Madden NFL 2004 - Strategy Guide (Page 01)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Madden NFL 2004 - Strategy Guide (Page 01).
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MADDEN NFL 2004
FAQ/Strategy Guide
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For Microsoft X-BOX
Version 1.1
By Chris Zawada
User: antseezee
E-mail: antseezee@epix.net
Created: 11/01/03
Last Update: 01/08/04
Copyright 2003 Chris Zawada
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Author's Note
----------------------------
I'd just like to say that this is one of my first "major" FAQs ever, so please
bear with me. This FAQ/Strategy Guide is a general way of helping you understand
how Madden 2004 works. It is not some in-depth guide full of roster names, or
historic teams. This basically tells you how to successfully operate the game to
full efficiency. Just like to say thanks for reading it, and hope that you gain
the missing knowledge you were looking for in Madden 2004.
Contributing/Feedback
----------------------------
If you have any contributions, feedback, or strategies you'd like to have added
to the guide, contact me via e-mail or on GameFAQs. I'll be more than content to
add your segment of information, and will also provide credit. If you have any
questions you'd like added to the Common Questions section, ask. I simply don't
have the time to sit around thinking of questions. Provide me with what you want
to know!
Updates
----------------------------
=01/08/04= v1.1 ***NEW VERSION***
Finished the Rookie Scouting section mainly thanks to JLawson's Rookie Scouting
FAQ (check the credits section for more info). Also added a few more
questions/answers to the Common Questions section (Chapter 8). More information
is added about holdouts, how to fix them, and all (if not most) of the custom
teams in Madden 2004 - [SPECIAL*^*thanks to Joel Glenn on this tip].
=11/04/03= v1.0
Finished most of the guide. It's not actually 100% complete, but really only a
few key elements are missing (Rookie Scouting Tests). Most of these will be
finished in the next update. Enjoy the official first version.
=11/01/03= v1.0
Started the basic outline of the FAQ. Main goal is to provide a more general
understanding of Madden to the beginning, and advanced player.
============================
- Table of Contents -
============================
1) Introduction
2) Controls
3) Game Modes
> Description of each with partial strategies
4) Offense
> Formations/Ratings
5) Defense
> Formations/Ratings
6) Key Strategies
> Passing
> Rushing
> Defense
> Special Teams
7) Franchise Details
> New Additions
> How to manage
8) Common Questions
9) Special Features
> Madden Cards, EA Sports Bio, Custom Soundtracks, Sliders
10) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines
11) Proper Credits
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============================
- 1) Introduction -
============================
Madden NFL 2004 is one of the most popular football video games ever, revived
for yet another year in action. Originating back in the early 90s, Madden has
continued to dominate mainly for its realistic gameplay, and mass amount of
options available to the player. The entire game takes place in the NFL, where
you can control up to 32 different teams, and hopefully lead them to the
Superbowl. However, Madden 2004 is more than a simple football game. It's a
masterpiece of strategy and management. Players are given the ability to take
control of a franchise, literally signing players to extensive contracts,
firing/hiring coaches, and ultimately building the great dynasty.
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============================
- 2) Controls -
============================
Thankfully, this year's Madden fits perfectly to the X-BOX controller. Unlike
last year's scheme, players have quick and easy access to pump fakes, spins, and
the stiff arm which can be used for heavy gains. Also, please note that the
control pad is the flat, 4-way button on the X-BOX controller. The left and
right joysticks are the prongs that stick out. Just don't get confused with
either.
______________
/Menu Controls/
----------------------------
Up/Down Pad - highlights items
Left/Right Pad - changes items
A or start - selects
B or back - cancels
X - help menu
X + L/R trigger - changes to next music track
Playcalling
----------------------------
Start - pauses game
Back - calls timeout
Control pad - cycles formations
A, X, or B - selects designated play
Y - cancels the formation or play selected
Kicking/Punting
----------------------------
A - starts and stops kicking meter
Control pad - allows for change in the path of the ball
*Hit A once to start the kicking meter. Hit it again as far up as possible (for
more power). The bar will then reset downward. Hit it a third time to stop it
for accuracy. The more red you hit in the power, and yellow in accuracy, your
kick will hit dead on. Please note that wind, weather conditions, and muffled
snaps can affect where it goes. By changing the path of the ball, you can cause
for lower, farther kicks. Also pushing a punt upward will cause it to have more
hangtime.
