10 Yard Fight FAQ(Arcade)
by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
Please do not reproduce this FAQ for profit without my prior consent.
This FAQ is copyright 2001-2002 Andrew Schultz. If you write me a note
specifically using my name and this FAQ's name I will likely approve
your request. This document is largely for nostalgia purposes in
addition to the strategic insights I hope it provides.
****AD SPACE****
My home page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762
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********OUTLINE********
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONTROLS AND BASIC OPPONENTS' ABILITIES AND GAME RULES
2-1. THE RUNNING GAME
2-2. PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS
3. LEVELS/TEAMS
4. SCORING/TIMING
5. KICKOFFS
6. OPPONENTS' FORMATIONS
7. WHAT TO DO AGAINST...
8. GETTING DOWN TO CRUNCH TIME
9. STRATEGIES FOR HIGHER LEVELS
10. EXTRA POINTS(KICK)
11. EXTRA POINTS(RUN)
12. CONCLUSION
13. MISCELLANEOUS
13-1. EASTER EGGS(SORT OF)
13-2. OUTRIGHT ODDITIES
13-3. BEFORE ZERO WING, THERE WAS TEN YARD FIGHT!
14. VERSIONS
15. CREDITS
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1. INTRODUCTION
10 Yard Fight is a nine-on-nine football game where you are
perpetually on offense and control the ball-carrier and, peripherally,
some receivers and blockers, but there is no football game score. You
start out returning a kickoff, and then you play the quarterback who has
the option of lateraling, running, or throwing. There is a time limit
in which you must score a touchdown, but time can be added by first
downs--the earlier in the down cycle, the better. Defense gets closer
when you get to the goal line but if you score a touchdown you have a
bonus round in the point-after, with the option to go for two points
before moving on to the next level or to settle for a surer extra point.
As the levels go on the defenders become a bit smarter and quicker, you
are pushed back further to start the kickoff return, and you have less
time to complete your drive. Every two levels count as the first and
second half of a football game, after which you move on to the next
team. You lose if you go too far back in your own end zone, are tackled
there, run out of time, or are stopped short of first down on fourth
down.
Made in 1983 by Irem, this game can be alternately frustrating an
exhilirating and unintentionally saddles you with some thrilling(or
agonizing) goal line battles and time pressure. There's enough of a
random factor that I can still wind up almost losing to high school(the
first two levels.) As ancient games go, this is a good one with
surprising subtleties.
It's not necessarily good football as many ideas that work here
wouldn't work in a real game, and there are certainly many physically
unrealistic scenarios. The whole idea of going for a two point
conversion after you've already won the game is also not terribly
sportsmanlike, and the ease of the game can depend on many random
factors, but in a way football is like that, too.
Looking through this FAQ I sense a lot of the advice could be
eulogized as 'commonsensical if nothing else, with repetition(sometimes
you have to rehash something 3 different ways to show it in all its
contexts) for emphasis' It's tough to put the advice together and do it
all quickly though.
Also I sense that I've missed some strategy so I'd love to hear from
others who'd like to contribute observations and include them in the
FAQ.
2. CONTROLS AND BASIC OPPONENTS' ABILITIES AND GAME RULES
Your ball carrier has a pink helmet with a blue stripe, red jersey,
and yellow pants. Everyone else on your team has a red helmet with a
yellow stripe, blue jersey, and white pants which remain immaculate even
after the umpteenth play.
You have a forward pass and a lateral pass button; on any set
play(they don't work on kickoffs) each pass can only be used once.
However, combining them can be effective.
Forward pass becomes extra point kick after you've scored; there is
no use for a lateral pass then.
On kickoffs, extra points, and regular plays, you are able to shake
off defenders three times before going down. However, if two converge
on you, or you are dive-tackled, you go down. Also, if you shake off a
tackler and throw the ball, your shake-offs are rejuvenated, so it is
possible to be hit nine times(QB, RB, WR) before the play is over.
If you don't touch the controls, you move forward.
You move forward or sideways at the rate of 5 yards every 3 seconds.
(1.67 yards/second)
You move forward diagonally at the rate of 5 yards every 5 second.
(1 yard/second up and to the side, which makes 1.414 yards/second.) So
you are slightly slower this way, but if you move quickly back and forth
diagonally, you can often shake and confuse defenders. As levels go up,
opponents don't get faster in the open field. They just come off blocks
and cover receivers more quickly.
