----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Football! FAQ/Strategy Guide for the Odyssey ^2 by Sam Skinner Copyright Sam Skinner, 2008-2018. See the final section of this guide for more information on the copyright *NOTE TO NEW READERS* Please read the copyright section before any other section of this guide the very first time you access this file. Guide started on 03-03-2008 Guide resubmitted 09-25-2018 Version 1.00 finished 03-03-2008 Version 2.00 finished 05-02-2008 Version 2.01 finished 09-25-2018 My E-mail = Arguro AT hotmail.com Please direct any questions, comments or corrections to my e-mail. Thanks. Also, let me know what you think! I need some feed back! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents (Press CTRL and F and enter the code in parenthesis to quickly jump to that section) Introduction (FBINT) Controls (FBCON) Game Basics (FBBAS) Plays (FBPLY) Strategy (FBSTR) FAQS (FBFAQ) Version History (FBHIS) Copyright Information (FBCPY) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction (FBINT) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello and welcome to my strategy guide for Football! on the Odyssey ^2. This guide explains the basics of the game and gives some general strategy on how to win a majority of the time. This guide is as complete as can be for a game this old and primitive. It is my first guide for the system. It was also the first game I owned for the system. At this time I do not plan on any updates unless there is a serious error that needs correction or I get several questions asked of me. I would appreciate feedback as well as questions and corrections to be e-mailed to me. You can find my e-mail at the top and the bottom of this guide. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Controls (FBCON) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- When on offense: Directional stick moves player with ball in that direction Action button snaps the ball when on line of scrimmage Action button passes the ball when quarterback has it and is behind the line Move the joystick to pass in different directions. When on Defense Directional button moves defender around on field. Action button must be pressed before offense can snap ball ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Game Basics (FBBAS) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you first turn your Odyssey ^2 on, the screen will say "Select Game." While the cartridge only gives one selection (1), you actually have two. Press one for "collegiate level" and press two for "pro level. The only difference between the two is that computer controlled defensive players move much faster. Collegiate level is more fun to play on because the scores are much higher. The Left player is the orangeish-yellow color and the right player is green. There are only three game minutes to this game. There are only 45 yards on the field, assuming each yard line represents five yards. Basic football rules apply to the game. If you are unfamiliar, here is a quick run down. The goal of the game is to get the ball in the other team's end zone to score a touch down. For all intents and purposes, this game gives seven points for a touch down. The goal is the far left or right black line with two breaks in it. You always want to run in the direction you are facing. You only have four tries to score. There are no first downs in this game. If you fail to score in four tries, the other team gets the ball where you last had it. The team on offense is always the team with the ball. The team on defense is always the team trying to stop the other team from scoring. You can advance the ball by either running with it or by passing it. There is only one receiver per play. If you have the ball and you touch any player, even the ones on your own team, you are tackled. When you are tackled, the play is over and it is the end of your one of your tries to score. When a teams scores, the other team will get control of the ball with another four tries to score. Every time the play stops, whether it be by tackle, incomplete pass or scoring, the clock will stop. The clock only runs when there is a play occurring. There are no extra point kicks in the game. There are no kick offs after scoring either. The other player automatically gets the ball at the same spot after a score. All passes have to move forward and can only be thrown in one of three directions: Straight, diagonally up or diagonally down. You can move your quarter back around and throw from anywhere behind a line drawn straight down the field from the number indicating what down (or try) you are on. If no one catches the ball, it is considered incomplete and you lose a try. If the other team catches the ball, it is called an interception and the other team gets four tries to score from where the ball was caught. Only the playable person on the defense can catch the ball. All others will not catch the ball. Only the receiver can catch the ball for the offense. No other player can catch the ball. The computer controls all players except for one on each team. The person will the ball will always be the one controlled by the offensive player. This means that if the ball is passed to the receiver, the offensive player will then control the receiver instead of the quarter back. The defensive player always controls the player that is lined up evenly with the ball but is furthest away from it. Officially, he is called a Line Backer. All computer controlled defensive players will not move in on the player with the ball until nine seconds goes by on the clock. In flag football games this is called 9-dot. The player who controls the defense can move his player immediately after the all is snapped and does not have to wait 9 seconds. If time runs out in the middle of a play, the play continues until it is over. If there is a tie when time runs out, the game ends in a tie. There is no overtime in this game. This is a two player only game. That means that both teams require a human player to control them. There is no computer opponent in this game. You can play with only one person, but you have to control both teams. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plays (FBPLY) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was incorrect about there not being plays in the game. I recently bought the game with the manual and inside the manual, it explains how to call plays. The defense always chooses the play first and the offense cannot choose one until the defense has chosen one. You hold the directional stick in one of the eight positions and press the action button. Each position represents a different play. When the defense selects a play, the players will line up. The offense then moves the directional stick to the play he or she wants to run and then presses the action button to start the play. Pretend the controller is like a clock. Each slot the stick can go into is a different number, starting at the top and going clockwise around it. The very top direction is 1. The very bottom is 5. 