*The meter gets faster on each difficulty, and the bar moves extremely fast if
you hit the button in heavy red.
Kick/Punt Returning
----------------------------
A - highlights control of the returner closest to the ball
Y - calls for fair catch (while ball is in air)
*After the ball is caught, all rushing buttons take effect of the returner. Use
them accordingly.
________
/Offense/
----------------------------
A - Snaps the ball
B - calls a fake snap (useful for pulling defense offsides)
X - calls an audible (press another button afterwards to change the play)
Y - calls a hot route (allows you to select a receiver, and press a direction to
change his receiving route)
Right Joystick - move it left or right to make use of the playmaker feature
Control Pad - Press up or down to cycle between eligible players in motion,
press left or right to move that receiver in the designated direction
White button - Coach's cam
Black button - Coach's cam w/ routes
*Fake snaps can cause for both false starts and offsides, so be weary of its
use. The use of the right joystick (before a play) allows you to change the play
without calling an audible. For example, on a run, if the play is designated to
run left, you can press the joystick to the right. This will cause the run to go
to the right, allowing you to avoid a blitz, or something of the sort.
*When using a hot route, press Y once. Next, select the button of one of your
receivers. Press a direction of how you want to change his receiving route. If
the receiver is going to make a curl back to the line, you can hot route him,
and press up so he'll go for the deep bomb.
*The coach's cam is basically a super zoomed out view which shows all your
personnel on field. It gives you a general overview of the defense, and is
perfect for anticipating what the opponent is going to do.
Passing
----------------------------
Left Joystick/Control Pad - moves QB
A - toggles the passing icons on the screen (allows you to pass to a receiver)
A, B, X, L/R triggers - passes the ball to that designated receiver
White button - throws the ball away (out of bounds)
Black Button - pump fakes
Y - disables passing icons (after enabled), allows for QB to rush
*The passing mode must be set to NORMAL for passing icons to work. If the mode
is set to QUICK, your receiver icons will pop up immediately after the snap.
Thus, make sure you don't accidently throw the ball to receiver A, when you
actually mean to speed burst.
*All buttons are pressure sensitive. Lightly tapping a passing icon will cause
for a deep bomb, rather than a speeding bullet. Press according to how you want
the ball thrown.
Rushing
----------------------------
Left Joystick/Control Pad - moves player
A - speed bursts
X - dives (press lightly to slide with QB)
B - spins
Y - hurdle/jump
R trigger + left or right - juke steps left or right
L trigger - stiff arm
*Pressing the R trigger to a greater degree will cause your player to side step
to a greater extent. Speed bursts restrict your movement for a limited amount of
seconds. You basically cannot turn while speed bursting.
Receiving
----------------------------
A - take control of intended receiver
X - dives
B - sprints
Y - catch/leap for pass
*Dive can be very useless, especially on catching drills. It has to be timed
precisely, and also be in range of the jump. There's also an extremely slow
recovery time after you dive. It's almost essential that you press Y to catch
the ball (unless you let the CPU do it for you).
________
/Defense/
----------------------------
A, B - cycles through your defenders
Control Pad/Joystick - allows you to move players
L trigger + direction - defensive line shift
L trigger + white button - resets D-line shift
R trigger + direction - linebacker shift
R trigger + white button - resets LB shift
X + another assigned button - calls an audible
Y + direction - calls a coverage audible
X + white button - resets to original play
White button - Coach's cam
Black Button - Coach's cam w/ schemes
*Defensive shifts allow your personnel to get a better angle on the defensive
side of the ball. Shifting the linebacker core the left, when you're fairly sure
a run is going to the left side increases your chance of stopping the run. It
also allows for better coverage on receivers, giving the linebackers a head
start.
*Coverable audibles are similar to bump-n-run, and hail mary coverage. You can
basically move certain people to the left and right to double up, down to jam
the receivers, or up to play the deep pass.
