If he manages to get the ball, he'll pass it to the midfields and you'll have a tough time getting the ball back. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. France --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) -- Napoleon No 10 (MF) -- Pierre Difficulty: Same as France during the World Cup 98...before Barthez decided to play for Manchester United... ^_^ Those who have watched the anime and who know the plot are probably feeling very afraid now...Boy, are you right!! Meet Napoleon (No 9), one of the best forwards in the game and he has one hell of a shot. Not only that, but he's good at intercepting passes too. No 10 (Pierre, for those who've watched the anime) isn't much of a threat alone but he shares a twin shot with Napoleon and 7 years later, I still can't stop that shot...The best way to deal with those 2 is to use a counter strategy - that way, you'll also have good chances of scoring. There is a quite sure way of winning this match which I've discovered myself. It may or may not work but you should try it at least once: Change your set-up and have Tsubasa up-front so he can shoot a lot. Make Hyuga and one of the twins support him. You'll also need a second support player and I recommend that the latter has special dribbles and passes. Use the counter strategy, have Hyuga or whoever you put on the left do the running and pass the ball to Tsubasa such that he can use his special volleys. You'll win by a slight margin by adopting this strategy. Tsubasa is rather useless in his real position in this match - make him as your striker and you'll have more chances of winning. =--=--=--=--=--=--= WORLD CUP MATCHES =--=--=--=--=--=--= Ready for the last round? Mwahahahah, the title just keeps approaching. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Mexico --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 9 (FW) Difficulty: Look again! The only threat is their forward and his special shots. Mark him with 2 defenders and have the midfields and forwards up-front and laugh at their keeper. This match isn't hard to win, you just need to keep an eye on the striker - scoring is rather easy in this match, headers will do! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Italy --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) -- Gino No 8 (MF) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: Yep, hard! Italy's keeper will deal magnificently with all your shots and to score, you'll need to come close to him like in some other previous matches. Have Hyuga do so and try the twin's special shot (any will do). You can also try dribbling him and have another player put the ball safely in as he recovers. No 8 is good at intercepting passes and his own passes seem to be hard to stop. Otherwise, he isn't dangerous but might as well keep an eye on him. No 9 has a very powerful shot but thankfully, your keeper will be able to stop it from time to time provided you are at a good level. Use his special catch and he'll be able to keep it out. Have your best defenders mark that striker and use small passes to get into Italy's half. Long passes don't work here! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Holland --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 4 (DF) No 9 (FW) Difficulty: They cheat in the game too! The defender will literally blow all your players away with his tackles and he can stop your most powerful shots very easily. If you see him coming your way, just pass the ball to another player and makes sure he cannot intercept these passes. He will cut your passes 90% of the time and you really cannot allow this to happen in this match. The striker's shots are darn powerful but some of your defenders can cut it from time to time, thus enabling your keeper to stop them. Still, mark him with at least 2 defenders and make sure he doesn't get the ball. Although I've singled out only one defender, be aware that all of them are good at intercepting passes and at tackling. Don't let them get near and use your special skills to avoid them whenever possible. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Argentina --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) No 4 (DF) No 9 (FW) No 10 (MF) Difficulty: I...It...It...It's...It's Argentina!! Their keeper isn't that good but he wins most of the time in one-on-one situations. Avoid those! The defender is good at everything, even at scoring goals (at least, he scored against me...). Don't get anywhere near him, even Tsubasa is a wimp against him. He'll cut any shot very easily! Watch out for the forward! His shots, volleys and headers are extremely hard to stop - not impossible though! Mark him with your two best defenders since he's the one who'll do most of the attacking for Argentina. Try to take the ball away from him as soon as he gets it!! The midfielder is as good as Tsubasa. It is almost impossible to take the ball from him and his shots are hard to deal with. Better mark him with Tsubasa himself or he'll do a lot of damage to your defense. Use a counter strategy in this match! It's your best chance and have Hyuga up-front everytime. Even if he can try and tackle or cut a pass, don't have him do so. Instead, keep him just for attacking and you should do fine! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Germany --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: No 1 (GK) -- Muller No 5 (DF) No 8 (MF) No 9 (FW) No 10 (MF) No 11 (FW) -- Karl Heinz Schneider Difficulty: Welcome to hell! Their keeper is one of the best in the game. As usual, have your players in front of him with no defenders between and use your great skills. It is almost impossible to score with normal shots/headers/volleys in this match. (Those who watched the anime will probably shudder the first time they see him). The defender can cut any pass and shot. Make sure he doesn't interfere with your strikers. Don't pass the ball around near him, he'll most likely intercept it. No 8 seems to be the supporting midfield for Argentina and he does so magnificently. His dribbling is excellent and even your best defenders will have a hard time dealing with him. Be prepared to have a hard time dealing with the other forward and the midfielders. Their passing is darn accurate and taking the ball from them is tedious. You'll have to place Tsubasa and Hyuga as strikers in this match. Actually, they have the best chances of scoring against Germany. Have them up-front and let the others do the defending. Some of you may already have heard of a real player called Karl Heinz Rummenigge who was simply too much for his adversaries. Nowadays, there is another excellent player called Schneider too (plays for Bayer Leverkusen). What I'm trying to tell you is that the Karl Heinz Schneider of this game can easily be considered as a blend between the two. Of course, some of you may argue that Karl Heinz remains a very common name in Germany but CT is known for a lot of offshoots. Anyway, what you should keep in mind is that...YOU CANNOT STOP KARL!!! You truthfully cannot do anything against him even if your levels are equal. His shots are way too powerful (even normal headers from him will rip through your net) and his dribbling conveys him the best protection in the whole game. Still, for good effect and to 'minimize' the threat, have Ishizaki mark him and use his Face Block when you feel it may actually connect. ~Good stuff~ Anyway, as I stated in the Revision History, I played through the game yet again and came across some facts that will help you a lot during this match. Here they are: - Having Hyuga up front increases your chances of scoring goals but he's somewhat handicaped because he seldom manages to dribble the keeper (even with his special one). I mean, even Tsubasa's special dribble doesn't always work. So, what the hell can you do? Easy, have either of the twins dribble the keeper. They may not have any special dribble but they are actually the ones that are really good against the keeper. They'll automatically shoot once they get through. Keep using them as mid-fields though, don't place them up-front because you'll need them where they are. - If you were playing with Wakashimazu all this time to make the most out of his special techniques, substitute him with Wakabayashi. This relates directly to the anime plot as Wakabayashi trained in Germany before returning to play with the Japanese squad (and he played with most of the players on the German squad). He is simply brilliant during this match. Heck, he will stop even the most powerful shots if he is well-placed and you chose the correct option. Go for the Punch option most of the time since it has greater chances of succeeding. - Don't waste your guts on Tsubasa's newest shot. You'll need him constantly to steal the ball. Besides, the twins are very likely to do the job along with Hyuga. - If you manage to steal the ball with Tsubasa a lot, his skills become sharper such that his tackles will actually work and he'll be able to score with his first special shot. - Hyuga's third shot has a great percentage of scoring since it knocks the keeper away. However, the keeper sometimes manages to deviate it (but he's still knocked down). Just make sure there are at least 2 other players near the net and they'll be able to score since the net will be unguarded. - The strikers will always pass the ball between them even when there is no real need to do so. Put as many players as possible between these two and you may hopefully steal the ball when they perform their little stunts. ~Things should be easier now. I relied a lot on this strategy during 3 matches and won the 4-3 and 5-3 on the first 2 (I won on the first tries of course). And the third time, I won by an incredible 6-2!! Now, ain't that sweet? I really feel I've cracked this game up now. :)~ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan vs. Brazil --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch out for: Everybody, including their parents! Difficulty: Bad news, folks! This is the last match... Brazil's keeper can stop anything, including Solid Snake and Neo Bahamut. He's deadly in one-on-one situations too and will knock all your players down without conceding faults. It'll be really hard to score here. Have Hyuga do a lot of attacking and hope that the ball hits the post so that another player may head it in. Of course, postion your players accordingly in order to do so. Don't bother taking a single player forward, but, instead, wait for several of your teammates to come in the penalty area before you start unleashing your shots. Their defenders can stop basically anything, so pass the ball when they are not nearby. The strikers are the worst of all! Ultra-powerful shots and excellent at dribbling. Just hope that your defenders will be lucky enough to take the ball from them. Otherwise, all of them are dangerous. Again, Tsubasa and Hyuga have more chances of scoring. Try to perform the twin shot, that's a sure goal and if you ever get to lead, switch to a defensive strategy and try to score on the counter. Tsubasa's extreme shot (forgot what it's called; it's the one where he sends the ball up himself before shooting) is also a sure goal as the keeper will be sent away, and all the characters around him for that matter. The only drawback is that this shot costs a shit-load of guts and you'll have to wait a lot to use Tsubasa again. Of