1. Introduction
2. Controls
A. Offence Controls
B. Defense Controls
3. Teams
4. Characters
5. Winning Tactics
A. Basics
B. Offence
C. Defense
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Credits
Arch Rivals is a very unique basketball game for the N.E.S. Programmed by
Rare, they describe it as a 'tongue in cheek' (odd spelling) version of
basketball. It is 2 v 2 basketball action with the main differential being
you can punch the players on the other team! That's right, the game is
more of an all out fight with the basketball becoming an inferior part of
the title. While the game is fairly limited there are many intricate
aspects that I shall explain below. Onwards.
With most N.E.S games the controls are limited with only two buttons and a
digital pad available. However the buttons have different uses depending
whether or not you are on offence or defense. Here we go.
----------------------------------------
A. Offence Controls
----------------------------------------
A-button - This button makes your player shoot. If you are playing single-
player and the other player on your team has the ball this player will
shoot instead.
B-button - This button will make your player pass to the other guy on your
team. If you are playing single player, pressing this button will make the
other man pass the ball to you.
Digital Pad - Moves your player about the court.
----------------------------------------
B. Defense Controls
----------------------------------------
A-button - This button will make your player jump (with the intention to
block a shot from the opposition).
B-button - This button will make your player punch, the highlight of the
game.
Holding B-button then press A-button - This will make your player lunge
forwards, enabling them to steal from the opposition. If the player misses
and B-button is held the player will roll down the court. Bizarre but
true.
===========================================================================
3. Teams
===========================================================================
There are four teams available to play:
Los Angeles
Chicago
Brawl State
Natural High
They have a variety of shirt colors but all the players are the same for
each team.
For each team you can choose from 8 different players. You only get to
choose who you are, not who your opposition of team-mate are. Here are the
players:
Tyrone - Defensive Giant
Vinnie - A Great Player
Hammer - Rebound King
Moose - Real Champ
Lewis - Top Shooter
Blade - A Real Crowd Pleaser
Mohawk - Tough and Mean
Reggie - All-American
I am not sure if the descriptions actually affect aspects of the players or
whether they are purely cosmetic. I can play with any of the characters
and do well with any so if there is a difference it is not a major one.
Naturally with most sports games there are two main aspects - offence and
defense. There are also basic fundamentals that make up any game and
understanding these is the initial beginning of success. Since I am a
simple person I will break this part of the guide into three parts, basics,
offence and defense. Hopefully you should be able to find what you are
looking for in this section. Enjoy.
----------------------------------------
A. Basics
----------------------------------------
The game of basketball is won and lost by how many baskets you shoot. If
you shoot the ball into the hoop when standing inside the half circular
zone you get two points and if you shoot from outside you get three points.
Sure this is basic but for those of you who have never played the game it
can be a little daunting.
In Arch Rivals each team consists of two players. When playing single-
player you can only control the movement of one player, however you can
toggle that player to pass or shoot as explained in Section 3 (Controls) of
this FAQ.
Arch Rivals is quite a slow game and shots can hover in the air for quite
some time. So you often have the chance to move your players into rebounds
quite easily. While moving into rebound position you might want to throw a
few punches on the opposition so they can't compete with you.
During the game rubbish is thrown onto the court and if you run over it you
will slip (if you have the ball you will lose it). Be aware that sometimes
the ref will step out and trip you.
----------------------------------------
B. Offence
----------------------------------------
The heart of offence lies in shooting and mastering this technique takes a
bit of time but is generally quite easy to pick up. As mentioned earlier,
A-button is shoot and pressing this anywhere on the court will make your
player jump up and shoot for the hoop. To increase accuracy you must hold
down the A-button and release it when your player reaches the highest point
of his jump, i.e. the point where the player stops rising and begins to
fall back down. The closer your release is to this point the more likely
your ball will go in.
Also, the closer you are to the hoop the more accurate you will be. This
obvious variable is important in determining the best place to shoot from.
So in conclusion, the further you are away from the hoop the better timing
you have to have with your release point. Therefore the best place to be
shoot from on the court is just outside the half circle in the oppositions
half. For each successful shot you are awarded 3 points instead of 2
points if you were inside that half circle.
When shooting your opponents cannot punch you so I found that the best
tactic is to give your other player the ball and then move into the
position from which you wish to shoot from. Shake any opposition players
and then make your other player pass to you. As soon as you have control
of the ball, shoot. The opposition can't touch you and you can concentrate
on your timing rather than them.
If you find shooting from long range tough, dunk it! By running to the
hoop and tapping A-button your player will jump and dunk the ball into the
hoop. You must be reasonably close to the hoop or else your player will
just go up for a normal jump shot. Because you are in the air no players
can take you out either. Sometimes your dunk will be so powerful the
backboard will shatter - surely one of the most exciting aspects of the
game!
