__ __ __ ____ ____ ____ __ _
/ \ / \ / \ | _ \ | _ \ | __| | \ | |
/ /\ \/ /\ \ / /\ \ | | \ \ | | \ \ | |__ | \ | |
| | | | | | | |__| | | | | | | | | | | | | |\ \ | |
| | | | | | | __ | | | | | | | | | | __| | | \ \ | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |_/ / | |_/ / | |__ | | \ \| |
|_| |__| |_| |_| |_| |____/ |____/ |____| |_| \___|
___ _____ _____ _______
__ _ ____ _ / _ \ / _ \ / _ \ |_____ |
| \ | | | __| | | /_/ \ \ | / \ | | / \ | / /
| \ | | | |__ | | / / | | | | | | | | / /
| |\ \ | | | __| | | / / | | | | | | | | / /
| | \ \ | | | | | | / / | | | | | | | | / /
| | \ \| | | | | |___ / /___ | \_/ | | \_/ | / /
|_| \___| |_| |_____| |______| \_____/ \_____/ /_/
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
[INTRO] Introduction
[MODES] Modes of Play
[CONTR] Controls
[TEAMS] Team Stats
[NOTES] FAQ and General Tips
[REALL] Comparing with Reality
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information
Use the Find feature to jump to a particular section of the guide.
===============================================================================
Introduction [INTRO]
===============================================================================
Finally. A few of you might remember that I said I'd write this guide someday.
I said that in my Madden '96 guide, which I wrote way back in January 2008. I
really do keep my promises, even if takes more than two years. Lately I've
taken almost that long to respond to my fans' e-mail, too.
As usual, I begin my guide with a brief review of the game I'm about to cover:
Madden NFL 2007's graphics are a little disappointing. While somewhat more
realistic than in previous GBA Madden games, the players seem grainy and the
field doesn't look very smooth. I liked the SNES-based graphics of Madden 2004
better, actually. The theme song, "Revelations" by Audioslave, is undoubtedly
the best song used in any of the GBA Madden games, although it doesn't have the
slightest thing to do with football and is highly compressed. Play control is
only slightly different from previous Madden games, although the menu controls
on the player management screens are irritating. The new "Hot Route" feature
isn't incredibly useful. In general, realism has improved since the earlier GBA
Madden games. The game isn't very difficult at all - unless you play on the
All-Madden level, in which case it's VERY tough. Some of the player ratings are
weird; I don't see how anyone would say that Daunte Culpepper was a better
quarterback than Peyton Manning and Tom Brady at this point in his career, and
giving Troy Vincent a rating of 100 also seems high. The lack of a Create-a-
Player feature is disappointing, as are the wrong skin colors for many players
in the game (some black players are white and some light-skinned players are
African-American). Overall, Madden 2007 is a pretty good game that doesn't
offer anything particularly new or innovative (imagine that!).
===============================================================================
Modes of Play [MODES]
===============================================================================
---Play Now---
Select this option to play an exhibition game using the teams of your choice.
If you want to change the quarter length, difficulty level, and other settings,
choose "Settings" from the "My Madden" option.
---Link Play---
If you have another Game Boy Advance, a second copy of Madden 2007, and a Game
Link cable, you can play an exhibition game against a friend (or enemy).
---Game Modes---
Season allows you to play through a 16-game season, and if you're good enough,
the playoffs and Super Bowl. You can select as many or as few games as you wish
to play.
Two Minute Drill puts your team in a two-minute drill situation, and you're
trying to get as many yards and points as possible within that narrow
timeframe. At the end of the game, a score based on how well you played will be
recorded. Use a team with a good quarterback and good receivers (Indianapolis
is definitely the best choice), and keep the ball in the air. If possible, get
out of bounds after every play.
Practice is a good way to learn the controls of the game or experiment with
different plays in a no-pressure situation.
Situation lets you set up almost any game situation imaginable. You have
control over the current score, the time remaining on the clock, the team with
the ball, the current play (kickoff, PAT, or regular play), and other things.