After the Snap
----------------------------
A - takes control of player closest to ball
Left Joystick/Control Pad - moves player
X - dives, or dive tackle
B - sprint
Y - leap
Black button - strips the ball (causes fumbles)
L trigger - spin move (to get rid of a blocker)
R trigger - swim move (to also get rid of a blocker)
*Any defensive player who comes in contact with an offensive player that has the
ball will automatically attempt a tackle. It's not necessary to dive at every
player you want to tackle. The strip move attempts to cause a fumble in the
carryers' hands. Unfortunately, it can also catch the face mask every once in a
while, leaving for a face masking penalty. The spin move is similar to a
defensive player spinning around a slower offensive linemen. If you're caught
off balance, you will get pancaked on a spin move. A rip will try to catch a
blocker off guard, but can also get you jammed up for a few seconds.
__________
/Playmaker/
----------------------------
New in this year's version of Madden 2004 is the Playmaker feature. It makes use
of the right joystick (on the X-BOX controller). When pressed in a certain
direction (before and after the snap), it will cause certain effects.
Offense (Before the Snap) - changes left/right direction of play, hot routes
receiver onto a different route
Offense (After the Snap) - control the nearest blocker to you, direct the
closest receiver on a passing play
Defense (Before the Snap) - edge the secondary towards one side of the field
Defense (After the Snap) - cheats towards the run, or the deep pass
*The right joystick must be pressed up or down immediately after the snap for
the run/pass effect to work. Basically, when pressed down after the snap, it
will cause your linebackers to blitz for the run. When pressed up for the pass,
it will cause your safeties to drop back into deep coverage. Unfortunately, if
you get caught in a play fake, you will give up a big play. Use on an occasional
basis.
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============================
- 3) Game Modes -
============================
_________
/Play Now/
----------------------------
=Let's you play an exhibition game between 2 teams.=
- Play Now is your typical exhibition mode. It let's you play a game that
doesn't count (although it can be added to your profile). Away/Home teams can be
set, created teams can be imported, even stadium conditions can be set. Pressing
the L or R trigger will let you navigate the vast list of "historic" teams that
EA Sports added in on the side. Even the kickoff time can be set thanks to this
trusty little feature. Up to four people can play.
__________
/Franchise/
----------------------------
=Take control of any professional team for over 30 years, and lead them to the
Superbowl.=
- Franchise is Madden's premiere gaming mode. It allows the player to control
every aspect of a professional team. Player salaries, coaching contracts,
playing the actual games, and owner methods must all be managed by the player
alone. Rather than simply playing a simple season, the gamer is given a chance
to actually manage a team both financially, and respectively. For a more in-
depth analysis of franchise mode, please check out Chapter 7.
___________
/Tournament/
----------------------------
=Create a special bracket in which various teams can compete for the ultimate
leadership.=
- Tournament is similar to many of the gaming competitions around the world. The
entire mode is designed to have various teams go head-to-head until one defined
team is left over. This is great for finding out who the best Madden player is
out of a group of friends, or simply for the sheer fact of challenge.
Types:
- Single Elimination <-> Double Elimination
- Round Robin <-> Double Round Robin
Besides the type of elimination, the player can choose the number of teams in
the tournament, who plays who, and if a fantasy draft is to be initiated.
Certainly one of the more entertaining modes among a group of friends.
__________
/Mini-Camp/
----------------------------
=Compete in various drills in order to earn tokens, unlock game situations, and
fine-tune your skills.=
- Mini Camp is similar to Training Camp (new in 2004), in which players test
their skills via several training drills. Each area of football is split into
individual tests, such as passing, rushing, tackling, and kicking. Players must
score a minimum amount of points to earn a trophy, which in part allows them to
test the next difficulty. Each drill is split into four difficulties (Rookie,
Pro, All Pro, All Madden), with each getting harder as you progress.
Precision Passing
----------------------------
The goal of precision passing is to hit ring targets placed across the field
while being able to hit receivers in stride. Rings are colored according to
value (bronze, silver, gold), and bonuses are rewarded if the ball is caught as
well. Rings will get smaller as the difficulty rises, meaning you have to time
and put the right amount of pressure to pierce the ring in the middle.
Basically, there are a few key tips to get down. The release of the ball is the
most essential part in succeeding. On out routes, you want to send a speeding
bullet right when the receiver makes the break to the outside. On curl backs,
wait till the receiver starts to edge back, then bullet pass it. For deep
passes, wait until the receiver is about halfway down the route, then lob it. If
you happen to go past the ring (vertically), hold the passing button down longer
for a more speedy throw. On slants, wait till the receiver gets two steps off
the diagnoal break, then pierce it in. Here's a little graph to help:
^ ^
| /
| ___ /
|. ^| | / . ______^
| . . | / . |.
| . . | | . .
