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Troy Aikman Football for Atari Jaguar FAQ
by BHodges
Version 1.0
Created 10/18/09
This document Copyright 2009 by Brian Hodges. It may not be placed on any
web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is
strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
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Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Getting Started
III. Basic Gameplay
A. Controls
B. Offense
C. Defense
D. Special Teams
E. Salaries
F. Custom Plays
G. Miscellaneous
IV. Team Stats
A. AFC West
B. AFC Central
C. AFC East
D. NFC West
E. NFC Central
F. NFC East
V. Timeout Bug
VI. Game Review
VII. Version History
VIII. Contact Information
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I. Introduction
This is a FAQ for the Atari Jaguar game Troy Aikman Football. It contains a
list of controls, strategies for playing, and a mini-review.
*******************************************************************************
II. Getting Started
Press any of the fire buttons on the Title Screen to bring up the Options
Screen. While on the Options Screen, use the joypad to highlight an item and
press A or C to scroll through the available choices. Press B when you are
finished
..............................................................................
Team One
Player 1's team.
..............................................................................
Team Two
Player 2's team.
..............................................................................
Play Modes
1 Player (Helmet)
- Play a one player game.
1 Player Coach (Headset)
- Coach a game, you select the plays, but the CPU will control all the
action.
2 Player (2 Helmets)
- Play a two player game, if you are playing a season mode, each player gets
to choose their own team.
2 Player Coach (2 Headsets)
- Play a two player game where both players are coaches, players call plays
and the CPU controls the action.
Demo
- Watch the CPU play.
..............................................................................
Season
Pre-Season
- Pick any two teams to play a single game.
94-95 Season
- Pick a team and play the full season to try to make it to the Super Bowl.
Custom Season
- Create your own season schedule.
..............................................................................
Game Location
Choose where a Pre-Season game will be played.
..............................................................................
Quarter Length
Set the quarter length to 2, 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
..............................................................................
Field
Change the playing conditions of a Pre-Season game. Pick between Grass, Mud,
Dirt, Snow, Rain, and Artificial Turf.
..............................................................................
Music
Pressing 0 on the numpad will toggle the music on/off.
..............................................................................
Sound Effects
Toggles the sound effects on/off.
..............................................................................
Penalties
Toggles penalties on/off. When penalties are turned off, you will still be
called for delay of game, but anything else goes...
..............................................................................
Difficulty Level
Set the difficulty level to Rookie, Pro, or Veteran.
..............................................................................
Credits
Press 5 while on the Options Screen to view the credits.
..............................................................................
Save Game Screen
Choose if you want to load a save, overwrite a save, or not save.
..............................................................................
Memory Clear
While on the Options Screen, you can clear the cartridge's memory by holding
Option, *, and #.
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III. Basic Gameplay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Controls
Offense
Joypad Moves player
A Button Call Audible A, Throw ball to Player A, Dive
B Button Hike Ball, Throw ball to Player B, Attempt Catch, Spin
C Button Call Audible C, Throw ball to Player C, Speed Boost
Numpad 1 or 6 Left stiff arm, Cycle player clockwise
Numpad 2 or 5 Snap & Auto pitch, Become runner, Jump/Hurdle
Numpad 3 or 4 Throw ball away, Right stiff arm, Cycle player counter-clockwise
Pause Pause the game
Option Pause the game & bring up Option Menu
Defense
Joypad Moves player
A Button Call Audible A, Dive
B Button Select closest defender, Scroll clockwise
C Button Call Audible C, Speed Boost
Numpad 1 Select previous defender
Numpad 2 or 5 Jump
Numpad 3 Select next defender
Pause Pause the game
Option Pause the game & bring up Option Menu
Kicking
Joypad Left/Right Adjust kick direction
A Button Adjust formation to onside kick (right side)
B Button Stop power gauge and kick
C Button Adjust formation to onside kick (left side)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Offense
Calling Plays
When calling a play, use the Joypad to scroll through the screens and press
A, B, or C to call that play. Pressing Left/Right will reverse the play to
it's mirror image.
When on the field, press A, B, or C to call and audible and change your play.
The A, B, and C buttons correspond to the custom plays you design (or the
defaults if you decided not to waste your time). Pressing the same button
again cancels the audible and returns you to your original play.
Passing
Passing in this game is easy, just press B to snap the ball, then press the
corresponding button to pass to that player. If all your receivers are covered
you can press 2 to become a runner and try to run, or you can press 3 to throw
the ball away.
Running
Running plays operate just like pass plays, in fact a little too much like pass
plays! With the exception of 10 Yard Fight, I have never played another
football game where the quarterback doesn't automatically hand off the ball!
If you call a running play, you have to PASS the ball to the running back, so
be sure to note which button (I think it's almost always C) is assigned to him.