---My Madden---
Rosters allows you to perform all tasks relating to roster moves and lineups.
I'll discuss each of the sub-options individually:
* Player Management shows the rosters for all teams in the game. It's a good
way to compare players in different categories.
* Depth Chart lets you select each team's depth chart, which determines which
players are starters by default and which will be sitting on the bench most of
the time. Still, it's not a bad idea to make some substitutions even after
setting the depth chart.
* Trade Player enables you to trade players between teams.
* Sign Player lets you sign free agents, assuming you have room on your roster
and money under the salary cap. Most of the free agents in this game are older
players who were out of football by 2006, but you can find some guys who
actually played that year, like Ricky Proehl, Kerry Collins, and Stephen Davis.
* Release Player cuts players from a team. You would do this if you needed to
make room on the roster before signing a free agent.
* Reset Rosters reverts all rosters and lineups to the way they were when you
first played the game. Needless to say, you should be extremely careful when
selecting this option.
Madden Cards shows Madden Cards you've obtained and game challenges you've
completed. Every time you do something good in a game, whether it's making a
big pass or nailing the opponents for a safety, you'll receive tokens based on
the difficulty level and the difficulty of the feat itself. When you accumulate
40 tokens (which can easily be done in a single game), you can purchase a new
set of Madden Cards. While these can be collected just like baseball cards or
Pokemon, you can also activate cards to make certain players more powerful or
create certain unusual effects. Not surprisingly, some cards are rarer or more
useful than others. Play enough and you might be able to get all 161. Also, you
can sell duplicates back and recover a few tokens based on the card's value.
NFL Record Book shows records for Madden 2007 play, as well as some all-time
NFL records. The latter isn't very useful, because it doesn't use the names of
Bill Belichick or former players or coaches other than John Madden and Dick
Vermeil (I believe it has something to do with some lawyer's hardcore
interpretation of a ruling probably made by a court run by Australian pouched
marsupials).
Settings is the place to go if you want to adjust various game options, like
quarter length, difficulty, whether players will fatigue, and whether you want
to begin each play by controlling the player you controlled on the previous
play ("Remember Last Player").
---Mini Camp---
Mini Camp lets you play the mini-games used in Create-a-Player drills in
earlier Madden games. The game keeps track of your best performances in each
drill.
Field Goal Kick involves kicking field goals from various positions on the
field and at different hashmarks. Be sure to adjust for the wind, which may
have a huge effect on the later kicks.
Passing has you throwing the ball through hoops, a little like the Ring Shot
games in Mario Golf. Usually it's easier to hit the rings (especially the
closer ones) with a bullet pass than with a touch pass, and leaving the pocket
makes certain throws much easier.
Running requires you to run to a series of circles, each of which is guarded by
one or more linebackers. It's not too tough to run around them, though. If
necessary, press B to dive.
Tackling pits you against a running back, who you're trying to keep out of the
end zone. Tackling him behind the line of scrimmage is worth extra points, and
watch out for the linemen that appear later on.
Punting Inside 20 demands pinpoint accuracy with your punting. Try to get the
ball as close to the goal line as possible without getting a touchback. As with
the field goal drills, it's important to take wind into account.
WR Catch lets you control a wide receiver who's trying to get open. Press A
when you're ready to throw the ball, and press R when the ball comes to you to
increase your chances of catching it. Watch out, though; the defensive backs
are surprisingly smart.
DB Cover puts you is one-on-one coverage against a receiver. Be ready to jump
to deflect the passes, and don't get too rough with the receiver, or you may
get called for pass interference, which is a deduction.
40 Yard Dash is simple - the instant the whistle blows, begin mashing A and B
(or L and R) alternately as fast as you can.
Rush QB lets you take out your frustrations on the hapless quarterback. Get to
him as fast as possible and squash him! More linemen (or, as the game calls
them, linesmen, even if they're not assistant soccer referees) will be
protecting the QB on the later downs.