7 is on the left and 3 is on the right. Each slot the stick can go into is a different number, starting at the top and going clockwise around it. The following is a list of plays that correspond to each slot. The defense defends against that particular play and will always succeed if that is the play the offense calls. Number 1 is a passing play with the receiver on the bottom of the screen. He will go out fairly far and start running towards the middle of the field. Number 2 is very similar, but the receiver makes his cut to the middle much earlier in the route. Number 3 is the exact same as number one, but the receiver is on the top of the screen Number 4 is the exact same as number two, but the receiver is on the top of the screen Number 5 has the receiver on the bottom of the screen. He will run straight forward, then run diagonally to the middle and eventually the other side of the field before running towards the end zone. Number 6 has the receiver on the bottom as well. He will run forward, then cut towards the sideline and continue running down field. Number 7 kicks a field goal. You should only kick a field goal when you are close to the end zone but are on 4th down. Number 8 is a punt. You should only punt if you are on 4th down and have a very long distance to go before scoring. At any time you can decide to run with the quarterback instead of passing, especially if your opponent runs his guy into coverage. The defense will always have two players rush the quarter back while one player goes into the coverage for the play the defensive person selected. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strategy (FBSTR) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since this is a stripped down version of the American game of Football, there is only basic strategy that can be used in this game. This is what I find to be the best way to do things. You may have a different strategy that works just as well or even better. If so, I'd like to hear it, so e-mail it to me. You can find my e-mail address at the beginning or the end of this guide. Offensive strategy: Passing is almost always the more effective way to go. Even when the receiver is being defended, so long as it is a computer controlled defender, the receiver will catch the ball every time. If the player controlled defender goes after the receiver, you should run the ball. Always avoid your own players in addition to the defense. If you touch any player, you will be tackled. Do not rely just on running or just on passing. Mix it up to leave your opponent guessing as to what you will do next. Since his defender can come after you or drop back for an interception, you should always try and confuse him or her. All players in the game have the same speed. If you get ahead of a defender, do not stop or alter direction. You will not be caught (unless you are playing "pro level"). Remember that you only have four tries to score. There are no first downs. Consider scrambling around in the back field and making a pass at the last second if you are on 4th down and have a long way to go to score. Defensive Strategy: When on defense, you always control the line backer. He will have a clear path to the quarter back if you drop down just a step or two. It is a good idea to rush the quarter back often to try and force him to throw a bad pass or, better yet, tackle him for a loss of yardage. You should call pass defense plays more often than rush defense plays. You want to do this because you can get in and stop the rush with your line backer while your computer controlled team mates will drop into pass coverage. Do not blitz every time though. You may want to drop back into pass coverage and try to pick up an interception. If you get the line backer anywhere in between the quarter back and the receiver, you are likely to pick up an interception. If you can see that your opponent plans on passing, you should fall back and guard the receiver. After nine seconds, the rest of your team will close in on the quarter back. Let them worry about the run and you worry about the pass. Try to tackle the other team within five yards of the end zone. With the way the game works, the ball will always be hiked into the end zone which will result in a turn over. Once the quarter back crosses the line of scrimmage, he cannot pass the ball. Once he does, it means he has committed to running so you should go after him and try to tackle him. If you blow the call completely and you send a guy into coverage on the wrong side of the field, you want to take your line backer into coverage of the other guy, or else the offense will have a clear path to throw the ball and you won't be able to stop it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAQS (FBFAQ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please send any questions you may have to my e-mail address which can be found at the beginning or the end of this guide Q: When was this game released: A: 1978 Q: Is this game available on any other systems? A: No. This exact version of video game football is only available on the Odyssey ^2 as far as I know Q: Who made this game? A: The cartridge says it was made by Magnavox, the same company that made the Odyssey ^2 Q: Is there any advantage to which team I play as? A: No. The only difference between the teams are which direction they move and what color they are. Just choose your favorite. Q: Does this game have a season, playoff or exhibition mode? A: No. There are no modes of play other than single game. You do not have any choices to set it for anything else. Q: Does this game keep track of stats? A: No. There are no stats that are kept at all except for score, time left, and current down. No stats are saved and there are no stats shown at the end of the game. Q: My friend and I just finished a game. When the game ended the screen just sat there at the end of the last play and did nothing else. Did it freeze? Is it broke? A: No. When the game ends nothing happens. In order to start a new game, you have to reset your Odyssey ^2 by pressing the red Reset button on the top right of the Keyboard. Q: Where are the options to change the length of the game and other things along those lines? A: There are no options to change within the game at all. You have to play with the default settings. Once you start the game, it takes you directly to the field. There is no title screen or options menu to speak of. Q: Will the game save the number of times each player has won? A: No. There is no save battery to record any statistics like this at all. You will need to keep track of your record with your friends and family your self. Q: This game is really primitive. Are there any other Football games on the Odyssey that have more substance? A: I know of no other Football games on the Odyssey ^2. If you are looking for some older football games, I would suggest Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES. It may be close to 15 years younger than Football! on the Odyssey, but it was the first football game to be truly great all around. Q: Does this game have the NFL or the NFLPA license? A: No; it has neither. If you want a football game that does from the same time period, NFL Football on the Mattel Intellivision does have the NFL license. Q: Where can I buy this game? A: Your only options for purchasing this game in today's age will be on line or possibly at a thrift store or pawn shop that deals in old games. I personally bought my copy from eBay for about 50 cents. It was included in a lot with 100 or so Atari games. ***Update!!!