Breaking out of tackles is not too tough. You don't have to move
the joystick fully aroundin a circle; moving up/left/right will allow
you to break a tackle and won't start you moving down after you are
free. Tacklers that you shake off are prone and cannot intercept any
passes for a brief period of time.
Running into blockers: if you run straight into a blocker, you will
be unable to progress. If you are off to the left or right, you will
slide off with little incident as if you moved diagonally. Your man in
motion, if he moves forward into a blocker as you snap the ball, can
find his way around a blocker. He can also block a defender plugging a
gap.
When the computer says "1st and 10" it means 1st and 10+. If you
are 1st and 10 between the computer's 32 and 31, you will need to get to
the 21. There's no yellow line to determine where you need to get,
although we can't fault them for this--it didn't appear on college
football on TV until a few years ago. The diagram to the right is a bit
inaccurate as if you are level with the first down marker you may be
short and it seems to be a yard out of sync with where you are and you
need to get--so the net result is right, but in any case it's a bit
screwy. There is even a "1st and 00"(no 1st and goal) if you are very
close to the goal line so the whole convention is a bit screwy.
Your receivers stand still for forward passes(i.e. defenders can run
through them to intercept) but you can move laterally on lateral passes.
The ball, when passed, moves as fast as your opponents.
You cannot forward pass until your receiver extends his arms, which
takes a few seconds, and of course you cannot forward pass beyond the
line of scrimmage. There's no quarterback option-style lateral
either(rats, woulda been cool.)
Also if a defender is too close to you when you pass, you won't get
the pass off in time.
Forward passes can go no more than five yards beyond the line of
scrimmage. However, you can move your passer up to make them get there
as quickly as possible.
Lateral passes five yards or more back will miss the running back
and go out of bounds.
Blockers move in the direction you move your joystick--this includes
when you are stuck breaking out of a tackle. They find it tougher to
block as the levels increase and usually have to "stick" the defenders
perfectly to have any effect. Blockers also cannot stop a defender who
is about to dive from any direction. Blockers can also seem patently
useless, especially on extra points where they run into the end zone,
where you can't throw it. I guess they want to be fashionably early for
the party once you get there.
The best way to use blockers on higher levels seems to be to move
horizontally; diagonal movement doesn't work as opponents slide around
them.
You lose a few seconds both when the ball is snapped to the
quarterback and when the ref moseys on over to whistle the play dead.
However if the game clock goes to zero during this snap, the game is not
stopped.
Opponents appear to be 20% faster than you are, i.e. 2 yards/second
straight ahead but 1.697 yards/second diagonally(1.2 horizontally and
vertically.) As they can appear one yard behind you, this means you can
probably get five yards once they do.
Two opponents that get to you at the same time will drag you down.
If one is holding you and another one comes along, it's like a WWF move
on you.
Once you are tackled, there is a two second wait or so before the
ref comes out.
Opponents may dive at you, although only one may do so at a time.
It is pretty clear when an opponent will dive at you as he will crouch
and wait a bit, although it is easier to see from behind than from in
front. If they dive at you and touch you, you go down. There is some
leeway for when someone dives diagonally from behind you, but you will
get a nasty surprise from people diving diagonally in front of you. In
that case move diagonally up away from them. Although it is a bit
slower you are now heading perpendicular to their path of motion and are
going 1.414 yards/second away while you are really only going 5/3(sqrt
2) yards away from their path of motion running straight ahead. Also it
is hard to move diagonally across the field of a vertical jump. Vertical
jumps are harder to avoid than horizontal ones.
Diving opponents cannot catch a pass. However, they seem to dive for
longer than is really physically possible, and if you run into an
opponent that is prone after diving, he will tackle you.
Opponents come from behind at random(I believe--the same kickoff
return pattern for a while and I've never had a repeat) so be prepared.
They may even immediately come out of nowhere after you've completed a
pass to your receiver with no-one within five yards.
