What I Have Been Doing Instead: A Tecmo Super Bowl For NES FAQ Version 4 - 02/07/2001 By Leif Powers (LEPmf@yahoo.com) whose Internet handle is Nameless Loser (and a few other private ones) Examples Taken From The Original TSB 1234567890 .......... ---------------------------------------------------------------- LEGAL DISCLAIMER This document is Copyright 2000-2001 by Leif Powers. No for-profit production or use of this product, including above-cost sale, product ties, or other uses of this document to promote or sell objects is authorized. This document may be freely posted, but not altered, in any forum and used in any way for strictly personal usage, including improving one's Tecmo, wiping up Coke stains, and hiding from any non- Tecmo-obsessed lover/spouse/pet. The opinions and ideas expressed in these documents are not necessarily reflective of those held by Tecmo, the NFL, my father, my lackeys, the NES, or even myself. By reading this document and bypassing this disclaimer, you agree that you will not take any legal action against me, in either civil or criminal courts, and certainly not in out-of-state jurisdictions, and that you agree with my legal interpretations. All copyrights and trademarks and other such legal instruments are owned by their respective owners, including, but not limited to, Nintendo of America, Tecmo, Leif Powers, or Belgian firs. If you're still going to sue, sue me and not other people related to me. They have enough problems. However, I am not liable for anything you do with this document that is harmful to yourself, to others, or to property, God, or any other enitity, extant or non-extant. But if you do something good with this, then...it's still not my problem. This legal disclaimer disavows any warranty, implied or express, of the document. Some states do not allow limitations on certain warranties, so these statements may not apply to you. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 0. Updates, Credits, Links, And Other 1. Introduction 2. The Roster 3. Special Teams 4. On The Field: Offense And Defense By Play 5. Telling The Truth With Statistics 6. The Pro Bowl 7. Season Game 8. Tweaking The Tecmo 9. Rushing And Blitzing 10. Playbook Combinations 11. ID/Kill Lists 12. Bugs And Weird Stuff 13. Mechanics 14. Press Conference 15. Basic Instructions 16. Rumors And Myths 17. Taunts 18. Games With Tecmo ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Updates, Credits, Links, And Other "Je suis au courant, parce que je suis tres americain!!!" --------------- Updates Version 4: A lot of this is just redundant stuff that I added for your convenience. Stuff from the Tecmo manual: - You can get out of Auto skip by repeatedly pressing B. (Basic Instructions) - "There is a high probability that the Returner will be injured." (Mechanics & Season Game) - Skip halftime by pressing B. (Basic Instructions) - "Some players will need three games to recover from their injuries." (Mechanics & Season Game) Stuff with Jason Tcheng's assistance: - Noted that T Fake Sweep R is sometimes call-safe to Section 4. - Edited out the "crackback block" assumption as to the actual name of the lateral slide that blows away defenders. - Changed the "Funky Triangle Shaped Formation" to Split-I, but kept Paul's "staggered back" hypothesis. - Concept of "twins". Courtesy of Jeff Gaffney: - Added a difference in Sound 1 and Sound 3 to the Basic Instructions. Stuff from Stonecutter/Hoby Brenner: - Coach mode doesn't make players speed up in the season. - Added cross-body block nomenclature to Mechanics. Tips from XRayMind: - Reminded me to put in the "cut back" trick for slowing down Player 2 in the Tweaking The Tecmo section. - Game Genie codes for time added. My junk: - Added Rumours And Myths section. - Destroyed the Codes, Cheats, and Carrots section, and put its remainder in the Other section. - Added ID/Kill Lists section, with a "twin" idea from Jason Tcheng. - Updated Credits and Links to include new contributors and my webpage. - Added some suggested substitution stuff to The Roster section. - Added that your players' condition changes at the beginning of every quarter to The Roster. - Added a lot of stuff on kicking a field goal to Special Teams, in addition to some extra info on count kicks for kickoffs and punts. - Discerned the lineups on special teams. - Added a Defensive Shift list. - Explained why I don't identify the fullback in Section 4 instead of RB #2. - Added a tactic for Top Handoff Plays to Section 4. - Divided up certain plays in Section 4 and corrected some diagrams: - Run And Shoot Sweep Left and Right - Onesetback L and FB Offtackle L (with Jason Tcheng) - Also fixed Shotgun 3-Wing. - All of the One Man Shift play diagrams were either fixed or adjusted and that whole part has been refinished accordingly. Also, the Playbooks section on these plays has been made over as well. - Got some more defensive shifts on Flea Flicker and No Back X Deep, as well as Redgun Z Slant. - Added a nice tip about bad players' stats to the Pro Bowl. - Added some info on Coach mode to the Season mode. - Added "Knock Off Lineman Blockers On Run Plays", "When Not The QB, Hit A", "Cover A Fumble With A Slide Tackle", "Two-Tap Field Goals And Punts", "Check Your Returner's Condition" and two forbidden tactics, "Look At Your Opponent's Controller" and "Look At Your Opponent's Face/Eyes" (with XRayMind) to Tweaking The Tecmo. - Added a ranking of plays for each slot in the playbook to Playbook Combinations. - Got pessimistic in the Playbooks section. - Added the fact that players will change formation depending on the shift of the ball in Mechanics. - Added that players always appear white on the field when they get injured. - Added explanation of my criterion for bugs in Bugs And Weird Stuff. - Added a note that there are variants of the super jump bug to Bugs And Weird Stuff. - Added wrong man catching bug to Bugs And Weird Stuff. - LT fumble bug added to Bugs and Weird Stuff. - Added quarterback computer control bug to Bugs And Weird Stuff. - Added a worst teams section to the Press Conference. - The best teams section in the Press Conference was revised to include the Raiders. Version 3: Paul's additions and "point-ups": - Added notes about bouncing punts to Punts and to Bugs and Weird Stuff. - Added notes about the crackback block (the lateral slide thing that computer controlled players do) to Mechanics and to Bugs and Weird Stuff. - Added a tip to the motion plays about sending extra blockers after human players. - Stuff on Moonwalking. - Bugged me to put in Autoskip Cancel (hold B button). - Other fixes and suggestions. My junk: - Added the Rushing And Blitzing section. - Added the Codes, Cheats, and Carrots section. - Added the Taunts section. - Added the Games With Tecmo section. - Indexed the Press Conference section. I indexed some other things too, but I don't remember what they were, since I didn't add them in here when I did so. - Fixed a stupid diagram error on R&S Sweep Left/Right. - Fixed a stupid little typo in the Computer Behavior section of Mechanics. - Fixed a formatting error. - Clarified a part on motion and early snaps and their effect on receivers. - Added some things to the above Legal Statement. - Changed Links and Credits to better reflect the hoss nature of Paul's newer version Tecmo FAQ, as well as my own developed stats. - Updated Personals and added a new question. - Added a comment to the Tecmo Passing Study about Jerry Rice's actual reception rate. - Re-ranked a TON of stats in the Roster section, according to my research and to a general better sense of what makes good players in Tecmo. - Added a big glunk of junk to the Roster section, including expanded stats and conditions, and took that stuff out of Basic Instructions. - Added some extra point notes. - Refined a field goal rushing tactic in Special Teams. - Added a ton of comments and small tactics to many plays in the On The Field section. - Added two new tactics to the HATS Plays of the Onesetback formation. - Added diagrams for all the HATS Plays tactics. - Adjusted the Playbook section accordingly, re-ranking a playbook, adding another, and changing some comments. - Added a good tactic against Pitch L Open. - Added a new Defensive Shift: - (OF) Flea Flicker & (DF) WTE Offtackle R - Added a tip about changing your players in a game to both Season Game and to the Tweaking the Tecmo section, under "Work Around 'Scratch' Players". - Added some stuff about the Pro Bowl rosters and the Pro Bowl stats to the Pro Bowl section. - Changed a formation in Playbook Combinations to better suit my recent research. - Added notes about the hitting power of your backs to the Playbook Combinations section for R&S and Shifting Onesetback formations. - Added "Set Your Backups To The Return" to Tweaking The Tecmo. - Added a tip about moving out of bounds to the tip in Tweaking The Tecmo, "Run Along The Sidelines To Suppress Fumbles", "Call Plays That Cover For Others", "Watch For Blocking" and added a little note to "Ways To Waste Time" about passing. - Added some nice ones to the Bugs And Weird Stuff section, like Rice's over the line catch and the weirdest little bug ever seen, as well as the "invisible" bug, which I should have put in there earlier. - Added comments on fumbles and injuries to Mechanics, as well as some clarified stuff on hitting power and contact, as well as how people get up after getting slammed. - Added explanation of ball possession to Mechanics and added a pointer to mechanics, courtesy of Paul. - Added how far a punt will fly to and some notes on pitches to Mechanics. - Added a new playbook, 2 & 2, to the Playbook Combinations section. - Added some things for some things on how to make Tecmo harder, and for helping novices, as well as a dissertation on the nose tackle dive and other tactics to the Press Conference section, and revised the "best teams" notes. - Added that you have the names of the runners of plays in the playbook screen. - Added some new humour, which is not as atrocious as last version's. Version 2: - Added this section. - Added the Bugs And Weird Stuff section. - Added the (preliminary) Mechanics section. - Deleted Plays For The Tecmoers Of Tomorrow section because I thought it was stupid and didn't really do anything for me. - Divided up the Special Teams section into parts on kicking and each side's tactics. This information was already there, but I wanted to make it easier to find. - Added new punt tactics. - Totally reordered the On The Field: Offense And Defense By Play section based on the number of plays in each formation. - Added indices to the plays and formations, as well as to the whole On The Field: Offense And Defense By Play section. - Added Passing Order for all pass plays. - Added Defensive Shifts and noted them on these plays: - (OF) Flea Flicker & (DF) FB Offtackle R - (OF) No Back X Deep & (DF) Oneback Sweep R - (OF) Oneback Z Cross & (DF) Any Defensive Pass Play Call Except For Oneback Z Cross (not noted except in Oneback Z Cross) - (OF) Redgun Z Slant & ??? (see play for notes) - Added new defensive tactic for Pro T Waggle L. - Added new defensive tactic for T Cross Run L, thanks to Paul Schulzetenberg. - Extracted the General Comments for Set 2: Handoff After The Snap Plays from Power Fake Z Post. - Added new defensive tactic for Power Fake Z Post and Power Fake X Fly. - Big changes to the Shotgun Formation. Several play diagrams were wrong and were changed; new race defects were discovered; and the descriptions and tactics were updated accordingly. - Added new defensive options for Shotgun Sweep L. - Indexed Tweaking The Tecmo. - Added On Called Run Plays, Move Through The Gaps, Change Your Lineup, and Vary Your Hike Time With Shifting Plays to Tweaking The Tecmo. - Added Formation Combinations to Playbook Combinations. - Changed a ranking in Playbook Combinations. - Added an interesting fact about David Meggett to the Press Conference. - Noted Vance Johnson as one who plays a position and kicks and returns in the Press Conference. - Officially recognized the Giants as the best team in Tecmo in the Press Conference. - Reorganized the Basic Instructions section and added some tidbits. - Added a "Tecmo Passing Study" to this section. - Fixed up a few things and cleaned up a lot. - Added some dreadful humour; it's even worse than the last version's. Version 1: - Trashed "Version 0" TSB FAQ due to inferiority and age. - Could not then update FAQ, due to lack of existing FAQ. Thanks to Leif Powers for helping me with this!!! "Version 0": - Vaporware FAQ created and left sitting for six months. --------------- Credits TSB Message Board - Tons of support and guidance and ideas. Paul Schulzetenberg - For putting a fire in my belly to make this FAQ as good as it is and to improve it, and for making a great documentation (still improving) of the original Tecmo rosters. (edgarffvi@yahoo.com) He also has given a great tip on T Cross Run L, and a bunch of other things which are credited where they are placed. He writes an excellent 1991 Tecmo FAQ which you MUST read if you are interested in the original rosters. He's also helped me edit and correct my FAQ. Steven Maltby - For giving me his cart of TSB, helping me become proficient, and being a good sport even when I'm not. Jason Tcheng - See Version 4 Updates above. Jeff Gaffney - See Version 4 Updates above. XRayMind - See Version 4 Updates above. --------------- Links My Tecmo Homepage http://www.leifpowers.com/personal/games/tecmo/ index.htm This is my personal Tecmo page. As such, it's got my FAQ on it, Paul's FAQ on it, and a ton of other information. It also has information on the Tecmo Super Bowl tournament planned for July 2001. It also has a pretty huge links page, probably the biggest purely Tecmo links page out there. Tecmo Super Bowl Webring http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/1022 /wrvisitors.htm This is a very good page, which links to the infamous Tecmo Super Bowl Message Board as well as to a ton of other good sites. This is a great resource for Tecmo, although it's not as good as my links page. :) --------------- Personals Greetings - Paul Schulzetenberg - Well, you get to read all of the new garbage. At least I got you the special teams lineups. The TSB Message Board - This was somewhat of your fault, I swear. To the world: Read Paul's FAQ (again, if you already have). Did I mention it was a wonderful work? Steven Maltby - Have you read this yet? Not me showing you, but have you actually read this? Brianna Schuyler - You learn this game very fast, which demonstrates your many virtues (and don't give me your self-reducing spiel, you are smart, personable, and comely to boot, which explains why people like you and ask about you in CompUSA, for one thing). And thanks for the Buccaneers pants. Michael Christen - You're getting better, my friend. It's all about study, practice, and a good thumb. Questions Have I missed any plays with Defensive Shifts in them? There might be more but I'm not really that sure. Still, if you find anything, I would put it in. Does anyone want to contribute things to their own personal press conference? --------------- Codes, Cheats, And Carrots This section contains some useful codes that I have dredged up from the depths. Some good Game Genie codes - SXNXPZVG - Stop time (you have to reset the game to stop playing) From XRayMind's list: APUXLZIA - 10 minutes per quarter instead of 5 PUXLZIA - 15 minutes per quarter AZUXLZIA - 20 minutes per quarter ZAUXLZIA - 2 minutes per quarter Something else weird (from Paul's FAQ) - You can play as the Bills (or AFC Team #1) all throughout the playoffs - in every game. If you have a team that does not get a division champion title until after all of Week 17 is over, then you hit Reset as they clinch the title (during the cinema sequence), the Bills will be in every slot in the playoffs. Have fun!! --------------- Tecmo Passing Study Originally, I worked this up in order to support an argument for Dan Marino as the best strict passer in Tecmo. But, this proved so instructive and insightful that I could hardly let it languish like that (by the way, I still think Marino is the best passer, even after seeing the results of my tests, which did not say a whole lot for the skills of Marino in coverage). I played some COA games with Washington as the coached team. I picked each play and had the coached Washington defense call all of the other pass plays in the book two or three times each, excluding the ones where the QB can't get the pass off and repeating in many cases the plays where the ball was wild or the player clinched or was uncovered. All of these tests were in a Preseason, no-boost environment, the one which is most applicable to two-player contests. Here are the results, only counting the ones where there was coverage - the computer is so stupid - and where the pass got to the receiver, but not counting blocked passes and jump interceptions from the defense that players could have done little about. For the purposes of this study, 1 defender slide that touches the receiver is counted as .5 coverage: Montana-Rice Passes Receptions Interceptions Coverage 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 4 0 0 1 5 1 0 3 6 2 0 3 7 2 0 2 8 3 0 2 9 3 0 1 10 3 0 2 11 4 0 1 12 4 0 1 13 4 0 2 14 4 0 2 15 5 0 2 16 5 0 2 17 6 0 2 18 6 0 2 19 7 0 1 20 8 0 3 21 8 0 .5 22 8 0 2 23 9 0 1.5 24 10 0 1 25 10 0 1 26 10 0 1 27 11 0 1 28 12 0 1 29 12 0 2 30 12 0 2 31 12 0 2 32 12 1 1 33 12 1 1 34 13 1 1 35 13 1 2 36 13 1 1 37 13 1 3 38 14 1 1 39 15 1 1 40 16 1 1 41 16 1 2 42 16 1 1 43 16 1 2 44 16 1 2 45 16 1 1 46 16 1 2 47 16 1 2 48 17 1 2 Reception %: 35.41% Interception%: 2.08% Average Coverage: 1.60 defenders Comments: I think it's quite interesting that for this test, Rice performed much better on triple coverage passes than on lesser coverage. It might be a statistical error. For those of you who are wondering what Rice's actual reception rate is, it's somewhere around 20% of the passes that he actually caught in coverage, with wild throws from Montana and Rice not catching up to the ball or other things included, and also clinches included. Moon-Oilers' Receivers Passes Receptions Interceptions Coverage 1 1 0 1 2 1 0 2.5 3 1 0 2 4 2 0 1 5 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 7 2 0 1 8 2 0 2 9 2 0 1.5 10 3 0 1 11 3 0 2 12 3 0 3 13 3 0 2 14 4 0 2 15 4 0 1 16 5 0 1 17 5 1 1 18 5 1 3 19 5 1 2 20 6 1 1 21 7 1 1 22 8 1 .5 23 8 1 2 24 9 1 2 25 9 1 1 26 9 1 2 27 9 1 2 28 10 1 1 29 11 1 2 30 12 1 2 31 12 1 2 32 12 1 2 33 12 1 2 34 13 1 1 35 13 1 2 36 14 1 1.5 37 15 1 1 38 15 1 3 39 16 1 1 40 17 1 2 41 17 1 2 42 17 1 2.5 43 17 1 2 44 17 1 2 45 17 1 2 46 18 1 3 47 18 1 2.5 48 18 1 1.5 49 19 1 1 50 19 1 2 51 19 1 2 52 20 1 1 53 20 1 2 54 20 1 1 55 21 1 2 56 21 1 2 Reception %: 37.50% Interception%: 1.79% Average Coverage: 1.74 defenders Comments: These guys could not catch nearly as well as Rice in double or triple coverage, but they were very consistent in single coverage. Marino-Dolphins' Receivers Passes Receptions Interceptions Coverage 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 3 0 0 2 4 0 0 2 5 0 0 2 6 0 0 1 7 0 0 2 8 0 0 2 9 1 0 2 10 1 0 1 11 2 0 1 12 2 0 1 13 2 1 2 14 2 1 1 15 2 2 1 16 2 2 1 17 2 2 1 18 3 2 1.5 19 4 2 2 20 5 2 2 21 6 2 1 22 6 3 1 23 6 3 1 24 6 3 1 25 6 3 1 26 7 3 1 27 7 3 1 28 7 3 1 29 8 3 1 30 8 3 1 31 8 3 2.5 32 8 3 1.5 33 8 3 2 34 8 3 1 35 8 3 1 36 8 3 2.5 37 8 4 1 38 8 4 1 39 8 4 .5 40 8 5 1 41 8 5 2 42 8 5 2 43 9 5 1 44 9 5 1 45 10 5 1 46 10 5 2 47 10 5 2 48 10 5 1 49 11 5 1 50 11 5 2 51 11 5 .5 52 12 5 1 53 12 5 2 54 12 5 2 55 12 5 2 56 12 5 1 57 12 5 1.5 Reception %: 21.05% Interception%: 8.77% Average Coverage: 1.39 defenders Comments: Mark Duper accounted for at least four and maybe all of the interceptions. Interestingly enough, he is WR #2, the same position as Rice. That was where all the higher interception rating people on the Washington defense were. Martin Mayhew had a 69 Interceptions. I guess Marino's lower Pass Accuracy and Duper's lower Receptions (both 63, incidentally) had something to do with this. Not surprisingly, Mark Clayton, with a 69 Receptions, had a higher receptions percentage, but he seemed to account for more than 60% of the total receptions. That much is quite unexpected, and it really doesn't say much for Duper. It seems to me that maybe the rate of interceptions as well is affected by the Receptions rating a player has, and not just the Pass Accuracy and Control of the quarterback. --------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction "They made a game, and called it Tecmo." I'm still writing this because sooner or later I'll forget all the crazy things I've learned about the brilliant game known as Tecmo Super Bowl for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Feel free to e-mail me with whatever you have come up with, great plays, suggestions, criticisms, whatever. Credit will be provided, of course. There are probably a few less errors in this than before. Bear with me, and help me out if I screwed up. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2. The Roster "He was made to march before the team." This thing now has three parts: Player And Roster Comments Stats Conditions ----------------------- Player And Roster Comments The most important thing about your roster in Tecmo is to always put in the best people for any given position. Sounds fair enough. However, not only do you have to watch your players' conditions in a season mode, you must also put in backups automatically in some cases. For instance, Lorenzo White of the Oilers, "Butterfingers", is useless as a running back even though he can run and catch well. A good idea is to switch in Gerald McNeil or Allen Pinkett, both of whom have far better ball control. Moreover, in a Preseason or Pro Bowl game, where injuries are not a consideration, you should put in your best running backs (or receivers or tight ends) to return the ball if that will yield an improvement in special teams. You can also switch around your players for a given play or just to eliminate a bad player, as above, like a slow fullback (a virtually useless oddity in Tecmo). The position a person originally plays has no effect on their ability to play others, although a receiver would have a hard time being a fullback because of low hitting power, for example. So you can, for instance, put in faster receivers for a bad fullback (but make sure that they have good ball control). There are some substitutions that you usually end up wanting to make. These include: slow fullbacks switched with backups or the tight end; low Ball Control running backs put at tight end or benched altogether; and running backs or tight ends with high Receptions switched into the WR slots. Also, you may switch quarterbacks if you think you can get a speed advantage on the run, even if the passing stats are slightly worse. If your returners' ball control dips below 50, you should probably bench them too, especially for the punt returner. I made a priority list of what I look for in any particular position (or would look for, but some of these Tecmo league people who trade non- changeable players might care). Here it is. Note that these rankings reflect the general tendencies of players. For instance, if I actually found a lineman with great Interceptions, I would take him almost irrespective of his other statistics, but because that doesn't usually happen, I rank the stats according to, in part, the variances that such statistics usually have. Rushing Power is another one because that usually tends to be quite high or quite low. Quarterbacks: 1. Pass Speed (this helps so much against a human player controlling a fast defender) 2. Pass Control 3. Pass Accuracy 4. Maximum Speed 5. Running Speed (this and 4 are great for using cheap QB sneaks that get tons of yardage, but only if you have enough of them to make your QB a good runner, like QB Eagles. Otherwise, they make you mobile, but not a large force on the run) 6. Avoid Pass Block 7. Hitting Power 8. Rushing Power Running Backs: 1. Maximum Speed 2. Ball Control 3. Hitting Power 4. Receptions 5. Running Speed 6. Rushing Power Wide Receivers: 1. Receptions 2. Maximum Speed 3. Running Speed 4. Ball Control 5. Hitting Power 6. Rushing Power Tight Ends: 1. Ball Control (this is here because the tight end almost always gets tackled if he catches the ball) 2. Receptions 3. Hitting Power 4. Maximum Speed 5. Running Speed 6. Rushing Power Offensive Linemen: 1. Hitting Power 2. Maximum Speed 3. Running Speed 4. Rushing Power Defensive Linemen: 1. Hitting Power 2. Maximum Speed 3. Rushing Power 4. Running Speed 5. Interceptions 6. Quickness Linebackers: 1. Hitting Power 2. Maximum Speed 3. Rushing Power 4. Interceptions 5. Running Speed 6. Quickness Defensive Backs (Cornerbacks/Safeties): 1. Interceptions 2. Maximum Speed 3. Hitting Power 4. Rushing Power 5. Running Speed 6. Quickness Kickers: 1. Kicking Ability 2. Avoid Kick Block 3. Maximum Speed 4. Running Speed 5. Hitting Power 6. Rushing Power Punters: Same As Kickers Kick Returners: 1. Ball Control 2. Maximum Speed 3. Hitting Power 4. Running Speed 5. Rushing Power 6. Receptions (I have yet to see a returner drop the ball - even if people don't even get to the "X" on the field they will still catch the ball - this has happened with a punt return (bouncing punt phenomenon). Punt Returners: Same As Kick Returners Notice my speed biases there, eh? Now I'm going to just go on about what I would do if I were trying to choose or put a team together. Quarterbacks: If you can get a GOOD rushing quarterback (Cunningham-type, or slower, but with 88-range hitting power), then he is worth gutting your running game and downgrading your passing game. The only guys who even come close to the value of a real rushing quarterback are demons, the running backs with good speed and great hitting power. If you have to give up a demon for a rushing quarterback, it might not be worth it if what you have left is either real low hitting power people or only slow people. If you can muster a back with decent speed (44 Max or greater) then you probably want to trade (unless that trade would give your opponent a really great team, but if he has a rushing QB that he's losing you'll come out on top if you have playable backs). You can put in a backup tight end as fullback, or, if you're running one-back systems, simply put in your best receiver person (no matter the position) left over from the WR slots (and possibly TE) at RB#2. However, if you have only mediocre rushing QBs available (Vinny Testaverde/Rodney Peete-caliber), don't go specifically for them unless they also have great other stats. The stat you want to look at for the normal quarterbacks otherwise is Pass Speed, and then look for good supplementary Pass Control and finally Pass Accuracy. Don't even bother with Avoid Pass Block, because there are distinguishments enough with the three main ones. Your replacement QB is usually going to stink anyway, so go with the usual Speed/Control/Accuracy test and get one you can afford. Running Backs: Your best bets on these are demons if you can get them, or fast backs, because these can carry a whole running game for most of the season. Just don't put them as returners if you only have one, so that they won't get injured. Depth is an issue here; as long as you have enough speed and hitting power in the rest of your backs to pose a significant run threat in the absence of the star, you're covered. When you go for running backs, make sure you have one with 50+ Max Speed if at all possible as your star, and then whoever is a good enough compromise between Hitting Power and Maximum Speed to make the cut (for examples of how not to acquire running backs, look at the Eagles' running backs - they are quite mediocre, despite having relatively even point totals). If you can, try to get backs with 38 or 31 hitting power at least so that they can't get flattened by strong defenders all the time (moreso if you have a good or great thumb and can take down your opponents with mediocre hitting power guys), but put speed first. Wide Receivers: It's all about Receptions and Maximum Speed. Whosoever has the best of these is your pick, at least as far as you have the ability to acquire. Receptions is more important than Maximum Speed, but if your WR can burn up the road, then he can be deficient in Receptions to a certain extent. With receivers, you need a star for bombs and coverage problems, and then another who can haul the water well enough to require looking after. Backup receivers, even the best, don't really do a whole lot for you, so that's another place you can cut fat off if you please. Tight Ends: You want a certain amount of Hitting Power (44+) and after that it's Ball Control and Receptions. Get whatever mix you like; it depends on how much passing you're doing as to what one you want more. These are the guys to pinch on, unless you can get a skilled one to use for depth in the RB category (which I have done with good success when both my Green Bay RBs were injured, but then the TE, Ed West, got injured too, so I was almost up a creek). Returners: Because of the way Tecmo handles the return game (no one is too sure what does what to make the whole chemistry of the beast flow together) simply put in the person who's best at returning, either with good speed, or average speed and great hitting power. When you do this, make sure you're not putting your stars on the return, because that gets messy very very quickly (that Green Bay season, I set my RBs as returners - fooooolish mistake). I would manage depth in this fashion: I would have at least one Team Area (not starter) person who could fill in at either RB or WR (either a RB with hands, or a WR with 38+ Maximum Speed); a person who could fill in at either fullback or TE (if I had a fullback in my play system) who could simply be a normal running back with 38+ Hitting Power or a formal TE; and an overall quality of the rest to make sure I wouldn't wilt after more than two injuries - for example, you could have the worst player in the league, but you would need to have 30s Maximum Speed for your other two guys and at least one of them with a 38/44 receptions. You can always just blow off one guy on your roster, because situations where you have five starters injured almost never happen, and one of those is probably going to be your QB if you've been abusive enough of your players in season mode to have injured five of them (I have never done it, ever, and I have never heard of anyone who has) and you also deserve to lose if you have been so brutal to your team that five people have gotten injured. The QB depth is almost always a problem; getting two decent QBs is not cheap for those who play with salaries and whatnot, and to furnish a whole team after that is not easy. I would simply get a not-bad QB, not necessarily a good QB, as my backup, since anything will be a drop-off after your starter. My philosophy towards depth is "fake it until the real players return" and I think it shows. Defensive Linemen: Anything but a star is pretty much useless on the line in Tecmo. If you want a star to break through the line for you while you do something else, get one. If you want a manual rush, then you want to place him at nose tackle, and if you want an automatic rush, place him on the left end most likely, since they come in handy for certain plays' tactics. However, don't lose your lunch on these because they can be problems to play against strong runs. A iffy lineman is more than okay if that frees up resources for other defenders or the offense. The star is good; but don't waste money on more than one. A star, by the way, is one with decent speed and great Hitting Power. You do need probably at least 44 Hitting Power for your other linemen though, so that the offensive line won't break through and start knocking your other people around (50 would probably be a safer bet than that). Linebackers: You want a star to control on either the linebackers or the defensive backs. If you want to stop runs, go for the linebackers, and if you want to intercept, either go for the secondaries or get an Interceptions linebacker (but don't waste money on getting one if you can spend the money better on an upgraded defensive back, who will be covering passes all the time). If possible, get both, but have a star linebacker if you can have a solid secondary. Your star should have a Hitting Power of 69 or greater, Maximum Speed of 50 or greater, and sufficient Rushing Power to get around the field, if possible. You can let the rest fade if you like as long as you have defensive backs that can cover the run as well as the pass. If you have specialized pass coverage secondary, though, you will want to make sure you've got Hitting Power enough for the linebackers to wrestle. This is where you pool your resources that you can't spend anywhere else (other than picking up better backups for your offense). Where should you place this star? You should put him at RILB most likely, but ROLB will also work well. LILB is also a decent place if you've got a few good men to distribute. Defensive Backs: These you want, more than any other group, to all be fast, to all have some measure of Interceptions, and to all have some Hitting Power. This is the one group to waste money on, because a slow secondary can't keep up with receivers, a handless secondary can't get the crucial turnovers that make and break games, and a powerless secondary will get bowled over by fullbacks and blockers, letting running backs go home free. Having a group of people that you can count on to keep people covered is very convenient for pass coverage; a group that will end your defense is even better; and one that can stop the runs is boss. If you have a star, you probably want him at safety (which one doesn't really matter) to stop runs and passes. He should have good speed, good Interceptions, and great Hitting Power. If you don't have any good or great linebackers, then you should seriously consider putting your star at RCB for tactics. ----------------------- Stats The stats are hereby explained. Everyone's Stats: Running Speed: This is how fast a person initially runs. It doesn't build, though. A person can have 100 of this, but if their Maximum Speed is 25, they will be quite slow. Rushing Power: This is how fast they speed up. According to Paul, most all offensive players have 69 Rushing Power in Tecmo 1991 (I believe him, by the way). Maximum Speed: Self-explanatory. This is what you want to maximize, so to speak, when you want a burning-rubber back or WR. I believe this stat also regulates how fast a defender moves through the program for the play, such as going from standing like a doofus to rushing the QB. Hitting Power: How well a player struggles and knocks off opposing players. The strength of the player is determined by this stat and how fast you hit the A button. QB Stats: Pass Speed: Self-explanatory. This is exponentially useful, unlike the other passing stats, because the faster you can get the ball to the receiver, the less coverage will show up to cause problems, and the lesser the possibility that a human will be able to cover you. This also seems to exert an effect on completions and interceptions: the more Speed, the more completions and less interceptions, even in coverage. Pass Control: How well the pass makes it to the receiver. This is more important than Pass Accuracy for determining where the ball goes and for interceptions; this emphasizes where the ball goes and whether the receiver catches the ball. Pass Accuracy: This shares duties of pass controlling, completions, and interceptions with Pass Control, but this is weaker in sum total, focusing more on how many balls are not intercepted rather than receptions or getting the