X . . | X . . |
| . . | | . . |
--------O---X--- ---------O----X---
*The dotted projectories is when you should throw the ball on each specific
route. For example, on the deep straight route, just loft the ball when the
receiver is halfway down his route. By timing it halfway, the ball should arrive
at the ^ arrow that's pointing up (represents a ring). The same goes with the
curl, slant, and out routes. Just use the trajectory of the dots to time it.
Pocket Presence
----------------------------
In Pocket Presence, you must manage the pressure of the oncoming defensive line,
while being able to throw passes to the correct icon targets. It's not as hard
as it seems though. Points are awarded for completing a pass, and a multiplier
will increase your points by completing consecutive passes, not getting sacked,
and hitting the correct receivers.
Simply enough, tennis balls are shot out of stationed guns at the quarterback.
You must avoid the tennis balls, and then pass the ball to a receiver whose icon
lights up. Unfortunately, there is a small circle in which you are not suppose
to go out of. If you stay out of the circle for an allotted time of five
seconds, the drill will end. Thus, you must stay in the pocket, avoid tennis
balls, and fire to the correct receiver.
My best strategy for this drill is to stare at the northernmost gun. Don't look
directly at the receivers, or all the way down at your QB. Position your eyes
right in the middle, so that you can get a small amount of peripheral vision on
both the guns and receivers. One of the most important elements is to memorize
which color is associated with the button on the controller. B is for red, A for
green, and X for blue. If you can remember these key colors, then this drill
should be easy. Here's a little picture to show you what you should be
concentrating on.
|A| |L| |R|
|X| |B|
^ <----- stare at this one
^ ____ ^
/ \
^ \ Qb / ^
\__/ <------ pocket zone
*As the difficulty rises, the rate of tennis balls show and amount will
increase. Thus, you have to keep some vision on what's coming at your
quarterback, and which icons are lighting up. After a pass is completed, note
that the passing icons are RESET. Do not memorize each position. Just associate
the color with the button, and when it lights up, fire away. Remember though,
stare at the middle gun to keep a balance of view.
Clutch Kicking
----------------------------
One of the easier drills in 2004, Clutch Kicking is basically an accuracy
contest for kickers. Players must be accurate in kicks (the goal post is split
into three colored zones). More points are awarded for kicks that split the
uprights, with lesser points designated for slightly-off-the-middle kicks. No
points are awarded for missing a kick. You're given 60 seconds to obtain as many
points as possible.
All you have to do is press A to start the kicking meter, (press A again) to
stop it in the red, and press it once more when it reaches the middle of the
yellow zone. Since this is a timed event, be quick in your actions. Don't dilly
dally around like you have a 30 second play clock. Just check the wind meter
once, and aim all your kicks in the same way.
*As the difficulty rises, the wind, distance, and kicking meter becomes more
difficult to manage. The wind always stays the same for all 60 seconds, so just
check it once. Be VERY careful on higher difficulties, as the kicking meter
moves extremely fast. Try your best to time it. Places are systematically moved
from the left hash, middle, and the right hash. Also, never move the trajectory
higher, since it will waste time and reduce distance.
Swat Ball
----------------------------
This is definitely one of my favorite drills in all of 2004. Similar to most
defensive drills, Swat Ball is a defensive back designed drill where players
must swat, intercept, and prevent dummy receivers from catching the ball. An
automated machine will shoot out a pass in timed intervals to a dummy (stand-
still target) in which your defensive back must tip or intercept the ball.
Points are earned by you getting a hand on the ball before the receiver does.
Doing this consecutively will increase your points by a multiplier, and
intercepting the ball yields bonus points.
This is a really easy drill, as long as you can time the interceptions right.
The drill starts off with a highlighted circle appearing to show you which
receiver is going to get the ball. The immediate moment you see the circle,
sprint (using B) to that direction, and let off right around the area. Once you
reach the area of the ball, it should be shot out by this time. Press the R
trigger to face the direction of the ball. If you don't, your back will be
facing the pass, and will only get deflected. Using a combination of the R
trigger, press Y to leap up and intercept the ball. Immediately after that, wait
for the next circle to pop up, and repeat the process. Note that if you can't
make it in time (for one of the interceptions), press the L trigger to make a
leaping tip.