Opponents also seem to have set plans when they come from behind. It
depends on their horizontal positions on the field. Some don't even need
to be shaken off, for instance:
--right behind you, they'll try for a diving tackle
--off to the left, if they move ahead of you, ignore them--they'll dive
at you horizontally and miss
2-1. THE RUNNING GAME
The running game should be the basis of your offense as you start
out--passing is eventually more time-effective but it involves, well,
learning to pass. Note that a lateral pass doesn't involve going forward
any, so the time you take there is wasted compared to a pass. You'll be
using a lot of laterals, especially to where you can get a running back
some open field. In fact the only time I use the QB to run is when I'm
inside the 5 and I can see a quick TD(i.e. no defenders bunched in the
middle.)
Paradoxically when the defenders are playing back in ostensible pass
defense it may be more tough to get a big gain. If they are up close you
can get the one nearby to dive at you.
Although "three yards and a cloud of dust" isn't acceptable as you
have time restraints, you can break off ten yards rather easily with a
lateral and run upfield. Here are suggestions for the best way to get
yardage:
1) use the receiver as a blocker. Snap the ball when the receiver
is "under" a defender that might be in your way. He'll go up, the
defender will go down, and you'll have him blocked for a bit. This is
useful if, say, three defenders are on one side and one is on the other.
He's also useful for quick quarterback sneaks if you just need a few
sure yards.
In this vein you will want to note specifics: if a defender is in
the 'gap' between the five people on his line you will want to release
your blocker below him.
2) let them jump at you. After you've lateraled the ball, if there
is a defender somewhat deep on the far right/left coming at you, run at
him until he looks ready to jump and then escape diagonally. You'll
always make it, and you'll have shook off a defender with little or no
loss of time.
Note that if you wait too long to lateral on pro and above, it
will get intercepted.
3) go where they aren't. Seems like common sense, but this idea
may have the greatest return for the least thought. If you don't see an
easy opening in the defense, check to see if it's unbalanced.
4) consider a forward pass if the line is stacked. You may be able
to draw defenders in, leaving them to chase after your receiver.
5) once in the open, run straight ahead until defenders are within
range. Then play around with brief diagonal moves, and the defenders
may halt trying to figure your new directions. You can maybe also shake
a pair of defenders close by(which will always bring you down) that way.
Even if they are far away you may want to start evading early. The more
chances to confuse them the better.
6) watch behind for guys that dive at you and avoid them.
7) don't be scared to go diagonally--you'll be slower but so will
the defenders. They often pull back when they see this and even pause.
Some run away if you run toward them, even.
8) Also, the sidelines are a good place to go although they may cut
down your options on the next play. So try to edge diagonally back from
them if you've gotten the first down. However, never go out of bounds.
That saves no time.
9) remember that the opponent moves more freely as you march down
the field, as the defenders are faster, and the defensive ends throw
their blockers off more easily. Delaying will get you in more trouble.
10) if two defenders converge on you from opposite sides, run toward
one(or diagonally in his direction.) Try to get one to dive at you, and
shake the other one off.
11) don't run diagonally across an opponent's forward dive. It
doesn't work.
12) you will probably be forced to the sidelines as you move
forward; defenders tend to appear from the center. Stepping out of
bounds ends your play, so therefore you should try to 'juke' diagonally
back to the center whenever possible. Running at defenders scares them
more than you might think.
Many of these suggestions also apply to your receiver after he has
caught the ball.
2-2. PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS
Throwing the ball is a bit more risky, which is why you get a
thousand points for completing a pass. However, when defenders are
close in, it is a good opportunity to pick up mega-yards. Basic rule of
thumb: you have three guys who can always forward pass. If you plan to
do so, decide where your receiver will be released forward and get it to
your guy in that third of the field--or your QB if you're going to try
to split the zone.
Lateral and forward passes can be intercepted. Interceptions occur
when defenders step in front of a pass and are not diving; contrarily,
if they are diving, it may be an excellent time to throw it over them.
You can often goad defenders into diving while standing right below
them.
Keep in mind that your receiver never comes back for the ball or
does anything sensible. You'll need to watch for defenders around him
before throwing.
Interceptions put you twenty yards back or, if you're inside your
own forty, half the distance to your own goal. The spot from which you
go back is determined by where the defender intercepts it.