ball in the general vicinity. Avoid Pass Block: When this is high, close defenders won't hit the ball as much. RB/WR/TE Stats: Ball Control: The more Ball Control a player has, the less fumbles he will have. Receptions: High Receptions means a lot of caught balls. Kicker/Punter Stats: Kicking Ability: This determines how accurate the kick will be (for field goals and extra points) as well as how far out you can kick a field goal without the ball faltering before it gets to the uprights. Avoid Kick Block: Self-explanatory. Defender Stats: Pass Interceptions: The higher this is, the more interceptions a person will get if the ball is in the vicinity. Quickness: This doesn't seem to do anything. I know what it does not do: it doesn't get people to move around faster, it doesn't get people to turn better, it doesn't get people to get up faster. All that I could really tell that it did was to move the locations of defenders a little bit, and that was it. It doesn't seem to be a significant stat at all. ----------------------- Conditions There are certain conditions that players go through during the course of a season: Bad, Average, Good, and Excellent. A player's default statistics are at Average. Each condition has a particular decrement or increment (of 6 or 7) for each stat; Bad has one increment lower for each attribute from Average, Good has one increment higher, and Excellent has two increments higher. These improve or diminish a player's abilities. Conditions shift during games, even Preseason ones (and Pro Bowl games, but the actual Condition will not change, even though the stats go up or down a notch). They change every time a new quarter begins, so that's when you want to go inquire. This is something you have to watch out for and take into account (see the "scratch" tip in Tweaking The Tecmo). You want to adjust your rosters accordingly. ----------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Special Teams "Tecmo has been ruled by special teams so long that people have forgotten what's special about that." This section is divided into three parts: 1. Kickoffs 2. Punts 3. Field Goals/Extra Points ------------------- 1. Kickoffs Lineup: NT LE ROLB TE RILB RB#2 LILB RB#1 C K QB LT Returner LOLB WR#1 LG RCB WR#2 LCB RG FS SS Amazingly enough, if you set one of the RBs, WRs, or TEs to the returner slot, they will also appear in their normal place in the lineup, meaning that you have two of the same player on the field. This would be one argument for setting Okoye to the return, except that Christian would get injured during a season game too much considering he is a cog on the offense. Wonder how they check both of those guys in. ---------- Kicking The Ball The best thing for a kick is obviously practice, because it makes it much easier to kick full-power without a ton of onsides. If you're playing against a good opponent, you may not even want to try for full. Also, if you have a comparatively fast team and a good defense, you may want to onside kick and get the periodic turnover. A good way to get the best onside kick is to go for a full-power kick and then halt for a split second before pressing the button. A count kick is the best way to kick off, where you count off the time before you hit it. If you do that, try to synch your count with the power bar. Most of the time, you will always want to boot it, but occasionally getting it to the ten or twenty-yard line is better for stopping long returns. However, never kick it with less power than that, because some of your kicking team players will just sit there and do nothing if you kick it too lightly (but onside kicks will always make every player go for the ball). ---------- Returning The Kick To return the kick with a computer opponent, try to move into the middle of the field to avoid getting cut off. If the kick was only at moderate power, some of the defenders will simply stay put and not even move until you pass them up. Simply use the usual dodging tactics to move upfield. With a human opponent, just attempt to put blockers between yourselves, since the human can not only tackle you, but slow you down enough to let the dumb computer players slide tackle you. You can also engage and attempt to shove his man off, but with a kick where everyone is fast this is rather risky. ---------- Defending Against The Return As far as defending the return goes, simply don't move too far ahead of the crowd unless you have a fast kicker with good Hitting Power, because you'll get knocked over pretty quickly. As you move in, hit the slide tackle button (B) repeatedly to avoid getting blocked early in the return. Also, if you start getting pounded, hit A instead to struggle. With a human, make sure that when you catch up you can either unavoidably slide tackle, struggle his man down, or have enough support around to make the tackle for you. Otherwise, you'll be immobilized and make it three times easier for your opponent to return the ball. ------------------- 2. Punts Lineup: WR#1 RCB RB#2 ROLB LT RE FS LG RILB P C NT RB#1 RG LILB RT LE Returner TE LOLB WR#2 LCB ---------- Kicking The Punt A punt is an extremely difficult kick. Practice such that you can kick the ball on the first charge of the meter - usually a count of two will yield a decently powerful kick. Try to synch your count with the power bar. ---------- Returning The Punt On the return, you only have one blocker usually, so try at first to maneuver behind him to stall some of the faster defenders, then take off in one direction and stick to it, unless you can get out into the open and start using the usual dodges and evasions. Three general situations can be used to determine what you should do next: ----- 1. No One Out There When you get the ball and nearly no one is after you, simply run straight ahead and wait until people come on screen. When they appear, then go into normal dodging tactics, attempting to put everyone behind you. ----- 2. A Few Pursuers If there are a few men coming after you, first move down to the side you don't want to advance to (i.e. if you're going to go up and then run, move down, and vice versa). Then, reverse direction and move past the people that have moved down to try and catch you. Begin the normal dodging tactics. ----- 3. A Mob Thinks You've Stolen Their Football If a slew of people at lightning speed are coming after you, being perhaps less than 15 yards from you when you catch the ball, simply take what you can get and move straight ahead into the legion of oncoming trains (some call them football players). Other methods of escaping, more hazardous, exist. One way of evading the attack is to move backwards and attempt to dodge the defenders, then go around them once they have dispersed and lost a good deal of their unity. However, one of the drawbacks of this method is its requirement for a faster returner, and if you are lacking in that department, don't even think about pulling a stunt like that. Another method of dealing with a crowd is to move into them and run through a hole in their advance. This tactic is dangerous because you can get caught in a struggle (although a returner with high hitting power can lessen this risk), and also because the defenders have a good opportunity to slide tackle you. The benefit of this method lies in the possibility that all slide at you at once and take themselves out in one fell swoop, or even that a few of them do, and lessen the difficulty of running. ---------- Defending Against The Punt Tackling a returner is no problem against a computer and usually easy against a human if you have enough hitting power and teammates to take the man down. If the returner doesn't have a lot of people moving in on him, simply be patient and let your fellow teammates catch up before you take him down. ------------------- 3. Field Goals/Extra Points Lineup: RB#1 RE WR#1 NT LCB WR#2 LE TE ROLB K QB C LG RILB SS RG LILB LT LOLB FS RT RCB ---------- Kicking The Field Goal A field goal is a piece of cake if you simply aim once and aim correctly. Position: To align yourself properly for a field goal, get tackled in the middle of the field, if at all possible, because that will make your life easier if you are close to the uprights. If not, don't worry about it or spend a trash down just moving into the middle of the field that could be better spent on trying to get a first down or a touchdown. Aiming: You always want to get the tip of the kicking arrow straight in a line with the fingers of the ballholder that are shown before the snap. One good way of keeping track of them is to make a line about three to five yards away from them and keeping your eyes on a point on that line as your kicking arrow shows up. Once that arrow comes into line with those fingers, kick. The lag on the kick is pretty negligible, so work on getting it in the right place rather than trying to lead the arrow. You want to try and get the ball in between the outstretched fingers and the end of the hand. Timing: When you kick, don't just sit there like a doofus and dawdle your time away. The arrow should not rebound more than twice from the extremes of the kick. What you need for most situations is one-rebound aim. You need to locate the arrow as it comes down from the snap and keep track of it as it comes back up into your aiming line that you made with the fingers of the holder. If you're trying to be a Tecmo master, then you need to get a count kick, where you count off a fraction of a second and then kick right there without even looking at the cursor. Your timing will take care of the aiming by itself. That takes some practice, though. Most of the time, the rush will not be able to stop you on one-rebound kicks. However, there are exceptions to this, such as a MAN controlled Lawrence Taylor. Here are some kicking ranges for you: 0-10 yard line: Basically impossible to miss. 10-15 yard line: Begins to be possible to miss, but you need pressure and a wide kick. 15-20 yard line: You can miss with pressure and a sloppy kick or with a wide kick. 20-45 yard line: You need to aim on these for sure. 45-or-more yard line: You really need to think about whether or not you should kick from here. If your kicker has a high Kicking Ability, you can boot it from the 50 yard line, but if he doesn't, then he will start to miss kicks from here due to the kick not being powerful enough to reach the uprights (Al del Greco, for instance, will start missing at the 35). Whether a player will not be able to make the range is a combination of ability and luck, just as with normal kicks. ---------- Defending Against The Field Goal To defend against a field goal, simply tap the A button three times to find the fourth man on the line from the top, who happens to be the top linebacker. This is about the only person who can consistently get inside in a reasonable time frame to block a kick. Simply run straight ahead until you are almost at the ballholder, then move down and into the ball holder to tackle him. If you get held up, attempt to wrestle off the blocker, though that is rarely possible before the kick comes off. You can still block the kick in a struggle if you're close enough to the ball. ---------- Everyone - LISTEN UP!!! One thing that is worth mentioning is that you can pick up a blocked field goal ball, unlike most situations where a player cannot pick up a fumble. So get the bloody ball after you knock it out of the air and make sure that your opponent doesn't have an unimpeded path to the end zone, because little else hurts like a field goal recovered by the kicking team for a touchdown. One way that you can tell if there's been a block early is that the cursor will appear over the kicker's head before the kick if the field goal will be blocked. ---------- Extra Points When you kick an extra point, simply hit A as fast as you can to kick. You almost never miss (I've only seen someone miss three times out of thousands of kicks). You can get the ball blocked if you let the person close in, and the ball can swerve and miss more easily if you let someone in too close. The tactic for defending an extra point is the same one as for a field goal. ------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4. On The Field: Offense And Defense By Play "In Tecmo, the best defense is a good offense." This section is organized by formation. Each part will be prefaced by an ASCII diagram of a particular formation, following by a general discussion of the plays and defenses from that formation, and concluding with a list of plays in the formation and their characteristics. Before this, there is a list of useful information in understanding the information after the useful information in understanding it, which makes the information after the useful information more useful. To be more concise, this is the way this section is organized: -------- Exposition (Useful Information) T Formation (Plays) Onesetback Formation Run And Shoot Formation Shifting Onesetback Formation Shotgun Formation Split-I Formation One Man Shift Formation Shotgun 3-Wing Formation Slot Formation WTE Formation Formation/Play Oneback Z Cross Formation/Play No Back X Deep Formation/Play Run And Shoot 3-Wing Formation/Play Redgun Z Slant -------- I have also devised some cruel indices for you to use in finding and comparing plays. A notation used in the indices is called the Play Number : This refers specifically to the way the plays are organized in the Tecmo playbook selection screen. The first number is the slot in which the play is found in the playbook screen, left to right, then top to bottom. For instance, the second run slot (with FB Offtackle L) is 2, and the third pass slot (with Pro T Flare C) is 7. The second number is how many times you have to hit right to get to the play once you've selected the slot. For instance, in slot 1 (the first run slot), WTE Offtackle R is 0, and Run And Shoot Sweep L is 2. Put the number of the slot and the number of the play in the slot together and you get the play number. For example, WTE Offtackle R is 10 and Run And Shoot Sweep L is 12, while Shotgun X Curl is 60. -------- Formation Index: Exposition (0 plays) T Formation (16 plays) Pass Set 1: Straight Back Plays Pro T Flare C - 74 Pro T Flare D - 62 Pro T Screen L - 54 Pass Set 2: Waggles Pro T Waggle R - 50 Pro T Waggle L - 56 Pass Set 3: Other Plays T Play Action D - 53 T Flea Flicker - 76 Run Set 1: Power Plays Cross Offtackle - 32 T Offtackle R - 24 T Sweep Strong - 25 T Power Sweep R - 17 Run Set 2: Technical Plays Pro T Dive - 42 T Power Dive - 26 Reverse Pitch R - 45 T Cross Run L - 30 T Fake Sweep R - 16 Onesetback Formation (10 plays) Set 1: Top Handoff Plays Reverse-Fake Z Post - 81 WR Reverse R - 43 Pitch L Fake - 21 Set 2: Handoff After The Snap Plays Power Fake Z Post - 66 Power Fake X Fly - 77 Onesetback L - 11 FB Offtackle L - 27 Set 3: All Other Plays X Out And Fly - 80 Oneback Flare A - 65 Pitch L Open - 33 Run And Shoot Formation (8 plays) Run And Shoot Y Up - 87 Run And Shoot Z Fly - 61 Run And Shoot Flare C - 57 Run And Shoot QB Sneak - 40 Run And Shoot QB Run - 46 Run And Shoot Draw - 20 Run And Shoot Left - 12 Run And Shoot Right - 37 Shifting Onesetback Formation (6 plays) Playaction Z In - 72 Roll Out R - 51 Onesetback Dive - 41 WR Reverse L - 35 Oneback Sweep R - 22 FB Open L - 14 Shotgun Formation (6 plays) Formation 1 Shotgun X Curl - 60 Shotgun Draw - 36 Formation 2 Shotgun Z S-In - 84 Shotgun X Drive - 70 Formation 3 Shotgun XY Bomb - 86 Shotgun C Draw - 44 Split-I Formation (4 plays) Offset Flare E - 63 Play Action - 55 Toss Sweep R - 15 FB Power Dive - 43 One Man Shift Formation (4 plays) FB Offtackle R - 13 Weakside Open - 23 Roll Out L - 52 Flea Flicker - 73 Shotgun 3-Wing Formation (2 plays) Shotgun 3-Wing - 75 Shotgun Sweep L - 47 Slot Formation (2 plays) Slot L Z Drive - 82 Slot Offtackle - 31 WTE Formation (2 plays) WTE Offtackle R - 10 WTE Flea Flicker - 67 Formation/Play Oneback Z Cross - 64 Formation/Play No Back X Deep - 83 Formation/Play Run And Shoot 3-Wing - 71 Formation/Play Redgun Z Slant - 85 -------- Play Number Index: 64 total plays in 8 slots XX: Exposition 10: WTE Offtackle R - WTE Formation 11: Onesetback L - Onesetback Formation 12: Run And Shoot Sweep L - Run And Shoot Formation 13: FB Offtackle R - One Man Shift Formation 14: FB Open L - Shifting Onesetback Formation 15: Toss Sweep R - Split-I Formation 16: T Fake Sweep R - T Formation 17: T Power Sweep R - T Formation 20: Run And Shoot Draw - Run And Shoot Formation 21: Pitch L Fake - Onesetback Formation 22: Oneback Sweep R - Shifting Onesetback Formation 23: Weakside Open - One Man Shift Formation 24: T Offtackle R - T Formation 25: T Sweep Strong - T Formation 26: T Power Dive - T Formation 27: FB Offtackle L - Onesetback Formation 30: T Cross Run L - T Formation 31: Slot Offtackle - Slot Formation 32: Cross Offtackle - T Formation 33: Pitch L Open - Onesetback Formation 34: WR Reverse R - Onesetback Formation 35: WR Reverse L - Shifting Onesetback Formation 36: Shotgun Draw - Shotgun Formation 37: Run And Shoot Sweep R - Run And Shoot Formation 40: Run And Shoot QB Sneak - Run And Shoot Formation 41: Onesetback Dive - Shifting Onesetback Formation 42: Pro T Dive - T Formation 43: FB Power Dive - Split-I Formation 44: Shotgun C Draw - Shotgun Formation 45: Reverse Pitch R - T Formation 46: Run And Shoot QB Run - Run And Shoot Formation 47: Shotgun Sweep L - Shotgun 3-Wing Formation 50: Pro T Waggle R - T Formation 51: Roll Out R - Shifting Onesetback Formation 52: Roll Out L - One Man Shift Formation 53: T Play Action D - T Formation 54: Pro T Screen L - T Formation 55: Play Action - Split-I Formation 56: Pro T Waggle L - T Formation 57: Run And Shoot Flare C - Run And Shoot Formation 60: Shotgun X Curl - Shotgun Formation 61: Run And Shoot Z Fly - Run And Shoot Formation 62: Pro T Flare D - T Formation 63: Offset Flare E - Split-I Formation 64: Formation/Play Oneback Z Cross 65: Oneback Flare A - Onesetback Formation 66: Power Fake Z Post - Onesetback Formation 67: WTE Flea Flicker - WTE Formation 70: Shotgun X Drive - Shotgun Formation 71: Formation/Play Run And Shoot 3-Wing 72: Playaction Z In - Shifting Onesetback Formation 73: Flea Flicker - One Man Shift Formation 74: Pro T Flare C - T Formation 75: Shotgun 3-Wing - Shotgun 3-Wing Formation 76: T Flea Flicker - T Formation 77: Power Fake X Fly - Onesetback Formation 80: X Out And Fly - Onesetback Formation 81: Reverse-Fake Z Post - Onesetback Formation 82: Slot L Z Drive - Slot Formation 83: Formation/Play No Back X Deep 84: Shotgun Z S-In - Shotgun Formation 85: Formation/Play Redgun Z Slant 86: Shotgun XY Bomb - Shotgun Formation 87: Run And Shoot Y Up - Run And Shoot Formation -------- ----------------------------- Exposition First, some general definitions and explanations are needed: Reversible Play - This is a play that can be changed by simply making the running back move in a different direction, useful against human opponents. Call-Safe (AKA Picked Play - Safe or Pick-Safe): Player: A call-safe player is someone who can generally be thrown to by most offenses and can catch the ball whenever a play is called. Play: A call-safe play is one with some ways to get yardage if it is called. Nose Tackle Dive (AKA center trick, lurch, NTD, center slide, or simply slide): Using the nose tackle, move in one or two yards down-diagonally inside and one or two more straight inside, and sliding into the QB/running backs by hitting the B button repeatedly (and in some cases this means mashing the button, as the game does not always appreciate your efforts to defy physics). In some cases, it is necessary to move a bit farther in to catch some faster QBs, like Vinny Testaverde and QB Eagles, or a little less to hit slower QBs before they do anything. The NTD is a nearly invincible move as is the normal slide, moving through multiple people with the greatest of ease. Passing Order: This is the order of your passing targets (receivers). For instance, the first receiver is the one the cursor starts on, the second is the one that you target after pressing A once, the third twice, etc. Race Defect: When I use this term, I mean that a play can be discerned from others in its formation if the races of the people are switched around. When you look at the lineup of these plays, you will notice that certain plays have lineups different from some or all of the others in the formation. This allows you to discern when a particular play or group of plays has been called. This weakens the offense and strengthens the defense attendant to that play. Note however that I am not a racist. The reason that this phenomenon exists is because the people are switched in position for that particular play, and this can be noted by looking at the running backs' races if they are dissimilar. The plays with a race defect are: Pitch L Open (Onesetback Formation) T Power Dive (T Formation) The Shotguns are a mess; look in that section for more about their lineups and resulting race defects. Defensive Shift: This is when a certain defender (usually the top cornerback) will move along with a moving player on the offense when the whole team is in the lineup before the snap. This allows you to tell when a certain play has been called so that you may act accordingly. However, defensive shifts only happen every so often. For most of these, though, the shift really doesn't matter too much, except for Flea Flicker, where it is terribly important. I only tested rigorously the shifts for Redgun Z Slant and Oneback Z Cross, so No Back X Deep and Flea Flicker might be erroneous, but I doubt it. Here's a list of defensive shifts: Offensive Play - Defensive Play No Back X Deep - Any Play in Slots 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 Flea Flicker - Any Play in Slots 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8 Oneback Z Cross - Any (Pass) Play in Slots 5, 7, and 8 Redgun Z Slant - Any Play in Slots 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 Unless otherwise specified, all of the run plays are not call-safe, but not necessarily the kiss of death. Almost any play in this book, though, can be call-safe or call-nil in special situations, (such as a fast running back or QB and bad defense) so for passes, you might want to tap B if you think you can get a pass off and for runs you just want to get as many yards as possible. When I say that a play has lots of blockers, I mean that it has free blockers in front of the runner (I call them "roving blockers"). These are the guys that take out unnecessary defenders, shield the runner for a few yards, and pull stuff like blocking safeties in the back (you should have heard Steven's indignant protest, "That's ILLEGAL!" when my roving blockers on a Pitch L Open hit his free safety in the back - the guy rolled over, too). These guys are absolute nightmares for a human opponent because they get in the way of direct confrontations with runners and receivers. When there is motion in a play, and you hike the ball before the people stop moving, the receivers will still go to the same spots, but the path that they take will be altered according to their position at the snap. Paul gives a good tip on using this to your advantage: if your opponent is using a lineman or linebacker, you can "send" a player after him by hiking the ball when the person's running path coincides with that of your opponent. I'm laughing just thinking about it. RB#1 (also RB #1 - in other parts of the FAQ, the space is sometimes used for better readability) is the first running back in the lineup and likewise with WR#1 (also WR #1 for example). I left RB #2 as RB #2 instead of calling him the fullback because it's more compatible with the list below. Moreover, some teams don't have fullbacks so... One thing that is not really an explanation of this per se, but that is quite useful, is who is who in alternate team lineups, such as four WR/one RB or three WR/one RB/one TE. The order is the same; it's just that the names are different. In other words: -------- Normal Lineup QB RB#1 RB#2 WR#1 WR#2 TE -------- Three Receivers QB = QB RB = RB#1 WR#1 = RB#2 WR#2 = WR#1 WR#3 = WR#2 TE = TE -------- Four Receivers QB = QB RB = RB#1 WR#1 = RB#2 WR#2 = WR#1 WR#3 = WR#2 WR#4 = TE -------- Does that make sense? I hope so. ----------------------------- T Formation Plays WR#1 TE RB#1 LT LG QB C RG RB#2 RT WR#2 or, for T Power Dive: WR#1 TE RB#2 LT LG QB C RG RB#1 RT WR#2 General Comments: For this formation and the next one, I have no general overreaching comments for the whole set. I have arranged them according to peculiar characteristics that each of them have. You'll see what I mean when you read them, and the general comments for each set are given with that set. There are five groups for this formation: Pass Set 1: Straight Back Plays Pass Set 2: Waggles Pass Set 3: Other Plays Run Set 1: Power Plays Run Set 2: Technical Plays ------- Pass Set 1: Straight Back Plays General Comments: All of these plays are good, but susceptible to the nose tackle dive and most other blitz techniques. Make sure you're prepared to dodge any defenders. Pro T Flare C: O--------------------->WR#1 O----------------- O LT--RB#1 \ \---------LG ->TE QB---O C RB#2 RG / O RT / \ / ---------------- WR#2 O--------------| Offense: All people go past the line in this one. Move closer to the bottom to increase your chances of a reception to the middle receiver, because as he moves down he tends to cause quarterbacks trouble in passing to him. If you pass to him, make sure you're not moving or under significant pressure. Call-safe receiver is RB #2 (hit A two times). Passing Order: WR#1 TE RB#2 WR#2 Defense: The one that really has to be watched is the tight end that slopes downward. He often shakes computer defenders, so oftentimes it's a good idea to take someone out and cover him for sure. Pro T Flare D: --RB#1 O------------------- / \->WR#1 | | TE--------- O LT \ LG \ QB---O C TE RG O RT | \ ------------ --RB#2 O----/ \-->WR#2 Note that RB #1 and RB #2 will sometimes run out of their places and move straight out into the field. Offense: This is a great play in the second pass slot. You can almost always find someone open with this. If you want short yards, simply pass to the running backs on either side of you as quickly as possible after the snap for an almost guaranteed reception. The tight end moves into the middle about two seconds in, so keep him in mind and throw to him quickly, because your opponent can see him very well if he's open. Call-safe receivers are the tight end (hit A once), RB #1 (hit A thrice), and RB #2 (hit A four times, if you can do that before getting nailed). Abuse this play, call it 16 times a drive if you want. There is almost no wrong that you can do with this one, either for ball control offense, quick yards, or crunch time. Just make sure that your opponent isn't going to NTD you every time. Passing Order: WR#1 TE WR#2 RB#1 RB#2 Defense: The wild card here is the two running backs on either side of the QB. If you move in to directly cover one of them, a pass to the other side is impossible to stop. Moreover, it leaves you susceptible to passes long or in the middle that get caught, because you have to run all the way back out to stop the receivers. What you should probably do is stay right in the middle where the tight end is and move for whoever catches the ball once the pass is thrown. If you think this play will be used next, don't call it. The reason for that is the high number of call-safe receivers and the utility of those receivers to even a mediocre QB. Only call it if you can cover the TE, and even so, if your opponent can tag the running backs before getting sacked, it's usually not worth it. Calling it against a general pass defense, though, is often useful. Pro T Screen L: ---RB#1 O---------------------->WR#1 / | | O------- O LT \ LG \ QB---O C TE -RB#2 RG O---/ RT WR#2 O----------------| RB#1 will sometimes continue on straight ahead. Offense: This is a well balanced play, with two decent short opportunities. Move to the top to make your passes more accurate. You'll usually get sacked on this one if it's called - just hit B to pass in the rare event that you stay up long enough to make it. Paul told me to mention the weird movement of the QB - he stops moving back for a second if the play is picked, making it much harder to get a pass off. You have a very easy "flash" opportunity with RB #1, if the defense has been stopping your backs. Passing Order: RB#1 WR#1 TE WR#2 Defense: If you pursue the long men, make sure to watch the shorter ones. ------- Pass Set 2: Waggles General Comments: Both these plays severely hurt linemen, though Pro T Waggle L can be dodged by a good nose tackle or even stopped by a nose tackle dive. They should only be used for diversity and never abused, because each can be attacked either by a call, which results in a nine or ten yard loss, or by a secondary or linebacker who moves in after the QB - same loss. Their difference lies in how far the receivers go out. Pro T Waggle R: O--------------- \ WR#1 RB#2 TE O---|-- LT | | LG /--|---O C -/ | RG O/ | | RT | \ WR#2 QB \ / --O-RB#1-------- Offense: Of the three short receivers, the best is RB #1 at the very bottom, because many times he's not covered and RB #1 is usually decently fast. This play can be confused with T Cross Run L. If everyone is covered on this play, you've got a great scrambling opportunity. Passing Order: WR#1 WR#2 RB#1 Defense: As with other plays with the quarterback on a track, take a secondary or linebacker and move in after the QB. Failing that, just make sure everyone is covered. A tactic that you can use if your opponent has T Cross Run L in his/her playbook is to use the second-to-top linebacker and move in as you would for the run, but watch in the middle or nearer RB #2 and see over whom the cursor reappears. When you deduce who it is, smash them. If it is this play though, you will have to deal with a blocker, so slide tackle the QB when you go after him. Pro T Waggle L: O---------------------->WR#1 QB -------RB#2 | / | / TE O | | LT \\ | -O WR#2 \\---|--|O C / \ | -O / O---\-- |RT / \ ---LG & RG (block) RB#1 / O--------- Offense: This one is better than Pro T Waggle R because your people go longer. Watch for the top receiver, because he's not often covered well or even at all. The shorter men are decent as well in that respect. This pass can be confused with T Power Sweep R, amongst others. Use a QB sneak if your men are covered. Passing Order: RB#2 WR#2 WR#1 Defense: Move in on the QB as in Pro T Waggle R, but look out for the long man if you stay out in coverage. Alternatively, if you don't know what play will be called, you can stop this play if you use an altered nose tackle dive: if you hold down-diagonal toward the bottom as you normally would, and hit B quickly (it may require you to mash the button) as soon as the center snaps the ball, you can slide through a few opposing men, hitting the QB as he comes up from the fake handoff. This allows you to stay close for a normal nose tackle dive to stop other plays. Make sure, if you use this tactic, that you do it quickly. You can also slip through the hole in the middle with linebackers and attack from behind. ------- Pass Set 3: Other Plays General Comments: None. T Play Action D: O---------------- \ \ TE \ O LT WR#1 / LG | QB------O-C----RB#2 | / RG |O----- RT \ ------------------->RB#1 O-------------------->WR#2 Offense: Move yourself to the bottom a little bit to take advantage of the bias in the receivers. If this is called, consider a trip to the hospital when the seven defenders hit you all at once. WR #1 slants, so keep your QB in one place and without pressure if you pass to him in that motion - that is an effective man for eluding coverage as well. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 Defense: This dies with a nose tackle dive. Otherwise, just go out into coverage, and watch the top receiver; he's quite pesky. RB #1 can also give you problems if the opposing QB waits for him to come out. T Flea Flicker: O-------------------- -----------RB#2 \->WR#1 | | TE O | LT \QB | -O \\--|---|O C \ | -O O---\- |RT \ ---LG & RG WR#2 RB#1 / O----------- The left and right guards are roving blockers, I believe. Offense: This can be confused with T Power Sweep R, so use that to confuse your opponent. It can also be confused with Pro T Waggle R and T Sweep Strong, but to a lesser extent than with T Power Sweep R. You can't call this one very often, because this play can yield automatic fumbles if called by your opponent, or if your opponent hits your quarterback. You may not even want to call it at all, but rather leave your opponent waiting for it and exploit the weaknesses of the defense. It's not call-safe, but occasionally you will be missed and become able to pass the ball. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#2 WR#2 Defense: One way that you can deal with this play is to use the top linebacker and move in as you would for T Sweep Strong, then attack the QB. If that's not permitted, just tag whichever ones aren't covered. Try to call this play and then recover the frequent fumble that results if you don't have anything more urgent (such as a lot of running plays). ------- Run Set 1: Power Plays General Comments: These plays all have either a lot of blockers or the ability to stuff linemen or linebackers with the push of the offensive line after the snap. Thus, these are generally more useful than the plays in Set 2. Cross Offtackle: WR#1------- | --------------|---->RB#2 / TE (blocks) O---/--- LT / | LG QB/----|---O C (whole line moves out to block) / | RG O | RT RB#1 (blocks) WR#2-----/ Offense: This play is very good and decently fast, but watch yourself as you come out, because you rarely have roving blockers and anyone who approaches you will take you down if you're not careful. Defense: Take the top cornerback or free safety and move in on the hole, slide tackling if useful. You can try an RILB attack through the middle, but you tend to attract blockers and your opponent can usually reverse before you can slide tackle. Be cautious if you try this. T Offtackle R: WR#1 (blocks) TE O LT \ LG QB--------O C (this line moves out to block) \ RG RB#2\ RT \ ----------------->RB#1 \--(blocks) WR#2----------(blocks) Offense: This is a hard play on the defense because tons of people get hit. However, you need to avoid making unnecessary moves since some linebackers can move down fairly quickly and make life hard for you. You have one roving blocker, but he usually goes for the strong safety. You're basically on your own with this one. Defense: Use a defensive back to wrestle down the man, or, take a lower linebacker and slide tackle the runner down. T Sweep Strong: WR#1--------(blocks) QB | | TE O | LT \| -O |-------|O C (these fellas block) | -O O-| |RT \ \ ---LG & RG (block) -------------RB#2 (blocks)----------->RB#1 WR#2-----(blocks) Offense: This is a good run play, but the blockers are somewhat spread out, so watch for insurgent defenders. This play can be reversed somewhat. It can be confused with Pro T Waggle L and occasionally Flea Flicker, but this is actually a unique play because RB #2 comes down to block. Defense: Take someone on the top, either secondary, linebacker, or lineman, and move through the blockers for the tackle. You can also move around the line and attack from behind. T Power Sweep R: WR#1--------(blocks) QB ---------RB#2 | | | | TE O | | LT \| | -O |--/----|O C (most block; see note) | / -O O-|- |RT \ --LG & RG (block) ---------------->RB#1 WR#2-----(blocks) Offense: This is one of the better run plays because the blockers are many and tight. This play can be reversed with a decent running back. This can be confused with Pro T Waggle L and T Flea Flicker. Defense: With this play, move through the hole in the middle of the offensive line and come from behind using one of the linebackers. You can also move around the sweep with whatever defender you've chosen. You can move through the sweep, but it's a bit tougher than with T Sweep Strong (in my opinion, at least - the numbers would not suggest that). ------- Run Set 2: Technical Plays General Comments: These runs are nice, but require more care and skill to pull off than the power runs. Pro T Dive: WR#1------ \ \ TE \ O LT | / LG (blocks) | QB------O-C--------------->RB#2 | / RG (blocks) |O----- RT / \ / ------RB#1 | WR#2 Offense: This play is not great, considering you have no blockers through the middle. This play can be easily reversed, though, which is almost necessary. This can be put in with T Fake Sweep R for confusion, since the movements are the same, but the possession of the ball differs between the two. Defense: A nose tackle dive kills this. You can also just take someone in and struggle them down with few complications. Watch for a reverse to whatever side is most open (if you're shifted to the bottom, watch for the top). T Power Dive: WR#1------ \ \ TE \ RB#2--- LT | \ LG (blocks) QB------O-C-----RB#2-------->RB#1 / RG (blocks) RB#1-- RT / / | WR#2 Offense: This play is like Pro T Dive, but with a blocker in front, making it much more useful. You can decently run in the middle, or you can go to either side on a reversal. However, this is the one play in this formation that is afflicted with the cursed race problem - the two backs are switched on this play. Thus, you have to be careful about this play if you have different color backs. Defense: You can nose tackle dive this, or you can take a secondary and move in after the blocker has been taken care of. Watch the backs and see if they've switched for an indication that this play has been called. If your opponent likes to reverse, don't move in, because you can get caught up with RB #2 and your opponent can just move right around you. Reverse Pitch R: O / --/----->RB#2 (blocks) || TE RB#1--||- LT ||| LG /-||--O C (this group blocks) / || RG O--/ || RT (blocks)(blocks) / \\ / / QB --RB#1---------/--->WR#1 WR#2------- Offense: This is a nice surprise play, but not much else, so go in whichever direction seems most useful and free of defenders. Defense: Simply find the runner and take him down. This play can be detected by looking at WR #1 and seeing whether he remains stationary, and, if so, this is the play in progress. T Cross Run L: WR#1------- \ -------->RB#2 (blocks) | TE O-----|-- LT | | LG /--|--O C (this group blocks) / | RG O--/ | RT (blocks) / \ / QB RB#1 / WR#2------- Offense: This is a decent run play, but you don't have many blockers (and the slower fullbacks tend to run this) so be careful about where you go if you want to get more than a few yards. This is only a little reversible. This play can be confused with Pro T Waggle R. Defense: Simply take a linebacker or secondary and just move in after the running back. Paul gave a good tip which I had used before, but always had forgotten and likely would not have made it in here; take the second-to-top linebacker and simply move straight in. As long as you don't contact any blockers, you have a straight shot at the runner. You can either slide tackle or struggle him down from there. Thanks Paul! T Fake Sweep R: WR#1------ \ \ TE \ O LT | / LG (blocks) | QB------O-C--RB#2 | / RG (blocks) |O----- RT / \ / ------------|----->RB#1 WR#2 Offense: You can run this play and it works somewhat, but it's kind of weak due to the paucity of blockers. This play becomes useful with one other run play through the middle like Pro T Dive (especially Pro T Dive, because the motions of the players are all similar) if your opponent can't use the nose tackle dive. Simply run straight ahead and don't think about reversing it. This play is call-safe if you have a really fast running back. Defense: This play can be stopped with a nose tackle dive or simply by moving your man to the bottom and taking out the runner when he gets the ball (or before, if you want to get a fumble). ------- ----------------------------- Onesetback Formation: WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 or, for Pitch L Open: WR#1 RB#1 LT LG RB#2 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 There are three groups for this formation: Set 1: Top Handoff Plays Set 2: Handoff After The Snap Plays Set 3: All Other Plays ------- Set 1: Top Handoff Plays General Comments: For these plays, the essential thing to look out for is where the ball goes after the handoff. You can kill the play before then as well by attacking the two men involved in ball switching with a linebacker slide tackle or struggle. Moreover, you can hit the quarterback as he pitches the ball and cause an automatic fumble (a nose tackle dive is the best way to do this little trick). All of these plays are inferior because they can be tracked down and destroyed fairly easily. None of these are call- safe. Reverse-Fake Z Post: ------O /-------------->RB#1 / RB#2 WR#1 LT / LG QB-O---------O C RG RT TE ---->WR#2 O--------------/ Offense: This play requires that you know who you're going to pass to before you get the ball, since there's a lot of time between the snap and the QB getting the ball. Once you get the ball, pass quickly. If the long man isn't open, then you can wait a little bit for the short one to open up, but if there are blockers near him he probably won't, because one or more will pursue him. In that case, simply QB sneak, or, more likely for a person in the position that you end up in, move as far back as you can get, and throw a cross-field bomb in an attempt to get rid of the ball without the risk of interception. Passing Order: WR#2 RB#1 Defense: You can initially murder this play by attacking the QB. If you can knock the QB down either by slide tackling him at the start of the play or hitting him with a nose tackle or other defender in the middle of the ballplay, you cause WR #1, who gets the ball, to throw it wherever the QB is, even if he's down, which yields you a automatic fumble. What's more, you can hit either the running back who goes up to handoff or WR #1 who takes the ball to stop or fumble the play. And more - you can cover the men who go out (since there are only two). You have no excuse if your opponent gets yards on this play. WR Reverse R: ------O /--------------RB#1 / RB#2 / LT / LG QB-O---------O C (all but QB & WR#1 block) \ RG \ RT \ TE --------------->WR#1 WR#2 Offense: As soon as you get the ball on this play, move forward, because chances are that your opponent is watching you very closely and wants to take you out at the first opportunity, unless more blockers are on the top, in which case going down might be more advisable. Defense: This can be distinguished from Reverse Fake Z Post because the runner usually hooks toward the line instead of moving in a straight diagonal towards the QB. Simply take this guy out by making sure your man doesn't get caught up with the fake or a blocker. There's nothing more to it than that. Pitch L Fake: ------O /-------------->RB#1 / RB#2 / LT / LG QB-O---------O C (all but QB & RB#1 block) / RG WR#1 RT TE WR#2 Offense: Move straight out as soon as you get control of the runner. Watch the defense as the computer is moving the people around so that you know where to run later. Defense: If the cursor on top of the man who runs up reappears, take him out. ------- Set 2: Handoff After The Snap Plays General Comments: On all the HATS Plays, you can take the left end (hit A twice) and simply move up-left diagonally at the snap and then slide tackle to kill any one of these plays. The right end can also work in this way, but in the down-left direction, if he is fast enough, like Bruce Smith or Greg Townsend. Anyway, if this tactic is not allowed, you can take the second to top linebacker and move diagonally down-left into the formation, then slide tackle. With the passes, sometimes you can catch the QB with a slide from the line, but most of the time you have to pursue him and then take him down. These are their fundamental weaknesses, but if you alternate these with something devastating like Pitch L Open or something tricky to recover from and defend against with those players like X Out And Fly, you can make this formation work somewhat. None of these are call-safe. Here are some diagrams for these: Left End Dive (the best, but not always doable): WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB C (slide here)-\ \ RG LE RT TE WR#2 Right End Dive (for good right ends): WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RE / (slide here)-/ RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 Linebacker Attack: WR#1 RB#2 LT /------X (get him)LG RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 Power Fake Z Post: O-------- | ----RB#1 ----RB#2-----|--/ / LT | / LG | O----QB------O C | RG | RT | TE WR#1 ---->WR#2 O----------------/ RB #2 is a roving blocker. Offense: This is a good play to use when you want to lead receivers instead of having straight out situations where people get covered and blocked fairly easily. You want to watch for RB #1 who comes out and is often uncovered. There's a roving blocker on this play as well - always a good thing on a pass. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 Defense: If you want to stop the pass and go out into coverage on this play, watch the shorter range men because those are the least frequently covered. If it's near the end of a half or fourth down, you may want to help cover the long receiver, because coverage for all people is usually single on this play. You can also attempt a nose tackle dive, but it doesn't always work very well because you can get caught up in the line. Watch out for the blocker. Power Fake X Fly: O--------------------->WR#1 ---RB#1 ----RB#2--------/ / LT / LG O----QB------O C RG TE RT / TE----- O---------------------->WR#2 Offense: This is a good handoff play with four receivers that go out. It has good medium and long pass opportunities. Pass soon to avoid getting stuffed by coverage that moves in front of your receiver. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 TE Defense: See General Comments. Also, coverage for this play is longer, so take out a man and put him in the middle of all the receivers to make it easier for you to cover multiple men. You can try a nose tackle dive on this almost straight after the snap. Onesetback L: O---WR#1 --RB#2 O/ LT -----O/------>RB#1 / LG O----QB------O C (all block) RG--O RT TE O-------WR#2 FB Offtackle L: O---WR#1 --RB#2 O/ LT -----O/------>RB#1 / LG O----QB------O C (all block) RG RT TE O-------WR#2 Offense: These two plays are nearly indistinguishable, so I'll treat them as one. Don't do anything funny, just go through the hole and start dodging people as soon as you gain control. One thing to look out for is the top cornerback. Sometimes he gets blocked and sometimes he doesn't so take him into consideration as you run. This is one of the better running plays in the game because you get a good thrust that blocks multiple positions. If your opponent is blocking the hole, reverse the play. Note that in Onesetback L, the right guard comes back as if he were pass blocking, whereas in FB Offtackle L, everyone goes out. Props to Jason Tcheng for noticing this. He also noticed that when the right guard comes back, no one blocks the left end. If your opponent chooses the left end, he will be unblocked. One way to disable these is to take the LILB and run in through the left end and get inside. FB Offtackle L is tougher to nail because of the right guard moving up. You may not be able to always handle this one with the left end dive. Defense: See General Comments. If those tactics are not allowed, just use a safety or a lower linebacker to finish off the runner. The left end is also a good one to choose for Onesetback L, because he does not get blocked by the right guard. ------- Set 3: All Other Plays General Comments: I just threw the rest in here. X Out And Fly: O--------\ /-->WR#1 RB#2 ------- O----/ LT LG O QB---O C RB#1 \ RG / TE \ RT / / \ O----/-------- -------------- --->WR#2 O---------------/ Offense: This is a great five-receiver play. You have to wait for a little while for a couple of the short- range opportunities to develop in the middle, but you have a nice spread over the field. Make sure you pass quickly if you're going to the group of three in the center of the field to avoid increased coverage in that area as the play matures (I didn't want to use develop again). Call-safe receivers are RB #2 (hit A two times) and RB #1 (hit A four times). This is one play that you can effectively Boomer with in this formation, so keep that in mind as well. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#2 TE RB#1 Defense: You can nose tackle dive this play. Also, the three-receiver nest is easily handled if you stand in the middle of it. The key here is not to miss an open man in the mess of people. Oneback Flare A: O--------------| WR#1 O------ LT \ -RB#1 LG \ O----/ QB---O C RB#2 RG RT TE ->WR#2 O------------------/ Offense: This play is kind of weak. You should pass as soon as you find a man, because with only three receivers, coverage will come soon to all of them. Call-safe receiver is RB #2 (hit A twice). You can also Boomer with this one, but it's not so easy. One trick you can pull with WR #1 is to pass to him when he's 5-9 yards out, before he curls, and he will run straight for the pass, which often makes him run straight out. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#2 Defense: Just go out into coverage, or nose tackle dive the QB. You should watch the short range receivers, because those are not often both covered. Pitch L Open: WR#1 ---------------->RB#2 / RB#1 / LT (this whole side blocks up and out) / LG O QB C RG (sits there) RT (sits there) TE (moves out and blocks) WR#2 (moves out, up and blocks) Offense: This is one of the best run plays in the whole game. You often get three blockers who just roam around (they even block safeties in the back) and you gain control of your back quickly. Move as quickly as you can out into the field, since the blockers often end up doing their own thing. This is a play to abuse. The only drawback to this play is a problem mentioned earlier, the bloody race problem (race defect). This is (if I did this part properly) the only onesetback formation play where the fullback (or RB#2) is in back, making it easy for a good human opponent to literally discriminate when you run this if you have backs of different color. Watch yourself. Defense: There's a nice tactic you can use on this play that will take you straight to your opponent. You should first choose the bottom (left) end. When the QB takes the snap, move straight up (you can hold the up button before the snap as well) and you will find yourself on a totally clear route to the runner, right behind him. The guard assigned to block your player will just sit there like a doofus, so you don't have to worry about getting blocked in the back. If this tactic is not allowed, when this play starts, don't move in too quickly. Instead, wait until the blockers have dissipated and then move in to attack. The best people to control are the safeties and the lower linebackers. You can see if this play has been called if the backs have different colors from other plays in this formation, if your opponent's backs have different colors. ------- ----------------------------- Run And Shoot Formation: WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 Comments: Some of the best pass plays in the game are from this position. The runs are also very balanced, though one of them is impotent (Run And Shoot Draw). Don't force big plays with this, because most of the best opportunities are short but definite gains. Look for the nose tackle on this one. He can get inside on all the pass plays and cause havoc with some of the runs. Run And Shoot Y Up O------------------>WR#1 ----------------------->RB#1 / O-------- / \ / LT \ / LG RB#2 O QB-----O C RG RT O------------------>TE O------------\ ->WR#2 Offense: This is somewhat the Run And Shoot analogue of Shotgun Z S-In. You have three men that go long, one that curls into the middle (RB #2 from the top) and one that stays by the side of the quarterback (RB #1). Simply use this one as you would the shotgun, but pass a bit more quickly as the defense can sack you more easily on this play. Call- safe men are RB #1 (hit A twice) and RB #2 (hit A thrice). Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 TE Defense: Go after the QB or watch the long receivers, especially the bottom ones. If they are taken care of, move in closer to stop a short pass. Run And Shoot Z Fly O------| WR#1 O------------------->RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB-----O C RG RT O-------| TE O-------------------->WR#2 RB #1 moves up and blocks after the snap. Offense: This play is the best in the game for one simple reason: one or more receivers will almost always be open. Apparently, the computer has a hard time handling this play, even when it has big speed boosts and whatnot. Go for the longest man who is open without delay, because people start covering better after about two or three seconds and the longer receivers will be harder to throw to when they are farther away and more easily covered. The wild card here is a man opponent, who can plug up the gaps in coverage. This play is not really call-safe, but you can get the ball off. Whether you want to take the sack or not depends on your situation and inclination. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#2 TE Defense: Either pursue the QB or go out and cover whichever man happens to be open. Run And Shoot Flare C O-------\_/--------->WR#1 -------RB#1 O---/----- / \ LT RB#2 /-----LG O-------- QB---O C RG RT O-------- /-------->WR#2 \ / O--------\--------TE Offense: The nice thing about this play is the wide variety of receiving options. You have the standard two long receivers and you have two short opportunities that develop a couple seconds into the play, plus an often-open longer shot to the bottom that stops some yards out. As long as you vary your receivers, you can make this play work for you. This play has no consistently available call-safe receivers, but RB #2 (hit A twice) is usually still standing. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 WR#2 TE Defense: Make sure that the lowest receiver and the lower long receiver are covered, because one or the other often isn't and represents a good pass opportunity. Otherwise, move in to forestall the short pass. Run And Shoot QB Sneak WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 --O C |-RG------>QB RT TE WR#2 Offense: You can run this play two ways: you can just run straight in and get a couple of yards, or you can move at a diagonal down-right and follow your advancing line, which can sometimes yield you more than five yards and allow you to break out (as much as a slow QB can do so). Defense: Just get the quarterback down, either with a nose-tackle dive or with a linebacker. One thing to take advantage of is the low Hitting Power of QBs. If you have a strong defender, simply touching him will tackle him, and thus you can get yourself in more risky situations than you could with a decent running back. Run And Shoot QB Run WR#1 ------------->QB | RB#2 | \ LT \ LG RB#1 -----O C RG RT TE WR#2 All non-QB men block. RB #1 moves to the bottom and comes back up to block. Offense: Make sure you don't run this too often, because a familiar opponent can cause problems with it. However, it is a fairly strong run for this formation, especially against defenders who prefer nose tackles. Simply run the play the way it goes, because you're too far up by the time you gain control to feasibly switch directions. Defense: Take a secondary or a bottom linebacker and smack the quarterback down. Hitting Power differences are useful here for you, so pick a strong one. Run And Shoot Draw WR#1 RB#2 LT LG O----QB--------O C (all other men block) \--------RG------>RB#1 RT TE WR#2 Offense: This is the worst run play you could possibly have. Only use it for surprise attacks and just get your yards before your opponent catches on to what you're doing. Defense: You can discern this play from a normal pass by looking at the pocket. If a man is sitting there and doing nothing, it's the draw play. What you can do is a nose tackle dive to kill the runner and even the quarterback before he hands off if you're fast enough, or you can take a linebacker or a secondary and just struggle him down. All in all, you should have no problems with this play. Run And Shoot Sweep Left/Right Left: WR#1 ----------------->RB#1 (these guys sweep) / RB#2 / / LT / LG O QB C (all others move out and north and block) RG RT TE WR#2 Right: WR#1 (blocks out) --O / RB#2 O--\ |--O LT (blocks) O | QB C (blocks) \ |--O RT (blocks) \ \ O--/ \ -----(LG & RG) (block) \ O-----TE (sweeps and blocks) ----------------->RB#1 O-------WR#2 (sweeps and blocks) Offense: Simply move in the direction of the play. Don't get fancy because getting yards with these is not that easy, and moving in contraflow doesn't do much. You can usually get two or three yards at least with this. With a very fast runner like Bo Jackson or Drew Hill, you can have a call-safe run if you can escape the initial flood of men, but you generally have to be shifted in the direction opposite that of the run (if you're shifted to the top, you have to run to the bottom). Note that since the guards come out and block on R&S Sweep R, that play is more effective and powerful than R&S Sweep L. Also, the right end is unblocked. Watch out if your opponent picks him. Defense: Take someone and move through the blockers (or around if you have yards to spare) and slide tackle or struggle the runner down. This play is not a killer run by any means, so don't let your opponent get major yardage on it. The right end is free on this play, so you can use him pretty easily. ----------------------------- Shifting Onesetback Formation: WR#1 | | -----RB#2 | | | O O | LT | | LG RB#1 | QB C | RG O------- RT TE O | WR#2 General Comments: All the plays in this formation can be slightly altered in the positions and paths of players, in either blockers for runs or receivers for passes, by taking the snap at different times during the shift. These plays are pretty good and, since there are six of them, they are pretty hard to distinguish if all of them are in the playbook. Playaction Z In: ------------------>WR#1 | | ------|------RB#2 | | | O O | LT | | LG ----QB--|-----O-C--------------->RB#1 | RG WR#2 O------- RT / TE O / | / ---------- Offense: This play is good, with two short men and two long men. Note that the pass to the running back in the middle (who goes out for a pass and acts as a receiver) should probably be done as soon as possible since defenders guarding the receiver on top can move down more easily to prevent a pass. This play is not call-safe; if your opponent picks this play, you eat it. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 WR#2 Defense: The man moving out in the middle can be ignored once he's gotten out long enough in the field as long as you have enough people back there to cover him should the pass move in his direction. Following him for a little while is a good idea if no one has the man who curls from the bottom. This play can be stopped with a nose tackle dive and responds only mildly to the usual pressure tactics. Roll Out R: ------------------------->RB#1 | | \ | | \ | -----RB#2 \ | | | \ | | O \ O / \ | LT \ | / \| LG WR#1 --- |----O C / | RG O/------ RT | O----\ QB O TE | ---------------->WR#2 Offense: Like its cousin, Roll Out L, this play has a vulnerability in that the QB can be taken out fairly easily. However, with more plays to choose from, it's not quite as predictable or risky. The receivers are shorter range on this play, though two go out at angles. This is a nice play, but don't expect to get a pass off if it's called. RB #1 develops later, so if all your other receivers are covered, watch for him to come out. Passing Order: WR#2 TE RB#1 WR#1 Defense: The thing to watch is the hand off. If the QB takes the ball, it's Roll Out R, and if not, it's FB Open L. Calling FB Open L is a good way to insure yourself against a yardage loss. Stop the play by just moving a cornerback or linebacker behind the line and taking down the QB while he's still a drone. You also have a slim chance of sacking the quarterback when the handoff occurs if you take the nose tackle and slide in. Onesetback Dive: WR#1 | (these two move down and block) | -----RB#2 | | | O O | LT | | LG ----QB--|-----O-C----->RB#1 | RG O------- RT TE O (these two block) | WR#2 Offense: A dive play, Onesetback Dive is one of the better ones. It's reversible just as any other dive play. Go wherever you think you'll get the most yards. Defense: This one can be stopped with a nose tackle dive. If you can't do that, take a safety or cornerback and tackle the runner. Watch the reverse as always. WR Reverse L: WR#1 | -------|--------WR#2 |-----RB#2 || | || O O || LT \ || LG \QB--||-----O C (men on the sides go out and block) \ || RG O---\--|| RT \ | TE \| O |\ | -------RB#1 Offense: Surprise your opponent with this. You can get decent gains with this if your opponent isn't looking for it. The handoff can be confused with Oneback Sweep R. You can enter the fray at any point you deem viable on this play, since most of the blockers are usually disorganized. Defense: Oftentimes you can catch the runner moving up with the man you take in to catch Oneback Sweep R. Otherwise, simply stay back from the line, until it is obvious what play is developing, then move. You can disable this one using a lower linebacker and hitting the decoy or the runner as well, I believe. Oneback Sweep R: WR#1 | | -----RB#2 | | | O O | LT \ | LG \QB---|-----O C (men on the sides go out and block) \ | RG O---\---- RT \ TE \ O -------|-------->RB#1 WR#2 Offense: This is a highly effective run play, but note that it has few blockers. Not ultra-reversible. Defense: Take a man in from the secondary or the linebackers and take down the runner. It's that simple. FB Open L: WR#1 | ---------|-------->RB#1 | -----RB#2 | | | | | O O / \ | LT | / \| LG --- |-----O C (men on the sides go out and block) / | RG O/------ RT | TE QB O | WR#2 Offense: Just as with Oneback Sweep R, note the relative absence of blockers and the predisposition of the play for being run the way it was designed. Defense: Just as with Oneback Sweep R, use a man not likely to be disabled from the initial thrust and take care of business. If your opponent has Roll Out R in, you can take care of both by using the lowest linebacker and watching over whom the number reappears, then smashing them. ----------------------------- Shotgun Formation: Formation 1 - Shotgun X Curl and Shotgun Draw: WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 LT LG QB C RG RT TE WR#2 Formation 2 - Shotgun Z S-In and Shotgun X Drive: WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 LT LG QB C RG RT WR#2 TE Formation 3 - Shotgun XY Bomb and Shotgun C Draw: WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 LT LG QB C RG RT TE WR#2 General Comments: There are three distinct shotgun formations. Two plays switch the running backs, and two plays switch the tight end and WR #2. This is a big problem for diverse teams. I have ordered this section to put the separate formations' plays next to each other. The runs in here are only good as surprise plays. If your opponent is watching for them, they are next to useless. The passes from here are superb. Going for the QB on these plays is a bad idea since most of the time, an opposing player will find an open man before you can stop him from passing. The best chance is to stay out in coverage using one of the defensive linemen or linebackers, which also insures you against the runs. I don't think as highly of this formation as I used to, but it is still decently useful, especially if you don't have to worry about the race defects. One other thing to note is that QB sneaking from this formation is not terribly useful because it takes a while for the QB to move up. If you're thinking about using them, move toward the line as soon as you get the ball. ------------- Formation 1 Shotgun X Curl -------RB#1O-------------------| / WR#1 / O---------| / RB#2 RB#1 LT LG QB C RG RT TE O---------| WR#2 O-------------------| Offense: This is one of the best short range pass plays. Five receivers give you good options. The longer range men can be had, but usually the two shorter range ones are open and good choices, with the occasional fifth man pass to mix things up. This play really works well in the red zone when the coverage begins to tighten. I love this play, and if it weren't for Run And Shoot Z Fly and Pro T Flare D, I would almost always choose this play. Call-safe opportunities are RB #2 (hit A once), TE (hit A twice), and RB #1 (hit A four times), but note that these, especially the tight end, may get knocked over. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#2 TE WR#2 RB#1 Defense: This play, like Shotgun X Drive, has two ranges of receivers. Make sure that each range is covered and put yourself in the middle if one isn't. In particular, use your best lineman to cover the two short range opportunities, because coverage is almost always lacking in that region and passes to those men are short and effective. The fifth receiver, as always, should be watched. Shotgun Draw WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 LT \-------------LG------>RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 All people go out to block except for the QB, the center, and the guards. The three offensive linemen in the middle (C, RG, LG) fan slightly to give the running back more room. Offense: This is better than Shotgun C Draw and you can usually get a few yards using it if your opponent isn't expecting it. Just be careful about moving every which way once you get the ball. Get your yards and then finish things. Dawdling behind the line gets you nothing. Defense: If you think your opponent will call this play, simply take a linebacker and wait for him. You can even go inside, but that gets a bit risky because he can simply run out around you and you can get engaged or knocked over by a blocker. If you have to catch him before he gets a few yards, take a lineman and move in or do the same with a linebacker. ------------- Formation 2 Shotgun Z S-In RB#1 O---------------->WR#1 | | O---------------\ | RB#2 RB#1 LT LG QB C RG WR#2 RT / / O------ O---------------->TE Offense: This play has some interesting properties. One of them is the running back on the side of the quarterback who is generally insulated from immediate coverage. The second is the short man about five or so yards out. These two give you nice short alternatives to the two men who go long. and the intermediate running back. If every man is covered, you want to throw to the TE on the bottom because he usually only has one defender in his vicinity. Call-safe receiver is RB #1 (hit A four times). Passing Order: WR#2 TE WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 Defense: Watch the short range pass by staying in the middle and covering the man there, or by moving behind the line to cover there. Like all shotguns, just cover everyone and you'll be fine. Shotgun X Drive O-------RB#2-------->WR#1 ---------------------/-----RB#1 / O--------- / RB#1 LT LG QB C RG WR#2 RT / / O--------- O------------------->TE Offense: This play has two main long receivers whom you should look at first. Then, look for the short receiver in the middle and for the one who sits near the top of the screen. Finally, look at the man who starts running out about one or two seconds into the play. This is how you should plan your pass on this play. This is a good play, with short and long men for good effect. Call-safe receiver is RB #2 (hit A three times). Passing Order: WR#2 TE WR#1 RB#2 RB#1 Defense. One thing to note is the duality of range. There are two long and two short men. The two long ones are usually covered (you may want to assist if the defenders aren't keeping up) but the two short ones aren't usually covered well. To stop those passes, place yourself in the middle of those two men. Watch for the fifth man who comes out, because as soon as he passes the short-range receivers he becomes a good target for a first down pass. ------------- Formation 3 Shotgun XY Bomb O---------------->WR#1 O----------------->RB#1 /------------------------- RB#2 LT \ LG \ QB C RB#2 RG RT O---- ->TE \-------------/ O---------------->WR#2 Offense: This play is, as you might expect, a bomb. Everyone goes long and the best chance you have of making it is if one person is uncovered. You should toss to them promptly after you have identified them, because the longer you wait, the easier it will be for more defenders to obstruct the pass. The only real diversity in the play is the shortest pass to RB #2. Your opponent may try to lure you to pass to him since you can't see where the defender or the receiver is on this play until you pass, and then move in for an interception or whatever. I don't like this play because it just doesn't have a whole lot of options or complications. You either make it or you don't. The closest thing to a call-safe receiver is RB #2 (hit A three times to get him). Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 TE Defense: Note the trap with RB #2 above. The only thing to watch for is a QB sneak that might come when you move away to cover a slightly open man. Shotgun C Draw: WR#1 (these two go out and block) RB#1 RB#2 LT /\-------------LG------>RB#2 QB C RG RT TE (these two go out and block) WR#2 Offense: The main difference between this play and Shotgun Draw is that this play keeps the ball out of the running back's hands for two seconds after the snap, when the QB tosses it to the running back. Thus, this can only be used as a surprise play since an opponent can cause severe problems with this. Defense: If you want to watch for this play, simply look at the running back. If he stays put for more than a second, then this is it. To prevent it from developing, either wait as before or simply move in. You can even go in right after the snap and engage the running back in a struggle, causing a minor fumble, but that usually doesn't pan out for you. It's better just to tackle the runner for a loss. ------------- ----------------------------- Split-I Formation (Paul calls this a "staggered back" formation) WR#1 LT LG RB#2 QB C RG RB#1 RT TE WR#2 General Comments: The plays from here are decent, with Toss Sweep Right and Offset Flare E being the better plays. It has good runs and good passes which complement each other. Offset Flare E: O--------------| WR#1 LT LG O QB C RB#1 \ RG / \ O---/--O-------- \ RE/---O \ TE- --O--------RB#2--------------->WR#2 General Comments: Good play, concentration to the bottom and a short range bias, but plays well into a mixed pass-run strategy. RB #2 is the call-safe receiver (hit A three times). You can make WR #1 move straight out if you pass 50%-80% of the way through his motion, when he gets about 6-8 yards out. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 Defense: The long receiver is usually covered, so just stay in the middle of the field about five yards from the center for best results. Nose tackle dives and other sacking techniques work here. Play Action: O----------------->WR#1 LT LG (slight shift up of these) O--QB-------O-C------RB#2 / RG \-RB#1 (blocks) O-- RT TE WR#2 \ O------------------/ Offense: This play only has three receivers, and two are short. Make sure your opponent is probably not going to call a pass play before you use it, because three receivers can be easily covered. One redeeming feature of this play, though, is that it has a free blocker who goes out and takes on defenders, which often opens up the shortest man for a pass. You will get sacked if this is called. One way that you can defeat a top linebacker moving in on you is to alternate this with FB Power Dive to confuse your opponent. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#2 WR#2 Defense: Watch the blocker, because he will cause you grief if you don't. A nose tackle dive will finish this play off without a hassle. I wouldn't use other tactics to go after the QB, though, because of the complicating blocker and also because only three receivers exist, with only one long, unless this play is not accompanied by FB Power Dive. Covering these fellas is a piece of cake. You can try the top linebacker rush, but your opponent may still be able to get a pass off. Toss Sweep R: O---- \ \ LT WR#1 (blocks) LG O QB C \ RG \ RB#1 RT \ TE (all these but RB#2 block) --------RB#2 WR#2 Offense: This is a great play, with lots of low blockers. It can be close to invincible in certain situations, such as when you are shifted toward the bottom. Staying behind the blockers is a good idea on this one. It can be reversed to some extent as well. Defense: Don't even think about attempting to stop this play behind the line unless you are a daredevil. You can take the nose tackle inside, moving at a diagonal, and follow the runner, but you have to slide tackle and this method is not consistent even with a good tackle. This play can cream you if the running back is good because of the initial burst which stops most linemen and linebackers. Otherwise, take one of the higher secondaries or linebackers and move through or around the blockers at the first opportunity. Moving around the whole line is also possible with a good linebacker, but not recommended otherwise. FB Power Dive O--- \ \ LT WR#1 (blocks) LG (all the top offensive linemen shift up) O--QB-------O-C----->RB#2-->RB#1 (blocks) / RG RB#1 RT TE O----------WR#2 (blocks) Offense: This is a dive play which means that you can either take it through the middle for almost guaranteed yards, or, move to the top or bottom around the blockers (usually the top for this one) and move out from there. This play has a great reversibility, like almost all runs through the middle, and has a blocker through the middle as well. Couple this with Play Action if you can. Defense: Nose tackle dives kill this play instantly. If this is not allowed, take one of the defensive backs (because the linebackers have to take care of the blocker) and tackle the runner. If you have a fast and powerful top linebacker, you can run around the line and catch the runner from behind. ----------------------------- One Man Shift Formation WR#1 ---O | RB#2 | LT | LG RB#1 | QB C | RG | RT | TE | WR#2 General Comments: These plays, for the most part, can be taken out easily if your opponent knows what you called or has called a play that defends against an unexpected play (for instance, if he thinks you'll call Roll Out L, he'll call Weakside Open so that when he runs in to take out your quarterback, he doesn't have to worry about a run to the bottom). So, mix up the plays and don't have any pattern about them at all. Roll Out L, in particular, is a good play, but it can be taken out like all the rest, in fact, more easily, if your opponent is watching for it. Watch the tight end: if he goes forward, the play is Roll Out L. Watch the right tackle; if he goes down, the play is FB Offtackle R. Otherwise, the play is either Flea Flicker if the QB goes straight back and otherwise it is Weakside Open. FB Offtackle R WR#1 (blocks) ---O QB | RB#2 (blocks straight out) | | LT | | LG O ----|---O C \ / | RG \ | O \----|---O\->RB#1 |\---RT--TE(block) WR#2---------/ The tight end first takes some steps back, and then moves forward again to block, coming all the way around the right tackle, not through the gap. The right tackle moves diagonal downward to make the hole. Offense: There are two main routes you can take on this play: one through the gap in the line, and the other moving around the whole line altogether. Usually, you want to move through the line if that will put you closer to a decent opening, or all the way around if that will. If you move through the line, watch out for a slide tackle, and don't go all the way around if you don't have a fast enough back to make it before the secondary or your opponent can stop you. You can reverse the play, but I don't recommend it in most situations. Defense: If you think this one is coming, take one of the secondaries and just move in to tackle the runner. You can tell if this is it if the right tackle moves down. Watch out for any unexpected blockers that may break out. Weakside Open: WR#1 (blocks) ---O QB | RB#2 (blocks straight out) | | LT | | LG O ----|---O C \ / | RG \ | RT (blocks) \ |TE-O (the tight end moves like FB Offtackle R) ----|-->RB#1 (blocks) WR#2---------/ The tight end first takes some steps back, and then moves forward again to block, coming all the way around the right tackle, not through the gap. The right tackle moves diagonal downward to make the hole. Offense: This is a play which you need to use with discretion. Make sure you stay behind the blockers and don't move around too much. It is more reversible than FB Offtackle R, but it's not that good of an idea unless your opponent is hurtling straight for the spot where you will end up if you use the play normally. Defense: The key with this play, as it is with several sweep plays that go to the bottom, is to get out of the way of the blockers. You can either move through the blockers, if you have a strong player who can end things quickly, or you can bide your time and move around the whole group and tackle the ball carrier from behind. Also, you can use a shortcut strategy that uses the lowest linebacker (and also the left end or the second to lowest linebacker, depending on how good they are) to move in between the line and the blockers when they first materialize and slide tackle the back before the play gets going. That, however, is more than a tad risky. This play can be confused with Flea Flicker. Roll Out L: O----RB#2--------------->WR#1 ---O / QB | RB#2--- | | LT | | LG TE O --------O C / \ / | RG / --------WR#2 \ | RT / / RB#1 | O----- / | / ------------- Offense: You need to make sure your opponent does not know you're going to call this play. Predictability is disaster, because if your opponent knows what's going on, he can make you lose nine or ten yards no problem. This is the weakest single-man-shift play against a good defense. Look for both short and long receivers developing as your quarterback moves up and usually throw as or soon after you gain control of your quarterback. This play is not call-safe at all (except for one or two notable instances in which the quarterback gained control of the pass before the defenders caught up with him, then threw it to the first man possible). You won't have much time with this, so think about to whom you're going to pass as the your QB moves into position. Passing Order: RB#2 TE WR#2 WR#1 Defense: This play has a simple and deadly defense. Take a free safety, the top cornerback, or the top or second to top linebacker and move around the offensive line, moving straight for the quarterback, like this: WR#1 ------O--------X (Die, QB, die!!!) / | RB#2 / | LT (get him)| LG RB#1-----|--QB C | RG | RT | TE | WR#2 Since the quarterback cannot pass or move outside of the track until disturbed or until he finishes his movement, simply slide tackle him or struggle him down when he looks to have moved back around ten yards. Voila. Free loss. You can tell if this is a Roll Out L because the tight end will come forward, leaving you plenty of time to kill the QB. Flea Flicker: O---RB#2------ ---O / | | O---- WR#1 | LT | LG QB ----|---O C \ / | RG \ | RT \ |--O (moves out and blocks) RB#1|\------TE ->WR#2 -----------------/ The tight end first takes some steps back, and then moves forward again to block, coming all the way around the right tackle, not through the gap. The right tackle moves diagonal downward to make the hole. This motion is similar to that of FB Offtackle R and Weakside Open. A defensive shift happens for this formation on defensive calls from Slots 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8. Offense: This play is not that good, but can be useful when combined with normal run plays. Pass quickly when you gain possession of the ball. This play is not call-safe (unless you get very lucky, and it does happen, in which case you pass to whoever, who usually ends up being the long man, who is uncovered). If your opponent has a defensive shift, just pass as soon as you can, if possible, and hit A otherwise if you manage to get the ball. Make sure to be ready to cover a fumble if there's a defensive shift. Passing Order: WR#2 RB#2 WR#1 Defense: This play can easily be defended by simply covering the three receivers. Also, you can take a defender inside and tackle the man tossing the ball back or take out the QB and cause a fumble. You can tell that this is a Flea Flicker because the quarterback moves straight back into a passing position whereas the run plays don't have this feature. If you see a defensive shift, then this is the play, and you can just take someone inside for a fumble. Consider calling defenses that will reveal this play. This is a twin of Weakside Open. ----------------------------- Shotgun 3-Wing Formation: WR#1 LT LG QB C RG RB#1 RT TE RB#2 WR#2 General Comments: This formation is handy if you have a fast quarterback, but a little predictable. You can usually get at least a few yards using its two plays. Shotgun 3-Wing (Pass): ->WR#1 O-----------/ LT LG QB C TE RG / O RT / \ O------ \ O-----------RB#2 WR#2 \----------RB#1 / O---------------- Offense: This play is good, with five receivers. The concentration short-range could be better, but this is pretty nice. Move your quarterback down to stifle defenders on one man from moving to the one you pass to before the ball gets there. You have a possibility of a RB #1 catch if this play is called (hit A four times). Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 TE RB#2 RB#1 Defense: Make sure that the two longer receivers are covered, and then put yourself in a position where you can move to any of the uncovered short-range receivers when the pass comes off. Shotgun Sweep L: -------(LG & RG & TE block)----->QB / / WR#1 (blocks straight out) / | LT | |-O O | C (block straight out) /|-O RB#1 | RT |-O RB#2 (these three block) WR#2 RB#1 stays put. The guards and the tight end make a column that moves up the line behind the blocking tackles and the center and WR #1 following the path of the QB and blocking him thereby. Offense: Simply run it the way it looks. You have a good number of blockers on the play and people get caught if they move into your line. Just run as usual and you'll come out well. This play can't easily be reversed, but you can move the other way if you are really in danger. Defense: If you see this shotgun formation, don't take the nose tackle. Take the top linebacker, the top cornerback, or even a fast free safety, so that you can run around the sweep and slide tackle the QB as he runs. If you try to struggle with him, you probably won't succeed because blockers will knock you off him. You may have to mash the B button if you use the linebacker, because Tecmo does not respond well to that move. Alternatively, you can take the strong safety or lower linebackers and move through the sweep, then struggle the man down. If you have strong people, then often the slide tackle isn't necessary. ----------------------------- Slot Formation: WR#1 WR#2 O------- LT \ LG | QB C | RG | RT RB#2 | TE | RB#1 General Comments: This is not the best formation, since the run play is not terribly good, but the pass is a pretty decent move. Only use the run if you want to surprise your opponent, because the run can be killed quite easily if you do it regularly. The pass, however, can be abused. Slot L Z Drive: O------------>WR#1 O------ \ O------- LT \ \ LG \ QB|---O C WR#2 | RG | RT O | O----| ->RB#1 \ | TE / ----------RB#2---------- Offense: This is a pretty good play, with five decently and non-regularly spaced receivers. If it did not have this irregular formation, it would be great. Still, you can tag good receivers at any length. Call- safe receiver is RB #2 (hit A three times). Passing Order: WR#2 TE RB#2 RB#1 WR#1 Defense: This play is a tough sucker, largely because it has a good mix of ranges. Just cover whoever would cause the most damage if two or more men are uncovered. If you are trying to stop a short-range pass, move into the bottom. You can use the nose tackle dives and other usual tactics here as well. Slot Offtackle: WR#1 (blocks straight) WR#2 (blocks straight) ----------->RB#2 O-----/- LT / \ LG /<-----QB C / | RG | | RT O | TE (blocks straight) | O ----RB#1 (blocks straight) Offense: You don't really have a lot of blockers on this play. The only thing it really does is disable most of the defensive line. You should choose whatever path you think will get the most yards and incur the least defenders, which depends on what player your opponent is controlling (in the case of a man vs. man game). This play is somewhat reversible. Defense: Simply take the top or second-from top linebacker and pursue the running back by attacking from a diagonal position into the path of his run. You can also use the RCB to decent effect. WR#1 WR#2 (attack)<------X (Eat turf, sucker!) O------- LT \ LG | QB C | RG | RT RB#2 | TE | RB#1 You can struggle if you're fast enough at bringing him down, or just slide tackle and that will finish it quite nicely. ----------------------------- WTE Formation: WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB C RG RT TE WR#2 General Comments: This is the worst possible formation to have in your playbook because whether you choose the passing WTE Flea Flicker or the running WTE Offtackle R, both plays can be almost instantly stopped with a slide by a lower linebacker or the left end. Not only that, but both these plays aren't very good in their own right. WTE Offtackle R: WR#1----- \ RB#2 (blocks) LT LG O--QB---O C \ RG \-----O-----RB#1 RT/O (blocks) TE-/ / WR#2----- Offense: This play should be used with discretion and only if the defense slide is disallowed. You can usually get a few yards on it with a decent running back, but there's only two blockers that come out to help you, leaving you at the mercy of the secondary, and a human player will catch up with you. This play is mildly reversible, but is not call-safe at all. Defense: This play has an incredibly easy defense. Simply pick the left end or a lower linebacker and move into the running back, then struggle or slide tackle, like this: WR#1 RB#2 LT LG RB#1 QB C (slide)RG <--------X (Getting a free five yard loss!) RT TE WR#2 If this is forbidden, take one of the safeties or cornerbacks and move into the fray. If you've called this play, and see your cornerback moving, then your opponent has called Flea Flicker. You should watch the short men to see if they're uncovered. WTE Flea Flicker: WR#1----------> RB#2 LT LG O<-----QB C \ \ RG \RB#1 O RT/O TE-/ WR#2----------> Offense: Only if you can find an open man out of only two receivers, both of whom go long, do you stand much of a chance. This is a surprise play and little else. Passing Order: WR#1 WR#2 Defense: You can use the same tactics as for the run and slide in or you can simply take a linebacker or lineman and cover the two men who go long. Not much else about it, or to it. One odd thing that you can try if you're really bored is to see if you can disturb the QB during the flick to cause a fumble by using a linebacker or cornerback. That tactic isn't terribly useful, however. ----------------------------- Formation/Play Oneback Z Cross O -->WR#1 | / |--------- TE LT LG RB#1 QB---O C --WR#2 | RG / | LT / \-------|--O-----| | | | O | RB#1 -------------->RB#2 General Comments: A first grader could spot this particular play, but the receivers will give almost anyone trouble for a few plays. This play has an automatic defensive shift on defensive pass play calls that must be taken into account. Offense: Don't call this play very often, because its best feature, the erratic paths of the receivers, is weakened by frequent use. Other than that, you might want to move your quarterback lower to take advantage of the three receivers on the bottom. Don't forget that you can move the receivers somewhat by changing the time of your snap to coincide with particular movements. There are no truly call-safe men on this one: RB #1 (hit A once) and RB #2 (hit A twice) are only partially call-safe. The pass trajectory determines whether they are or not. If your opponent's bottom cornerback shifts up to match your WR #2's movement, then your opponent has called a pass play and you must get rid of the ball quickly before everyone is covered. If he doesn't, he's either called your play or he's called a run. Passing Order: WR#1 WR#2 RB#2 RB#1 Defense: Nose tackle dives and pursuing the QB are decent here, but you might want to take a man and cover the lower receiver nest. One thing to remember however is that WR #1 is the top receiver on this play and pinned quarterbacks may default to him. Be warned. Your bottom cornerback will shift up if you called a pass play against this (except for this play itself). ----------------------------- Formation/Play No Back X Deep -----RB#1---------| --------| | | WR#1 | | | | | ----|-O----| O | | LT | | LG QB-|---|-O C | | RG -------->RB#2 | | RT | O---| | TE | | O | --|--------| O------------->WR#2 General Comments: This is another unique play that can be seen by any decent Tecmo player (since there is literally No Back), though it is harder to tell it from others with teams like Washington as opposed to the Redgun of Denver. It has good short and long pass opportunities. This play has a Defensive Shift when the defense calls plays in Slots 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7. Offense: The short receiver on the top is a good one to go for. Watch out for the receiver in the middle, because he can be quickly covered by any wandering defender out there for the top or bottom long receivers. Since this play shifts, you can change the destinations of your receivers by hiking the ball at different times before they get set. Call-safe passes are to RB #1 (hit A twice) and to RB #2 if you let him move all the way down to the bottom of the screen before hiking the ball (hit A three times). The defensive shift here isn't very important. If you want to see it, you should give enough time for RB #2 to move around and draw the cornerback. Passing Order: WR#2 WR#1 RB#1 RB#2 Defense: Don't let this play confuse you with the shift or the funky receiver paths. Just move long in the middle, since that receiver doesn't get covered often, and, as always, make sure someone has that short man obstructed. A nose tackle dive or any defensive lineman or linebacker rush can also work for this play. You don't really need to care if your cornerback moves, because if you can't see this play without a Defensive Shift, there's little chance that you will be able to tell this play with the shift. However, if you want your opponent to see that you called one of the plays that shift, you need to switch around your cursor and change defensive players long enough to delay the snap so that the motion will draw off the cornerback. ----------------------------- Formation/Play Run And Shoot 3-Wing O------------->WR#1 LT LG O QB---O C ----TE--->RB#2 \ RG | | \RB#1 RT | | O--------- | O--------------| O------------->WR#2 General Comments: An easy play to spot, R and S 3- Wing gets its strength from the four longer-range receivers, one of whom turns up short for a ten-yard pass. It does have a nice call-safe receiver though. Offense: Pick your best long opportunity and go for it. If you want to go short, make sure you pass quickly before your competitor can spot your open man. Call-safe receiver is RB #2 in the middle. Press the A button once and then throw to him. Passing Order: WR#1 RB#2 TE WR#2 Defense: Rushing the QB does well here, with either nose tackle dives or just general pressure tactics. This is because the play doesn't really develop until the receivers move several yards out. If you want to go out into the field, just go long as soon as the man in the middle is taken care of. ----------------------------- Formation/Play Redgun Z Slant |-O------RB#1----->TE /| O---------- / O------ \ / LT \ \ | LG \ \ QB | C WR#1 RB#2 | RG O RT O-------------->WR#2 General Comments: A good play, lots of receivers, but everyone knows this play when they see the formation since it is unique. It's not that call-safe. Massive Defensive Shifting On This Play: The top cornerback has moved with WR #1 when the defense calls these plays: Slot 1: WTE Offtackle R Onesetback L Run And Shoot Sweep L FB Offtackle R FB Open L Toss Sweep R T Fake Sweep R T Power Sweep R Slot 2: Run And Shoot Draw Pitch L Fake Oneback Sweep R Weakside Open T Offtackle R T Sweep Strong T Power Dive FB Offtackle L Slot 3: Slot 4: Slot 5: Pro T Waggle R Roll Out R Roll Out L T Playaction D Pro T Sweep L Play Action Pro T Waggle L Run And Shoot Flare C Slot 6: Shotgun X Curl Run And Shoot Z Fly Pro T Flare D Offset Flare E Oneback Z Cross Oneback Flare A Power Fake Z Post WTE Flea Flicker Slot 7: Shotgun X Drive Run And Shoot 3-Wing Playaction Z In Flea Flicker Pro T Flare C Shotgun 3-Wing T Flea Flicker Power Fake X Fly Slot 8: Nothing, obviously! This is the slot for this play, silly! There are thus a lot of plays which shift for this formation. That makes it rather hard to really think too well about what play the defender has actually called as a defense against it without prior planning. The only thing I would think if I saw the shift in general is that if the man moves, the play hasn't been called and you can be more aggressive. On defense, you will know that you are at a disadvantage since your opponent is partially aware of your defense. Offense: Hike the ball and find your first open receiver. Since most are downfield, this is of decent importance. Don't call this one if you're looking for decent short-range gains (unless you're going for a surprise pass) and don't call it if your opponent is proficient at Tecmo because chances are he or she will know what people to be looking for. Call-safe receiver is RB #1 at the top, short range. Hit A four times to get to him. Passing Order: WR#1 WR#2 TE RB#2 RB#1 Defense: This is essentially another shotgun play. Make sure all the receivers going long are covered and catch them if they aren't, and otherwise, watch for the short pass and QB sneak. A good place to put yourself is in the middle of the field if you have to guard both short receivers. ----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Telling The Truth With Statistics "62% of all statistics in Tecmo are made up." Few statistics in games other than the scores are any good. The reason for this is because most stats, like yardage in passing or rushing, completion percentage, or interceptions, don't reflect the fact that you may have monopolized the passing game or one running back to get statistics, or that you may have unsuccessfully bombed the ball at the end of the half into the end zone in order to get a chance at a touchdown. I only use a couple of statistics to determine my success at Tecmo: 1. The Pimp Index - The Pimp Index is the sum of (2 * # of your touchdowns) + your net first downs (yours - your opponent's). This is designed to measure how well you control the ball. If you make a lot of touchdowns without ever getting tackled or stopped (as you would if you cheap out with Joe Montana - Jerry Rice or Bo Jackson runs), the index will be middling. On the other hand, if you make no touchdowns and play poorly, the index will be low (or even negative for you, if you really botched). To maximize the index, you have to switch up plays enough to get both first downs by gradually moving the ball upfield and getting big touchdown plays. On defense, if you hold the line, the index will be higher than if you let your opponent roam the field. I think this is of moderate use in determining a better player when games are always close, and of the quality and variety of plays and tactics. Although, this can be abused - I once played for strictly Pimp Index and got a 45 or something with Bo Jackson. 2. The Gimp Index - The Gimp Index is your points in a season minus your opponents' points (found in NFL Standings). This measures your overall domination (or submission) of (to) your opponents: you may get 21-14 usually, but if you play a 35-7 game against some teams, that will be factored into the index. Alternatively, the Gimp Index may be expressed as a ratio: 23.7 points to every opponent point, for instance. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6. The Pro Bowl "Tecmo Super Bowl should only be attempted by trained professionals." This is in two sections now: Pro Bowl Game And Roster Data Training Exercises ---------- Pro Bowl Game And Roster Data In this mode, injured players are playable (in Bad condition). Also, there seems to be some sort of operation which Tecmo performs on the players: many times it will take players' stats down a notch for all the players, or sometimes some of the players. This seems to turn off if you then enter Team Data and look at the affected players. Also, some of the worse players will move up in terms of stats when in the Pro Bowl rosters. It's quite strange. I think that conditions also shift in this mode, though I've only seen stats shifting. There's one bug that's unique to this section, which I will get more into in a second: the fourth player on the third AFC Central Team (Ernest Givins/Oilers in Tecmo 1991) is in the Pro Bowl roster as the fourth WR (unless you've changed that position). However, if you switch him out, you cannot put him back as a WR, but only as a RB! Be careful. When you use the AFC/NFC All Stars rosters, you can choose from only the categories that are listed for each position. However, this doesn't work like you would think it would. It goes down the list of offensive players in a similar fashion to the OF Starters menu. This is how it works: QBs - Put in any QB in either of the slots. RBs - The players that you can use here are the four that are listed after the QBs (3-6). Most of the time these are running backs, but they can also be wide receivers (like Ernest Givins). WRs - You can use the players from the 7th-10th slots here. These are usually WRs, but there are also some running backs here that you can put in. TEs - You use the players from the 11th through 12th slots here (the ones right before the center in the list). There are tight ends, and also some WRs. C - Self-explanatory. G - You can put either left or right tackles in either of the slots. T - You can put either left or right tackles in either of the slots. DE - You can put any defensive lineman (left end, right end, or nose tackle) in these slots. NT - You can put any defensive lineman in this slot. LB - You can put any linebacker in these slots, irrespective of their original position. CB - You can put any cornerback wherever you like here. S - You can put any safety in any combination in these slots. K - Self-explanatory. P - Self-explanatory. The Ernest Givins bug occurs because the game does not select players based on their position, but rather their place in the rosters. I suspect this was done to make the roster more ergonomic, but it kind of backfired with three or four WR offenses. So, you ask, how were they able to get Ernest in the roster? They could get Ernest in there because Tecmo stores the information in the rosters with pointers. Instead of duplicating even all the name data, the game simply "points" to where the information is stored on the normal rosters. What I suspect they did was to enter in Ernest manually with the default information into the fourth WR slot without using the normal mechanism, the menu that we use, which filters out the 3rd-6th slots for that position. That also means that you can put other players that don't belong in that slot if you put other data in there. ---------- Training Exercises I have to date found only one use for the Pro Bowl that develops your skills: use the Pro Bowl Change Players option to choose any player from the respective conferences (AFC and NFC) to stack the deck against yourself with horrid players, like the backup receivers of Chicago and Hugh Millen for the NFC, or Steve Grogan and the whole defense of Indianapolis for the AFC. Here are some of my vile creations for this purpose, with a bad playbook to give yourself headaches. Give your opponent whatever playbook you have the most problems with. Note that for the playbooks, there are several alternate players with the same stats, who are just as bad and can be substituted, and some other things which I have noted. Tips on making this harder for all teams: switch in the pathetic WRs for the faster running backs or even put them in at tight end if you can spare it. For your opponent, put in the demons (Okoye and Anderson) as the primary running backs and returners, because those guys will give you no end of trouble; Bo Jackson can't even compare. AFC's Worst Lots of people from Cleveland, Indianapolis, and New England on this one, although Buffalo makes a good showing, mainly because they had the first people with the worst stats on the list. The Broncos and Jets also show they've got the talent to be "Super Bowl Champions". QB #1: Steve Grogan (N.E.) QB #2: Mike Pagel (Cle.) RB #1: Kenneth Davis (Buf.) RB #2: Don Smith (Buf.) RB #3: Anthony Johnson (Ind.) RB #4: Sammy Winder (Den.) WR #1: Al Edwards (Buf.) WR #2: Fred Banks (Mia.) WR #3: Terance Mathis (Jets) WR #4: Jojo Townsell (Jets) TE #1: Mike Dyal (Rai.) TE #2: John Talley (Cle.) C: Paul Fairchild (N.E.) G #1 (top): Damian Johnson (N.E.) G #2 (bottom): Brian Baldinger (Ind.) T #1 (top): Paul Farren (Cle.) T #2 (bottom): Danny Villa (N.E.) DE #1 (RE): Tim Goad (N.E.) NT: Jeff Lageman (Jets) DE #2 (LE): Harvey Armstrong (Ind.) LB #1 (ROLB): John Grimsley (Hou.) LB #2 (RILB): Fredd Young (Ind.) LB #3 (LILB): Richard Harvey (N.E.) LB #4 (LOLB): Chris Singleton (N.E.) CB #1 (RCB): Carl Carter (Cin.) CB #2 (LCB): Wymon Henderson (Den.) S #1 (FS): Thane Gash (Cle.) S #2 (SS): Kevin Porter (K.C.) K: Jerry Kauric (Cle.) P: Bryan Wagner (Cle.) AFC's Best This team has a very strong DL and QBs with great Pass Speed, as well as a better running game and receivers with massive ball control, with a great secondary. The only thing this team lacks in comparison to the NFC's best is a rushing quarterback and a better linebacking squad. Houston was the biggest because of their WRs with 81 Ball Control and 75 Receptions (no one in the AFC has 81 Receptions), but the Bills, Raiders, and Chiefs make their mark with stars on the run and on defense. QB #1: Dan Marino (Mia.) QB #2: Warren Moon (Hou.) RB #1: Bo Jackson (Rai.) RB #2: Christian Okoye (K.C.) RB #3: Thurman Thomas (Buf.) RB #4: Bobby Humphrey (Den.) WR #1: Haywood Jeffries [sic] (Hou.) WR #2: Drew Hill (Hou.) WR #3: Stephone Paige (K.C.) WR #4: Ernest Givins (Hou.) TE #1: Rodney Holman (Cin.) TE #2: Marv Cook (N.E.) C: Kent Hull (Buf.) G #1 (top): Bruce Matthews (Hou.) G #2 (bottom): Steve Wisniewski (Rai.) T #1 (top): Anthony Munoz (Cin.) T #2 (bottom): Richmond Webb (Mia.) DE #1 (RE): Bruce Smith (Buf.) NT: Greg Townsend (Rai.) DE #2 (LE): Howie Long (Rai.) LB #1 (ROLB): Derrick Thomas (K.C.) LB #2 (RILB): C. Bennett (Buf.) LB #3 (LILB): Greg Lloyd (Pit.) LB #4 (LOLB): Dennis Byrd (Jets) CB #1 (RCB): Rod Woodson (Pit.) CB #2 (LCB): Richard Johnson (Hou.) S #1 (FS): Eddie Anderson (Rai.) S #2 (SS): David Fulcher (Cin.) K: Nick Lowery (K.C.) P: Mike Horan (Den.) NFC's Worst These guys have a pathetic line and blocking capability due to the fact that WRs are put in for running backs and tight ends, with the commensurate results. If you can get the ball to the QB, though, you have a better passing game than the AFC's Worst by far because of Rich Gannon's superior abilities as compared to Steve Grogan, and the extra Receptions of the WR running backs and tight ends. This team has an even worse defense than the AFC's Worst, due in large part to a total lack of hitting power. Four teams, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Detroit make up most of the list, with Detroit making its splash because of low Hitting Power WRs in RB and TE slots, and the rest because their players gimp around for a living. Shame of the day goes to Barry Helton, who disgraces the 49ers by appearing on this list of grannies. QB #1: Rich Gannon (Min.) QB #2: Hugh Millen (Atl.) RB #1: Aubrey Matthews (Det.) RB #2: Michael Haynes (Atl.) RB #3: Jessie Clark (Min.) RB #4: Alfred Anderson (Min.) WR #1: Glen Kozlowski (Chi.) WR #2: Leo Lewis (Min.) WR #3: Danny Peebles (T.B) WR #4: Lonzell Hill (N.O.) TE #1: Mike Farr (Det.) TE #2: Terry Greer (Det.) C: Randy Grimes (T.B.) G #1 (top): Carl Bax (T.B.) G #2 (bottom): Ron Solt (Phi.) T #1 (top): Rob Taylor (T.B.) T #2 (bottom): Mike Kenn (Atl.) DE #1 (RE): Brian Smith (Rams) NT: Keith Ferguson (Det.) DE #2 (LE): Jim Skow (T.B.) LB #1 (ROLB): George Jamison (Det.) LB #2 (RILB): Eugene Marve (T.B.) LB #3 (LILB): Ray Berry (Min.) LB #4 (LOLB): Dennis Gibson (Det.) CB #1 (RCB): Mark Lee (G.B) CB #2 (LCB): Leroy Irvin (Det.) S #1 (FS): Scott Case (Atl.) S #2 (SS): Andre Waters (Phi.) K: Mike Lansford (Rams) P: Barry Helton (S.F.) NFC's Best This is the most diverse of these teams, with at least one player from every team in the NFC (unless you make some of the following substitutions). This team has all-around capability, from linebacker interceptions to Boomers to Montana-Rice. The running game isn't as strong as the AFC's Best, but this team has QB Eagles, which is more than enough to justify this team's superiority. If you think the line needs more hitting power (such as if you don't take the NT inside) then you can switch out Bob Nelson with a guy like Pierce Holt. If you don't like Gary Reasons because he lacks hitting power, put Charles Haley in his place. Make sure that when you use the OF Starters screen and verify which backs run what that you don't get confused between the Andersons. Ottis should be the primary running back, with Neal doing everything else. You might want to temporarily switch in Sanders until you get things figured out and then put in Neal. QB #1: QB Eagles [AKA God, sharing duties with Rod "God" Woodson] (Phi.) QB #2: Joe Montana (S.F.) RB #1: Neal Anderson (Chi.) RB #2: Ottis Anderson (Gia.) RB #3: Barry Sanders (Det.) RB #4: Johnny Johnson (Phx.) WR #1: Jerry Rice (S.F.) WR #2: Henry Ellard (Rams) WR #3: Andre Rison (Atl.) WR #4: Gary Clark (Was.) TE #1: Jay Novacek (Dal.) TE #2: Keith Jackson (Phi.) C: Jay Hilgenberg (Chi.) G #1 (top): Randall McDaniel (Min.) G #2 (bottom): Mark Bortz (Chi.) T #1 (top): Luis Sharpe (Phx.) T #2 (bottom): Stan Brock (N.O.) DE #1 (RE): Chris Doleman (Min.) NT: Bob Nelson (G.B.) DE #2 (LE): Reggie White (Phi.) LB #1 (ROLB): Mike Singletary (Chi.) LB #2 (RILB): Lawrence Taylor (Gia.) LB #3 (LILB): Gary Reasons (Gia.) LB #4 (LOLB): Pepper Johnson (Gia.) CB #1 (RCB): Wayne Haddix (T.B.) CB #2 (LCB): Deion Sanders (Atl.) S #1 (FS): Ronnie Lott (S.F.) S #2 (SS): Joey Browner (Min.) K: Steve Christie (T.B.) P: Sean Landeta (Gia.) Pro Bowl Pussycat Playbook WTE Offtackle R Pitch L Fake WR Reverse R Shotgun C Draw Pro T Waggle R WTE Flea Flicker Flea Flicker Reverse-Fake Z Post ---------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Season Game "How the seasons of Tecmo change! From fall to winter to spring to summer, the fields of Tecmo are always green (and the cheerleaders are always ugly)." There are some things that deserve mention as regards Season Game in Tecmo: 1. Injuries: Some people say that injuries are tolerable in Tecmo. I don't think so, but anyway, since injuries only happen when a person is tackled, injuries can be avoided by simply running out of bounds when a tackle is imminent. The condition of a player does not really seem to affect the injury rate. A player's return to playable ability (his recovery) is at least partially random. Sometimes you can get a guy back in a week and other times you won't get him back for five weeks, and if you reset and play the game again the player may come back, or conversely, may not come back. 2. Statistics: It seems to me that the number of statistics that a player racks up helps the performance of said player ever so slightly, but this may just be psychosomatic. In any case, watch your players' ability stats after every game so that you can switch in other people if necessary (you may want to switch during a game if you notice a significant decrease in a player's condition). 