The simplistic style of two on two basketball means offensive moves are
quite limited and often escaping the grasp of the computers tight marking
can be very hard. The computer is always in your face and passing the ball
is often quite risky because you have to stand still to receive a pass,
making you easy meat for the opposition.
One way around this is to just shoot for the hoop as soon as you get the
ball. Because the ball hovers in the air for a long time you can generally
run down court and be down there before the ball. This gives you ample
time to knock down the opposition and set yourself for the rebound.
Offensive rebounding is crucial so after you put up your shot be sure to
move into position to collect the ball and/or take out the opposition
players because if you don't get them, they'll get you.
----------------------------------------
C. Defense
----------------------------------------
This is truly the most exhilarating part of Arch Rivals. With traditional
family values chucked out the window in favour of raw punching power,
gamers must have their wits about them to survive!
B-button is the infamous punch button. When you don't have the ball you
can punch the opposition at any time except when they are in the air
jumping or a shot. However once they land they are fair game and throwing
a punch at this time will certainly make collecting the rebound a lot
easier.
An important point to remember is that you should not, at any time, rely on
your other player. The AI for this guy is not really up to scratch and
unfortunately you cannot control his actions at all, unlike on offence.
However he is always quick to move in for rebounds and this means you can
often go for the opposition with your fists and get him to pick up the
rebound.
Lunging is another part of the game that is very important. The
combination of A-button and B-button must be used to pull it off but it is
a very powerful technique once mastered. Stealing and taking out the
opposition is the main point of this exercise but you can also move very
quickly when your player begins to roll after they lunge.
Blocking is a very tough technique in this game. I have only managed to
successfully block a shot about ten times (after many hours of play). Your
timing needs to be precise, your jump accurate and your angle perfect. To
be successful you can't wait for the opposition to go into the jump shot,
you do indeed need to anticipate when they are about to shoot and get right
up in their face with the jump. This is far easier said than done however
and your best bet is to take them out with a punch to the face before they
get airborne for the shot.
Because it's two on two you can't exactly get a defensive set and hold the
other team out. The game's engine also forbids it so there are two main
courses of action:
- Sit off and wait for the rebounds.
- Get in the face of the opposition with big punches
Personally I suggest you do the opposite of what your teammate is doing.
For example if your team mate is sitting under the hoop doing nothing go
and attack the ball, on the other hand if your team mate is doing all he
can to get the ball wait for the shot and take the rebound (also be ready
to back up your buddy if he nabs a steal).
Prevention is better than cure so after you score get straight into the
face of the other team when the game resumes from the sideline. Keeping
the ball down their end means it is near impossible for them to nail a
basket.
Question: Wow this game sounds great! Where can I buy it?
Answer: Certainly not off shop shelves, at least first hand shelves. Check
out your local pawnshops and other second hand stores. If that fails go to
car boot sales and other such markets, you never know what you may find.
Ebay and other online auction websites can be very useful in finding old
games and it was now I got my copy (from trademe.co.nz).
Question: Are there any other courts or unlockable characters?
Answer: Not that I know of. This game isn't exactly full of options. I've
put many hours into this title and nothings turned up... yet.
Question: Is there a sequel in development?
Answer: Again, not that I know of. However the fighting in Arch Rivals
makes it quite an adorable game and maybe a developer can bring it to life
on a next-gen console. A GBA version would be more likely but at this
stage I don't know of any plans to bring Arch Rivals into the new
millennium.
Question: I can't seem to master the lunge technique, how can I improve?
Answer: Practice my young apprentice. I had trouble at first but once you
get it going it becomes the most important move in the game. Also, try not
to use it all the time, if you can master the careful art of blocking and
can combine it with lunging you will be undefeatable.
Question: Is there anyway to turn of the obstacles that you slip on?
Answer: No. Although they can be very frustrating there is no option to
turn them off.
Question: In two player mode can you play on the same team?
Answer: Again, no. The only options you have are to change teams and
select your players, nothing else.
Question: Are there any special victory animations?
Answer: Other than the standard victory proceedings there is nothing. Also
there are only five main animations when your score a hoop, they are: Coach
A, coach B, cheerleaders, crowd and referee. These animations can be vary
(the color palette changes) but other than that nothing new. There are
also some 'cool' animations if you just let the game run during start-up
and don't press any buttons.
Question: Is there anyway to record your performance?
Answer: Yes! Once you finish a game you can enter your initials in and it
records your stats (steals, rebounds etc) and compares them to other scores
using that same player (Mohawk, Reggie etc). I have been at the top of the
leader board with a few players but unfortunately every time I reset the
data is lost.
===========================================================================
The End
===========================================================================