---Game Credits---
While hardly the most exciting part of the game, you can at least bow, curtsy,
or tip your hat to Charlie Chapman, Yohanne Mwale, Matt Sensenbrenner, and the
other people who helped make this game.
===============================================================================
Controls [CONTR]
===============================================================================
Here's the basic stuff:
---General---
Move player - Control Pad any direction
Pause game - START
---Special Teams---
Start the accuracy bar/snap the ball - A (when it's near the middle)
Stop the power bar - A (when it's near the top)
Call an audible (onside kick) - B
Line up right/left (after calling an audible) - L/R
Return to standard kicking formation (after calling an audible) - B
Call for a fair catch (very important on punt returns) - R
Control the kick receiver - Control Pad any direction
---Before the snap---
(Offense)
Snap the ball - A
Set Hot Routes - L + Control Pad (Up for a streak, Down for a curl, and Left or
Right for an in or out in the respective direction)
(Defense)
Select player to control - A
Shift linebackers (move players closer to the line of scrimmage; you can press
it multiple times to change the player combinations) - L
Shift secondary - R
---Audibles (either offense or defense)---
Call an audible - B
Select an audible play (after calling an audible) - A, L, or R
Cancel audible - B
---After the snap---
(Offense)
Rushing
Sprint - A
Dive/QB slide - B
Spin - L
Juke - R + Control Pad
(Defense)
Control player closest to the ball - A
Jump and raise hands - L
Dive - R
Sprint/Power Tackle - B
---Passing---
Move the quarterback - Control Pad any direction
Pass to receiver L, B, A, or R - L, B, A, or R
Note: The longer you hold down the pass button, the harder the throw will be.
Don't forget that your quarterback can run, too.
---Receiving---
Control receiver closest to the ball - B
Jump and raise hands - R
Dive - L
Spin - A
---Play Calling---
Move play selection highlight - Control Pad
Return to formation select screen from play screen - B
Select plays - A, L, or R
Mirror play - SELECT
---Menus---
Move highlight up/down - Control Pad Up/Down
Cycle through choices - Control Pad Left/Right
Select highlighted option - A or START
Return to previous screen - B
Scroll through statistics on some screens - L or R
On some player management screens, R scrolls through teams and L changes
positions. And yes, that is awkward.
===============================================================================
Team Stats [TEAMS]
===============================================================================
This section combines the numbers seen on the team selection screen with the
Scouting Reports. I don't know how they came up with some of the overall
ratings; for example, Philadelphia is equal to or better than Houston in every
area of the field, but the teams have they same overall rating. And I don't
know who decided that Buffalo was better than Pittsburgh, the defending Super
Bowl champions, or that San Diego was the second-weakest team in the game,
considering they won just 14 games in 2006.