Interceptions ALWAYS result in a first and ten. Even if you've got
fourth down and throw an interception, it is better than getting tackled
short of the first down marker. This may be a bit of a strategic
sacrifice--position and time for security. Also, when you get near the
goal on higher levels, you may want to throw an interception
deliberately to start your assault on the goal line at a more favorable
spot or with a more favorable formation. There is a bit of a timing
issue; you generally take 6+ seconds for an interception(unless they
blitz on a lateral) so this needs to be taken into account. You should
be getting first downs regularly but there's nothing wrong with
alternating 1st down/interception until you get the right formation two
times in a row, then--BAM--touchdown! Of course if you are about to be
sacked then you can just toss the ball up for grabs, but near the goal-
line with time low, make the decision quickly whatever you do.
However, most of the time you will want to avoid an interception.
To do so, there are several ways:
1) run the ball--if you're starting out, this will get you to the
college game after a bit of practice. Throwing is more risky but really
necessary against the pros, who swarm your runner quickly once you get
in their territory. Most runs will be laterals.
2) throw it where they ain't--if the defense is loaded on one side,
snap the ball when your receiver is on the other
3) drop back in the pocket if a receiver doesn't seem open--I'm not
an expert at this, but often the lineman or even the person covering the
receiver will cheat up on you if you go backwards. Don't drop so far
back that you can't see a mid-depth defender in coverage--you should
know where your receiver is, so no problem if he's off screen. Shake a
man off and throw it when you three are aligned. Defenders will be well
behind the receiver. This probably works best when you are low on time
anyway and taking 20 seconds is as good as taking 10.
4) misdirection--start off in the opposite direction you want to
throw it. Then you can either lateral the ball the other way and throw
forward for a "Statue of Liberty" or throw it directly. More effective
at the lower levels.
5) shake off a defender at the line and then throw it--a defender
at the line can intercept your pass, but if he's fallen down, he can't.
You can also move in front of him, let him jump at you, and move out of
the way. The more defenders that are on the ground, the fewer will
chase the receiver when he makes yardage. Note that if you are in a
defender's grasp, you cannot throw the ball.
6) most importantly, anticipate where the defender WILL BE. Many
defenders roll into coverage; for instance, if two are on the back
line, the one closest to the receiver may blitz you, and the one to his
side may cover the receiver. Defenders generally move in simple
patterns because if they guarded the receiver directly the AI might
cause them to jump at the ball, and they couldn't catch it. So they run
in circles or back and forth in front of the receiver. I find it's best
to throw the ball when the defender is between you and the receiver,
which seems counterintuitive. But you need to remember that the
defender is always on the move. If a defender is rolling over into pass
defense you may also want to wait as they seem to be able to make up
distance in a hurry. Often I find, after shaking a defender off at the
line, I either want to throw right away or wait a bit. I think you need
a split second wait usually. Get that down and you'll get consistent
first downs.
7) an interception is not the end of the world and you will need to
try things before you come close to perfection(which you can probably
forget about.) So experiment and you'll probably come up with something
I missed. Deliberate interceptions can also lead to a cycle of more
points at the risk of losing the game, which is a fun gamble. Just
don't let your blood pressure go through the roof after the umpteenth
"interception dance." Keep a cool head, coach, because you set an
example for your players.
8) NEVER, NEVER throw the ball across the field. In fact even a
diagonal throw halfway across is risky unless the defender is completely
absent. Remember the defenders act as de facto horizontal zones and a
diagonal throw takes out more of a horizontal throw the less vertical it
is. Plus you lose so much more time that way.
9) Note that you can't forward pass once you cross the line of
scrimmage; however, counter to the real game, standing right behind a
guard on your line is good. The middle defenders never bust through, so
you are centered and ready to hit your receiver. Cheating up is a good
policy if you have a receiver in the middle, but if the end defenders
break through you may want to move back first to mislead them a bit.
Don't know if you can return behind the line once past and still throw
it.
10) Beware, defenders can intercept even the balls they have their
backs to. Which makes you wonder why they're not receivers(for you.)
They have two patterns, generally--in a tight square or side to side.
Each has about the same cycle time.
11) If a defender sees the ball coming toward him in a square
pattern he may actually jump at it, which is a good thing for you.
12) Watch out for defenders lurking just in back of the receiver.
Your guy stays put, the defender goes through him, interception for the
careless.
13) Beware diving defenders you seem to have shaken off. If they get
up, they'll interfere with your passing easily.
14) If two defenders are coming at your QB, or one is behind the
line and the other is between you and the receiver, the one behind will
dive. This usually happens when a defender isn't in the gap--when he is
you can make him dive. To avoid this you will probably want to get the
defenders to dive right away.