*As the difficulty increases, the velocity of the ball will go up as well. This
drill usually requires a fast defensive back since you'll be racing from target
to target. Also, an additional dummy is added per difficulty. This means, you
may be forced to run from short-to-deep, and tip a few passes along the way.
Ground Attack
----------------------------
This is your all-out running back drill. Basically, the goal is to score as many
touchdowns as you can with a runningback and limited blocking. You're given 60
seconds to get as many points as possible. Points are rewarded for gaining
positive yards, and scoring touchdowns. Plays are continuous and random, meaning
that a play (different or the same) will continue right after you're tackled.
Rushing out of bounds will stop the clock. Each time a play intiates, random
"pilon" blockers are shifted in various directions. You must use these pilon
blockers, combined with a blocking fullback to get past 2-5 defensive tacklers.
This is by far one of the most useful, and masterful drills in 2004. Your actual
Halfback can make a huge difference, since speed can prove to be a great
benefit. Since time is continuous, it's smart to go for the touchdown when you
know you can, and to run out of bounds when the situation is doubtful. Once the
play is snapped, look for where the hole is in the offensive line. If there's a
wide open gap, speed burst through it, and use your fullback as a guide.
Sometimes a linebacker will seep through that your fullback misses, meaning
you're left to hang dry. It's essential that you follow the block of your
fullback. If he cuts for the late block, move to the outside and rush up the
sideline. If he goes for the inside slam, follow his lead, and see if he
pancakes the defender.
Use your special moves as well. Spinning is by far the most useful, since it
allows you to get rid of a defender one on one. Use the stiff arm when you need
to muscle an outside gain. Avoid using a juke, since it tends to be more of a
slowdown on time. Here's a little picture to guide you:
| . | | . |
| X . | | X . |
| B.. | | . X |
| . | | .X |
| . | | oo .^ oo o |
| O | | O |
Spin move Follow the blocker
*As you can see, by pressing (B + inside direction), your rusher will actually
spin towards the inside. This will completely fool the defender, getting him off
your trail. Following the lead block can usually be a bit tricky, but takes a
little practice. Your fullback ^ will plug one of the oncoming defenders, giving
you an interval of time to see where to take your path. In this case, you'd
probably want to take it straight up the middle since both outside routes are
covered. As the difficulty increases, one more defender is added to the field.
Trench Fight
----------------------------
The biggest flaw with most of the timed drills is that most of your players need
speed. Unfortunately, Trench Fight is a timed drill that involves slow defensive
linemen. The idea is to reach a posted flag (represents the QB) which is behind
one or two offensive linemen. You must shove, rip, spin, or get by the
guard/tackle, and reach the flag. Usually, there are 2 or 3 patterns setup one
after another, making Trench Fight more of a race of time.
This is by far one of the hardest drills in all of mini camp for the pure fact
that you need pure luck. In order to reach the flags in the quickest amount of
time, you have to know when to engage blocks, and when to get around them.
Whenever you see a big tackle, try to rip (R trigger) past him. When you
approach a fullback or lighter guard, use the shove (B button) to pancake him on
his butt. Use the spin move in dire situations when you can't rip or push the
person down.
*Trench Fight gets extremely difficult on higher difficulties. Your defensive
linemen needs a great balance between strength and speed in order to get past
double teams, and large tackles. If you get pancaked once, you've pretty much
lost the drill. Try to avoid contact with blockers if there's a way around them.
Also, the time limit will increase, forcing you to get past more blockers along
the way.
Chase and Tackle
----------------------------
When it comes to kicking the pure butt out of any offensive players, linebackers
usually do the dirty work. Chase and Tackle is a LB designed drill where a
defensive player must track down and tackle the running back. It can be one of
the easiest drills in the game up until All-Pro/All-Madden difficulties. Points
are yielded for not giving up rushing yards, and penalty points are subtracted
for giving up a touchdown.
You'll start off as the initial linebacker a few yards behind the line of
scrimmage. After the play is snapped, watch where the offensive blockers go.
Usually, when a run up the middle is being played, you'll see the O-linemen
space out a hole up the middle. The second you see it, press B to sprint into
the hole, and dive straight ahead for the tackle. When an outside run occurs,
you'll usually see the linemen space out. Move directly to the side of the
pitch, and sprint horizontally across so you can direct yourself right into the
half back at the line of scrimmage. Watch out for the spin move. The CPU does it
quite frequently on outside runs.
