How to play Super Football online
- On the selection screen: left and right arrow keys choose the game level; up and down choose one or two players
- Start the game: Space bar or F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Call a play: left and right choose the formation (1–9), up and down choose the pattern (1–4)
- Hike the ball and throw a pass: Space bar
- Run with the ball or steer your defender: arrow keys
- Pause: F2 (the TV type switch, set to black-and-white)
- Back to the selection screen: F11 (the console’s Select switch)
- Player 2 (green team): T/F/G/H to move, A to fire
Gameplay
Player 1 controls the red team. The green team is run by the computer or by a second player. The normal rules apply: the offense has four downs to gain ten yards. Before each snap, the formation and pattern you pick are shown as the two digits of your score. After the offense chooses, the defense has only a few seconds to pick its own play. If the offense does not hike the ball, it is snapped automatically after about four seconds.
On offense you control the quarterback. You can run with the ball, or wait until the receiver is open and press fire to pass. Moving the joystick left or right as you throw leads the receiver, and once the ball is in the air control switches to him. On defense you steer the cornerback. On fourth down you can punt, or try a field goal if you are within 50 yards of the goal line. An intercepted pass cannot be run back. The ball carrier also cannot be tackled between the 5-yard line and the goal line.
| Score | Points |
|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 |
| Field goal | 3 |
| Extra point | 1 |
Game levels
The four levels set the length of each quarter and how long the defense gets to choose its play:
- Level 1 (Novice): 3-minute quarters
- Level 2 (Standard): 7-minute quarters
- Level 3 (Advanced): 10-minute quarters
- Level 4 (Expert): 15-minute quarters
Tips
- Be patient with the pass. Throw too early and the ball can end up with a defender, and there is no runback to win it back. Wait for your receiver to get clear first.
- Lead your receiver. Push the joystick in the direction he is running as you release the ball.
- Get to the 5-yard line. Inside the 5 the ball carrier cannot be tackled, so a run that gets that far can walk into the end zone.
- Know your options on fourth down. Inside 50 yards a field goal is possible; further out, punt with formation 8.
- Start on Level 1. Short quarters let you try all the formations quickly before you commit to a full-length game.
The story behind Super Football
After the video game crash of 1983, Atari was sold, and the new Atari Corporation kept releasing new 2600 cartridges into the late 1980s. Super Football (model CX26154) was one of these late titles, and the manual is dated 1988. Neubauer, credited on AtariMania under his nickname “Dallas North”, also hid his name in the ROM, spelled backwards as “N GUOD”. A version also came out in Brazil under the Supergame label.
Similar games to play next
- RealSports Football – Atari’s earlier attempt at a more detailed football game
- Football – Atari’s original, very simple 2600 football cartridge
- Super Challenge Football – M Network’s take on the sport
- Solaris – Doug Neubauer’s large space adventure for the 2600
- Radar Lock – another late Neubauer game, a jet-fighter shooter