15) Passing near the goal line is pretty effective, but the new guy
coming in complicates things. Still if you can shake off the defenders
nearby it often leaves your guy WIDE open. Again, put your receiver in
front of the RB you want to throw with(forget about using your QB,) and
if things don't go to hell immediately(in which case just eat the ball
so time doesn't run out) patience should get the job done nicely.
3. LEVELS/TEAMS
There are, essentially, eight levels to Ten Yard Fight. Every level
after the eighth repeats the eighth. After five levels a helmet
replaces the footballs above the scoreboard to indicate your level. I
don't know what happens at, say, level 29, but I will guess there's a
big loop. The programmers realistically couldn't expect anyone to get
that far. Here's a breakdown of the team names,
colors(helmet/pants/socks,) where you start on the kickoff, how much
time you have, and the "flash point"(where the first block occurs if you
return the kickoff straight ahead, which seems the best strategy.)
Level | |Helmet/jersey|start|time|flash|mascot|
------+---------------------+-------------+-----+----+-----+------+
1 |High school(1st half)|black/grey |30 |60 |39 |stars |
2 |High school(2nd half)|black/grey |25 |50 |36 |stars |
3 |College (1st half)|grey/claret |20 |40 |31 |horse |
4 |College (2nd half)|grey/claret |15 |30 |28 |horse |
5 |Pro (1st half)|maroon/dkgree|10 |25 |23 |cowboy|
6 |Pro (2nd half)|maroon/dkgree|5 |20 |19 |cowboy|
7 |Super (1st half)|black/olive |5 |15 |19 |eagle |
8 |Super (2nd half)|black/olive |5 |10 |19 |eagle |
Helmet and socks are the same color. Opponents always wear manly light
blue pants. All opponents' helmets have white stripes.
4. SCORING/TIMING
The scoring is pretty straightforward.
--50 points for each second you have the ball, whether on kickoffs, live
plays, or extra point attempts--I believe(hard to tell) laterals count
as having the ball, but I know forward passes and extra point kicks do
not.
--1000 points for a completed forward pass
--Points for first downs:
1000 on 1st, add 10 seconds
500 on 2nd, add 6 seconds
300 on 3rd, add 4 seconds
100 on 4th, add 2 seconds
(this is not a strict scoring bonus, but each time you get a first down
you're positioned back to the center of the field. This is a very good
thing as it gives you more options as to where to run a play--or more
real estate to run it once it's underway. I find that once a play starts
in one direction it continues that way.)
--1000 points for a successful extra point kick
--3000 points for a successful extra point run
--20000 points for returning a kickoff for a touchdown
--Points for scoring a touchdown:
5000 against HS
6000 against College
7000 against Pro
8000 against Super
Although it happens too quickly to tell, you do get the 1000 points
for a completed pass directly into the end zone if you score as well
--100 points for each section, or fraction thereof, you have remaining
once you score a touchdown.
Now it's a bit unfortunate that a thirty yard gain is actually much
less well-rewarded than two fifteen yard gains(i.e. only one first down
time/point bonus vs. two) but on the other hand you can cheat your score
up by sitting back inside your territory where the defense is more lax,
completing a twenty yard pass, getting an interception(which generally
takes under ten seconds,) going twenty yards forward, and repeating.
If you want to inflate your score a bit, then what you can do when
you are about to score a touchdown is to get tackled, especially if you
have no time left. Then it should be easy to get a 1 yard run(lateral to
the side of the field where the defense isn't.)
Without point cheating above I find I score in the 15000-20000 range
with every successful drive. Also, note that the extra points with each
level for a touchdown offset the diminishing time for your drives(and
the bonus they give.)
5. KICKOFFS
The kickoff may seem important at first, and it's a great way to
pick up yards quickly and learn the basics of running and juking, but as
the yards get harder near the goal line anyway, don't worry if you mess
up as you will find first downs easier than usual on the first few
plays. I've never been able to return a kickoff for a touchdown under
normal rules but you get a nice bonus if you do. If however you are
taken down at the five yard line you probably will not score many points
as you are five yards away from the end zone and points are based on
yardage gained. It's interesting that you can get so few points for a
quick strike although I suppose you do deserve credit for putting a
drive together.
Your "wedge" starts like so:
X X X
X X
O
X X
X
....where you are the O.