3. The Computer Adjusts Itself To Your Record: As you win victory after victory, the computer opponent gets more and more bonus statistics until you lose a game or two. This makes passing harder and running without capable (i.e. fast) backs almost impossible. It may actually be to your advantage, if you don't have any pride, to lose a few games in the normal season and forestall demonic computers in the playoffs. The ultimate result of this is running backs that clear ten yards in 1.5 seconds and linebackers that immediately stuff you when you dare to run against the God Machine. A point worth mentioning is that this works in reverse: if you lose a ton of games, the computer will get weaker. Probably the worst aspect of this will be the turnovers the computer will force, especially fumbles, as a result of the stat increases, for whatever reason. One note about this: in Coach Mode, the computer won't get any easier or harder. That's not saying much, though, seeing as how it's very tough to counter a balanced opposing offense in Coach. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Tweaking The Tecmo "Just a few more adjustments, and your Tecmo will be better than ever." Herein are some nice tips and tricks, some obvious and known, others obscure, that generally help your game. Index: The Triangle Dodge The Sine Dodge Free Form Advance Move To The Middle When Not The QB, Hit A Attack Drone Players Cover A Fumble Behind The Line Call-Safe Your Playbook The 65th Play: "The Boomer" Watch The Bias Loft Your Passes Move Your Quarterback Around Don't Have A Moving, Covered Quarterback When All Else Fails, Bomb Dupe A Human With The Cursor - Dupe/Switch Passes Work Around "Scratch" Players Watch For Blocking Call Plays That Cover For Others Knock Off Lineman Blockers On Run Plays Jink The Quarterback To Move The Pass Get Behind The Blockers Run Along The Sidelines To Suppress Fumbles Cover A Fumble With A Slide Tackle Set Your Backups To The Return Run Out Of Bounds To Save Time Use Your Time-Outs Ways To Waste Time Two-Tap Field Goals And Punts On Called Run Plays, Move Through The Gaps Check Your Returner's Condition Change Your Lineup Vary Your Hike Time With Shifting Plays *FORBIDDEN* Look At Your Opponent's Controller Hide Your Controller Look At A Play You're Not Picking Look At Your Opponent's Face/Eyes (with XRayMind) ---------------------------- The Triangle Dodge This is the classic way to avoid getting tackled. Whenever you get the ball and are in front of all your pursuers, simply move up and down like this: \ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \/ \/ When you do this, your computer controlled opponents will attempt to slide tackle you, but will miss. Also, when the defenders change direction, they will slow down in many cases. ---------------------------- The Sine Dodge The Sine Dodge is like the Triangle Dodge, but used whenever you have men in front and men behind. What you do is simply maneuver in the spaces in between players and then, when you get significantly past the player in front in the y-direction (up and down), you move past the player in front. It looks somewhat like this: | ___ \ / \ / \ X / X \ X / \___/ \___/ This is useful when you escape the initial defenders on a punt return and also when you are using a run play or short pass. ---------------------------- Free Form Advance The best Tecmo dodging strategy combines the above two with a few twists: 1. Try to change directions whenever someone is about to slide tackle for best results. 2. If you have a computer or human opponent that is far ahead of all the others, and you know that player poses the most threat to you, simply run up to him and engage in a struggle. If you can defeat him, it makes it much easier to move upfield, especially against a human who is much smarter than a drone. 3. If you know that you won't be able to defeat the human opponent (or occasionally a computer) that is running after you and has gotten very close to you and is far out in front of all the other defenders, cut back and run around the controlled player in a circle, so that when your opponent tries to catch you, their player will slow down on the turn, especially if they turn sharply. In this way, you will be able to get a temporary lead until the computer speeds up your adversary. Make sure not to turn too sharply yourself, and keep in mind that this won't always work, especially if your opponent is wise to this and goes straight for you or moves in a big circle. 3. Even moving backwards can help your advance, because everyone will follow you back. If you have a fast enough player, you can then move in a circle around the mob and get everyone behind you, which makes it easier to dodge people as they approach. ---------------------------- Move To The Middle Whenever you use a run play or catch a short pass, moving along either side is fine for getting guaranteed yards, but you can often get cornered before you can break out. One way to avoid this is to move into the middle early in the run, so that you can dodge each defender in ones or twos instead of fours and fives. You can also use this tactic on defense if a good running back is destined to advance ten or more yards, because getting into the middle makes it harder, especially for a human player, to completely break away from you. ---------------------------- When Not The QB, Hit A When you are not controlling the quarterback, you are either a defender or a ballcarrier. A defender should hit A frequently at all times to avoid getting knocked over and to give oneself an advantage in struggles (and even giving oneself enough power to flatten an offensive player). An ballcarrier needs to hit the button for the important struggle advantage and to raise one's power enough to flatten defenders. In either case, hitting A is a good idea. ---------------------------- Attack Drone Players On many plays, players are controlled by the computer until some specified point. For instance, on handoffs, neither a runner nor a quarterback has any player control until the handoff executes, and even then, sometimes the quarterback is uncontrollable. What you want to do is exploit these opportunities and tackle or hit drone players to stop a play or make it untenable. However, read the next tip for a warning on certain moves. ---------------------------- Cover A Fumble Behind The Line Because a MAN-controlled player cannot pick up a fumble in most cases, what usually ends up happening in situations where a fumble occurs behind the offensive line or close to it is that the computer for the offense will get a man down there, pick it up, and start running for yardage, sometimes getting first downs, or, occasionally, touchdowns. Therefore, when a fumble happens, you should either, if you think your players might be able to recover the ball, struggle off your opponent's men and keep them away from the ball, or, if you don't think you can recover the ball, move away from it somewhat and tackle the person who picks up the ball to end the play. Also, make sure to slide tackle through the opposing players. ---------------------------- Call-Safe Your Playbook One thing that will improve your game drastically is a play that you can use even when your opponent calls it. How about having several of those? What you want to do is stack your playbook with pass plays that have call-safe receivers and run plays that running backs like Bo Jackson can get out of, such as Run and Shoot Sweep Right. Not only is it demoralizing for your opponent, it also can gain you five or more yards. ---------------------------- The 65th Play: "The Boomer" (also known as "calling Boomer Esiason" or "Esiason" or "Boomering" as in, "I've been Boomering") One particularly effective tactic when you are on offense is to be able to both run and pass with one play. Pro T Flare D can do this a little bit, with the two running backs on either side of the pocket, but it's not really that sound given that the back has to catch the ball (they don't always do this), be uncovered, and that everyone on the opposing team goes after him. Thus, I created "The Boomer" (although others, I'm sure, have used it before). The Boomer is simply calling a pass play, a shotgun if you're cheeky, and just running the ball with the quarterback, sometimes not even looking at the receivers. You want to run in the large gaps between the offensive line and the boundaries of the field. This tactic is effective because the computer defenders don't "wake up" to the fact that you're running the ball until you get one or two yards past the line. For those of you wondering why it is called The Boomer, it's because I was playing a season with Cincinnati and about Week 9 I was beginning to have problems with red zone touchdowns. Thus, I simply used Boomer Esiason to run in all the balls for me, which was extremely cheap. At the end of the season, he was about 13th on the high scorer list. One thing to do if you know that you're going to want to get big yardage instead of just running out after getting the first down is to let the pass play go for a fews seconds, and after everyone has found their receiver to cover, go. That way, not only will many people be farther away from you when you scramble, they will also be blocked much more heavily since their wideouts will start hanging on to them. ---------------------------- Watch The Bias When a player gets tackled on the top or the bottom of the field, the ball will be shifted to that particular side. What this does is it makes it harder for a player to run to the particular side the ball is shifted to, and easier for the other side. On a pass, it concentrates receivers on one side or the other. What you want to do is take this into account when you call your plays (mainly for runs though - the pass shift is usually insignificant). If you think there's going to be a run play called, and your opponent (Player 1) is shifted to the top, and he has both Run And Shoot Right and Left, you want to call Run And Shoot Right to cover your weaker side, letting the blockers that are already going to be close for the run take care of a run to the top. Because of the bias, those blockers will be concentrated more heavily at the top than at the bottom, and will make it harder for the runner to the top to try to make it out. It usually won't completely eliminate yardage gains, but it does reduce their magnitude. ---------------------------- Loft Your Passes The biggest reason that passes, long ones in particular, but short ones as well, fail is because the target can't get his hands on the ball. This is partly due to people swatting the ball, partly due to the coverage causing an incomplete pass, and partly due to interceptions. A good way to cut down on a lot of that is by "lofting the pass". If you've played Tecmo for a while, you know that receivers, good ones catching passes thrown by good quarterbacks especially, jump up and catch the ball. The trick is to get the receivers to do this consistently. The first way, and the easiest, is to time your pass so that the person who needs to be catching the ball is still moving. This increases the chances of the ball overshooting the receiver, making it more possible for him to have an opportunity to jump. This also hinders the efforts of defenders, because a defender farther away from the receiver will jump and miss or not jump at all, and one on the "X" for the pass will not even get a chance to intercept or interrupt the pass if the receiver jumps and picks up the ball. It also prevents the receiver from becoming lost in a clump of defenders who zero in on a stationary man in no time at all. The second way to do this is to jink your QB so that the pass goes awry, as described below. This gives more movement and more freedom to the receiver. The third way is to attempt to loft only when a receiver has no definite target. If he does, oftentimes he will stop and either be too low to catch the pass, or the pass will go straight to him, AND the defenders that move in on the target point. I must emphasize that using your best receivers in loft attempts makes things much easier because they have higher probabilities of catching a difficult pass. Bo Jackson types need not apply. I call the event of jumping up and catching the ball a "clinch". ---------------------------- Move Your Quarterback Around You should always be shifting your quarterback around. The principal reason is to put your quarterback right in line with your receiver so that the pass has a better chance of getting in his general vicinity. The secondary reason is so that, if you don't have any good pass opportunities, you will usually be off to one side or the other, making it easy for you to QB sneak. However, read the next tip for a caveat. ---------------------------- Don't Have A Moving, Covered Quarterback Two things can ruin your quarterback's pass: 1. If your quarterback is moving around when he passes, it makes it much more possible for him to throw a wild pass. 2. Defenders close to the QB can swat the ball down and stop the pass (sometimes this is desirable though, as in the case of a called play where receivers are covered) or cause a wild pass as above. More importantly, however, some defenders in the line of a pass, such as general zone coverage and especially linebackers who loiter around the offensive line, will block the ball and sometimes even intercept it. Make sure you have a clear path for a pass unless you have a great QB. ---------------------------- When All Else Fails, Bomb At the end of a half, or when it's fourth down and every man is covered, simply trot back ten or thirty yards (moving to the twenty-yard line is a standard that still endures today) and throw to the longest man out there, in the slim hope that you can get a reception. It does work, especially with good passing teams, although it is more than a bit cheap. Another thing that you can try if every person is covered on a pass play and you can't QB sneak is to use a cross-field bomb in an attempt to throw the ball out of bounds or out of the reach of defenders. ---------------------------- Dupe A Human With The Cursor - Dupe/Switch Passes A good way to snooker a human opponent is to place the cursor on the man you don't want to pass to, then switch at the last moment. Coupled with a QB right about to sneak and on the opposite side of the field with respect to the intended receiver, this can cause quite a bit of havoc. A tactic to use, if you want to use Tecmo's built in services for duping humans, is the dupe pass, where you hit A+B, but B first, to pass the ball and then to shift the cursor to the next man. This ensures that the pass goes where you know it will and where you want it, while causing some minor harassment to a human opponent. The key in using it is not to abuse it, because the cursor lands on the person you're going to throw it to and that is the cue your opponent needs to cover the appropriate man whenever he hears the ball being thrown. If your opponent is always wise to it, it's of no use. A good way to exploit it is to have the person who the cursor will shift to and the person who will actually get the ball on a line, so that only the depth of the pass can be analyzed to determine its target, and by the time a human can figure it out, it can be too late to do anything about it. The other, more sophisticated and nearly impossible to stop, way of screwing with a human opponent is to use the switch pass, where you hit A+B but A first, so that the pass target is switched and the ball thrown immediately afterward. This, however, requires the user to know the order in which receivers come, and that takes a bit of work. It can be simulated somewhat by scrolling the pass cursor over the field and noting the person that comes right before your intended target, then focusing on them. However, that won't do well if you come up against a nose tackle worshipper who rushes you on random plays. The full power of the switch only comes when you can automatically flip the cursor and wait for your opportunity, which means memorizing the orders; not a worthwhile task for a casual player, but it can be useful in seasons where you only have four orders to memorize. ---------------------------- Work Around "Scratch" Players Sometimes even during games, especially during Season where players' conditions are permanently variant, but even in Preseason games, what you may notice is a phenomenon I term "scratching". Scratching is simply when conditions that are usually reliable in a game change for reasons of matchups (such as those between offensive linemen and defensive linemen) or condition (your best linebacker drops to Bad during a game, and as a result can't beat the running backs to the ground as usual). The classic scratches are the weak guard getting pummeled by the star defensive end, the cornerback who intermittently knocks off your blockers, and the run stopper who drops to a bad enough condition that he can't defeat the running backs, and vice versa, although there are certainly others, like the running back who suddenly carries a lead weight. In such situations, you first want to see what you can do about mitigating. The best way to do things is a starter change or a different selection of defender. If the problem can't be solved in this way, then you have to apply other remedies. For the intransigent star lineman, simply engage him after you get the snap and wrestle him down. For a loss in run stopping, call more runs and cover the pass harder. For laggard and weaker running backs, simply dodge more and get behind those blockers. Another way to look at the game is to use "scratch" situations. Look for ways in which you can make opposing players scratch. For instance, using a powerful defender against a weak runner, smacking him into the ground on contact, causes that opposing player to be an effective scratch for the person who's playing him, with the attendant problems. In addition, you can scratch a weak offensive lineman by ramming into him with a linebacker and causing your defensive lineman (hopefully a fast one) to run straight at the QB. On offense, you can use fullbacks to slam weak points in the defense, forcing your opponent to switch strategy. Another good tactic is to mismatch defenders and receivers. One example would be setting Sam Graddy (a backup WR for the Raiders with a ton of speed) against Andre Waters, and smiling as your opponent is forced to double-cover Graddy, leaving shorter receivers wide open. ---------------------------- Watch For Blocking On some plays that begin alike, one way that you can tell whether the play action ends in a run or a pass is to look at whether wide receivers and others are making contact with defenders. If they are, then it's a run, and if they are passing through, then it's a pass. ---------------------------- Call Plays That Cover For Others On some plays, especially passes, people move in ways that either hurt or help your defense. One thing that they do is that they move up to the line (like cornerbacks). Another is that they spread out over the field. What you should do is watch how your defenders move on certain plays and take that into account as you call your plays. If your corners always move up on one pass play when you really need them, or your safeties are contracting, call another pass play to get better coverage, or if one run play call is really getting you pounded, call another that allows you to contain better. ---------------------------- Knock Off Lineman Blockers On Run Plays If you are playing as a strong linebacker and a run play is happening behind the line of scrimmage (as with wide receiver reverses, for instance), what you can do to increase the efficacy of your run defense is to hit the struggling linemen. That way, your defensive linemen will be freed up to start roaming and your opponent's offensive linemen will be lying on the ground, not only taking them out of the blocking picture, but also opening up holes for you and your fellow defenders to run after ballcarriers behind the line. However, if the run is going straight out from the line, don't waste your time getting extra run blockers that will never arrive in time to catch the runner. ---------------------------- Jink The Quarterback To Move The Pass If everyone is covered and you can't escape with the QB, simply choose the best receiver, then move a second before you pass and continue moving through the pass. With intermediate and poor QBs, what this can do is move the "X" for the play from the receiver to a position farther away, which makes it harder for the defender to intercept, but also harder for the receiver to catch. It is useful, however, if you can get the X to move forward or to the side. ---------------------------- Two-Tap Field Goals And Punts Don't take chances with your playcalling. When you choose either a punt or a field goal, only tap twice - that is, tap twice downward to punt, and tap twice upward to kick. There are several advantages to this, the principal one being that you can't go over or under your choice and choose a field goal or a punt that you don't want and that can kill your game. Moreover, if you under-tap, then you will either use a timeout or you will go into the change menu - two quite harmless actions compared with kicking a punt from your opponent's thirty-yard line or kicking a field goal from your own. ---------------------------- Get Behind The Blockers It sounds obvious, but on plays like Pitch L Open and T Power Sweep R, the blockers can really help get you two or three yards more if you let them block for you. More importantly, if you move around the blockers and force a human opponent to move through them to get to you, that buys you two seconds of human-free running. ---------------------------- Run Along The Sidelines To Suppress Fumbles If you don't want to lose yards and possession of the ball to fumbles, moving along the sidelines ensures that nearly half of the fumbles that occur will go out of bounds. In addition, if you really want to ward off fumbles, simply run out of bounds to avoid the tackle. ---------------------------- Cover A Fumble With A Slide Tackle One nice thing about Tecmo is that when you hit the slide tackle button, the ball is the target. So, when the ball gets loose and opposing players are all around it, slide tackle through them to knock them down and keep them from gaining possession and/or tackle one who may come up with the ball. ---------------------------- Set Your Backups To The Return Returners have a tendency to get injured because because they take at least three or four tackles a game, and sometimes, if you set one person to both kick and punt returning, that can increase to eight or ten a game. So, don't set your starters, especially your good starters, to returns in Season games because they can get injured quite easily. ---------------------------- Run Out Of Bounds To Save Time Remember that whenever you run out of bounds you stop the clock. This is very useful for capping time- consuming returns by simply running out around the ten-yard line. It takes more than a minute to return the ball all the way into the end zone from your own, whereas passes where receivers can move straight out into the end zone can take less than 15 seconds. ---------------------------- Use Your Time-Outs Remember, even if you're winning, use the time-outs you have whenever the half is about to finish and you need more time on offense. Obviously, a losing team should use them on both defense and offense. However, if you choose your plays very quickly, you may actually lose time choosing the time-out, so be forewarned. ---------------------------- Ways To Waste Time 1. A strong punt can waste 30 or more seconds of game time. Try not to touchback for maximum effect. 2. Dawdle on the play screen. 3. Call a pass and run backwards and forwards, dodging opponents, and get tackled near out of bounds to avoid fumbling. If you can make a wild throw and you have a slow passer, then you can waste even more time by passing the ball off with a bomb. ---------------------------- On Called Run Plays, Move Through The Gaps Whenever a run play is called, there's always a best direction you can go in to minimize your losses. Find it and go for it. Sometimes, there will be a gap between one group of defenders and another. Move through this gap; it often allows you to escape if you have a fast back. Don't give up just because the play gets called. ---------------------------- Check Your Returner's Condition Ball Control is crucial to successful kick and punt returning. If you don't have a lot, then you will put the ball on the grass, which means excellent field position should your opponent recover a fumbled kickoff and a free touchdown on a fumbled punt. To avoid this, if you have a returner who only has 50 Ball Control, even in a Preseason game, check his condition during the game to make sure he doesn't drop below 50 by changing condition. If he does, put in someone else. You simply cannot afford fumbles on the return. Conditions change after every quarter. ---------------------------- Change Your Lineup One good way to screw with your opponent, if it is allowed, is to change your offensive lineup once or twice every drive. One thing this does is it makes it harder to exploit race defects. Another thing it does is to add one more layer of paranoia and guessing to the play. If you shift a receiver into the fullback slot and you have Pitch L Open in your playbook, your opponent may think, "Gee, I wonder what play he's going for.", and call Pitch L Open. In the meantime, you've called X Out And Fly, leaving two open receivers, one of whom is your substitution. Or maybe it's the other way around! Maybe he thinks it will be X Out And Fly, then you call Pitch L Open to drive him into the turf. It's one more dimension of Tecmo. ---------------------------- Vary Your Hike Time With Shifting Plays If you switch around your snap time with plays that have motion, you can deceive your opponent and just generally annoy him/her. For example, with a Shifting Onesetback formation, you can let the motion end for, say, FB Open L, and hike quickly for Playaction Z In. Then, you hike quickly for your next FB Open L and your opponent can lose a second on the play from the general disorientation, especially if you've been using that shift pattern for a quarter or more. You can also just randomly hike the ball to keep your opponent focused on when the snap will come (since the motion distracts from readiness). Another trick you can use is to snap the ball so that a wide receiver or other player will come out of the formation and get in the way of an opposing human player. ---------------------------- *FORBIDDEN* These are some tactics that most people don't allow, but which do belong in your arsenal if you have a no-holds-barred game. Look At Your Opponent's Controller - If you know what play your opponent has called by doing this, it makes your game easier for obvious reasons. Hide Your Controller - If you have a game where you can look at your opponent's controller, you need to do this in some way. Look At A Play You're Not Picking - If you can look at your opponent's face and eyes, you will want to deceive him like this. Also, you can look at the play you're going to call, get it called, then look at another play that you haven't called, and fake out your opponent. Look At Your Opponent's Face/Eyes (with XRayMind) - This can do the same thing as looking at your opponent's controller. Watch out though - your opponent may try to deceive you and look at one he/she is not calling. ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Rushing And Blitzing "Within two seconds, the intrepid Tecmoer had crossed the line of scrimmage, taking no prisoners in what looked to be the doom of Tecmo Stadium." This section is more like big tips from the last section. It has tips on rushing, on protecting your quarterback, on rushing the QB, and general tips on stifling a run. ---------------------- Rushing When you get control of your runner, you have to consider a) your runner's speed and b)your runner's hitting power. If your runner is slow, you should probably go for guaranteed yards and stay behind the blockers. Reversing the run play is not a good idea with a slow fullback like Ickey Woods, because the defense will advance upon you, breaking through the offensive line and causing you big problems with slide tackles, struggles, and assisted tackles (struggle+slide or struggle+defender who moves in on your struggle). Breaking out is very hard with slow people. As your speed increases (with different runners or with the same runners in better condition), you want to take more chances, move between more defenders, and go for the holes in the defense, even if they are far away, so that you can break out and get the big yardage. If your runner has little hitting power, you can't engage in struggles beyond one-man with the computer, and don't engage at all with a human if your thumb isn't good (although if your thumb is good, you will want sometimes to advance upon a human player if you can win consistently, because getting rid of the human is a big bonus in Tecmo). As your hitting power increases, you can take more chances on struggles, which means that you should go for a hole that's almost open, but blocked by, say, a defensive back that you would have to engage. With a decent hitting power, you can go for him and knock off people who attempt to interfere in your struggle, and once you've beaten him, you can continue on to a touchdown, instead of taking only two more guaranteed yards that would be your only recourse if you had low hitting power. If your runner has high hitting power, what you should do is actually go for the weak defenders head-on. If a defender is weak enough, and your hitting power is high enough, you can knock over the defender with little difficulty, which can open up new routes for you, since you don't have to worry about the defender in the middle of your path. Moreover, that defender won't get up for two or three seconds. This tactic is quite effective when you scout your opposing defenses' weaker players. If you have a powerful back like Christian Okoye, you can emphasize routes that go by weak corners or safeties, or know that you can move up into a limp linebacker squad to dodge a powerful secondary. I call this strategy "barnstorming" when you play the running game explicitly to ram less-powerful defenders. So I will now recoup: what do you do for certain types of runners? The Limp Noodle (slow and weak): With this character, you should simply focus on just getting yards. Stay behind the blockers and don't reverse. A good way to describe this play style would be computer-esque. Don't be innovative because you have enough problems with rushing as it is. The Slow Fullback (slow but powerful): With a slow fullback, you should mainly follow the play, but you will also want to note whom you can bowl over when your blockers dissipate. Get into struggles if you must, but be wary of doing so in crowds. The Flash (fast but weak): This runner is one with whom you should take new avenues. Go for the holes because you won't survive in a struggle for very long, although you can engage one person if you can win and get away from your pursuers thereafter. Reversing the play should be done if it can evade the defense. The Running Jack (mildly fast and with a dose of hitting power): When you run with this person, you have a greater advantage over the Flash in a man-to-man situation, because your higher hitting power gives you more ability to cope with the likes of Singletary and Taylor. However, you still want to follow the play, though you can reverse and go for holes if those options are viable. The Demon (fast and powerful): This runner is the best of all worlds. You should be aggressive in seeking to break out because that is something which a Demon can do very easily. You should adopt the Flash's "hole-seeking" strategy, but you must also remember that with a high hitting power, a Demon can make holes through lesser defenders. If someone is between you and the clear beyond, and you know that you can knock them down, go for the hole and ram through that player. You can be especially effective if you watch the defenders as the play develops, because you can keep track of the strong people that you have to avoid and the weak people that you can move through. Make sure to augment your runner's hitting power, no matter how high or low, by pressing the A button as you run. That increases your initial hitting power and allows you to knock off more people and/or get the advantage in a struggle. Also, when you get behind your blockers, try to move yourself into a position to set up opponents in their paths. For instance, if you've got a human Mike Singletary running after you and you run Pitch L Open, if Singletary comes up behind you, move down and force the defender to move into your blockers to get at you or force him to move around and slow down his tackle. One move that you can try when you're desperate is to move inside the offensive line and try one of the holes there. Most of the time, you won't want to do this since you can bounce off the line and essentially stop your advance. However, if you need a reverse and if you see the defense plugging up your hole, go through the line, in between the linemen (obviously), and try to break out from there. You can apply this rushing knowledge to receivers and tight ends after they get a pass as well. In addition to the knowledge above, generally, with a tight end, you just want to get your yards, since there usually aren't many holes with linebackers behind you, corners near your sides and ahead, and safeties on the horizon. As regards wide receivers, you want to dodge and outwit the usually-powerful secondary that is after you. When a running back acts as a receiver, he's either short, which means he needs more of a tight end strategy, or long, which entails a wide receiver approach. ---------------------- Protecting The Quarterback To get the pass off, you have to have a standing quarterback. Well, gee, what's new? However, it's not always so easy to do so and get a decent pass off, especially with a mediocre QB. So, here are some ways in which you can keep your QB from losing his nose and nine yards. Stay Behind The Offensive Line: During a play and especially during a pass play against which your opponent has called a run, you will have two kinds of threats: the linemen and linebackers who rush against the center, guards, and tackles; and the linebackers, with corners if your opponent has called a run, who sit for about two or three seconds on either side of your line, and