ALL OFF DEF QB RB WR OL DL LB DB SP
Arizona Cardinals 71 75 70 81 93 87 78 90 82 87 82
Atlanta Falcons 80 84 69 92 85 85 86 90 85 88 87
Baltimore Ravens 88 80 96 89 92 91 86 89 84 92 84
Buffalo Bills 82 80 94 80 87 85 80 82 88 91 81
Carolina Panthers 94 85 99 86 83 89 85 90 85 91 87
Chicago Bears 77 77 79 82 84 89 86 86 84 88 91
Cincinnati Bengals 84 86 79 85 88 90 87 85 82 87 79
Cleveland Browns 75 81 73 79 85 90 86 79 88 89 79
Dallas Cowboys 84 76 95 82 82 93 85 82 81 92 74
Denver Broncos 88 87 90 86 77 93 89 84 87 89 78
Detroit Lions 76 82 78 82 87 91 85 86 79 88 82
Green Bay Packers 89 90 83 89 81 90 82 84 85 85 79
Houston Texans 92 89 86 86 84 89 84 87 86 86 87
Indianapolis Colts 91 98 77 93 80 96 84 90 83 88 92
Jacksonville Jaguars 77 80 76 86 85 86 87 88 83 91 80
Kansas City Chiefs 90 97 76 88 78 89 92 86 83 93 86
Miami Dolphins 83 79 93 97 87 87 80 91 81 82 89
Minnesota Vikings 76 81 70 80 85 90 89 89 82 94 82
New England Patriots 98 90 99 93 89 90 83 88 87 90 88
New Orleans Saints 80 82 74 87 88 91 82 84 83 90 92
New York Giants 79 78 80 83 85 91 85 86 89 88 81
New York Jets 74 80 71 87 87 89 84 85 85 85 81
Oakland Raiders 72 70 83 88 87 90 82 84 76 84 88
Philadelphia Eagles 92 90 90 96 85 89 84 90 90 95 89
Pittsburgh Steelers 80 81 83 89 84 91 88 85 91 88 90
St. Louis Rams 86 92 75 86 84 92 85 85 87 86 86
San Diego Chargers 70 81 68 80 95 90 82 79 89 85 79
San Francisco 49ers 67 69 70 80 68 85 85 82 82 85 75
Seattle Seahawks 88 90 88 86 95 91 84 83 85 89 75
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 83 82 85 79 85 91 78 89 86 88 70
Tennessee Titans 81 90 82 83 84 89 82 82 86 82 80
Washington Redskins 88 90 84 79 88 90 87 85 81 90 90
===============================================================================
FAQs and General Tips [NOTES]
===============================================================================
Q: What plays are the best audibles?
A: Here are the audible selections I normally use.
(A) A run (perhaps an off tackle)
(L) A quick pass or a screen
(R) A long pass
Defense
(A) A balanced 4-3 or 3-4 defense
(L) A play that covers the pass (a deep zone or a Nickel)
(R) A blitz
Make sure to change your offensive audibles if you're using a hurry-up offense,
or your defensive audibles if your opponents are in a hurry-up. Against a
human, you should change your audibles periodically to keep opponents on their
toes. In case you didn't know, you can change audibles from the "Set Audibles"
option on the Game Play Options subscreen of the Pre-Game or pause screen. Most
importantly, select plays that work well for you as audibles.
Q: How does changing the difficulty level affect the game?
A: Madden 2007 has four difficulty levels: Rookie, Pro, All-Rro, and All-
Madden. On the higher difficulty levels (especially All-Madden, which is a big
step up), the computer is much smarter on defense, and on offense the
computer's receivers always seem to know just how to prevent defenders from
breaking up the play. For that reason, it might advantageous to control a
defensive back when playing on All-Madden difficulty.
Q: How do I use a hurry-up offense?
A: Hold the A button right before the play selection screen would ordinarily
appear. You'll bypass the play selection screen and run the play you last run,
unless you call an audible. A no-huddle offense is useful if you need to get
points fast, but it can also be useful for confusing your opponents, especially
a human player.
Q: How do I kick an onside kick?
A: As in real life, onside kicks are tricky to execute properly. First press B
to call a kickoff audible, and then press L or R to change your team's
alignment. Press A when the accuracy bar is on the far end (preferably toward
the side where your players are). Then immediately press A again so the power
bar stops as low as possible. It takes a lot of practice to do this right; in
my experiments, I've succeeded exactly one time on onside kicks.
Q: How do I call a timeout?
A: Select "Call Timeout" from the pause screen if you have one or more timeouts
remaining. As you probably know, timeouts stop the game clock, so they're
useful in a two-minute drill or when you're about to get a delay of game
penalty.
Q: What teams used 3-4 defenses in real life in 2006?
A: Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and San Diego. That
doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't use the 3-4 with 4-3 teams, though.
Q: How do I automatically set my team's lineups?