For starters, I recommend a reliable formula for kickoffs that lets
me start in opponents' territory. First, I go straight up. Then, I run
my guys to the left(mirror the directions to go to the right--there
shouldn't be a difference, but I've gotten in the habit of going left)--
usually just as the blocking noise ends. Once the second opponent is
blocked, I go forward again. I should still have blockers to the side
and if defenders are creeping to the side I make a brief diagonal
movement so that my blockers sideswipe them(OK, that's fifteen yards in
an *actual* game, but I don't mind this piece of surrealism.)
From there you will do a lot of juking and swerving as in the
running game. If you are able to use the blocker behind you, great, but
it is not easy. The problem is that many defenders set up to dive
behind you, and you cannot block that. You often need a bit of luck.
I have never been able to use all eight blockers as usually the ones
to my upper right and right go unused.
Once you get pretty good at this, it's possible to leave blockers
until later, although risky as well. The point is that if you can do so,
you can use the blockers closer to the goal line where you can take out
men that appear around the 30, while with the more conventional method
you're out of blockers quickly.
Another strategy which seems to require a bit of timing but gets a
few more yards is moving diagonally up after your first block, then
going forward. Your blockers seem to take out two opponents this way.
The super and pro teams seem to require more exact timing for having
the upper left block work successfully.
6. OPPONENTS' FORMATIONS
Some formations are repeating and although there seem to be too many
to name, I offer the following diagram to show where the "bad guys" can
go. Generally speaking it is a 9-on-9 game where you have a quarterback,
two running backs, a receiver in motion and five offensive linemen
against five defensive linemen and four rovers. The rovers' possible
positions are below.
! = possible defender
O = defender always here
X = your blocker
+ = your runners
R = your receiver
Yds
Ahead
5 |! ! ! !
4 |
3 |! ! ! ! !
2 | ! !
1 |! O!O!O!O!O !
0 |! X X X X X !
-.5 | <-R
-1 | + + +
Now, the enemies can only occupy four of these spots, but hopefully
below I've outlined well enough what to do in certain situations.
7. WHAT TO DO AGAINST...
When to run or pass? I find that if opponents are evenly spread out
and at medium or far depth it is toughest to pass.
If enemies are all on one side with one in the center, run a play to
the other side.
If an enemy is on the left or right edge of 1 or 0, a quick lateral
that way may make him miss as he will try to dive. If no other
defenders are there you should get a first down whether or not you can
pass the ball.
If too many enemies are back it may be better to run. Keep in mind
that enemies three or five yards back can drop into pass coverage.
However there is one formation(three 5 yards ahead, one on the edge of
3) where you can 'split the zone'--have the receiver run between the two
5-yard defenders away from the 3-yarder and you can usually hit him.
Enemies on 1 directly behind the X are troublesome as they can stop
passes as well as a run straight ahead, and you cannot block them
easily. You may want to wait a bit to see what they do or even let them
break through the line so they commit themselves. It may lead to a nice
completion and gain. You can also make them dive to get them out of the
way, then pass the ball with your quarterback. In this case if you pass
you should release your receiver up the middle--although you'll still
need to time your throw.
If you just need a few yards and there is an enemy in the gap in X's
at level 1, have your man in motion block him and run through the open
gap to the left or right. That should always get you five yards. This
is great for 5 yards and in.
If an enemy is on the far left or right 1 yard behind and you wish
to pass the ball, don't let your receiver go to the edge, or he will
become an involuntary blocker. Instead let the enemy run at you and
throw when he crouches to jump--one less defender to worry about! Just
make sure no other defender is jumping at you--if so, shake off the
incoming tackler.
If you are taking a snap on the side of the board(i.e. you ran to
the sidelines but did not get a first down, and it wasn't the first play
after the kickoff) you may be lucky and be able to run off away from the
sideline. However, your only other option may be to fire straight ahead.
Most plays I run continually break away from the spot where the ball was
snapped--vertically AND horizontally(rim shot.)
Still despite these general principles you'll need to watch what the
opponents do on their assignments. There is usually a defender in the 3
yard range. He usually rolls to cover your receiver. Watch him; he is
slick. If he eyes your quarterback a 5 yard person will roll after the
receiver.