*When you reach the All-Pro and above difficulties, the HB gets a fullback as
one of his blockers. This can be extremely dangerous, and avoid the fullback at
all costs. He'll try to engage a block with you, preventing you from getting the
tackle. Use the R trigger to face the line of scrimmage, and hover behind until
you can get an angle on the HB. Try not to use the strip function since it
rarely causes fumbles. You'd be better off going for the tackle.
Corner Coffin Punt
----------------------------
Punters usually don't get a lot of respect in Madden. Most pressure situations
don't come down to them (kickers get the champaigne), and those big-time plays
are usually shunned upon. Thankfully, you can get all of your punting madness in
the Corner Coffin Punt. The goal is to launch a punt inside a specified
red/orange/yellow zone that is placed along the sidelines near the endzones.
Players are given a limited number of attempts to get punts as close as they can
to the bullseye, without kicking a touchback, or punt out of the zone.
First off, aim your trajectory so that it appears to be going out of bounds. Try
to get it close enough to the corner as you can, and aim downward so the wind
doesn't play a huge factor in where it goes. Next, press A to start the meter,
stop it in the red, and hit it once more in the yellow. Make sure you account
for the factor of wind, and try to project where the punt will go.
*On higher difficulties, the kicking meter becomes faster, more sporadic, and
wind velocity becomes greater. Continue to line drive as many punts as possible,
and try to hit them out of bounds, rather than bouncing them. Remember, there's
no time limit, so take as much time as you desire.
_______________
/2 Minute Drill/
----------------------------
=Try to score as many points as you can within a two minute period at the end of
a game.=
- Two minute drill is your typical pressured situation that forces you to come
out with the unexpected. This is basically a way for players to spend their time
in Madden without playing an extensive game. It starts out similar to exhibition
mode, where you select a team and an opponent. You automatically start out on
your own 20 yard line, and must score as many points as possible in a 2 minute
span. Thankfully, you're given 3 timeouts, and points are awarded accordingly.
Every first down recorded, big play, or simple rush will accumulate a final
score. If this score is fairly good, you're awarded tokens. If it's extremely
good, you'll make a high score list for everyone else to see.
- More tokens are rewarded for higher difficulties, so give All-Pro and All-
Madden a try. Scrap most of your running plays in this mode. This isn't a simple
game where you have to score a touchdown. This is more about a scoring frenzy.
*The best strategy I've come by is to simply go out with a 3-wide receiver, 1-TE
set. You want to be able to send your wideouts on straight deep patterns, and
have your TE go on a post up the middle. Basically, if the defense is playing a
cover 2 (where the safeties drop back to cover the wideouts), your Tight End
should be open enough in the middle of the field. If there's 1-on-1 coverage on
the outside, you can send a deep bomb, and pray for the catch. Here's how you
should set it up:
^ ^ ^
| \ |
| \ |
| ___ | |
| | \ | |
| ^ | | |
| | | |
X | oooooX X
X Qb
Hb
<->You may have to attempt some manual catches on the deep post patterns.
Basically, after the ball is thrown in the air, press A to take control of the
receiver. Hold down B to keep sprinting upward. When the ball starts to come
down to the circle, press Y to leap up and make a magnificent catch. It's
usually a 50/50 play, but it produces a big gain (30+ yards), and usually allows
for quick TD scores.
_____________
/Football 101/
----------------------------
=Learn how football really is 1-on-1 with John Madden himself.=
- This is sort of like the "n00b" version on how to teach you football. It's
really just a simple guidance system with some John Madden audio clips that
attempts to teach you the basics of a few plays. Tokens are awarded based on how
successful you follow the play's plan. If you goof up, or pass to the wrong guy,
it will give you another chance to complete it. Unfortunately, besides being a
tutorial system, it doesn't offer much help or reward. Once you complete a
designated play and earn the tokens for it, it becomes grayed out in the
"Madden" playbook.
_________
/Practice/
----------------------------
=Get your groove down on each snapped play, whether it be a daunting pass or
charging run.=
- One of the relatively more useful game modes in all of Madden 2004 is
Practice. This nifty little thing allows you take any team, and place them in
rigorous practice conditions. Every single play can be used from a playbook, and
is constantaneous so that you don't have to wait for the game situation.