A: On the Depth Chart screen, press A while highlighting any player, and then
press R to auto-order your team. This will set all depth charts in order of
each player's overall rating. This doesn't apply to kickoff and punt returners,
however. You may also want to manually make changes to the WR in the Goal Line
formation (use the player with the best Catching and Strength ratings) and the
extra DBs in the Nickel and Dime formations. Also, I highly recommend that you
adopt some degree of player rotation, particularly at running back.
Q: How should I manage fatigue?
A: If fatigue is turned on, players will tire the more they play. The lower the
player's fatigue rating, the slower and less effective he will be. The best way
to keep players fresh is by spreading the ball around to many different
players. Don't throw to the same receiver over and over again, and (more
importantly) don't hand off to the same back 40 times in a game. There isn't a
"Spell HB" set like in the console games, but you can set up a back rotation
system using the Substitutions menu. For example, start fictitious back Andy A.
at HB in the Single Back and Pro Form formations, use Bobby B. in I-Form and
Goal Line, and install Chris C. (who has good Speed and Catching ratings) in
the Shotgun. You might want to rotate players at some of your other positions
as well - even quarterback - especially if the players are of similar ability.
Replacing a hard-hitting safety with a faster, more coverage-oriented man in
Nickel or Cover 2 formations also makes good sense.
Q: What's the best way to run out the clock?
A: When it's late in the game and you want to protect your lead, it's obviously
best to keep running the ball; incomplete passes stop the clock. Don't snap the
ball until the play clock hits 1 or 2 seconds. However, it's better to run out
most of the clock from the playbook screen instead of by selecting a play and
staying in the "set" position for a long time. If you spend too long waiting to
snap the ball after calling the play, you'll increase the chances of a false
start or related penalty (usually against the offense).
Q: Why is the computer controlling my quarterback?
A: If you don't press any buttons after the snap, the computer takes control.
The same goes on defense. You can usually generate better results than the
computer, though.
Q: What penalties appear in this game?
A: You can get a delay of game penalty if you take too long to snap the ball on
offense, and on defense you can get called for encroachment by moving past the
line of scrimmage before the snap. There's also illegal procedure (kicking the
ball out of bounds on a kickoff). Unlike other penalties, these can't be turned
off or turned down on the My Madden Settings menu. Pass interference may be
called if a defender gets too rough with an opposing receiver (or, less
frequently, a receiver who interferes with a defensive back). Several
penalties, such as facemasking, appear randomly. Roughing the quarterback or
kicker rarely occurs, and strangely, clipping isn't called at all unless you
change the referee settings.
Q: What should I choose when I win the toss?
A: It's more fun to receive first. If you're deciding the goal to defend, you
might want to have a tailwind on the kickoff. But it doesn't really matter at
all.
Q: Are there any hidden teams?
A: Nope. Only the 32 NFL franchises playing in 2006 are included in this game.
Q: Why won't this game work on emulators?
A: I'm not sure why, but all the ones I've tried either fail to boot the game
or won't display the playbooks and the pause menu. It's very tough to write a
playbook guide without being able to use save states (the alternative is
playing through the equivalent of several seasons' worth of games), so I've
omitted the play strategies in this guide. If you'd like to write one and send
it to me, be my guest.
Q: What other tips do you have?
* This is common sense, but if your team has a good running back and a weak
passing game (like the San Diego Chargers), you should run the ball a lot.
Likewise, if you pass better than you run (such as Indianapolis), you'll want
to keep the ball in the air.
* Don't give up! When you get hit, keep holding Up on the Control Pad to try to
break the tackle and get an extra yard or two.
* Diving is a great way to get a couple of extra yards for a touchdown or first
down. On defense, make sure to touch ballcarriers after they dive; if you don't
tag them, they can get up and continue running.
* Don't get into a play-calling rut, especially against a human opponent.
Madden 2007 has a big playbook loaded with well-designed plays.
* If you're just starting out, stick with simpler plays and wait until you're
more advanced before trying advanced plays like Flea Flicker.