8. GETTING DOWN TO CRUNCH TIME
After a while, you should get comfortable enough with the controls
that a running or passing game or a judicious blend will get you inside
the thirty with little trouble. But on the later levels it seems you
need to get a first down with each play to win, and the enemies seem to
swarm near the goal line. It's not you getting overconfident, either.
The enemies tighten up their defenses, not by "shortening the field" to
take away your passing game, but by more blunt tactics.
The most important one is that inside the fifteen the ends on the
five-man defensive line break tackles early and frequently jump at you,
so you have less time for the play to develop. You'll have to back up
in the pocket to throw, although this can often bamboozle the "D." Also
if you decide to throw a lateral, beware that the end who has broken
free of his blocker will dive if you stay put and wait for the play to
develop.
Also, opponents seem to recover more quickly. Although they appear
at the bottom in a quasi-random manner after a pass, they appear a lot
MORE QUICKLY as you move in. I think there may be an extra defender
dropped in there as well but at any rate it sure seems that way.
The ideal situation is, if you're inside the ten and have just
gotten a first down, to gain three or four yards, let the clock stop,
and go for the touchdown the second time. Also if you are at the
fifteen or so you can use the same strategy, where if you get a first
down, it should be a walk over right or left guard into the end zone.
The key here is to have a first down with ten seconds and to use the
ten seconds wisely. If you don't see anything, deliberately throwing an
interception and moving back into easier territory(after getting a first
down on first and ten) is actually good strategy as you are reset to
first and ten. In a way, here, you are taking a shot at backing up and
trying again, although there is some risk of not getting a first down
even in the lest hostile climes of the thirty yard line.
You can't use the two-down strategy twice as you'll run out of time.
Just remember that an eight- or nine-yard gain is, in this case, three-
or four-yards. As you really do have to fight for ten yards the game's
name seems especially apt.
There is also a small little trick you can use to bag a few extra
points near the end. If you are running for a touchdown and already
have a first down you may want to be tackled at the one, especially if
the play is on first down. You get ten seconds and a thousand points.
Although the play and the ref calling time will take three seconds, you
will net 5 seconds(500 points) + 1000 for the first down. Cheap points
and risk-free. If you're good enough to get to the goal line, you're
good enough to get 3 yards per play. To facilitate this you can just run
into a defender or get one to dive at you and stay in the area.
9. STRATEGIES FOR HIGHER LEVELS
Much of this has been sttated before but I wanted to put everything
together in one space.
At first ends will break containment inside the ten but once you get
to pro they will do so inside the 15. On super I think they do so inside
the 20.
You'll need to get consistent first downs or, at the very worst,
follow up a 2-down sequence with a first down. Otherwise you may run out
of time.
In that vein, if it looks like you might not make it or the first
down marker will be too close for comfort(i.e. if defenders pop up from
nowhere after you throw a pass to a guy wide open,) try to get tackled
after a 7 yard gain and don't struggle to get out of a tackle! Every
fraction of a second counts, and time is more important than yardage if
you believe you aren't going to make a first down anyway.
If you're going to pass, pass quickly. That way if it's intercepted
you can get right back to work.
Beware of the defender sliding around very quickly, especially with
defenders all on one side. He disrupts passes very well on higher
levels. He takes a while to react with high school and college, but
don't let that make you feel falsely secure.
Interceptions work best if you are at the 10-13 yard line or so. If
you are at the 15 with 10 seconds left you may want to just go for two
five-yard gains and then punch it in the next play(5 yards is always
possible if you run the ball. Just be quick with lateraling. Or you can
run up the gut for three yards and pass the next play or switch the
two.)
10. EXTRA POINTS(KICK)
Where you kick the ball is determined by the purple arrow that moves
back and forth horizontally between just above the goal line, under the
left goal post, and the right side of the endzone. So you may have to
use a little thought to find the right angle--unless there's a simple
way to do it. There is.
The procedure here is simple, as extra points are in real life.
Just start running backwards. Just before the "G" is about to go off
the screen, kick the ball(alternatively you can wait until you're back
at the 9.) The arrow should be just above the "G." That is a free
thousand points. Of course, if you want to try trick shots, the easier
ones are on the right-hand side of the screen(you can guess where the
arrow is more easily,) and it is very hard on the left-hand side as you
will have to back up several yards to have any chance because of the
arrow's limited range. On the right-hand side you can try to kick the
ball so that the arrow isn't under the goalposts but the ball goes
through anyway. You can also back up so you can't see the arrow so that
it is a timing thing.