then start moving in to sack you. If you're off to one side and you're too close to those guys on the ends, you're in danger of having to run backwards to escape a tackle and jarring the pass. On the other hand, if you stay too close to the offensive line, you're toast as soon as someone breaks through. One way to cope with the rush is to move back about ten or fifteen yards and then either move to the sides as you need, or move back up towards the line and pass to make it easier for the QB to get his receiver. Give Yourself "Slide Time": Everyone has had the frustrating experience of "I hit the button, but I got sacked!" Tecmo has a very clean pass that encourages people to wait until the last microsecond (literally, the defender is on top of the QB) to pass the ball, especially if receivers haven't opened up fully. What keeps off these sacks is to watch when people get into slide tackle range. Right then, you have a fourth of a second before you're in big trouble. That's only enough time to change receivers once and then pass before you get taken down, and that's if you switch pass. Don't tempt fate. When someone is within 1.5 body lengths of you, and you're not using a dodging tactic, then you are about to get nailed, because the time it takes for you to hit B once you see the slide tackle emerging is not good enough to get the pass off. What you can do as "slide time" is imminent is to stop running and plant your feet for a split second and then pass just as the defender gets into terminal range, in order to give yourself a better pass. Hold A Direction As You Take The Snap: A good idea for any movement in Tecmo, holding the directional button as you take the ball is especially important for the QB. You can dodge a lot of slides if you hold up or down or sometimes even back as you move away from the line, and even dodge the NTD most of the time if you have a fast QB. To add to the fun, holding back if your opponent is rushing you without a slide tackle (as with a linebacker) gives you more time that you need to get a decent pass off. Engage Rogue Defenders: Sometimes the computer just breaks through with one strong player, and he goes straight for you when you don't have a receiver lined up. You should engage him in that situation as long as a human opponent is not also rushing you. You want to move at him laterally to keep him from slide tackling you. Once you've disposed of him, you usually have two or three more seconds to choose your target and pass. But... Get Rid Of The Ball On A Tough Rush: If two or more defenders are coming for you at once, you are dead meat. Find an open or a least-covered receiver and pass before they get about 2 body lengths from you. You don't want to play games by juggling two or three or four defenders coming right at you, plus the coverage calculations on a receiver, added in with the problems of a QB under pressure, who may already be mediocre. If both are computer players, then you may try dodging tactics if no one is open and you can afford to take a sack rather than risk an interception, but if one of the rushers is a MAN player, then just take the sack and save your time or get rid of the ball or run out of bounds or something other than tempting fate ten yards behind the line. Run Back To Dodge A Human Rush: Quite frequently on shotguns and on some other plays as well, a human will not slide tackle, but will go in for a struggle and the kill. To stave off the advance, simply move straight back and keep moving until he gets too close and then pass. If you stop, it makes it too easy for him to catch up with you and encourages him to keep rushing you in hopes of getting the sack. Also, don't move laterally until you want to pass, because there isn't that much room for you to move once you're at the top or the bottom. You can also try a jink or two like the Triangle Dodge to reduce his speed. ---------------------- Blitzing There are many different ways to blitz. Here, I will address the peculiar ways in which you can rush the quarterback, focusing on the ways suited to particular groups. I also touch on how you can generally stifle a run at the end of this section. These do not address tactics that are suited to particular plays - only the nose tackle dive is really touched on. Linemen The linemen are the hardest to get a clean, pure rush at the quarterback with. This is because they absorb the offensive linemen and get pursued by them in many cases. The first and by far the easiest way to attack the quarterback are the various dives, most nefariously the nose tackle dive, but also the left and right ends can do damage of their own if they can get inside without being engaged. These must be used with a little caution, however, as a good quarterback can simply dodge or escape them, not to mention the perils involved in using a lineman to dive when a Pitch L Open starts breaking. The second method is to take one lineman and use him to free another. To do this, one must take a lineman who is not the best on the line (you can, but that's counterproductive, as you shall see) and ram him into the struggle between the best lineman and his offensive counterpart, pressing A as you do so to raise your power. You then cause the struggle to break up and the lineman that you freed to run straight for the quarterback without any blockers to stop him. Sometimes you will accompany him, but you often get caught up with the offensive lineman that you ignored in order to free your compatriot. The third way is to simply rush the QB with the lineman. It's easiest to use the nose tackle, but you can also use the others. With the nose tackle, you should move diagonally up or down toward the line and then move more or less straight in. Most of the time, the center won't catch you, letting you advance. However, do take note that the center then pursues you, and there may be a running back or other blocker inside the pocket. With the ends, simply move towards the nose tackle and then move in, or move in an arc around the guard and then rush, with the same caveats as for the nose tackle. Linebackers Linebackers have an easier job and can rush in two ways. The first is to simply move right through the line. With an outside linebacker, you need to make sure that the tackle for your position doesn't get in your way. To avoid him, use the gaps between the center and the guards to move inside. The inside linebackers can use those avenues as well, and would be best advised to use them in any case. Another way in which linebackers can rush is by moving around the pocket and hitting the QB from the side or from behind. This is mainly limited to faster outside linebackers and takes more time than with the gap rush, but can yield results if your opponent isn't watching the sides (which happens a good deal; I myself scan the pocket, then the middle (top and bottom), then guess as to whether someone has gotten out of coverage offscreen, but don't often look directly at the quarterback). It works better with certain formations that don't have as many people curving around a particular side, like the formation for Offset Flare E. You can also knock off people blocking the linemen as with the linemen, but linebackers often don't have the hitting power and bounce off, especially when the person rushing doesn't hit A enough. Defensive Backs These guys don't have much of a role in rushing, though they sometimes can help. The main places they fall into are the tactics for certain plays, but they can also follow a certain play that looks like a run, but turns out to be a pass. In such cases, it's simply a matter of following the QB. You want to be as direct as possible because some receivers aren't being covered when corners and safeties go inside to hurt the QB. ---------------------- Stifling The Run There are three main ways of handling runs: tactics (not covered here); confrontation; and gang tackling. Confrontation is the best way to handle a computer player with low hitting power or a human with low hitting power and a bad thumb. Simply take your best guy with good to great hitting power and just touch the runner while hitting A, and, if necessary, have a brief struggle. You can also have a kind of confrontation with a slide tackle against strong backs, through I would not recommend using that against a human unless you are sure that you can make the tackle. The best people to do this with are linebackers, though you can also do it with linemen (having circuitous routes) and secondaries (risking breakouts). Three ways that you can tag the runner are to move around the play and hit him head on, or to cut through the blockers and hit him on the sides, or, in the case of certain sweep plays and others where the player you use to stop runs is at the tail end, is to go behind the play and hit the runner from behind, which has the added advantage of reducing the hitting power needed for an instant tackle. If this is not feasible because the runner has a high hitting power, then you can use a gang tackle, which means that you let the play draw out, then, once the blockers are engaged and can't hit you, go for the runner and keep struggling until you either tackle him or your comrades help you make the tackle by hitting the running back. ---------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Playbook Combinations "Here are the findings of fact in the Tecmo antitrust case." This part has information about having certain formation combinations in your playbook as well as amalgamated playbooks, good and bad. Note for defense that, if your opponent is calling a lot of runs or passes, you should adjust your play calling accordingly. Index: Formation Combos Slot Recommendations Playbooks - Good Playbooks Baaaaaad Playbooks ----------------- Formation Combos T Formation Plays: These are good as long as you have variety in the directions of the runs and the length of the passes. One peril to watch for is the nose tackle dive, because that can stop about half of these plays. If there's a rule against that tactic, then these become more useful. Try to pick plays that look similar in the execution, like Pro T Waggle L and T Power Sweep R. You probably want about 6 or 4 of these in your playbook, if you want this formation. If you go for 7, you should probably have a bomb in the last slot, like Redgun Z Slant or Shotgun XY Bomb (I would go for Redgun, but some people seem to like XY Bomb, don't know why, there are certainly enough opportunities in the Redgun for a bomb, and two more short ones). Half of these you can defend against with an NTD. For the rest, if you have a T Cross Run L/Pro T Waggle R combo, use the second-to-top linebacker, and for sweep plays, use a defensive back or linebacker away from the direction in which you think the sweep will go, or use the top linebacker and go behind the play (which will also disable T Flea Flicker). If you have breakthrough plays like Cross Offtackle or T Offtackle R, then choose a defensive back and then move in after the runner. Without the NTD, you should call whatever works for you as regards the passes. One note: don't call Pro T Flare D unless you're ready to cover the TE, and don't call it if your opponent can switch to the running backs. Just call another pass play if you think Pro T Flare D is coming. Onesetback Plays: Top Handoff Plays: These plays are bad. When you have this set of plays in your book, a person can call Pitch L Fake and stop the other two with the nose tackle or another lineman or a linebacker for losses very easily. Or, if tactics are allowed, they can just be stopped from the gun with the ROLB. I would use a linebacker or cornerback to defend these, or call Pitch L Fake, then attack the QB and WR to end the play. Handoff After The Snap Plays: These plays are horrible if the left/right end dive is allowed, and less useful if the second-to-top linebacker is allowed, but they can be passing in moderation and with one or two of the Other Plays. If those tactics are not allowed, these are good plays. Other Plays: These are good plays for variety as complements to the other Onesetback plays, especially Pitch L Open + HATS Plays, and also Pitch L Open + X Out And Fly if you have same colored running backs. To defend against these plays, use the NTD, or, for Pitch L Open only, use the left end attack. This whole formation should occupy about 4 or 5 slots if you want it. Run And Shoot Plays: These are appealing, but somewhat weak on the runs, and susceptible to the nose tackle dive on the passes. These are good, but don't get in patterns if you have these. One way that these plays can be stopped is by calling a run play in the opposite direction that the ball is shifted, and then covering the pass with a lineman. This formation needs about 4 or 6 to be successful, including both Run And Shoot Left and Right. If you have 6, couple this with 2 T Formation plays. Don't pick the Draw!!! You will be slaughtered if you do. Another thing to watch out for is the hitting power of your running back; if it's low, you need to watch yourself, because a good defender can just knock you over with a touch by moving through the blockers without much difficulty. This is one of the hardest to get a good defense for. I would adjust myself carefully to the ratio of runs to passes, then cover accordingly. If the line was shifted to the top, I would take my run defender from the top, and if it were shifted to the bottom, I would take my run defender from the bottom. If you can use the nose tackle dive or something of that nature, then you can just NTD passes and call only runs for this formation. Shifting Onesetback Plays: This formation is good, lacking on blockers on the runs and biased toward runs a bit much (only two passes, and one Roll Out R, make the passing game harder), but pretty good if the nose tackle dive is forbidden. If you use this, make sure you use a lot of runs because the passes can be nailed fairly readily. You want the left and the right run on this one. You should couple them with Playaction Z In if you have only 3 plays in your book, and add Roll Out R if you have all four runs. This is a nice complement to the five possible shotgun plays in the other slots. If you have all six, you can also put in Shotgun X Curl and Shotgun Z S-In for a good combo for use in the end zone. The runs are low on blockers, so that makes this a bit disadvantageous if you don't have a back with decent hitting power. If I were defending against the first good combo (FB Open L, Oneback Sweep R, Playaction Z In), then I would call the pass and defend the runs with my best player. If I were defending against all the shifting onesetback plays, I would call Playaction Z In, then use a defensive back close to the bottom of the screen (the LCB, if he's any good) or a good linebacker to cover the runs and Roll Out R. Shotgun Plays: These are good if you want to be safe in the end zone and free from unstoppable tackles and sacks. However, the runs from here are meaningless against a good opponent unless you can struggle him down before help arrives. If you want to shut this down, simply take a linebacker and cover the run, and move out into coverage if it becomes evident that no run is coming, since it is tough to sack even a computer QB in this formation, let alone a human. Put plays of this formation in your book as they become useful to the rest of your playbook, since there are a ton of switched players that can be detected from the lineup of the plays. I would put two or three of these in my book if they were convenient. For general defense of shotguns with runs and passes, I would take either a lineman or a linebacker so that I could tackle a runner, but usually a linebacker if Shotgun Draw is in. If there are only passes, I would take my best lineman and go out into coverage. Split-I Formation: If you put in one run, put in a pass. If you put in both runs, put in both passes. These can be powerful plays, since if the NTD is forbidden, you can run and pass with near-impunity, and also Toss Sweep R is great even if the NTD is allowed. I would put in Toss Sweep R with Offset Flare E, and then FB Power Dive with Play Action. This is best in terms of value with 2 plays, but all 4 give you a lot more power on the run and the pass. To defend against this, you should probably call Toss Sweep R and defend against the other plays with either the top linebacker, linemen dives, or going out into coverage. One Man Shift Formation: This one is pretty iffy. The passes are weak enough that you can only call them every once in a while, and hardly ever in a pinch. Not only that, but all the runs are to the bottom. I would put only 2 of these in my book, and at the very most three. What plays? I would want Weakside Open and then Flea Flicker, and if I had to have three I would put in FB Offtackle R. The reason for this is because Roll Out L can be seen from the motion of the tight end right after the snap, and while this is true for FB Offtackle R and the right tackle, in Roll Out L, you don't have any protection for the quarterback and you can't just throw the ball away while the QB is in motion, whereas in FB Offtackle R, you have blockers and a strong sweep that can't easily be destroyed without prior preparation for the play. You can ad-lib a defense for Roll Out L so easily that you will get killed if you try it more than twice a game, and you might never be able to use it at all. Note that Weakside Open and Flea Flicker are twin plays, so if you're concerned about defending against either, pick Weakside Open and attack the QB. For any defense against this formation, pick a run, and usually Weakside Open unless your opponent loves using FB Offtackle R. Note this though: Flea Flicker can show a Defensive Shift, so you want to be very careful about using it, because if your opponent sees the shift, it's over. Shotgun 3-Wing Formation: Put both plays in if you want this. Call the pass more than the run. If you are defending against these plays, use the top linebacker to tackle the QB on the run, and use him out in coverage on a pass. Slot Formation: Put both plays in if you want this. Call the pass more than the run. If you don't know which play of these has been called (or you want to be hedge your bets), select the second-to-top linebacker as your player so that you can stop the run right away and so that you can cover any passes, unless you think it's more likely that the pass was called, in which case use whatever QB rushing tactic you can muster (NTD, etc.). WTE Formation: Don't put these in, but if you are feeling suicidal, at least put only one in. Defend using tactics or with linebackers. Individual Plays: If you like the properties of one of these in the 8th slot, then put them with a T Formation playbook especially, but they can also work with Shifting Onesetback playbooks well. Otherwise, if you must have one (you don't) then adapt the rest of your playbook to fit that strategy. Refer to those plays for the appropriate defenses against them. ----------------- Slot Recommendations These are some general feelings I have about the plays in each slot and which ones you should choose for each. More specific recommendations are in the Good Playbooks section. When I say a play has good compatibility, I mean that several other plays also run from that formation and that this is a good fit for those plays. I have ranked them in categories and within categories: the higher up it is, the more I like it. ------- Slot 1: Great Choices: 12: Run And Shoot Sweep L - Run And Shoot Formation: This is a great run, not as good as R&S Sweep R, but very compatible and decently effective. 15: Toss Sweep R - Split-I Formation: This is a great run to just knock people away with. Smash-mouth football should not be played without this run. Good Choices: 17: T Power Sweep R - T Formation: This is a nice, solid run, but it does nothing particularly great. 14: FB Open L - Shifting Onesetback Formation: This run has good compatibility, but it lacks blockers. 13: FB Offtackle R - One Man Shift Formation: This one has pretty good blocking, but it lacks compatibility. It's also (almost) mirrored by a play in Slot 2, so you want to think twice about this one. 11: Onesetback L - Onesetback Formation: This one is a decent play, but it can be shut down with certain tactics and has a (almost) mirror in Slot 2. Bad Choices: 16: T Fake Sweep R - T Formation: You can get wiped out in several ways with this play. Only good as a surprise play. 10: WTE Offtackle R - WTE Formation: This is the worst play you could possibly put in this slot. Don't do it. ------- Slot 2: Good Choices: 25: T Sweep Strong - T Formation: This is just another solid run play. 24: T Offtackle R - T Formation: You get a good push with this that can stunt linemen and linebackers, but you are pretty defenseless against the secondary. 23: Weakside Open - One Man Shift Formation: This play has only a few blockers, but it has fair compatibility. 22: Oneback Sweep R - Shifting Onesetback Formation: The compatibility on this is iffy and it has an (almost) mirror in Slot 1, but it has really good blocking. 27: FB Offtackle L - Onesetback Formation: This play is (almost) mirrored in Slot 1 and can be shut down, but it does give you a decent shove. 26: T Power Dive - T Formation: This dive has someone clearing the way for you, but it has a race defect, so it isn't terribly optimal. Bad Choices: 21: Pitch L Fake - Onesetback Formation: This is pretty weak. It takes a long time and it doesn't come out strong. 20: Run And Shoot Draw - Run And Shoot Formation: This play just reeks. You can see it coming so easily and stop it almost as readily. Choose any play but this for this slot. ------- Slot 3: Great Choices: 37: Run And Shoot Sweep R - Run And Shoot Formation: Great compatibility and decent blocking on a direct route with no holes make this the best one for this slot. 33: Pitch L Open - Onesetback Formation: This run will bash the bones out of the secondary on top. 32: Cross Offtackle - T Formation: This one can stuff a top linebacker very well and gives you a good shove off the snap. Good Choices: 30: T Cross Run L - T Formation: This play is not that good, but it is mostly useful and compatible. 36: Shotgun Draw - Shotgun Formation: This is a quick shot off that can get you yards, but if your opponent is awake, you may not be able to get very far. This is one to go for if you have Shotguns though. 31: Slot Offtackle - Slot Formation: This play is not very good because it has little compatibility and because you get thrown out in between the defensive backs and the linebackers with no one to block for you. It can work with fast runners, though. Bad Choices: 35: WR Reverse L - Shifting Onesetback Formation: This is only a little better than the worst play for this slot. Your opponent will nail you unless blockers can somehow miraculously intercede between the two of you. 34: WR Reverse R - Onesetback Formation: This is the worst play because it operates out of an even worse sequence (Top Handoff) than WR Reverse L. It's just as bad in effectiveness as well. ------- Slot 4: Good Choices: 47: Shotgun Sweep L - Shotgun 3-Wing Formation: This is brutally effective with several blockers and play reversal ability. Its only flaw is its low compatibility. 43: FB Power Dive - Split-I Formation: This is a RB #2 blocking dive that works decently on the reversal to the top. 42: Pro T Dive - T Formation: You go in alone on this one, but it can be reversed to either side. 41: Onesetback Dive - Shifting Onesetback Formation: This one can't be reversed as well as Pro T Dive, and its compatibility is not as good. 40: Run And Shoot QB Sneak - Run And Shoot Formation: This will get you only a few yards usually, but it does well against players who like to take defensive backs. Bad Choices: 46: Run And Shoot QB Run - Run And Shoot Formation: This play will only work if your QB has feet and your opponent is on the opposite side from this. Otherwise, you're probably dead, unless your opponent is weak enough that he can't flatten your QB with one touch. 45: Reverse Pitch R - T Formation: A wide receiver reverse is bad news, and this is no better. Too slow and too weak. 44: Shotgun C Draw - Shotgun Formation: This is obvious from the get-go. If your opponent is watching your running back, you're gone. ------- Slot 5: Great Choices: 57: Run And Shoot Flare C - Run And Shoot Formation: Nice receiver spread and great compatibility. Good Choices: 54: Pro T Screen L - T Formation: This is a pretty decent play, but you will get nailed almost automatically if it's called. 53: T Play Action D - T Formation: This play gives you decent receivers, but loses time in the handoff. 55: Play Action - Split-I Formation: There aren't too many receivers here. Get this only if you've got other Split-I plays. Bad Choices: 51: Roll Out R - Shifting Onesetback Formation: The receiver spread is pretty decent, but you are in a formation where your opponent will be looking at the QB, and you have a lot of lag time before you can pass on this one. 52: Roll Out L - One Man Shift Formation: You can snooker people with this, but you will get totaled if your opponent is wise to it. 56: Pro T Waggle L - T Formation: You have three receivers at three different ranges, but you will get waxed if your opponent is looking at your QB. 50: Pro T Waggle R - T Formation: All of your receivers are within ten yards, and your QB is a sitting duck for a defensive back as he rolls out ever so slowly. ------- Slot 6: Great Choices: 61: Run And Shoot Z Fly - Run And Shoot Formation: Someone is almost always going to be open. What more can you ask for? 62: Pro T Flare D - T Formation: Three call-safe receivers, short, medium, and long options, plus five wideouts, with your running backs on either side ready to take off. It doesn't get much better than this. 60: Shotgun X Curl - Shotgun Formation: You get one running back beside you, two short options, and two medium options, with no NTD possibility. This is a great insurance play. Good Choices: 63: Offset Flare E - Split-I Formation: This play is a little compatible and you get a nice range of receivers. 65: Oneback Flare A - Onesetback Formation: You don't have many receivers, but they come at good ranges. 66: Power Fake Z Post - Onesetback Formation: You don't get a lot of options, but you get decent compatibility. 64: Formation/Play Oneback Z Cross: This play has no compatibility, but otherwise it offers lots of receivers on good paths. Bad Choices: 67: WTE Flea Flicker - WTE Formation: This play gives you two easily-covered long receivers and huge weaknesses otherwise. Don't make yourself suffer with this one. ------- Slot 7: Great Choices: 70: Shotgun X Drive - Shotgun Formation: This is not the best play, but you get a good range of receivers with a running back at your side. Good Choices: 72: Playaction Z In - Shifting Onesetback Formation: Good receiver spread and good compatibility. 74: Pro T Flare C - T Formation: You get a slanting tight end, but everyone is rather distant. 77: Power Fake X Fly - Onesetback Formation: Four receivers, but all go medium to long. 75: Shotgun 3-Wing - Shotgun 3-Wing Formation: This gives you five wideouts, but three of them are clustered close. 71: Formation/Play Run And Shoot 3-Wing: Everyone goes medium to long on this and you have no compatibility. Bad Choices: 76: T Flea Flicker - T Formation: This one can get you a fumble if it's called. Don't be so hard on yourself. 73: Flea Flicker - One Man Shift Formation: This one is a flea flick on top of an obvious formation. Really, don't waste your time. The only good thing about this play is that RB #2 has a tendency to get open on it. It also has a defensive shift that shows your opponent what play it is. ------- Slot 8: Great Choices: 84: Shotgun Z S-In - Shotgun Formation: RB #1 curls on the top, WR #2 curls in the middle, RB #2 curls off the screen, and WR #1 and the TE go long. This is a great spread to have. 87: Run And Shoot Y Up - Run And Shoot Formation: You get a close running back and a man in the middle in addition to three long men. 80: X Out And Fly - Onesetback Formation: Two go long and three cluster in the middle in a very compatible package. Good Choices: 82: Slot L Z Drive - Slot Formation: Little compatibility, but great receiver spread, including one on the bottom that comes out and WR #2 in the middle. 85: Formation/Play Redgun Z Slant: You get RB #1 on your left and a moving target in the middle, plus three long bombs. However, there is no compatibility to speak of. 83: Formation/Play No Back X Deep: No compatibility, but a fair spread across the field. 86: Shotgun XY Bomb - Shotgun Formation: Your shortest man is off the screen and most everyone is long gone and covered after two seconds. I wouldn't even call this as a desperation play because there will be all kinds of coverage. You can use this to Boomer people, though, and it works pretty well for that. Bad Choices: 81: Reverse-Fake Z Post - Onesetback Formation: Two wideouts (one of them is your running back who wades through the entire defense) on top of a ball-switching frenzy that takes five seconds makes this clearly inferior to any other play in this slot. ----------------- Playbooks Note: I've basically become disenchanted with finding a perfect playbook, since I now know of at least two that work very well, but each has strengths and weaknesses. I work with my Power playbook, but I also use my normal Redgun T Playbook, and I can't decide which I like better. They are better against different types of opponents and teams. So, I've decided just to leave this section here and let it rot. For those of you who are wondering about those new playbooks, here they are: Redgun T: This one has 7 T Formation plays and Redgun Z Slant for two-minute offense. It's decently strong, but it is susceptible to tactics, especially if the opponent has good linebackers or a good RCB. T Power Sweep R T Offtackle R Cross Offtackle T Power Dive Pro T Screen L Pro T Flare D Pro T Flare C Redgun Z Slant Power: This playbook's strength is the number of blockers and receivers that come out, but its weakness is its three-formation split and predictability, not to mention a race defect. Toss Sweep R FB Offtackle L Pitch L Open FB Power Dive Play Action Shotgun X Curl Power Fake X Fly X Out And Fly Herein are some playbooks. I rank them according to a one to ten system, where ten is the highest value that a playbook could have and one is the least. Example Formation - Balance Of Formation - Ranking Play in Run Slot 1 Play in Run Slot 2 Play in Run Slot 3 Play in Run Slot 4 Play in Pass Slot 1 Play in Pass Slot 2 Play in Pass Slot 3 Play in Pass Slot 4 -------------- Good Playbooks 2 & 2 Playbook | 4-4 | 9/10 I really don't believe I missed this one for so long. This playbook has three 5-receiver plays in it and two-way runs for two formations (you have to reverse and go up for Pro T Dive). The biggest asset of these plays is the balance of options. R&S goes Left and Right, T Sweep Strong goes south, and Pro T Dive goes through the middle and can be reversed to go in any direction. One nice thing about putting in Pro T Dive instead of R&S QBSneak is that it puts a person with actual Hitting Power (and no, Dan Marino, you do not have Hitting Power in this game, sorry) on the run through the middle, and it makes problems for the top linebacker, who can run around T Sweep Strong and also rush the QB, but will get into a struggle if he runs straight in or downward, causing him to stall on the other T formation plays. The R&S passes are good for short and long opportunities, Pro T Flare D needs no explanation, and Pro T Flare C has the moving tight end that causes big problems. You also have good flash opportunities on Y Up and D, as well as good field saturation on the other two. This, my friends, is (nearly) boss. Run And Shoot Sweep Left T Sweep Strong Run And Shoot Sweep Right Pro T Dive Run And Shoot Flare C Pro T Flare D Pro T Flare C Run And Shoot Y Up 2 Shotgun Playbook | 4-2-2 | 9/10 If the nose tackle dive is allowed, this gives you five plays immune to its effects instead of three as 2 & 2 does, and sacrifices some unpredictability thereby, but not too much, since there are still passes for every run. This does have a race defect, though, so you need to take that into consideration as well. Run And Shoot Sweep Left T Sweep Strong Run And Shoot Sweep Right Pro T Dive Run And Shoot Flare C Shotgun X Curl Pro T Flare C Shotgun Z S-In T Run Playbook | 6-2 | 8/10 This offers the balance and power of Run And Shoot without the lousy Draw (there are more appropriate vulgarities for that horrid play, but I'll simply leave it at this) and the predictable 3-Wing. Run And Shoot Sweep Left T Sweep Strong Run And Shoot Sweep Right Run And Shoot QBSneak OR QB Run Run And Shoot Flare C Run And Shoot Z Fly Pro T Flare C Run And Shoot Y Up Power Shoot Playbook | 5-3 | 7/10 One of the great things about Onesetback plays is that they break through the defense very well in many cases. This playbook substitutes Run And Shoot Y Up with X Out And Fly to offer the ability to have HATS Plays without having to worry about an impudent defender slide tackling the running back or the quarterback all of the time. Run And Shoot Left FB Offtackle L Run And Shoot Right Run And Shoot QBSneak OR QB Run Run And Shoot Flare C Run And Shoot Z Fly Power Fake X Fly X Out And Fly Power + Cover Playbook | 4-4 | 7/10 This playbook puts in the powerful Toss Sweep R and FB Power Dive to enhance the strength of the run, especially with less able players. This covers the new additions by complementing them with pass plays. It also adds the superb Pitch L Open to further make FB Offtackle L viable and to enhance the running game generally. It also introduces a race defect in Pitch L Open, so watch your backs and make sure they are of the same color. Toss Sweep R FB Offtackle L Pitch L Open FB Power Dive Play Action Offset Flare E Power Fake X Fly X Out And Fly Power Prevent Playbook | 4-2-2 | 7/10 The previous playbooks can sometimes be a hassle against a good player who knows your tactics and patterns, even a small amount. For the Power Shoot, if your opponent alternates calling X Out And Fly with the R&S plays, then you can be in a serious world of hurt, because the left end dive will shut down all the other onesetback plays, and X Out And Fly will be called. On the Power + Cover Playbook, if you get a lot of X Out And Flys or Pitch L Opens called, and your opponent consistently uses the left end dive, then things can be just as bad. To stop some of this, this playbook brings a little more monotony and predictability to the table in exchange for greater assurance that your opponent won't be shutting you down at critical times. This book is also a better one for punishing rushing and ball control offense because yardage gains come more easily with combinations of three and five yard runs with five and seven yard gains on QB sneaks and passes. This one has a race defect just as the last one did, so you may want to take care of that before you use this. Toss Sweep R T Sweep Strong Pitch L Open FB Power Dive Play Action Offset Flare E Pro T Flare C X Out And Fly Shift And Shotgun Playbook | 6-2 | 7/10 The Shifting Onesetback is also a very respectable formation, not least for the ability to shift receivers. This playbook provides Shotguns to fill in the gaps in the playbook where no original formation play exists. FB Open L Oneback Sweep Right WR Reverse L Onesetback Dive Roll Out R Shotgun X Curl Playaction Z In Shotgun Z S-In Total Power Playbook | 4-2-2 | 6/10 (this is one to use on the computer) This is a tested playbook that I have used on the computer for quite some time. Since the computer has no real intelligence, it doesn't really care a whole lot what plays