*** You may have luck searching in some specialty game stores, especially those that have been in business for twenty years or more. I have come across a few Odyssey ^2 games in a handful of different stores, usually in some dusty, long forgotten corner of the store. They are out there. Q: Can I host this guide on my site? A: No. I do not allow anyone to use my guides without expressed, written permission. I do not give permission unless I am asked, specifically, about this guide. I do not like automated e-mails. I will most likely only allow my site to be hosted on a small website, usually one centered around the game or system my guide is for. For more information, see the Copyright section of this guide, at the bottom. Use of this guide without my permission is considered theft and will be reported to the proper authorities. Q: How do I contact you about this guide? A: E-mail is the best way to do so. My e-mail can be found at the beginning or the end of this guide, just remember to take the numbers 123 out of it because they do not belong. I keep them there to prevent auto scanning websites from obtaining my e-mail address. Alternatively, you can also contact me via MSN using the same e-mail address of on AIM using the screen name ArguroDeXill. While I am almost always online, I am not always at my computer and it may take as many as 8 hours to get a reply from me. Just be patient if this is the contact method of choice. I am not ignoring you, simply doing something away from the computer. Q: What other guides have you done? A: Just simply click on the name Arguro at the very top or the very bottom (orange text in a black box) of this guide and it will take you to my contributor page. From there you can see all the different things I have contributed to Gamefaqs. Q: I really like your guides. Can I donate money to you in support? A: If you really want to, you can send a Pay Pal payment to my e-mail address which is at the top or bottom of this guide. Please understand that any donated money does not mean I will name you in my guide. It also does not mean I will do any special work for you and it certainly does not give you any rights to host this guide or publish it anywhere. I do not want the user to feel obligated to pay me in any means. This is a free guide for personal, private home use. I will not reject your offer to pay me, but I do not want you to feel it is necessary. If you do decide to donate to me, please only donate what amount you are comfortable with, even if it is a single penny. Once a donation is made, it is final and there will be no refunds. This is an odd question and I debated about adding it for a long time, but when I saw other FAQ authors had a similar question, I felt it would be a valid addition. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version History (FBHIS) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.00 completed March 3rd, 2008 Version included the guide in full, including the following sections: Introduction, Controls, Game Basics, Strategy, FAQS, Version History and Copyright information. Guide is complete. Seven total pages when printed. (17 KB) Version 2.00 completed May 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm Mountain Time Version included the addition of the Plays section as I discovered it is possible to call different plays in the game. I updated the rest of the guide accordingly. Eight total pages when printed (21 KB) Version 2.01 completed September 25th, 2018 at 3:26 PM Mountain Time Version included the resubmittal of the guide in full. I also updated the copyright, e-mail and my name. Several minor typos also corrected. Eight total pages when printed (21.6 KB) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright information (FBCPY) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This guide is the copyright of Sam Skinner 2008-2018. This guide may not be reproduced on any website without my expressed, handwritten consent. The user is hereby granted permission to store this guide on his or her hard drive under the following conditions: 1. The hard drive may only be accessed by the user and his or her immediate family; 2. The guide is kept fully intact, i.e. no section, paragraph, word, letter or punctuation mark is missing from the guide; 3. This section is kept stored with the guide and is read before any other section is read when the individual accesses the guide for the first time. The user is also hereby allowed to print this guide in any fashion as he or she sees fit, provided that this section in its entirety is included with the printed version. The printed version must not be sold or given away under any circumstance. This guide may only be hosted on www.gamefaqs.com. If you want to use this guide on your website, you must send me an e-mail to Arguro AT Hotmail.com and please specify which guide you want to host. I ask that you specify so that I know you actually are interested in my work and that I am not reading an automated e-mail that scans FAQS for email addresses. If you do not specify the guide and include specific reasons why you would like to host it, I will NOT allow to host it at any time now or in the future. I reserve the right to determine what sites may and may not host this guide as well as the right to as for monetary compensation for the hosting of this guide as I see fit. Failure to abide by these rules set forth is a violation of US copyright law and is subject to persecution. Further use of this guide is considered acceptance of these rules set forth. If you do not agree with these rules, do not use this guide. Football! is copyright 1978 of Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company. I am in no way affiliated with this company nor is this guide and any implication, assumption or otherwise aforementioned association is purely accidental and unintentional.