Hyperactive Soccer 2 Hintbook

This game has some idiosyncrasies. Following tips might help you concede less and score more goals.

• How to adjust the difficulty level ?
  • The nations differ not only in jersey colors, their attributes are modeled after reality. Attributes such as running- and shotspeed and rate of decision making depend on the nation. So for a start pick a good one as yours and play against a not so good opponent. In QUICK mode its different: There your and the opponent team always have exactly the SAME strength. There you select these attributes directly and they apply to both teams. Game too fast ? Turn down speed level. CPU too good ? Turn down brain level. In TOURNAMENT and FRIENDLY mode, additionally, you select from several playing speeds: Each of these corresponds to a scale factor which scales running- and shotspeeds of all nations (by same factor). The purpose is to gradually allow you to adjust to the games fastest speed setting (which is the proposed speed to play it).
• All the time four attackers appear before my goalkeeper. None of my defenders nearby ! Is this supposed to ?
  • Most of the time, when CPU counterattacks and in particular if CPU is faster running than you, its your goalkeeper against four attackers. You are expected to leave the goal, intercept and pass the ball to a teammate. If you have a speed advantage you might be able to catch up an attacker with a defender before he shoots at the goal.
• I cannot control my goalkeeper when I need it !
  • If you do not have the ball, the control switches to your player nearest to the ball. When CPU attacks it may be another player is closer to the ball than your goalkeeper but you want to control the goalkeeper instead. To achieve this, move the current player away from the ball until control switches to goalkeeper. These are nice split second decisions: Track the attacker with defender a little longer and try to intercept or give up and try to sweep with goalkeeper.
• The CPU is constantly attacking me to rid me of the ball !
  • Welcome to full field press :-) Your player in ball posession runs slower than without. Before CPU closes in, pass on the ball. Or shoot and run after your own ball (with larger speed). Or dribble (quick direction changes).
• I cannot make goals, the CPU goalkeeper is too strong !
  • The goalkeepers in the best teams (Brazil, Germany, Spain) are good. You have to pose them more problems. Some teams have "erratic" goalkeepers, e.g. Great Britain and Japan. There it suffices to net in when they moved away from their goal. In other teams, players are not the fastest. There e.g. with some timing you can just circle the goalkeeper. Or there any carefully aimed shot will succeed.
• So how do I beat the best goalkeepers ?
  • Of course you can beat them with carefully timed/aimed assists/shots. E.g. a diagonal shot or a diagonal pass where receiving attacker can directly net from close range in a corner of the goal. However, a general promising technique to out-position a goalkeeper are CROSSES. Direct or by deflections from the playfield borders. Hint: Add shots/passes using deflection to your repertoire. Even your goalkeeper might benefit from using them after interceptions. Another general technique is "queuing up" attackers: When a player shoots (or clears a shot as goalkeeper) there is short "stun time" following where he cannot pickup the ball again. So if you manage to queue up two (or even three) attacking players side by side or behind each other, shoot at goalkeeper and net in the deflection with another attacker.
• Something wrong with second half play ? If I loose the ball, all my players run back. If I intercept the ball I often face opponent goalkeeper alone.
  • In second half your players are more "cautious". When you loose the ball, they run back. So when you intercept a ball, you might find no teammates nearby for link up play. In that case hold the ball, dribble, wait until your teammates run into places and then pass the ball on. If you find yourself alone in front of a good goalkeeper you could also just pass back in your half and start link up play.
• The CPU often runs back to its own goal. Cowards !
  • If the CPU sees no opportunity for passing it might consider passing/running back in its own half because its less crowded there with your players :-) You should just track the CPU and rid it of the ball. Or do not follow it and it will return again. There is no "holding midfielder"/dribbling play of the CPU when there are no pass opportunities and space forward is too crowded with opponents. Probably should add that but it works as is.