you call and it doesn't have a good idea of how to kill some plays. Thus, this playbook sacrifices predictability for the advantage of increased yardage gains due to the efficacy and power of the individual plays chosen. Toss Sweep R FB Offtackle L Pitch L Open FB Power Dive Run And Shoot Flare C Run And Shoot Z Fly Power Fake X Fly X Out And Fly -------------- Baaaaaad Playbooks What Were You On? | 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 | 3/10 This is the quintessential "what not to do." This playbook is totally predictable from the basic formation at the line-up. WTE Offtackle R Run And Shoot Draw Slot Offtackle Shotgun C Draw Pro T Waggle R Oneback Z Cross Flea Flicker No Back X Deep Impotence | 3-2-1-1 | 2/10 This playbook works well in handicapping you against the computer and against a person. WTE Offtackle R Pitch L Fake WR Reverse L Shotgun C Draw Pro T Waggle R WTE Flea Flicker Flea Flicker Reverse-Fake Z Post SuiCide | 2-1-1-1-1-1-1 | 1/10 All of these plays can be annihilated fairly readily and thus are not appropriate in any way whatsoever against a human opponent. WTE Offtackle R Run And Shoot Draw WR Reverse L Shotgun C Draw Pro T Waggle R WTE Flea Flicker Flea Flicker Reverse-Fake Z Post -------------- ----------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 11. ID/Kill Lists These are a series of lists detailing how you can identify particular plays and how then to destroy them, and what players to use for the job. It is organized by formation. I have not put in any of the single formation plays because it would simply be redundant. This should be useful for those of you who don't want to go and look through that whole horrendous Section 4 for tactics. Glossary: Run stop - just do what you normally do to beat run plays. Cover - cover open receivers Blitz - go straight for the QB NTD - nose tackle dive Twin of - the play referred to has most of the same motions as its twin DB - defensive back T Formation (16 plays) (watch for a race defect to show T Power Dive) IF: QB drops straight back = Pass Set 1: Straight Back Plays IF: No wideout is behind the line = Pro T Flare C - 74 IF: The RBs both curl behind the line = Pro T Flare D - 62 ELSE Pro T Screen L - 54 Kill with NTD, Blitz or mid-long coverage IF: Blockers start moving up IF: WRs start blocking or RB #2 starts juking = T Cross Run L - 30 ELSE Pro T Waggle R - 50 Kill both with RILB or LILB or CB attack through O-line. These two plays are twins. IF: Blockers start moving down IF: RB #2 does as well = T Sweep Strong - 25 - Kill with man through O-line hole or Run stop ELSE IF: QB moves straight back = T Flea Flicker - 76 - Kill with Cover or Blitz ELSE IF: WRs start blocking = T Power Sweep R - 17 - Kill with man thru O-line or Run stop ELSE Pro T Waggle L - 56 - NTD, Hit QB, Cover, O-line hole run Kill most of these with RILB or LILB or DB through the O-line hole. Pro T Waggle L is the twin of T Power Sweep R IF: QB moves straight back for handoff IF: RB #1 moves close to the QB = T Power Dive - 26 - NTD or Run stop ELSE IF: WRs don't block = T Play Action D - 53 - NTD or Cover ELSE IF: RB #2 gets ball = Pro T Dive - 42 - NTD or Run stop ELSE T Fake Sweep R - 16 - NTD or Run stop Kill all of these with a NTD. All of these except for T Power Dive are twins. IF: WR #1 stays in place at top = Reverse Pitch R - 45 - Hit WR #1 ELSE IF: RB #2 comes diagonally up to QB = Cross Offtackle - 32 - RILB slide or DB Run stop ELSE T Offtackle R - 24 - LOLB slide or DB Run Stop Onesetback Formation (10 plays) (watch for a race defect to show Pitch L Open) IF: QB trots and pitches the ball with WR remaining at the top of the screen without blocking = Set 1: Top Handoff Plays IF: QB runs straight back = Reverse-Fake Z Post - 81 IF: WR takes handoff = WR Reverse R - 43 ELSE Pitch L Fake - 21 Kill with ROLB or RCB dive from top at RB #1 ELSE IF: QB moves for play action with RB #1 = Set 2: Handoff After The Snap Plays IF: WR #1 cuts down without blocking = Power Fake Z Post - 66 IF: TE goes out without blocking = Power Fake X Fly - 77 IF: Right guard drops back = Onesetback L - 11 ELSE FB Offtackle L - 27 Kill with left end dive, right end dive, RILB attack, or secondary stop or coverage ELSE IF: Tons of blockers come forth = Pitch L Open - 33 - Left end move up or wait and then go for man ELSE IF: RB #2 moves down into middle = Oneback Flare A - 65 - Cover or Blitz or NTD ELSE X Out And Fly - 80 - Cover or Blitz or NTD Run And Shoot Formation (8 plays) IF: RB #1 stays in place = Run And Shoot Draw - 20 - Slide tackle or stop ELSE IF: QB drops only a little and blocking starts = Run And Shoot QB Sneak - 40 - Attack QB ELSE IF: QB starts to sweep with blocking = Run And Shoot QB Run - 46 - Hit QB ELSE IF: QB pitches the ball = Run And Shoot Left - 12 if runner goes to top; = Run And Shoot Right - 37 if runner goes to bottom; Kill both with slide tackles and moving around the blockers ELSE: QB drops straight back IF: RB stays inside = Run And Shoot Z Fly - 61 - Cover or Blitz or NTD ELSE IF: RB moves up to the offensive line as WR = Run And Shoot Flare C - 57 - Cover or Blitz or NTD ELSE Run And Shoot Y Up - 87 - Cover or Blitz or NTD Shifting Onesetback Formation (6 plays) IF: The QB does play action with RB #1 IF: People block = Onesetback Dive - 41 - NTD or Run stop ELSE Playaction Z In - 72 - NTD or Cover ELSE IF: Blockers move upward IF: People block = FB Open L - 14 - Run stop ELSE Roll Out R - 51 - Hit QB or Cover ELSE IF: WR #2 stays in place at the bottom = WR Reverse L - 35 - Hit WR ELSE Oneback Sweep R - 22 - Run stop Good strategy against these: Call Roll Out R and attack runners with a strong defender. Roll Out R is the twin of FB Open L. Shotgun Formation (6 plays) (watch for race defects to assist you) IF: RB gets the ball right away = Shotgun Draw - 36 - Slide tackle or stop ELSE IF: RB stays by QB = Shotgun C Draw - 44 - Slide tackle or stop ELSE IF: RB goes straight out = Shotgun XY Bomb - 86 - Cover and watch for QB scramble ELSE IF: RB goes directly up and curls = Shotgun Z S-In - Cover ELSE IF: RB goes diagonally after the snap = Shotgun X Curl - 60 - Cover ELSE Shotgun X Drive - 70 - Cover Watch for a QB sneak on these. Split-I Formation (4 plays) IF: QB pitches the ball down to RB #2 = Toss Sweep R - 15 - Run stop ELSE IF: QB drops straight back = Offset Flare E - 63 - NTD or cover ELSE IF: WRs block and hook in = FB Power Dive - 43 - NTD ELSE Play Action - 55 - NTD A good strategy is to call Toss Sweep R, then NTD. FB Power Dive and Play Action are twins. One Man Shift Formation (4 plays) IF: TE moves forward = Roll Out L - 52 - slam the QB ELSE IF: The right tackle goes downward = FB Offtackle R - 13 - Plug the hole & Run stop ELSE IF: QB moves straight back OR WRs don't cut in or block = Flea Flicker - 73 - Hit QB or RB #1 ELSE Weakside Open - 23 - Run stop A good way to stop these is to call Weakside Open or, if that's not available, FB Offtackle R, and cover the passes with a fast defender. Flea Flicker and Weakside Open are twins. Shotgun 3-Wing Formation (2 plays) IF: WRs block OR guards drop out = Shotgun Sweep L - 47 - LOLB end-Run inside play or DB Run Stop ELSE Shotgun 3-Wing - 75 - Blitz, Cover IF: WRs go out OR guards stay in place = Shotgun 3-Wing - 75 - Blitz, Cover ELSE Shotgun Sweep L - 47 - LOLB end-Run inside play or DB Run Stop Slot Formation (2 plays) IF: WRs block OR QB slants downward = Slot Offtackle - 31 - RILB rr defensive back Strike ELSE Slot L Z Drive - 82 - Blitz or NTD IF: WRs go out OR QB drops straight back = Slot L Z Drive - 82 - Blitz or NTD ELSE Slot Offtackle - 31 - RILB or defensive back Strike A good strategy for these is to call the pass and cover the run. WTE Formation (2 plays) IF: WRs block OR QB fades = WTE Offtackle R - 10 - Left end dive or LOLB attack ELSE WTE Flea Flicker - 67 - Left end dive or LOLB attack IF: WRs move out without contact and QB stops running = WTE Flea Flicker - 67 - Left end dive or LOLB attack ELSE WTE Offtackle R - Left end dive or LOLB attack I should think you can figure out what you should do for these. These two plays are twins, but that's a bad thing rather than a good thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 12. Bugs And Weird Stuff "Tecmo Super Bowl has some minor 'issues'." The strange things in this section are ordered by familiarity. The more something occurs, the farther down it is. I only put in stuff I see for this, though if I had multiple confirmations of something, I might add it in. Waters Broke The Ball: This has many variants, under the heading of "super jump bug", including different timings and scenes. During one of the most slaughterfest games that I have ever played, Troy Aikman passes to Michael Irvin, who is covered by a computer-controlled Andre Waters. Waters jumps up and smacks the ball, but as the ball is coming to the ground, it shows the "double jump" cinema, and then the ball flying right past the hands of Michael Irvin. The game then returns to the landing of the ball, which is nowhere near Irvin. I guess Waters just sliced the ball in half. So That's How You Got The Pick: I had the misfortune of passing with Jim Harbaugh, and, since I was playing against the skilled Minnesota secondary, they covered my men terribly well. So well, in fact, that on one interception, a Chicago black-and-white jerseyed player caught the ball - everything else was the same, just that the uniform was different, and the cinema was for a close catch (not the clinch). Those defensive backs sure know how to bamboozle an offense (not to mention the hapless human player involved). The Grass Gave Me Power: If an offensive blocker hits a defender with something that looks like a crazy lateral slide (which will knock him over) then he will become a god for the rest of the play, playing Tekken with every defender he meets, no matter their Hitting Power (credit Paul). I Can See The Dementia: In one game I played, after an opposing player made a pick, I lost control of my quarterback to the computer, which promptly proceeded, amazingly enough, to actually go after the ballcarrier. This happened twice during that game, which leads me to believe that turnovers dazzle the brain-beaten quarterbacks in Tecmo so much that they actually play properly. They Named A Power Bar For You, Boomer: After safetying Scott Mitchell (the Dolphins' backup QB), by using the nose tackle dive tactic against a Pro T Waggle L, the power bar came up and to the left of it was a 7-. Boomer Esiason, the QB for the Bengals, has number 7, and, as fate had it, I was playing as the Bengals. This bug can be replicated with any other quarterback as well - I did it with Dave Krieg too. Don't Hate Me Because I'm Perfect: I once had the occasion to run a perfect 100 yards on a kickoff return, all the way from one end zone to the other, and celebrated my massive accomplishment. Well, my friend Steven and I went after the game into the Kickoff Returns stat menu, and guess what? The 100 yards was NOWHERE! Somehow they just didn't count it at all. I was so pissed. What Are You Staring At Now, Rice?: During the Tecmo Passing Study, I was tossing the ball to Jerry Rice and was greeted by another odd little error; instead of getting on the X, Rice moved past it and stood there facing the other direction as Montana's ball bounced off two defenders. Good job! and I thought the 49ers were overrated. Who knows what he was looking at? There's a variant of this called, "I Guess You're Taking A Stroll, Eh, Secondary?" Who's Got The Ball?: The notorious "fumble bug" first manifested itself to me on a field goal blocked by my Lawrence Taylor. The game said that he gained possession of the ball, but in actuality, the ball was sitting on the 20-yard line. A HUGE kill-the-man-with-the-ball game emerged as every player tried to get the ball in the middle of the field. However, no one could actually pick it up, except me. That didn't stop me from getting knocked around for three minutes as I tried to escape the mob. I finally did, and tried to see whether I could run out of bounds or score a touchdown or anything. No dice. So I had to fight my way back in to go get the ball and end the play as I was tackled on my fumble recovery to set up a Giants possession. I'm Getting There: It may not technically be a bug per se, but one interesting thing that happens on punt returns is the bouncing punt. If you have a slow returner, sometimes he won't get to the X on the field before the ball does, and the ball will bounce once before the returner picks it up. I See That Football Up Your Sleeve: On flea flicks (especially T Flea Flicker) and occasionally on punts, sometimes the ball doesn't even come close to the person trying to catch it. Even so, the person will still have a ball to carry or throw, and there's even a healthy accompanying thump. I think some of the offenses in the league have been to Las Vegas for a little "spring training." They Must Be Really Hard Hits: Everybody knows that you can hit a person who's scored a touchdown in the end zone after they've scored, knocking them down, and sometimes struggling with them. Well, occasionally, if you get hit in the end zone, your player will fumble the ball. In so doing, the yards you've gained in getting the touchdown will be lost, since the game erases the yardage from a fumbled play. I think what must happen is that the intransigent tackler hits the man so hard that even the scorekeepers get amnesia. Are These House Rules We're Playing By?: Everyone at one point or another has had the chagrin or joy of having a reception out of bounds, a running back over the sideline, or even an interception off the field and getting the yards and catches counted. Not only that, but errant quarterbacks throw passes into the stands that both receivers and defenders run for, sometimes triggering "dropped ball" cinemas. The classic is the Jerry Rice catch of a ball above the line, then his landing out of bounds for a first down. One thing I would like to know: who gets sued when players run over the cheerleaders and the people in the "nosebleed" seats? Tecmo Is So Realistic, They Even Got The Refs Right: Tecmo has a tough time deciding whether certain hits are one or the other. For instance, you can slide tackle a QB in a flea flick or a running back in Shotgun C Draw as he gets the ball and the ball can pop, but the play is over. But if you struggle with these same people, the ball bounces off as a fumble. How does this come about, I wonder? (see Mechanics for Paul's explanation of this) It Isn't Over Yet: On many plays, if you get a safety, the runner will continue to go if he can get up. In addition, if you tackle the QB on a pitch play and he gets up, he will "pass" the ball to the running back downfield, and sometimes he will miss him by ten yards! This works with any pitch play and even people who can't play QB (see Mechanics for why). Tecmo End Zone Dances: One thing you can do in Tecmo is get crazy things to happen to people caught in the end zone. If you hold the button in the opposite direction to the end zone, you can make a receiver move out of the end zone as soon as he catches the ball. In addition, you can make your runners move out of bounds and into the stands by holding the button in the appropriate direction. Moreover, if you have a defender who slides for a guy in the end zone, he can slide for twenty yards or even slide right off the screen. If a guy gets in a struggle with someone who's in the end zone, they can have it out, or in the best tradition, the successful team's man starts cheering and his antagonist keeps wrestling. One that I haven't quite figured out how to trigger yet is the moonwalk, where the player runs in and then runs backward. Paul says it happens sometimes when the player is hit as he enters the end zone. Is This A Comment?: The inability of a player controlled by a human to pick up a fumble in every situation but that of a dropped field goal (and the botched pitch) is truly amazing. Not only that, but the fact that a ball can be bouncing about in a swarm of twelve big, muscular guys, and move ten yards over out of bounds is stupefying. Is this the ultimate meaning of Tecmo - a parody of football players? I Guess This Is What Quantum Theory Is All About: No matter how many people stand between you and a ball carrier behind the line, you can move through all of them and just touch one pixel of the holder to take him down. At the same time, you can escape a slide tackle past the line if the slider flickers, even if the guy half engulfs you. In addition, if you end a struggle and a man is in your midst while you do so, you will be invincible against his attacks until you part company. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 13. Mechanics "Let's take a look at Tecmo 'under the hood'." I put some interesting observations about the way that Tecmo works in here. Most of these are just the oddball tinkerings and curiosities of an fanatic, but a few of these are actually useful and/or interesting. ------------------ Menu Screens If you look closely at the background of the NFL Leaders screens, you'll notice that the motions on the cinemas therein are the same ones as actual cinemas in the game, except that the players change colors and there's no other detail. ------------------ On The Field The reason why some plays work better when people are shifted to one direction is because not only is there more (or less) room to run (in the cases of few blocking and breaking out, and much blocking and getting definite gains), but also because the actual formation will shift a little. Players on the compressed side will move closer together, and players on the open side will move farther away. There's something to consider. Computer controlled players (the other 10 that you don't control) have a fixed coverage pattern for one play vs. another. However, if one of those plays changes, the coverage pattern will change also. The coverage patterns are tough to predict and since there are so many of them (64 * 7) it's really not something you can figure out beforehand too well. However, during a game, you might find that one play covers better than another, and use that. Also, if you have your opponent's playbook, you can see which ones work best for general coverage, and then plan to call those plays. Sometimes on certain plays (especially on T Offtackle R), a computer controlled player will do a lateral slide tackle (one term for it is cross-body block) and hit opposing computer players. Us peon humans can't do it (why can't you use Select?). Paul says with an "Amazing, but true!" that if an offensive player does this, he will be invincible for the rest of the play and knock off defenders with impunity as per a fullback, but against any player for the defense. I've always wondered why the slide tackles are so horrible, both in the aiming and in the computer defenders' use of them. I'm guessing that maybe the computer doesn't take into account a person's speed or that the former state of the screen is used to determine a player's target when the slide tackle is executed. If you decide to QB sneak, the computer players will not catch on until you cross the line, so you can take your time and get yourself lined up for the greatest gain. Be aware, however, that sometimes linebackers will start going for you after a few seconds, so that may impede your run somewhat. ------------------ Contact Mechanics When people make simple contact: If a player has a lot less hitting power than another (about 38 or more) and the larger player has a hitting power of about 69, then he will simply bounce off. This phenomenon has been called "sack of potatoes", "popcorn", and my personal favorite, "playing Tekken." If the player who has a lot less is the ball carrier, however, he will simply get immediately pounded into the ground. Getting pounded into the ground can happen at lower than 69, but you have to have more hitting power difference with the person you want to pound (such as 50). It also depends on where you hit them. If you hit them in the back or the sides, it reduces the power needed. I once pursued Keith Sherman with Lawrence Taylor and was able to floor him if I hit him in the back, whereas a head-on attack only yielded a struggle. I believe it also applies to the sides (but I am not liable for any lost bets, physical damage incurred as a result of lost bets, bail needed as a result of physical damage incurred as a result of lost bets, providing competent legal representation as a result of a civil/criminal proceeding resulting from physical damage incurred as a result of lost bets, covering DNA tests to appeal your conviction on assault and battery charges resulting from physical damage resulting from lost bets, or any other harm which you may incur as a result of taking my advice). If a player has less hitting power than his antagonist, he will be at a disadvantage in the struggle. If the less strong player is not strong enough to shake the other off, but he manages to hit the A button fast enough, he can sometimes keep from getting tackled, but will not be able to break out. The struggle is resolved whenever one person's A hitting and hitting power are large enough to overcome the other. The actual reaction is dependent on how much the one was able to overcome the other. If one dominated, the other will be thrown into the air and roll on the ground, placing him around 15 or more yards away. Lesser degrees produce long rolls, short tosses and rolls, short rolls, and simply hitting the other player to the ground. It also changes the time it takes for a person to get up. If they were dominated, then they will have a harder time getting up than if they were just barely beaten. People who attempt to enter struggles between fierce opponents by simply walking in may get knocked off if their hitting power is low. If it is higher, or if the struggle is not so heated, they will knock off a blocker or tackle a ball carrier. On defense, a slide tackle works well in these situations. One variable factor in this is the hitting of the A button outside of a struggle. It boosts your hitting power significantly, and can be enough to knock away certain defenders. Another miscellaneous point is that contact is irrespective of your movement. If you stand still and do nothing, you can still take people down or people will still bounce off you. As an example, I ran over Phil Simms with Karl Mecklenberg without hitting A at all, and I once stood in the middle of the Indianapolis defense with about 6 people just bouncing off Tom Rathman. ------------------ Possession Of The Ball Thank Paul for this nice tip: The possession of the ball is determined by who the number (1 or 2 depending on the player) is over. Whenever the QB takes the snap, the number is over his head. When he passes, the number switches to the receiver (or another one if you use the dupe pass, but the computer still recognizes it the same way). With a pitch, the computer will switch the possession of the ball from the pitcher to the pitchee about halfway through the pitch. This accounts in large part for the fumble bug. Sometimes the computer thinks that the person being pitched to has the ball and sometimes it doesn't. ------------------ Fumbles Fumbles, are, as far as I can tell, dependent only on ball control. I think that every time you are tackled the game does a fumble check, and if you get unlucky, you fumble. Paul and I have somewhat concurred on the Ball Control of QBs and defenders; we think that they are somewhere around 50 most likely. There are two instances in which a human-controlled player can pick up a fumble: if a field goal is blocked; and if a pitch botches and falls to the ground. ------------------ Injuries Injuries seem to be totally random, unaffected by condition. The only determinant of them seems to be the number of tackles a person takes, but no defender or offensive lineman or kicker or punter can get injured. According to the manual (which by the way I do not endorse, since it's quite wrong about the team assessments {take their comments about the Indianapolis linebackers as an example}): "There is a high probability that the Returner will be injured." "Some players will need three games to recover from their injuries." When your player is lying on the field after an injury, he will be white whether he is actually white or not. ------------------ Punts The longest a normal punt can go is about 80 yards, a little more sometimes, but 85/86 is about the best you can get in Tecmo, but your limit would be 90ish if you have a punter in (some patches might) that can reach 100 Kicking Ability. The shortest a punt can go is about 20 yards with a 6 Kicking Ability punter, possibly a little less if you get lucky (but why would you care?). ------------------ Pitches A pitch in Tecmo is handled just the same way that a pass is. Whenever a player pitches a ball, the game does the same calculations that it would for a pass, which means that a person can throw a bad pitch just as they can a bad pass. So how can WRs and RBs and TEs pass, you ask? I think that there is a default value for people who don't have QB stats, probably around 50 for each of the categories, which would make the wildest pitches believable. I don't think that a person can drop a pitch, though. That much has been taken care of. ------------------ Computer Behavior Coin Toss The computer, being plain silly, always chooses to return the ball if it wins the coin toss. Fourth Down If the computer is behind the fifty-yard line and it isn't fourth quarter, the computer will almost always punt. It will also punt in front of the fifty-yard line if the kicker is not all that good - how bad determines where the computer will kick a field goal. During the fourth quarter, if the computer is losing, it will keep the ball, but if not, it will punt it as normal. If it is past the fifty yard line and it isn't fourth quarter, the computer will kick a field goal. During the fourth quarter, if the computer is losing by seven points or more, it will almost always try for the touchdown/first down and call a play. If it is losing by few enough points such that a field goal will win it for the computer, the computer will kick a field goal. Its behavior in the intermediate range I have not yet determined, since I either blow the computer out or am worried about losing so much I don't give it much heed (if I am less than 7 points ahead). I believe, however, that it will go for the touchdown or first down if the point difference is more than 3. I don't think it is entirely predictable, certainly not to the degree that the others are. ------------------ Music And Sound Whenever you have the first down music playing, if you enter the menu it shuts off. I guess the menu noise is a little too much for the NES sound channels (it comes out of both Square Wave channels). ------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------- 14. Press Conference "I completely deny these false and Tecmo allegations." This is all the random thoughts I have (and others have, hopefully) about Tecmo. ------------------- Leif Powers - Index: These names do not match the formal titles in some cases; you'll see why in a bit, but this is the general order of my press conference. Meggett Comments How do I make Tecmo harder/teach others how to play? What do you think about computer play? About play in general? What do you do? What do you think about tactics? Who's the best player in Tecmo? What's the best team in Tecmo? What's the worst team in Tecmo? What's your favorite team? ---------- Opening Comments If there's one mascot to Tecmo, it's David Meggett (excepting the Mighty Bombjacks and the halftime parachutist, with whom no one can compete). I know that Joe Montana, Barry Sanders, and Lawrence Taylor (not to mention the San Francisco O line, Deion Sanders, Mark Rypien, and the crowd), are the ones shown in the intro, but Meggett does more than they do, because not only is he Running Back #2 for the Giants, he also returns both kicks and punts. Nobody else does that but Vance Johnson, mediocre at best. You have Gil Fenerty types for both returns, and you have guys like John Taylor who play a position and return one kind of kick, but nobody does it all as good as it can be done as David Meggett does. He's also a pretty good running back to boot. In addition, Meggett has the number 30. In what may be a prophecy, that number is the same as the total number of players on the roster of the NFL teams in Tecmo. ~Trippy~! ---------- I've beaten the computer for about the 10000th time, 259-0, 75 points 4th quarter, 500 yards passing, 500 yards rushing, 100% receptions with my backup QB, the worst person on my team returning both kicks and punts for a total of 300 yards, stopping so that the rest of my team could get some action, 0 first downs for and against, no yards against me, no one even shown for the computer on the game stats screen, 95 QB sacks, 25 safeties, -367 yards rushing for the computer (I was so bored I kept that stat myself), and to top it all off, 1 successful field goal for my 6 Kicking Ability (he was in Bad condition) kicker from my 30 yard line. But I love Tecmo so much, I don't want to stop playing, and say, go into accounting. How can I make Tecmo harder? Also, I want to teach my little sister how to play too. She just turned 4, and I figure I could use some competition. How can I? Some ways in which you can make it harder to play Tecmo are as follows: 1. Pick a horrible team and play against a great team (one way you can do this is to use the Pro Bowl options). 2. Set your slowest people to running backs, and try to get them with low Hitting Power as well. 3. Set your slowest/worst Receptions people to WRs. 4. Set a low Hitting Power/slow/bad Receptions guy to TE. 6. Put in your worst overall QB (low Pass Speed and low other stats). 6. Play some games in Season and win with the team you will want to play and lose with the one you want to oppose. 7. Don't do anything that is unrealistic, like nose tackle dives or other really, really, physics-defying stunts. 8. Pick the worst defender for any play to play as, or play games with whom you choose as your controlled man. 9. Run straight out instead of using dodging tactics when you break out. 10. Give yourself time consuming plays like oneback reverses and low-receiver passes. 11. Give your opponent the plays and playbook which give you the most trouble. And the worst way in which to make Tecmo harder is... 12. Use Coach Mode. Paul tells me that not hitting A in a struggle is one thing you can also do, but I don't know about that. You could also just stop whenever you get the ball. I think it goes a little bit too far, but you can try it if you like. Some additional tips on what to do when you're playing a novice are: 1. Give them tips on how to run certain plays. 2. Give them tactics to use against certain of your plays. 3. Have a big screw-up every so often to better simulate real football. 4. Tell them about holding directional arrows. 