I don't know what happens if the ball hits the uprights, i.e. if the
kick is good or not. However one thing to be aware of is that although
the kick cannot be blocked, if a defender is too close to you or has you
wrapped up, you won't be able to get the kick off, just like throwing a
pass.
I thought I remembered seeing someone run all the way back to his
own end zone and kicking the ball back in the early eighties, but I
wasn't able to reproduce it. Defenders seem to come down too fast.
11. EXTRA POINTS(RUN)
Now this is a bit more difficult and even with a general strategy I
can still trip up over half of the time if I am not paying attention.
Of course, if you can score 33% of the time or more it is worthwhile and
really more exciting anyway than the easy extra point. Timing is
critical here, and you need to make use of at least one invisible
blocker. Going up the middle is out of the question, but you can make
it if you circle around the edges.
1) go down and to the left just over a half-yard but not more than
a full yard. The direction isn't important(you can probably mirror-
image this and maybe it's more convenient if you're right-handed) but
the distance is.
2) go left. One of the defenders on the outside should be picked
up by the magically appearing blocker which only appears if you went the
right distance in 1).
3) curl tightly around the blocker, and you may be able to pick up
other defenders with him. Beware of anyone diving to the left.
4) wiggle forward and realize that defenders can dive from off-
screen. This has spoiled a few of my own carefree jaunts toward the
endzone. You should have enough space to go up/left and left until you
get to the end zone.
I really don't think there's any other way to do things. As the
forward pass button is reserved for kicking, and you can't lateral the
ball, and the defenders always line up near the line(2 on the outside, 2
just behind it) you are under the cosh especially with the ends busting
loose from their tackles quickly.
Note that there are three formations: left, right and center. The
linebackers can appear behind the 2nd and 4th linemen or to the gaps to
the left or right. The play is obviously different then but I'm not
aware of the details.
12. CONCLUSION
Most of the really neat stuff I found was by accident when I thought
"OK, there's nothing more I can do--oops, didn't want to do that, oh, it
makes sense." So a lot may be missing as I got too set in my ways.
This FAQ hardly covers all strategies and if you find something new or
want to try it feel free--I'd love to know, too! The game seems to have
enough nuances even though I suspect many were unintentional. But it is
exciting, and the prospect of breaking down a red-zone stand by the
defense and trying to bust that formation that gives me trouble always
allows for fun strategizing.
13. MISCELLANEOUS
13-1. EASTER EGGS(SORT OF)
Only one I can see now. If you complete a pass and the receiver is
tackled immediately, he engages in some trash talk with his tackler, and
they both fall down simultaneously in the ensuing fight.
13-2. OUTRIGHT ODDITIES
You can start a play from the end zone. However, the clock will
drop to a second, the play and clock will start, and the ref will kill
the play and the game before you get the snap off. This is unless
you've just thrown an interception. If you were tackled in the end
zone, you are in trouble. You are not moved forward if you are
intercepted in the end zone. Note that if the clock runs out on a
normal snap, your game continues.
13-3. BEFORE ZERO WING, THERE WAS TEN YARD FIGHT!
After you beat each opponents, cheerleaders, in entirely different
colors than your team's uniforms, jump up and down(with a few brief
gratuitous panty shots) to cheer your "win." There's also a
congratulatory message that shows slang isn't the only bad English out
there.
HIGH SCHOOL
Pretty good ! Fight with a college team,next ! Good luck !
COLLEGE
Great ! Challenge a pro team,next ! Good luck !
PRO
Unbelivably powerfull, you are ! Now finally,the strongest pro
team,accepts your challenge. [double sic at the start]
SUPER
Excellent ! You are the best. Good luck !
What else can I say? THAT TO TAKING, Zero Wing!
End of FAQ proper
================================
14. VERSIONS
1.1.0: 10/7/2002 touched up some strategy as I got better in Spring
training camp and whatnot :D
1.0.0: 10/18/2001 sent to GameFAQs pretty much complete. I suspect
there are moves I missed and if so I'd love to hear about them, but I'm
satisfied with the current job.
15. CREDITS
The inimitable mame.net which had cheat codes that allowed me to see
higher levels and special cases until I was good enough at the game to
get there regularly, and of course they have the latest MAME, etc.