course, replacing Tsubasa is out of the question, even in the second half. This technique however enabled me to win my matches but its chances of working are not always high. It's just a matter of luck and how good you are at playing the game. First, have the keeper with the cap but you can replace him in the second half. I, however, like to keep him until his guts are drastically reduced because he has better chances of stopping their striker's shot -- the one who plays for the Corinthians. Not to mention the fact that everybody else is a real pain in the ass if he decides to move forward. One of the twins (I know this part sounds stupid but it works) and Hyuga should then be upfront. As a side-note, don't have all the best defenders (i.e. with good tackles and interceptions) in the first half. Make sure you keep at least two on the bench, otherwise you'll be dead meat during the second half. Same applies for the midfield but if Hyuga and a twin are up-front, you can just keep the best players if you know how to play conservatively. The trick is to have Tsubasa score once with the special shot. Then, don't have him do anything. Let the other midfields do the defending. Of course, some of you may now argue that it would have been better to put Tsubasa as a striker. That's stupid for 2 reasons: 1) Tsubasa lacks the flair of a striker ; 2) You'll still need him in the middle. This second reason is extremely important because Tsubasa can stop the balls inadvertently from time to time, just pass the ball to someone else should this happen. Anyway, just wait until Tsubasa recovers enough and have the others pass the ball around until he's in a suitable position to shoot again. The closer he is to the net, the better. Don't worry about the defenders blocking you, they're wimps once Tsubasa gets the ball. When you shoot with another player, it is also better to go for a volley or header if possible. Some special shots will also knock out the keeper if pulled close to the net (specially Hyuga's). This strategy works fine for me but as you may already have noticed, it involves a lot of luck and patience. Don't let this team discourage you. I know the opponents here will sap all your enthusiasm with their skills and it is terribly frustrating to keep losing so close to the ending but Brazil _can_ be beaten if you give it all your worth and keep playing. Hell, when I first played the game, I went up against Brazil about a dozen times consecutively (since you can try over and over again) and never won. I stopped and didn't think about the game anymore for six months. I then played again and beat them on the second try. I have beat them countless times since but never on the first try. Just don't give up! :) Note: One of Brazil's players has a special shot that is _unblockable_. You may have everybody try and stop it but it will still go through. However, the shot is so powerful it causes the ball to deflate most of the time if your keeper can get a hold on it. Just hope this does happen should you be unlucky enough to have that player use his awesome technique. Proof that the Captain Tsubasa series is the craziest one ever: one of the foes' shots even sees the ball suddenly vanishing into thin air for a while... Good luck! You'll need it... And a last note to those cheaters who are using an emulator and who like to use the Save States feature to win the matches easily, be prepared to press those save and load buttons a lot. Firstly, because if you are such a lousy gamer, your team is too weak in the stats department and secondly, this team is HELL! Metal Gear Solid 2 on Extreme is like a kid's game compared to what awaits you here. And I love such stuff. ...Yes, I am a masochist! And now, you can enjoy the ending of which I haven't understood anything! The ending is rather long and Tsubasa does seem to appear a lot in it... Oh wait...He's the main character...Silly me! ^_^ Why you must absolutely beat this game: At the end, 2 players will perform a special shot which is a combination of most of the other ones you saw in the game -- it just takes parts from each and adds them to the start. And believe me, _that_ shot is a true marvel (too bad it doesn't really exist). You'll also see all the Japanese players in action after that. ====== TIPS ====== Some tips which, I hope, will help you in beating this tough game! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lone striker --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a technique which you can use to score easy goals when the opponent has a corner. Before the corner is taken, you'll be given 2 options. Choose the second one and you'll see the pitch with all the players. Here, you can place them to defend the corners. Choose the first option in the new menu to be able to do so. Now, take your best midfield and place him in front on the opponent's net. There's no offside in this game. As soon as you manage to get the ball, just pass the ball forward to that player. He'll be facing only the keeper and shouldn't have any problems netting the ball. It's better if that player has special abilities since most keepers have a tough time against those. Now, isn't that a cheap goal? :) [Not to use in real matches because of a certain thing called "Offside"!] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leading the match --------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is always good to score the first goal (yeah, just like in real matches :)). This way, you won't have to keep thinking of scoring and it enables you to build up your game progressively. If you do manage to score first and even do so twice or thrice without the opponent ever retaliating, switch your defense to Counter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funny commentator --------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you're at the screen with the commentator and you need to press a button to start/resume the match, don't do so yet. After some time, the commentor will do the following: he'll be angry; he'll encourage you if you're winning; he'll laugh at you; he'll sleep. And he'll continue like this until you press the button. Unfortunately, I don't know what he says when he talk but just by his looks, you can bet he's being cheeky. On Genesis (the game is called Boys Soccer Team), he would even ask me if I was sleeping and he'd snooze off too! :) The other funny thing is how he suddenly brandishes a tiny Japanese flag when you score a goal with the national team and looks at you with that unique, happy look. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fast players --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A nice little cheat for you! If you want to pass the ball forward and one of your players is rather near the keeper's area but not inside, do the following to have him in a goal-scoring position. Simply select a spot a couple of (but not too many!) squares forward. The square must not necessarily be on the player, he'll run forward to control the ball provided there's no opponent near him. I often do this so that my players may pull off their special shots directly. But never do this if there are opponents near you, they'll take the ball. Don't do this either if there's someone behind you, even though he may be some squares back. He'll very likely claim the ball. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level up --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The walkthrough section will enable you to win all the matches but I really advise you to let yourself lose a few times. Do this ONLY against those teams that are not so difficult to beat though. Do this repeatedly until you think you've gained enough levels. Believe me, you're going to need these levels later. ========= FUNNIES ========= Some funny stuff about the game! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Developpers ran out of inspiration --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you notice how a lot of players looked alike even when they're supposed to be totally different people!? I find this really funny but you should know that the true reason behind this is because the game is very long and there are many players! Have you ever seen a game on 2 cartridges??? Well, that's what they would have had to do if they had drawn faces for every single player. Instead, only the key players have no such "clones" since they all form part of the story. But even then, some players from different teams look alike except for their hair which is of a different colour! ======= OUTRO ======= First of all, I'd like to explain why I used the numbers and not names in the walkthrough section. I could just have taken the names with Brain's permission but then, I've included some players which he didn't consider important to put himself. Moreover, I'm more used to the French names and even then, I remember only 3 players' names just because they're my favourites. Hope you all understand! Besides, it makes things easier for you since everything is in Japanese and you're not gonna understand the names in the game itself, right? (As if you're gonna believe that...^_^) Here are their French names if you're interested (they're very cool names IMHO!): Tsubasa ---> Olivier Atton Hyuga ---> Marc Landers Wakabayashi ---> Thomas Price "Captain Tsubasa" itself was translated to "Olive & Tom", referring to the two Nankatsu players. Don't you find them better!? Have contributions, corrections or got comments? The address is found at the top of this guide, just remember to put "Captain Tsubasa 2" as the subject or I will delete your e-mail, thinking it's just one of those stupid viruses and ads I get each day. Sending the same e-mail a lot of times will be treated as spam and will also be ignored. Asking me where to find the roms for this game will just make me laugh at you as it can be found anywhere on the net. Well, not really, it is rather rare _even_ as a rom (like all CT titles for that matter). I'll give you a hint though: think Spanish and Mexican. And rejoice 'coz you've just finished one of the best games (if not THE BEST) on NES!! Stay tuned for my Captain Tsubasa 1 FAQ! Heh heh, Orochi K's shameless self-promotion! :) ========= CREDITS ========= Omega-thanks to Tecmo for this wonderful game. This is one of the best games I've played on NES and even today, I'm still having fun with it! Thanks to Jeff "CJayC" Veasey for posting this FAQ on his great website (GameFAQs) and for providing us with great message boards! Special thanks to Video Game Addicted Person for a lot of corrections and contributions, all of which have been stated in the FAQ! Thanks to Brain for posting the team names in his guide. I used those to make mine. I could also have taken the player names but I decided not to because that will only confuse you (that's why I put only numbers instead). A lot of thanks must obviously go to JWPce for being such a great tool and for finally enabling me to work on the translations (best program I've found yet). Thanks also to AstroBlue for guiding me to the aforementioned program and for his help. Kupo! Very special thanks to Yoichi Takahashi. Without him, this game would never even have been imagined! And the anime rocks too! And thank you for your time! --- My CRP: http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/8556.html (c) 2001 - 2002 Orochi K. All rights reserved. --- - EOF -