5. Mention that they want to either cover open men or tackle the person with the number on their head. 6. Give them rousing applause for playing the ambrosia that is Tecmo Super Bowl for NES with you (if it happens to be a lover/spouse, add a kiss, though that is only a theoretical suggestion I add). ---------- What do you think about computer play? About play in general? What do you do? The computer is pretty horrible in this game and everybody knows that. However, one thing that's worth mentioning that didn't really fit anywhere else is that the computer only adopts certain patterns based on some determination it makes before the half, at least. It may also switch at the fourth quarter. Once you find these patterns, it becomes much easier to exploit the computer, on both offense and defense. The defense especially benefits from knowledge of patterns. The easiest way to do that is to keep track of what plays the computer calls, even in your head, because that aggregate probability is what usually determines what the computer is going to do. Sometimes, you'll light upon a computer doing the same things it did in a previous drive, and you can exploit that, playing just as you did on that drive to beat the computer down. About finding patterns on offense, with a computer or human: look to see whether your play was in trouble. Were there four men covered? Did all the defensive backs descend on me like locusts? From this, you can determine whether a play defended against was of the same nature as the one you called or opposite. Once you get enough data on the plays your opponent calls, you can then begin to exploit the pattern in the way your opponent reacts to your plays and successes. Remember always that with a human opponent, the opponent will change strategies as you begin to tear them apart, even if you do it accidentally. Factor this in to your future plays and strategy. If you did very well with passes, start mixing in more runs, and vice versa. The ideal opponent to face is a bigot, who either calls one play type or another, or even just one play; lacking that, a more realistic objective is to totally confuse and frustrate your opponent with a combination of random plays and exploitation of the defense that you oppose. Once the opponent has been broken down, even partially, it disorders their strategy and makes things like bomb plays more likely to work that would normally be suppressed and even punished with a methodical and determined opponent with a definite plan of action. That's a window of opportunity you can take advantage of until your opponent reforms a pattern and starts the cycle all over again. On that note, game theory is directly applicable to Tecmo. If there's one play that would devastate you in a particular position, then it's usually a good idea to call that play. Whenever you call one type of play or one direction of play, always cover for the other, because that's where you're weakest and that's also where you can gain the most benefit, or have the best hedge against the unexpected action. If you call a run, move out to stop a pass. If you call a pass, take one of the secondaries and stop a potential run. If you called right, cover left. If you called left, cover right. And for both left and right, cover the center. On offense, if you've called a pass, be ready to QB sneak if you see signs that your opponent may have you cornered. On a run, be ready to reverse (change direction against the flow of the play). Because so much of Tecmo relies on those eight plays and their interactions, you have to be able to first figure out the most dangerous scenario - the one that is probable enough to come to life and harmful enough to lose you yards or a game - and stop that, covering the feedback worst case caused by your decision as a coach using your player. In Tecmo terms, you have to call the best play in the book and prepare for the worst on the field that could result from your action. That's how you prevent the 70 yard passes and 35 yard runs from happening, and how you keep the small gains from inching you too close to the end zone, or, on offense, how you succeed in gaining yardage on a bad play, and how you keep moving upfield despite numerous setbacks. ---------- What do you think about the scandalous nose tackle dives and tactics so well documented and perfected in your FAQ? Aren't they just cheap excuses for gameplay, the Virginia Woolfs of video game football, that only progeny of John Wilks Booth use, revealing the ineptness, juvenilinity, and Limburger-Brie-cheesiness of the person who uses them? About tactics...there are many people who play Tecmo who think that things like the nose tackle dive and a ton of the techniques listed in the plays are cheap and shouldn't exist in Tecmo. I'm not one of them. I look at it this way: if you're going to play a game, you should play your hardest (at least in most situations) or else you're not really playing at all. Would you not attack the castled king in chess because "it's cheap"? Would you forbid the Dragon Punch in Street Fighter because "the person who does it is invincible if you're in the air"? Of course you wouldn't; that's how those games work. To some extent, the NTDs and unstoppable tactics like the left/right end dive on HATS Plays are tough to handle. If people aren't allowed to choose playbooks before a game or season, then I can see full well how such tactics can be forbidden, because some playbooks can be shut down hard using tactics. But if people are allowed to weed out weak plays and put in strong ones, then they should be allowed to use whatever tactics they see fit. Otherwise, you have situations where all you can do against certain plays like Toss Sweep R and FB Power Dive is to sit back and watch as the fullback simply drives ahead for three or five yards a play, because you can't stop the passes with NTDs, and you can't call both FB Power Dive and Toss Sweep R, making it nearly impossible to halt the drive, even if you know what's coming. It would be like boxers who are only allowed to use one hand and could only hit the upper torso; the fighter who has the better combination of the punch and the body would win, with little room for ingenuity, upsets, and the use of natural strengths. Playing a game like 49ers-Oilers would be meaningless, because the 49ers have a much better defense as opposed to the Oilers, making it impossible for the Oilers to win without having some brains. But without tactics, how can those brains be utilized? Games simply become seesaws of offense followed by offense, each side scoring touchdowns because there's nothing to stop the advance of the runners or the bombs of the passers. Luck would prevail rather than skill. If you got two called plays in a four-down set, that would be the only way to make the offense buckle in a Preseason game. The person who got the most interceptions and recovered the most fumbles would be the winner. Tecmo becomes a coach game with improved offense if tactics are not allowed. So, for my part, I think anything you can do is legal as long as there's a way for your opponent to circumvent or defeat your actions. Have a problem with nose tackle dives? Call Pitch L Open. Gary Reasons covering all your men? QB sneak. And on defense: if they're battering you with runs, call runs and lurch. If they're hitting you with passes, cover the run with your best defender and call passes. Whatever you do, though, don't knock the people who use the game to their advantage. The only tactic that is illegal is looking at the other person's controller, because that destroys the game, rather than making it possible. ---------- Who's the best player in Tecmo? Best player in Tecmo? I think only as far as defense is concerned, David Fulcher is the best. His stats are almost unbelievable and his utility is vast. However, players in better positions for a human to control, without compromising the defense, such as Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith, are better in light of the whole defense and deserve honorable mentions. As far as offense and all of Tecmo is concerned, best player without a doubt is QB Eagles (Randall Cunningham) who can pass pretty well and can run better than a ton of running backs, receivers, and tight ends. He alone makes Philadelphia's offense the best, threatening a significant run and yardage gain with every pass play called, which makes defending against the Eagles' run game harder (which is good, because Byars and Sherman are pretty lousy) because of the need to circumvent the open man/open QB dilemma by calling more pass plays. ---------- What's the best team in Tecmo? Best team? I believe, after consultation and consternation, that I should have gone with my gut all along. The best team is the Giants. There are several reasons for this. On offense, the passing game is not as good as others, but works well enough. The running backs are a great combo, with Ottis Anderson a fast and powerful fullback and David Meggett even faster. These two could carry a running game alone, and together they make the Giants' ground attack a powerful threat, a top-notch running game in the league at least, and certainly a rival for the Raiders and the Chiefs. The Giants' defense is where they truly pull ahead, with the best linebacker corps in the game - Lawrence Taylor the demi-god; Pepper Johnson, a notch weaker but in a better position; Gary Reasons, who has the highest Interceptions (63) of any linebacker; and Carl Banks, just a tad worse than Johnson. With this, you can stuff almost any run with fast and powerful guys in several positions, top and bottom. The one man who can't do that so well, Reasons, is in the least critical spot, and doubles as a defensive back for the medium and short-range pass where coverage seems to be lightest at the worst times. Not only does Reasons handle pass coverage, but Taylor and sometimes even the other guys rush the quarterback hard in ways that Bruce Smith would applaud. Even though their line could use some work, their defensive backs are all solid and competent. This, the best defense in the game, will never get injured, adding to its value. On special teams, Bahr is not that good (though he does have a decent Avoid Kick Block...^_^) but Landeta's powerful punts will fly nearly anywhere on the field. Add in Lawrence Taylor's ability to block even extra points against a human and his tendency to tackle holders on field goals and you have the best team in Tecmo Super Bowl. Honorable mentions must go to: the Chiefs, almost the best but for want of a notch-better defense (really, just a couple good-to-great defensive backs) and a more diverse passing game, or a spike of speed to Barry Word; the 49ers, whose defense is almost as good as that of the Giants, but whose running game is impotent against a great defender and competent defense (Bears, Giants, Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, and some others, moreso if they have condition spikes) with a really bad race defect in Tom Rathman, and drags down the incredible passes; to the Bills, who almost have it all with Kelly, Thomas, Reed, Smith, Bennett, and solid offense and defense otherwise; and to the Raiders, who have too many stars with low Hitting Power to give them the run depth against strong defenders that would create a dependable run attack in every game, and who need a more juiced linebacker. Special mention must go to the Eagles, where Randall Cunningham just isn't enough to pull up the straddling running backs, the passing wide receivers, and a spotty secondary epitomized by Andre Waters, who has the interceptions of a lineman, the power of a wide receiver, and the running ability of a turtle, just as green as Andre himself. Think about that - the best offensive player in the game and the worst defensive player in the game on the same team. ---------- What's the worst team in Tecmo? The worst team category has three main contenders: the Colts, the Patriots, and the Seahawks. Of these, I believe the Colts to be the absolute worst. The reasons for this are as follows: The Colts have a passable offense, but absolutely no defense to speak of, with only around two players even able to touch a fullback without bouncing off, and the slowest defense in the game. Two of the worst linebackers in the AFC hail from this team, as one example. They have absolutely no stars whatsoever. The Patriots have a horrid offense to start, and it will barely become 75% percent of that of the Colts with subsitutions like removing the tight end Marv Cook and placing him at running back. Their defense, however, can actually stop runners, and they feature stars Ray Agnew at left end and Ronnie Lippett at cornerback who can be taken by human players to stop the opposing offense. The Seahawks have a better initial offense than the Patriots, but with substitutions they end up around the same - just a little better because of depth. Their defense is weaker than that of the Patriots however, but their star Jacob Green is better than any rival player on New England; however, he starts at left end. Even so, they don't approach the Colts' horrible defense. Here's how games of Tecmo work: the person who can score the most points wins. There are two ways of doing this: a) overwhelm the opposing defense with a strong offense that can come on the field and make a score quickly to offset the opponent's own efforts with the ball; b) stop the opposing offense from putting up more points than you do by forcing field goals and turnovers on defense and by chewing up time on offense with runs and short passes, thereby giving the opposing offense less opportunities to score. While Tecmo Super Bowl happens to be an extremely balanced game in terms of offense and defense, the advantage, just like in real football, lies with the defense, because of all of the tactics that are available to defenders in Tecmo, as well as the tough returns in man-to-man games where kick returns beyond the twenty are few and punt returns of more than twenty fewer. The burden in Tecmo is always on the offense to score, especially with a human player's intelligence that can anticipate a play and neutralize it, in addition to ad-libbing a faulty intuition. The offense has very little margin for error when a great stopper and a great scorer come together. Big plays won't come very often with a consistent and successful pass-calling and run-stopping defense, especially one that will rush the quarterback and force a hasty throw instead of allowing time for players to get down the field to make huge gains on passes caught in coverage. Seeing everything on the field won't help when everything is coverage and incoming linebackers. Moreover, pounding it out on the ground will give the defense more chances for turnovers that will be capitalized upon in a close game. In addition, that slow game which will give the opposing offense less opportunities to score plays into the hands of the less-prolific team that sees small gains accumulate through nearly scoreless quarters. The one exception to this rule is the Eagles and Randall Cunningham, who are simply unstoppable on offense if played correctly. With this in mind, we can look at how these three teams will do in this situation. Seattle, when faced with the tough defense, will be hard-pressed to move upfield, but it will eventually strike, if on nothing else than third-down punt-bombs from Dave Krieg to Tommy Kane or John L. Williams. When it comes up against a powerful offense, it has an outside chance of containing the drive and coming up with a fourth down before the end zone with the relatively passable secondary and Jacob Green. New England, when coming up against the tough defense, will have lesser chances of coming up with points since desperation bombs won't work terribly well with either Steve Grogan or Marc Wilson. However, against even the best offense, it can make a stand with a called run or pass play that moves the offense back four or five yards, due to the overall quality of the players and due to the two-pronged attack of Ray Agnew on pass coverage and Ronnie Lippett on run stopping that can hold the line on single-play yardage gains. Indianapolis, when faced with the tough defense, can grind it out to a fair degree, with decent receivers, Jeff George with 50 Pass Speed, and Albert Bentley with 44 Maximum Speed. However, if consistency becomes a problem with George missing passes or general turnovers, this offense won't have the strength to consistently make quick strikes and take it downtown. But on defense, there will be no stopping a determined offensive campaign. If the offense has a good fullback, the opponent will run him for all he's worth, beating down not only the computer players who make futile attempts at tackles, but also the human player who gets into a struggle but is overwhelmed by the huge hitting power difference. If the offense has a demon (and two teams do), then it's lights out for the Colts. With a fast back, the Colts won't be able to prevent four and five yard gains on every play, not to mention the inevitable breakouts. This is just the rushing. If the opposing team starts passing, the only hope is the nose tackle dive, because open men will be everywhere, and if by some miracle every man is covered, then the quarterback can just run for five yards without any difficulty. Because Indianapolis will not be able to stop the opposing team from scoring, the best they can do is a shootout, and the worst they can do is a blowout where fast QB-WR tandems just throw long on every down and make huge yardage on every play. Other teams have chances, however slim they may be, because they can stop the opposing scores long enough to make their own. Indianapolis has no such refuge. With such long odds guaranteed by a defense that even at its best won't be good enough, Indianapolis is the worst team in Tecmo Super Bowl. ---------- What's your favorite team? My favorite team, after having played Tecmo now for more than a year (quite regularly I might add) is the Cincinnati Bengals. They're not the best, but that team has got all the personality players. You have Boomer Esiason, the fast but loose QB; you've got James Brooks, an intrepid feature back; you've got Ickey Woods, the mythic fullback whom you always root for even when you know he's not getting any yards on a play; Kendal Smith, the punt returner with mercurial feet but no hitting power to speak of; S. Jennings is the requisite abbreviated/anonymous player on the Bengals. Brian Blados has the desirable quality of mimicking another player in Tecmo (Seattle WR #1 Brian Blades) in the vein of the Jackson/Thomas/White/Carter tradition. Jim Breech is sufficient at kicker, and Lee Johnson has a totally generic name. Hit the second string and ! Eric Kattus, a solid man with a quirky name. Harold Green pulls his weight. On defense, David Fulcher blows everyone else away in all of Tecmo with about two exceptions, almost uncontestably the best defender in the game; you have his sidekick, the less skilled but still decently redoubtable Barney Bussey, who gets more than his share of interceptions; James Francis, one notch below Lawrence Taylor; and Carl Zander, the linebacker who inexplicably gets a ton of random sacks. Not only this, but you have their quirky playbook as well. The productive T Power Sweep R is coupled with the atrocious T Flea Flicker. Shotgun XY Bomb is balanced with Shotgun C Draw. The flagging Pro T Waggle R is set with the almost mercilessly effective FB Offtackle L, and the unique Power Fake Z Post is bedfellow to a utilitarian T Cross Run L. All in all, I think Cincinnati speaks for itself (though I've been yapping about it for far too long). ---------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- 15. Basic Instructions "Let me show you the Tecmo, kid." This section is divided thus: Sound Test Preseason/Pro Bowl Team Data Season Mode Playing the Game ------------ Sound Test At the title screen, press Left and B to access the sound test. The sounds are as follows (names mine, and I know they're pathetic). 1. Tecmo "Killer Team" Intro Cinema (after "Ready!") with an additional flourish at the end (thank you Gaffney for pointing this out - what a mental error for me to have made) 2. Tecmo "The World Is Watching" Cinema (until "Ready!") 3. Tecmo "Killer Team" Intro Cinema 4. Pro Bowl - Theme Of Player 1 5. Pro Bowl - Theme Of Player 2 6. Postseason - Theme Of Player 1 7. Postseason - Theme Of Player 2 8. Season - Theme Of Player 1 9. Season - Theme Of Player 2 10. Preseason - Theme Of Player 1 11. Preseason - Theme Of Player 2 12. Super Bowl Finish Cinema #1: "Super Champions" (until the roster starts scrolling) 13. Super Bowl Finish Cinema #2: "Tecmo's Greatest" (when the roster starts scrolling) 14. Kickoff! 15. Theme Of Run Touchdown/Coin Toss - Kickoff Or Return? 16. Safety! 17. Touchback! 18. Interception! 19. Turnover 20. Theme Of Player 1 First Down 21. Theme Of Player 2 First Down 22. "It's Good!" - Theme Of Successful Extra Point And Field Goal Attempts 23. "No Good" - Theme Of Unsuccessful Extra Point (it happened once to me) And Field Goal Attempts 24. Injury! 25. "New Quarter" - The Theme That Plays When The Scoreboard Appears After The First And Third Quarters 26. Halftime 27. "Is It A First Down?" - Theme Of Measuring The Position Of The Ball 28. Tecmo Sports News 29. Division Champions 30. Conference Champions 31. "The Playoffs Await" - Theme Of The NFL Standings Sequence After Week 17 32. "Prophecy" (this theme is not used in the game, but it seems to me from listening to it that maybe it would have been used for a season cinema where a player commits a crime and gets put in the clink, kind of like an injury, but Nintendo didn't want to have to kids frightened by the shady characters in the holding pen, so Tecmo had to censor it out) 33. Recovered! - Theme Of Injured Players' Return To The Game (also known as the "we nurses don't have anything better to do but stand up on the hospital all day long and wave at departing football players who don't have cars or changes of clothes and have to run to the game in their jerseys and pads - just what the doctor ordered for a guy who just got out of the hospital" cinema theme) 34. Theme Of Pass Touchdown 35. QB Sack! 36. Fumble! 37. QB Throws The Ball 38. Hike! (??) 39. Player Catches The Ball - Kicker Kicks The Ball 40. Players Hit Each Other #1 41. Ball Thump #1 42. Whistle 43. Ball Thump #2 44. Two Minute Warning 45. "Time Is Running Out" - Noise Played When Time Is Ticking Away At The End Of A Quarter 46. Gunshot - End Of Quarter 47. Ball Thumps Against The Uprights 48. "Press Start" - Noise When You Hit Start At The Beginning Of The Game 49. "What Do You Want To Do?" - The Unintelligible Muttering Of The Referee At The Coin Toss 50. "Kickoff/Return" - The Even More Unintelligible Muttering Of The Player Who States His Wish 51. Week Skip Selection Noise 52. Ball Is Punted Or Players Hit Each Other #2 53. Applause #1 54. Applause #2 55. Applause #3 56. Applause #4 57. Ready! 58. Down! 59. Hut! 60. Touchdown! Once you've had your fun with this menu, hit Start. To select, press A, and to cancel, press B. ------------ Preseason/Pro Bowl This is a game where you can choose from a variety of man, com(puter), and coa(ch - where you choose the plays but don't actually control a player) games. The Pro Bowl is the same, but you play with the Pro Bowl people listed in the Pro Bowl menu under Team Data in AFC All Stars and NFC All Stars. The players' data that changes during a season also changes for the Preseason; if someone is injured in the Season, they won't be able to play in Preseason, and the condition of the player affects their performance. The Pro Bowl games will put all players who are injured into Bad condition, but otherwise is the same as Preseason. The AFC divisions are at the top and the NFC divisions are at the bottom, starting with Eastern divisions in the first column, Central in the second, and Western in the third. ------------ Team Data Team Data is where you find all the smatterings of team data like names and numbers and stats and plays. Options: Players Data OF Starters DF Starters Play Book Players Data To take a look at the players, go into Players Data and select the player you want to see. The positions are indicated at the top right hand corner with abbreviations. Here's a list of them: QB=Quarterback RB=Running Back WR=Wide Receiver TE=Tight End C=Center LG/RG=Left Guard/Right Guard LT/RT=Left Tackle/Right Tackle K=Kicker P=Punter RE/LE=Right End/Left End NT=Nose Tackle ROLB=Right Outside Linebacker RILB=Right Inside Linebacker LILB=Left Inside Linebacker LOLB=Left Outside Linebacker RCB=Right Cornerback LCB=Left Cornerback FS=Free Safety SS=Strong Safety Note that all the Right people are the top people and all the Left people are the people closer to the bottom for defense, and the reverse for offense. For detailed explanations of the players' statistics and conditions, go to the Roster section. Offensive Starters To change your offensive starters, go into OF Starters and choose the position you want to fill and then fill it with whoever is available. Players with red X's beside their names are injured and can't be selected unless they were just injured and need to be replaced. To reset the starters, press A on Starters before you go down into the actual starters and select Yes. If you want to look at players' data in this section, simply press Start when the cursor is next to the desired starter to see that person's stats. Defensive Starters To view the defenders and their positions, go into DF Starters. For those of you wondering where the top of the screen players are, the left is the top of the screen and the right is the bottom. Play Book You can change the plays by going into Play Book, hitting A on the slot of the play you want to change, and choosing from among the list. To reset the plays, select Data Reset at the bottom. The red dots are a pitch to a man, the red lines are either the path of a runner or the paths of receivers, and white dotted lines signify a shift before the play begins. Note that some shifts are not shown on certain plays. You have been warned. The names of the plays are shown at the bottom and the names of the plays that you can select from are shown on the menu bar (but when you choose run plays, you can't see the name of the play that is currently in the slot). The runs are the top four slots and the passes are the bottom four slots (to yet again state the obvious). ------------ Season Game There are several options here: Team Control Schedule Game Start NFL Standings Team Rankings NFL Leaders Team Data Team Control This lets you choose the type (man, com, coa, skp (don't play this game, but if the other team has an option set, this is com)) of control the team will have. Schedule Schedule is the place where you look at the past and upcoming games. Hitting the A button brings up a menu: Auto Skip - Choosing this lets you pick a week to skip to. This will automatically skip to that week and its games (if you choose Week 1, it will play all the games to Week 2) when you choose Game Start, unless you have man, com, or coa chosen for a team playing in those weeks, in which case it will stop skipping and return you to the Season Mode menu to allow you to play the game currently up by selecting Game Start. You can make the game stop Auto Skipping by holding the B button, which will return you to the Season Mode menu (thanks for reminding me, Paul). You can also tap the B button repeatedly for the same effect. Playoffs - This allows you to view the Playoff schedule as it is created through winning of division championships, and also when the the regular season is over, you can use it to go back to the Playoff schedule. Reset - If you choose this option, it will give you two menus to confirm that you really want to clear away all the season data. Selecting "Yes" for both of these will reset the season to the beginning of Week 1, change all the players' conditions to Average, and clear away all the players' statistics. During the Playoffs, the Schedule option will default to the Playoff Screen that shows the results and the upcoming games therein. Game Start Game Start plays or skips the games you've selected, according to the options that you've chosen. Keep in mind that if an option other than skp is chosen for a game, the game will be played out in full just like a Preseason game. NFL Standings NFL Standings shows the records and progress of each team in the NFL with total points for and against a team, as well as any wild card (noted with a white circle doodad under the team's helmet) or division champion status that team may have earned (noted with a red star under a team's helmet). The teams are listed by conference and division. Team Rankings This lists each team in the league or conference by the total amount of yards gained in Offense or the least amount of yards allowed in Defense, depending on what list you chose. Once you are in the ranking, you can then move the cursor right or left to show the ranked yards gained or allowed for passing only or rushing only. NFL Leaders This lists individual leaders in certain stats by NFL, AFC, and NFC. In each menu except for Sacks, you can press right and see another set of list options for each one. This holds true for all of the sub-menus as well. I have made a list of my own that shows the options for ranking as well as the initial ranking criterion: - Passing - Rating Rating Completion % # Of Pass Attempts # Of Completions Total Yards Gained Yards Per Attempt # Of Touchdown Passes Least Interception % Receiving - # Of Receptions # Of Receptions Total Yards Gained Yards Per Receptions # Of Touchdowns Rushing - Total Yards Gained Total Yards Gained Rushing Attempts Yards Per Attempt # Of Touchdowns Scoring - Total Points Total Points # Of Touchdowns # Of Extra Points # Of Field Goals Punting - Average Punt Yardage Average Punt Yardage Total # Of Punts Interceptions - # Of Interceptions # Of Interceptions Total Yards Gained # Of Touchdowns Sacks - # Of Sacks # Of Sacks Punt Returns - Average Yards Gained Average Yards Gained Total Yards Gained # Of Returns # Of Touchdowns Kickoff Returns - Average Yards Gained Average Yards Gained Total Yards Gained # Of Returns # Of Touchdowns Team Data This is the same Team Data that is in the first menu, but duplicated for your convenience in the Season Mode menu. ------------ Playing The Game Table of Contents: Other 1 Offense Defense Special Teams Other 2 Other 1 In a game, pressing B will skip through the coin toss and randomly assign a kicking and returning team. It will also skip through halftime. Offense A struggles (or hits) and B does nothing for a plain old vanilla-and-nothing runner or returner. On the play formation screen, A brings up a menu where you can call time outs, punt, kick a field goal, or change your offensive lineup. To choose a play, hit the directional arrow and button simultaneously that are shown underneath the play you want to call. To hike the ball, press A. For a run play, you only have to control the runner. For a pass play, you change receivers with A and pass with B. There are two more sophisticated ways of passing. One of them is the switch pass, in which you hit both buttons (A+B) at the same time, but with A a little earlier, which switches the pass from one receiver to the next in the order for the play. The second is the dupe pass, in which you do the same thing, but hit B first. This will shift the cursor to the next receiver, but will throw the pass to the one the cursor pointed to previously. Defense On defense, hitting A or B will move you progressively through the people you can control, with A moving forward and B moving backward through the players. B slide tackles and A struggles as with offense. You cannot change players during the course of the play. In the play screen, you can call time outs by bringing up the menu by pressing A. Special Teams Kicking a ball from a field goal position is done with A, the direction being determined by an arrow. Kicking off is done with A, with the power meter on top determining the strength of the kick. The higher the bar is when you hit A, the more powerful the kick will be. Kicking when the meter is in the blue will cause an onside kick. If you hit up or down when you kick, the direction of the kick will change to move up or down correspondingly. Punting is done the same way, but you cannot change its direction and you cannot "onside punt". Other 2 Note that the numbers and names of the offensive and defensive players are shown at the top (though often not in full). Also, in the playbook screen, it shows the person who runs the play atop the actual play for the run plays. At the end of the game, you can either hit A or B to exit the score screen. ------------ That's about it for the serious stuff. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 16. Rumors And Myths ------------------ Rumors R=Rumor O=My Take R: People can catch blocked balls. O: I believe that it could be true, because I have seen people diving for the ball, but I have never actually seen it in action. However, the incidence of this phenomenon would be very rare. It's only the intended receiver who could do such a thing in any case, because they're the only offensive players who slide for the balls. R: Changing receivers a lot helps a QB's accuracy/receptions. O: This one is speculative. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. I might have seen some slight improvements with Steve Grogan. I don't think it does anything much for any decent passer though. R: Getting mob tackled increases the rate of injury. O: I studied this recently and it seemed as though tackles involving two or more defenders produced more injuries. However, I watch a lot of mob tackles that don't injure anyone, and one day, I had two single-tackler injuries in two games. R: Struggling a lot/not struggling at all makes a person more fumble-prone. O: I think I would need more study on this before I could come to a real conclusion. R: Punts can be blocked, however rarely. O: This was probably a feature, like penalties, that the programmers and developers were going to put in, but never finished. Whether this can actually be activated is doubtful. Extensive tests have turned up nothing, not even a pressure. R: Changing plays in the middle of a season helps your ability to run them. O: Don't think this one is quite the case. ------------------ Myths M=Myth R=Reason(s) [pun!] Why It's Wrong M: Quickness does anything significant. R: Many hours of tests prove this wrong. M: Running in the opposite direction makes defenders more likely to struggle with a runner instead of slide tackling. R: I checked on this for a few games, and noticed nothing significant. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 17. Taunts "Ha." Some of these taunts are lame, but some are all right. General: "With that kind of speed, you could play in Madden. Maybe you're even Madden himself." "O-ho! That's hitting power!" Kick field goals from where you would punt and punt from where you would kick field goals. Kick the extra point at the last minute or even take the tackle. On interceptions: Run the ball as if you were the intended receiver towards a touchdown. For even greater effect, make it into the end zone and start humming the pass touchdown music. "This is how got in the NFL, no doubt. He passes the Grogan test with flying colors." "It's too bad I can't set as a wide receiver." "Do you get bonuses for these?" On fumbles: "Couldn't hold your lunch, eh?" "I didn't know could pass." "Touchdown celebrations are done in the end zone." "If you keep behaving like Lorenzo White, you'll never win this game." "I knew you had my ball." "Coughing up things like that makes you look like a cat." On safeties: "You're safe all right - from getting a touchdown." "You ran to the wrong end zone." "You're better at getting to your end zone than I am." "You should have punted." "I don't have to play - you win this game for me." "You could have made things easier for me and kicked a field goal." "That was an old-school 2-point conversion." On BAD passes (credit Paul for some inspiration): "In another era, you could have been an anti-aircraft artillery piece/shuttle launching pad/flare gun." "The geese are breaking formation almost as quickly as you are." "Do you hunt that way?" "If you break the Tecmo blimp/scoreboard/uprights, you're going to have to pay for it, and on the salary you're getting next year, it'll be a tough buy - that is, if they don't fire you for and leave you totally destitute." "Giving the fans balls is certainly generous of you." "That's one way to avoid an interception." "If you could kick as well as you pass, every team in the league would want you. Are you trying to be the next Tom Tupa?" "The coaches don't need all this practice." "I repeat: just because the cheerleaders are in red doesn't mean they're your targets." "If you keep throwing like that, the cheerleaders are going to have to wear pads too." "I guess cheerleaders get breast implants to absorb your incoming passes." "Getting revenge on the mute fans, I see." "The parachutist only comes at halftime." "Are you Groganing again?" On dropped passes: "Gee, that guy came straight from junior high." "You have to catch the ball first to be able to fumble." "My linemen are better receivers." "You're confusing football with hot potato." "Gee, maybe I should have thrown it to the bleachers. Someone might have caught it there." " isn't catching and he isn't blocking. Why do you pay this guy?" On missed field goals: "The cheerleaders can kick better than you can." "You wanted to be a sniper, but..." "Too short to be a punter and too high to be a soccer player..." " gives away balls on passes and gives away balls on kicks." On oafed kicks and punts: "You're the argument for the thrown kickoff/punt." "You could have just thrown over the line with the ball and gotten more yards. Or for that matter, you could have kicked him." "In golf, that kind of thing is called a bogey. In football, it's called pathetic." ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18. Games With Tecmo "So you like to play games." "Now the fun begins." I put some games I like to play with Tecmo in here. Vertigo: This game is played with a running back versus the computer (you can also use a human, but it's much harder). You can play it alone or with a friend. To play, you choose any of the run plays for your team. Once you get out into the field, you start running. Your objective is to lose as many yards as possible, while still scoring first downs and touchdowns. You lose yards by running backwards, whether from in front of or behind the line. You can move forwards and backwards and each time you run backwards, you will get yards until you start running sideways or forwards. However, you must get first down, or you will lose a certain number of yards for running out of downs and causing hassle (I like the yards for that set of four downs best). Getting a touchdown gives you a free ten yards. Getting points scored against you (safeties, field goals, or touchdowns) deducts ten yards. You keep playing until you get a touchdown or you turnover the ball by fumble or you run out of downs. Then you switch over to your partner, if you have one, the next time your team goes on offense. One variation on this game is that the number of yards you allow the computer in the meantime is counted against you. The person with the most yards at the end of the quarter or the half or the game or whatever you decide on wins. I like to play with Christian Okoye vs. Indianapolis. Heroics: This is like the inverse of Vertigo. To play this game, you must get as many positive passing yards as you can on a drive. You must get first down, however, and continue the drive, just as in Vertigo, or you lose the yards for those last downs. Interceptions are ten yards against you, as are down turnovers, and opposing team scores. The way you calculate the passing yards is simply the amount of yards between where the quarterback throws and the receiver catches. You can then run backwards if you like, without any penalty. The person at the end of the game with the most yards wins. Tekken: This game's object is to knock over as many people as you can in a drive, while still getting the first downs. You lose ten hits if you run out of downs. The tally stops on a turnover, fumble, or touchdown, and the person with the most hits for their drive wins. I like to play Okoye vs. Indianapolis with this one.