John Madden American Football





 PASSWORDS:



 Try these:



 0540300 - Quarter final.

 0150361 - Semi final.

 0550361 - Super Bowl final.



 If you enter 665 followed by any four numbers, you will be in a final

 game. The number after the 665 determines the team you play.





 PLAYING TIPS:



 Utilise audibles as much as possible. Fool the computer into thinking

 you're attempting a long bomb (Hands and Shotgun and then choose the

 teams best running audible before the snap). The same can be done with

 passing plays. Set a formation and fool the computer into thinking that

 you're going for a running play (Big and Goalline), when at the line of

 scrimmage, choose the teams passing audible once more.

 If you're too far away for a field goal, when on a 4th down, go for a

 fake punt. Fake field goals are also pretty useful in a tight spot, but

 only as a last resort. When running with the ball, run up field at an

 angle then, when a defender comes towards you, quickly change direction

 when he dives at your feet. Hold down the firebutton and you'll have the

 best chance of shaking the tackle.

 When playing defence, select a good strong formation. Manoeuvre a player

 from the centre zone to the line of scrimmage, and then into a gap between

 the two men, pushing them along the line of scrimmage. This often upsets

 the offensive line and you can get through to sack the quarterback.

 Always try to strip the ball from the offensive team if there are more

 than two of your defensive players around. You should be able to take

 possession. Also, when you're running with the ball and there's no way

 around a defender, try spinning around to throw him off track.

 When playing the computer in defence mode and it chooses a running play,

 don't attempt to tackle the ball carrier. Instead, run in front of him

 and he'll try to run around you. Block his change of direction and he

 will run backwards trying to get past. Keep this up and you will force

 him right back to regain lost yardage.

 Always watch the game clock. A lot of people always forget about it, and

 timing that all-important last scoring play can make the difference

 between a win and a loss. When passing, concentrate on the receiver

 windows as well. Choose the player who is free or ahead of the defensive

 players. By watching the distance meters you can tell who is in the best

 position to receive your pass.

 Hands, Shotgun, Deep Outs and Post Up are all very effective offensive

 plays and rate amongst the best to use. On the defensive front try 4-3

 Read and Wide Zone 2. Anyone who can take Atlanta to the Super Sunday is

 a great player, but if you want a real challenge try to get over 100

 points against a computer-controlled Madden team, then you're an all-star.

 Another tip for the game is that sometimes you can get the ball back when

 kicking off. When the kicking meter is on the screen, put the direction

 full to the right with no power at all. Cincinnati, Kansas, All Madden

 and Minnesota can get the ball back all the time.

=========================================================================== 

           JOHN MADDEN`S AMERICAN FOOTBALL - HINTS `N` TIPS

            ================================================



Using The Scouting Report

-------------------------



Don`t forget, this is there for a purpose - it`s a mistake to ignore 

it. Through it you`ll discover the strengths and weaknesses of your team

and it`s individual players, as well as those of your opponent. For

example, your kickers are crucial for field goals, but some aren`t as 

good as others. Some may even slip when their foot comes into contact 

with the ball! One way to try and make up for this is to always kick 

with maximum power when using an average or ropier kicker.



Then there`s the huddle - the circle each team forms to discuss tactics

before a play begins. Once you`ve choosen a play for your team, they`ll

face off against the opposistion in the formation you`ve chosen along 

the line of scrimmage. There`s a narrow neutral zone (measuring the 

width of a football!) between the two teams - an offside penalty (the

offending team gets five yards deducted) will be called if either team

enters this area before the ball is brought into play.



What an Earth`s an `Audible?`

-----------------------------



Okay, so you`re both lined up facing each other on either side of the

scrimmage. Your next task is to try and guess the other team`s strategy

from how they`ve placed their players - you may decide your own men are 

set up wrong as a result of this, and while you can`t totally re-arrange

things, you can make one of two last minute changes. You do this using 

(you guessed it) an `audible` - this is a special pre-arranged play (it

could be a trick offensive play or defensive rush) that the other team

won`t be expecting from your formation. What happens is the quarterback

calls out a series of code words or numbers before the ball is snapped

which alerts the team that a special play will replace the previous call.