You have the option of snapping the ball using the 2 button INSTEAD of B. This
will cause the quarterback to hand off the ball automatically, but there are
three drawbacks to this. First it's awkward, you'll have to look down to find
the button which ties in to the next drawback. If you are playing a two player
game, your opponent will be able to see you pressing the 2 button and will know
a running play is coming. Lastly, it could just be my imagination, but it
seems to me that using the Auto Pitch makes the running back more likely to
fumble the hand off.
Money Plays
Most football games from the 80's through mid 90's had what were referred to as
"Money Plays". Money plays are offensive plays that almost always result in
huge gains. Not only does Troy Aikman Football have money plays, but they are
actually pointed out to you! You'll notice three plays that have a Dallas
Cowboys star in the background, these are Troy's Pitch, Troy's Short Cut, and
Troy's Lookie. All three of these are EXTREMELY effective, but Troy's Lookie
is especially reliable, you can usually complete a pass to B in at least four
of every five tries!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Defense
It is important to choose the correct defensive play for the current down and
yardage. For long yardage situations, I recommend either the Fake Blitz or
Dime plays. For short yardage, I recommend Block Kick! That's right, calling
a Block Kick on a running down will unleash an avalanche on the opposing team
and usually results in a loss of yardage. It is especially effective in goal
line stands.
There are two main ways to play defense. The first is to select a player on
the line and try to rush the quarterback. The other is to select a player in
the middle of the field and play pass defense, pressing the 2 button to try
to knock the ball down. I seem to have more success playing as a pass defender
but it is really up to you.
Before the quarterback snaps the ball you can call an audible. Calling an
audible allows you to change your defensive formation. Pressing A will tell
your defenders to Blitz and pressing C will tell them to go to man to man
coverage. Press the same button again to return to the original formation.
If the offense is lining up for a field goal, pressing A will put you into
a Block Kick formation and pressing C will put you into a Prevent (i.e. pass)
defense. If they are lined up for a punt, press A to call a Block Punt and
C for a Punt Return.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Special Teams
Kicking/Punting
The kicking gauge is in the lower left of the screen. You will see an arrow
moving up and down to indicate kicking strength and a flag that shows wind
direction. Pressing Left/Right on the Joypad will change the direction of
the kick as indicated by the arrow in the bar that says L and R. Press the
B button to stop the kicking gauge and start the kick. The higher the gauge,
the stronger the kick, but if you stop it above the white line, the kick will
be less accurate. Please note that when punting or attempting a field goal,
you cannot adjust kick direction until AFTER the snap!
If you press the 2 or 5 buttons after the snap, you will call a fake kick and
will be able to pass or run the ball.
After a kickoff or punt, you will control the kicker, you may notice that he
is extremely fast! Hold down the C button and rush straight for the kick
returner to prevent him from gaining yards!
Receiving
When you are receiving the ball, remember that you have to press the B button
to tell the player to catch the ball, otherwise there is a high probability
he will drop the kick. If you press the 1 & 3 buttons together while the ball
is in the air, you will signal for a Fair Catch and once you catch the ball,
the play will be over.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. Salaries
At the start of each half you have the chance to adjust your players' salaries
to boost their stats. Use the joypad to highlight a position, then press A
to increase and B to decrease the salary. Decreasing a salary will add HALF of
the amount back to your budget. Pressing B allows you to switch between 10K
and 100K increments.
You start the season with 100K in your budget and you earn 60K for each win
(there is no reward for losing!).
Here's a chart showing the correspondence of salary to stars:
2500K Maximum Salary
2500K - 1900K 4 Stars
1890K - 1250K 3 Stars
1240K - 630K 2 Stars
620K - 120K 1 Star
120K Minimum Salary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. Custom Plays
Note: Custom Plays are NOT saved, even in Season Mode, so once you turn off
the power, they are gone!
At the beginning of each half, you have the option of creating three custom
plays to use on offense. This is really just a gimmick, but it does give you
a chance to get creative... You choose which play to customize by pressing
1, 2, or 3 on the numpad, you can switch between these at any time while on
the Custom Plays Screen.
The first thing you set is the formation, press A/C to cycle through to the
one you want. The available formations are STANDARD, SHOTGUN, RUN CENTER, RUN
STRONG, and RUN WEAK. Press the B button when you are done.
Press B, 4, or 6 to cycle through the players. Press A or C to change the
route (for some reason it is NOT displayed in the diagram, instead it is
displayed in the small box in the lower right of the screen). Once you have
the route you want, move on to the other players. Once you are done (or bored)
press Option to start the half.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. Miscellaneous
- The best three teams in the game are the Cowboys, 49ers, and Bills.
- The absolute worst team is the Bengals, only choose them if you are looking
for a real challenge!
- If you accidentally call the wrong play, call a timeout and try again.
- Remember that to pick up a fumble (loose ball) you have to press the B
button!
- When all else fails, cheat! Exploit the timeout bug (see section V) to
rack up the score.