* Your split end (on the left) is usually the L receiver, while the flanker (on
the right) is generally assigned the R button. The B button is usually a tight
end or slot receiver, and backs are most often A. One eligible receiver won't
have a button assigned to him. However, you should refer to the play diagrams
for the information specific to each play; this isn't the case on all plays,
especially when mirrored.
* Press R on the Play Week screen in Season mode to change the game plan of the
teams involved in the highlighted game. This feature isn't too useful, though.
* For GameCube/emulator players: A controller with a turbo button makes certain
Mini Camp events easier.
Q: How many guides have you written?
A: 73, besides some text dumps and Link's Awakening maps. To see the complete,
current list, visit www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/74793.html.
===============================================================================
Comparing with Reality [REALL]
===============================================================================
This is a brief summary of the 2006 NFL season. More in-depth information can
be found at NFL.com, Wikipedia.org, and assorted other Internet and print
sources.
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI in
Miami in the first-ever rainy Super Bowl. The Bears galloped to an early lead,
but Peyton Manning and the Colts came back and held firm control in the second
half.
After the Superdome was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans
Saints spent the 2005 season without a home. The Saints returned to New Orleans
in 2006 and even made the NFC Championship, losing to the Bears.
A number of records fell during the season: Packers quarterback Brett Favre for
most passes completed in a career, Falcons kicker Morten Andersen for most
career points, Chargers running back (and league MVP) LaDainian Tomlinson for
most touchdowns in a season, and Bears return man Devin Hester for season
special teams touchdowns.
Several notable deaths occurred in late 2006 and early 2007. Chiefs owner and
NFL visionary Lamar Hunt died of prostate cancer, and after the season Broncos
cornerback Darrent Williams was shot dead, and Broncos running back Damien Nash
died at a charity basketball game at a high school.
Other highlights off the field:
* Roger Goodell replaced Paul Tagliabue as commissioner
* The NFL introduced "flexible scheduling" to make sure that prime-time games
near the end of the season would be relevant matchups
* NFL football returned to NBC for the first time in nine years, with NBC now
hosting a game of the week on Sunday nights, while Monday Night Football moved
from ABC to ESPN
* Reebok introduced new uniforms for officials (which no one seemed to like)
===============================================================================
Version History [VERSN]
===============================================================================
Date | Version | Size |
--------|---------|------|-----------------------------------------------------
2-16-10 | 0.1 | 19KB | Began guide. Did some of the Team Stats.
2-17-10 | 0.3 | 22KB | Finished Team Stats and Controls.
2-18-10 | 0.5 | 21KB | Did some more stuff.
2-19-10 | 0.8 | 25KB | Finished the review and Modes of Play.
2-20-10 | 1.0 | 29KB | Completed season review and proofreading.
===============================================================================
Copyright [COPYR]
===============================================================================
(c) 2010 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved.
All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective
holders.
* You can print this guide out for your personal use.
* You can download this guide to your computer for personal use.
* You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit to
me AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even a tilde).
The latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on
there being many (if any) updates.
* You can translate this guide into a foreign language and post the translation
on your Web site if you ask for permission first.
* You can't post this guide on your Web site and say you wrote the guide
yourself.
* You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain sexually explicit images
(that is, pornography), racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes.
* You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything
in this guide.
If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted
(permanently erased) inexplicably and you will suffer from diarrhea and turf
toe for the remainder of your life. Heed this warning.
===============================================================================
Contact Information [CONTC]
===============================================================================
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Remember that not all e-mails will be read. Please
follow these rules:
* Do include "Madden 2007" in the subject line.
* Do send polite suggestions about ways to make this walkthrough better.
* Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find in this guide.
* Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you find.
* Do ask any questions you have about Madden NFL 2007 gameplay. I will respond
eventually if you follow all of these guidelines.
* Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage,
punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're saying.
* Do use patience. I check my messages rather sporadically.
* Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violation of this rule will result in
permanent constipation.
And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all
humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Say no to illicit drugs,
whether recreational or performance-enhancing. I don't know if anyone reads
this, though.
For M.K.
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