User Guide

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U.S. $14.99 Can. $21.95 U.K. £12.99 Games/Sports

Platforms: Nintendo GameCube

™

, PlayStation

computer entertainment system, Xbox

™

, PC

MADDEN NFL 2004

PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE

ALL MADDEN CARDS REVEALED

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primagames.com

Mark Cohen

primagames.com

This game has received the

following rating from the ESRB

ONLINE STRATEGIES

for the

PlayStation®2 computer

entertainment system

EXPERT offensive and

defensive STRATEGIES

Tips for SUCCESS IN EVERY MODE,

including the new Owner Mode

How to UNLOCK all hidden REWARDS

Profiles, statistics, and

key plays for EVERY TEAM

Summary of content (17 pages)

PAGE 1
Games/Sports Platforms: Nintendo GameCube , PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox™, PC ™ ONLINE STRATEGIES* for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system EXPERT offensive and defensive STRATEGIES Tips for SUCCESS IN EVERY MODE, including the new Owner Mode How to UNLOCK all hidden REWARDS Profiles, statistics, and key plays for EVERY TEAM EA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO RETIRE THE EA SPORTS ONLINE SERVICE FOR THIS PRODUCT AFTER 90 DAYS NOTICE, OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE LAST DAY OF THE 2003-2004 NFL
PAGE 2
FRANCHISE MODE Franchise mode is back in Madden NFL 2004, but as you've come to expect over the years, there are a few new wrinkles. This year's game adds Owner mode. Turn it on in the Franchise Setup screen, and you get to handle the business side of owning a professional football team. No, we're not just talking about player contracts and free agent signings. You have to manage your bank account like a real owner, by monitoring ticket prices, special events, coaches' salaries, concessions, and much more.
PAGE 3
Note It's difficult to decide how much money to devote to each position. The following list ranks the highest paid salaries by position during the 2002 NFL season (the salary in parentheses represents an actual salary paid to a position player in 2002). Obviously, you cannot afford to pay these salaries across the board.
PAGE 4
Tip It's easy to get wrapped up with skill ratings such as Speed, Awareness, Catching, etc., as you peruse the draft lists. However, don't overlook the INJ rating. All the talent in the world won't do you any good if your player is on injured reserve for most of the season. We jump back to offense with round 9, selecting speedy Corey Bradford, and then back to defense for Eagles right end Ndukwe Kalu in round 10.
PAGE 5
The Draft Continues _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Using our priority list, we move through the next 39 rounds of the draft. With an eye toward our bankbook, we complete the draft with just over $17 million left under the salary cap. We certainly could have spent more money, especially during the early rounds. But, the idea of building our team through the draft is more exciting. And, with cash on hand, we can sign a free agent to replace an injured player.
PAGE 6
Clutch Kicking QB Precision Passing Swat Ball — If you must run straight into a tackler, use the Sprint button at the point of impact to improve your chances of breaking the tackle. — Use a stiff arm against a tackler approaching you from the side. Catch Ball This is another tough camp, but you need these skills to roam the defensive secondary with confidence. With the clock ticking, you must run to three different stations (one is active at a time) to knock down or intercept a pass.
PAGE 7
Preseason After sweating through Training Camp, the next step is Preseason, where you begin the long grind toward the playoffs. If you select Play Week, you go to the preseason schedule, where you get your first glimpse of the team you drafted. We'll cover preseason shortly, but for now, let's spend a little time with the Franchise Rosters screen. For now, we'll cover only the options that have relevance for preseason. Later, as we move through the schedule we will revisit other report screens as needed.
PAGE 8
Offense cont. — Offensive Guards: Edwin Mulitalo at left guard is a horse, and veteran Tony Semple is solid on the other side. Reserves are better than at tackle, with Matt Campbell and Ryan Schau. — Center: Damien Woody is one of the best young centers in the NFL, with excellent pass and run blocking skills. Backup Cory Raymer is a proven performer. This is probably our deepest offensive line position.
PAGE 9
TRADE BLOCK to inspire any interest. Sadly, we are trying to get something for nothing, so rather than add to our frustration, we back out of the trade market for now. RELEASE PLAYER It is tough enough to stock a balanced roster for your first season, so you probably will not have extra players for trades. However, you can jump in and attempt a blockbuster if you covet a particular player who eluded you in the draft.
PAGE 10
RATINGS Finally, you can go to the Ratings screen to see how many Coaching Points you've accumulated. The Front Office also includes comments about your performance, so you can bask in the glory of your accomplishments (or quit before they fire you). Although we think managing player contracts and the draft are the main reasons for playing in Franchise Mode, you may want a little assistance from the CPU. You can let the CPU handle any combination of player management duties (see picture above).
PAGE 11
Stat Book We begin with raising ticket prices, applying most of the increases to the most expensive seats and luxury boxes. This affects only about 30 percent of the seats, so the backlash should be acceptable. After raising prices, we put a little back into Advertising, buying some billboard space for $50,000. The game tracks Individual, Career, Team, Rankings, and Coach statistics for every team, player, and coach in the game.
PAGE 12
Post Season Highlights Horse Trailer The Updates screens include weekly reports on the following: — Coach — Signing — Re-Signings — Holdouts — Releases — Trades — Injured Reserve — Retirements A Mid-Season Update After nine games, our Chargers are sitting atop the AFC West with a 7-1-1 record. As for those controversial price increases, well, everyone loves a winner. Our $3+ million deficit has turned into nearly $10 million in positive cash flow. So much for our advisors! 114 primagames.
PAGE 13
After a well-deserved celebration, we return home to San Diego to bask in the glory of an amazing year. After simulating the Pro Bowl, we have the option to import a Draft Class from NCAA Football 2003. If you don't have a completed college season, you can proceed to Owner Mode Off-Season. Owner Mode Off-Season that the old ball yard is still in good shape. A few upgrades may be in order, but we certainly aren't ready to build a new stadium. So, we opt for a new EA Arcade.
PAGE 14
The off-season schedule is packed with important tasks, and you must complete each one to advance to your next season. The following sections take you through each step. RETIRED PLAYERS Step three (and the last step if you are turned down) is to submit your proposal. Unless you are prepared to pay for at least half of the cost, you can expect a refusal from the voters. Once turned down, you cannot attempt to rebuild the stadium until next year.
PAGE 15
ROOKIE SCOUTING players who are disappointing our scouts, and adding new players who seem to be excelling in the workouts. NFL DRAFT The Rookie Report is our first look at the draft pool. We can designate up to 15 players for scouting. After checking off our players, we advance to the Scouting Combine. SCOUTING COMBINE Our first round pick, cornerback William Wyatt, is the most difficult draftee to sign, but we think he has the potential to be a star in this league.
PAGE 16
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PAGE 17
Games/Sports Platforms: Nintendo GameCube , PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox™, PC ™ ONLINE STRATEGIES* for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system EXPERT offensive and defensive STRATEGIES Tips for SUCCESS IN EVERY MODE, including the new Owner Mode How to UNLOCK all hidden REWARDS Profiles, statistics, and key plays for EVERY TEAM EA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO RETIRE THE EA SPORTS ONLINE SERVICE FOR THIS PRODUCT AFTER 90 DAYS NOTICE, OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE LAST DAY OF THE 2003-2004 NFL