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IV. Team Stats
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. AFC West
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers | Seahawks |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | **** | **** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | ** | *** | ** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | ** | ** | ** | **** | * |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | *** | *** | **** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | **** | *** | ** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | *** | *** | **** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| ** | *** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | **** | *** | **** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | *** | *** | *** | **** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| ** | **** | *** | *** | *** |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. AFC Central
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Bengals | Browns | Oilers | Steelers | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | * | ** | * | ** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | ** | **** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | * | *** | *** | ** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | ** | *** | *** | ** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | * | ** | *** | **** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | ** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| ** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | ** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | ** | *** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | ** | ** | *** | ** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| ** | *** | *** | ** | |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. AFC East
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Bills | Colts | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | **** | ** | **** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | **** | **** | *** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | *** | * | *** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | **** | ** | *** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | *** | ** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | ** | ** | **** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| **** | ** | *** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | *** | ** | ** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | *** | ** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| *** | ** | *** | ** | ** |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. NFC West
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Falcons | Rams | Saints | 49ers | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | *** | ** | * | **** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | ** | **** | ** | **** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | ** | ** | ** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | *** | *** | *** | **** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | ** | ** | ** | **** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | **** | ** | **** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| *** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | *** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | **** | ** | *** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | ** | ** | **** | *** | |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| ** | ** | *** | *** | |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. NFC Central
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings |Buccaneers|
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | ** | ** | *** | **** | * |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | *** | **** | ** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | *** | ** | ** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | ** | ** | **** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | ** | ** | ** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | *** | ** | ** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| *** | *** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | *** | *** | *** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | *** | *** | *** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| *** | *** | **** | **** | ** |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. NFC East
_____________________________________________________________________
| | Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Cardinals| Redskins |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Quarterback | **** | *** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Halfback | **** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Fullback | *** | ** | ** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Wide Receiver | **** | *** | *** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Tight End | *** | ** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Kicker/Punter | ** | *** | *** | ** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Offensive Line| **** | *** | ** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Safety | *** | **** | *** | *** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Corner Back | *** | *** | **** | *** | *** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Line Backer | *** | *** | *** | ** | ** |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
|Defensive Line| **** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
|______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|__________|
*******************************************************************************
V. Timeout Bug
Special Thanks go to The Atari Times (www.ataritimes.com) for posting this on
their website!
There is a bug in the game that will allow you to score extra touchdowns. As
soon as you score a touchdown, call a timeout. You will get the ball back on
the 0 yard line and will still have the six points you just scored! You can
keep doing this as long as you have timeouts.
WARNING: If you call a timeout after your OPPONENT scores a touchdown, THEY
will get the ball, so be careful!
*******************************************************************************
VI. Game Review
Troy Aikman Football is the only true football game that was released for the
Atari Jaguar. It is a direct port of the 16-bit versions, the visuals, sounds,
and gameplay have not been improved in the slightest and doesn't even come
close to taking advantage of the Jaguar's hardware.
The game includes the standard modes, you can play a single game or an entire
season. The gameplay itself is okay, but doesn't feel nearly as polished as
Madden. Even the ending is a disappointment, you just get a "Congratulations"
message from Troy, even Tecmo Super Bowl for the NES had cutscenes!
The controls are very awkward, the game makes extensive use of the numpad, but
doesn't include an overlay, I have to keep the instruction manual in my lap
because I have to refer to it so often! One thing that takes a lot of getting
used to is the fact that during running plays, the ball is NOT automatically
handed off to the running back, you have to press the pass button! The
designers must have realized players would hate this, because there is a
SECOND snap button on the numpad that you can press and the ball will be
handed off automatically, but using the numpad is awkward. Even worse, if
you are playing against a human, snapping the ball with the numpad tips them
off that you've called a running play! The other huge problem is that you have
to press the B button to tell a player to catch a ball. The instruction manual
doesn't do a good job of emphasizing this, I couldn't figure out why my
receivers and kick returners kept dropping the ball and finally found it in
the manual.
You have the ability before each half to create three custom plays. This
isn't as useful as it sounds because it takes too long and the game doesn't
save these, so you'll have to create them again each time you play, so you're
really better off just using the canned plays.
While playable, Troy Aikman Football can't compare to the SNES and Genesis
versions of Madden. The lack of polish really shows in the little things, like
not being able to see team stats on the Team Selection screen or the awkward
control scheme. Only diehard Jaguar fans that feel a need for a true football
game should consider picking this one up.
Pros
+ The only true football game released for the Jaguar.
+ Has the NFL license.
Cons
- A.I. cheats.
- Controls are overly complicated.
- Graphics are terrible, the SNES and Genesis Madden games look better.
- Lacks the NFLPA license, so no player names.
*******************************************************************************
VII. Version History
1.0 10/18/09 Completed FAQ.
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VIII. Contact Information
You can contact me at
[email protected]
I would appreciate hearing what you thought of this guide and any thoughts
you have for improving it. Be sure to let me know if I have missed anything.
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End