Types:
- Normal <-> Offense versus Defense
- Offense Only <-> Only your offense will show up on the field
- Kickoff <-> Practice special teams plays
*Practice allows for the importing of exported and created teams. Press Y at the
practice setup to import a team saved to the hard disk. This is useful for
practicing with some of your own custom franchise teams, rather than the default
2003 rosters.
__________
/Situation/
----------------------------
=Customize your own game complete with settings, weather conditions, and the
whole shenanigans.=
- One of the newer, and much needed features in this year's Madden is Situation.
Basically, you can create any type of scenario given any condition or setting.
Various teams can be selected to recreate Superbowl matchups. Every aspect
ranging from the score, what quarter it is, time left, timeouts for each team,
and even who has possession can all be customized. Situation is basically the
ultimate game modifyer, allowing to even set what stadium you're playing in.
*You're also permitted to load created/exported teams, and watch matchups
between the computers.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 4) Offense -
============================
Football games are practically decided by the offense. The entire game is based
around whatever team has the higher amount of points, thus giving the offense an
edge. Whenever a big play comes down to it, the offense always performs. Madden
is slightly more of an offensively-biased game, allowing for huge touchdown
passes, and dominating runs. While the defensive AI improved this year, Madden
is still dictated by the offense.
___________
/Formations/
----------------------------
In order to play a football game, each team must play with a set of formations.
Basically, formations are the arrangement of your personnel on the field.
Sometimes they allow for advantages with the pass, or are designed strictly for
the run. In many cases, some formations can be used for both. Each formation
will have a brief description, explain when to use them, and will be rated on a
scale of 1-10.
I-Form
----------------------------
Personnel: 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 HB, 1 FB
- The I-formation is one of the more commonly used setups across the world in
all ranges of football. Basically, it's primarily designed for both the
pass/run, allowing for play fakes, deep passes, runs up the gut, or along the
sidelines. The FB and HB line up directly in a line behind the QB, similar to a
giant I. The huge success behind the I-form is the simple variety of its uses.
It's also useful for providing extra blocks on blitzes, since you have 2
eligible blockers in the backfield.
==Ratings== Pass: 7 <-> Rush: 7 <-> Trick: 9
X oooooTe X
Qb
Fb
Hb
*The prediction of pass or run is difficult for defenses to manage in the I-
form. As you can see, two of the backs can either block, be engaged in runs, or
go out on flat passing routes. The TE is useful passing up the middle, along
with your 2 threats on the outside. Unfortunately, it's not overly-passing
biased since you don't have too many speedy fellows on the field. Use this if
you're looking for a short gain, or big-time play on a play action. It's quite
useful, and should be in everyone's playbook.
VARIATIONS: Twin WR (both WRs stack on one side), 3 WR (TE is substituted with
additional WR), BIG (2 TEs, 1 WR)
Strong-I
----------------------------
Personnel: 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 HB, 1 FB
- The Strong-I is a slightly different formation than the I-form. Basically,
rather than your HB and FB lined straight up, the FB is now shifted over towards
the strong side. This means that you're usually giving the edge away of which
side you're going towards. It's also a tad more run orientated since your FB is
right in place of his blocking position.
==Ratings== Pass: 5 <-> Rush: 8 <-> Trick: 6
X oooooTe X
Qb
Fb
Hb
*The Strong-I is one of the more impressive running formations. If you have a
power back, or want someone to grind into the inside hole, it's perfect for
piercing the inside. Unfortunately, many Strong-I plays aren't too great with
the pass. Your TE is usually forced to block, and play actions are a rare
occurance. Regardless, it's still a necessary formation for anyone who wants to
rush the ball.
VARIATIONS: Twin WR (both WRs stack on one side), 3 WR (TE is substituted with
additional WR), BIG (2 TEs, 1 WR)
Weak-I
----------------------------
Personnel: 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 HB, 1 FB
- The Weak-I is again, similar to the I-form and Strong-I, but is a tad more
pass orientated. Your FB is now positioned towards the weak side, which allows
for a higher chance of play action or deep pass. Since most QBs are right
handed, and they hand off to their left side, this could trick the computer into
thinking the FB or HB is running.
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