As you may have guessed about such a useful tool, it`s wise to call

audibles as much as possible. For instance, you could select a deep 

passing play with a formation and set that will fool the computer into

thinking you are attempting a `long bomb` (example: HANDS and SHOTGUN),

then choose the team`s best running audible before the snap - this should

leave the opposition completely wrong-footed.



Play To Your Strengths

----------------------



Remember, your play should always be designed to either exploit the

strengths of your best players or expose the weaknesses of the defense -

and preferably both. You`ve wasted an opportunity if you don`t. (Having

said that, it`s often a lot easier to do this against the computer than a

human opponent).



A good example would be to select a formation and set to fool the 

computer into thinking you`re going for a running play, say BIG GOAL LINE,

then, choosing the team`s passing audible instead when you`re at the line

of scrimmage. Fools `em (nearly) every time.



How To Handle Playing Offense

-----------------------------



When you`re playing in offensive mode and picked your play, your centre

will snap the ball back to your quarterback. Your team must now move it

towards the defense goal line. They have two ways in which to do this - 

the ball can be carried towards the goal line, known as a running play, or

it can be thrown forward to another player. This is known as a passing

play. If you`re on a fourth down - and too far away to attempt a field 

goal - remember to use your passing skills. Passing is the key to winning 

a game quickly, but can also be your downfall if your receivers aren`t up

to scratch.



If you`ve got a team with good passing skills you can go for a fake punt -

where your punter makes like he`s going to kick, but at the last moment

throws the ball to an open receiver or hands it to a fullback. Faking that

you`re going to try for a field goal and then getting a guy to run with 

the ball instead is also pretty useful if you need the points, but only 

use them as a last resort - they`re risky.



One thing passing always requires is concentration. Keep one eye on the

receiver windows, making sure you select the appropriate guy (the receiver

who is free or ahead of the defense is not always the best option). Always

watch distance meters.



When you`re in a running play, or your receiver is running with the ball

for a touchdown, a defensive player may be close to tackling you. To 

avoid the tackle, run upwards at an angle (up left or up right). As soon 

as the defense dives to tackle you, change your run to the opposite

direction (example: if you`re running up and left for example, change to 

up and right). For extra strength, hold down fire on the joystick.



However, there`ll be times when you`re about to be tackled and there`ll be

nothing you can do about it. If this is the case, try spinning. This will

only work, however, in a one-on-one situation - any more of the other team

about and you`re likely to be cannon fodder.



On a fourth down - when you`ll probably be quite desperate to get 

somewhere, as it`s unlikely you`re going to get the ten yards to earn a 

new first down - the offense can choose to punt the ball towards the

opponents goal line. If you want to do this, the punter - instead of the

quarterback - will receive the ball from the snap. He then kicks it into

the defense`s half as if you were actually starting the whole thing with 

a kick off. The idea here is to drive the opposistion deep, deep (deep)

into their own territory, thus making it incredibly difficult for them to

gain enough yardage to score when they eventually get their go at offense.



To make it even tougher for them, kick the ball as far as you can to the

left or right - never straight - as they`ll find it much harder to collect

that way.



Last but not least, always (always! Always!) keep your eye on the game

clock. Timing that all important clever play can make or break a game.

==============================================================================
ADDITIONAL CHEATS (from OLLIVision)

PLAYOFF CODES (Team matchups):
Los Angeles    vs  New York       : 0152451
Minnesota      vs  Los Angeles    : 0560500
Minnesota      vs  Washington     : 0170520
Minnesota      vs  Denver         : 0570520
New York       vs  Chicago        : 0445600
New York       vs  Minnesota      : 0055611
New York       vs  Denver         : 0455611
New York       vs  Houston        : 0552457
New York       vs  Buffalo        : 6651576
Philadelphia   vs  Atlanta        : 6607100
Philadelphia   vs  Los Angeles    : 6217121
Philadelphia   vs  Cincinnati     : 6617121
Philadelphia   vs  Washington     : 6641500
San Francisco  vs  Los Angeles    : 0542400
Washington     vs  Los Angeles    : 6272635
Washington     vs  San Francisco  : 6662600
Washington     vs  Denver         : 6672631
Washington     vs  New York       : 6251570