If you like this list, please see my updated “Even More ‘Retro Bowl‘ Tips” page. As the new year begins, I thought I’d compile another collection of “Retro Bowl” advice.
The game is a casual pleasure for me when I have spare time, mostly because it finishes and begins rapidly. I’ve been playing with different play techniques since my previous tip list, and here are a couple things I’ve discovered.
1. Increase your striker’s stats and don’t be frightened of long-range goals.
There are just two stats that are relevant to players: shot accuracy and shot range. I strongly advise working on Kick Range first, as Kick Accuracy appears to accomplish nothing more than make kicking minigames simpler – something that shouldn’t be tough to master if you’re having fun. However, I would also ensure that they are physically fit, as keeping this stat low increases the likelihood that you will end up in games with an injured striker, which can wreak havoc in close games.
After optimizing kick accuracy and range, I discovered that it allows you to take any kick as soon as you pass the midfield — the shortest distance required to make kicks. This implies you may frequently take kicks that are longer than 50, even 60 yards.
Long goals, like two-point conversions, are significantly simpler to achieve in the “Retro Bowl” than in a genuine professional football game. Long goal efficiency indicates that in close games, you just need to reach near midfield to tie or win.
2. Pay close attention to your rehabilitation facilities.
I normally don’t pay much attention to the game’s facility mechanisms; I just spend enough Training Credits on them to keep them from turning red and then forget about them. But I always keep an eye on my rehab facility.
What I noticed is that ignoring this statistic causes your players to be injured for longer than if they were hurt, which may be quite harmful. When I ignore this stat, I normally leave star players out for 10 games; after that, I simply deal with minor ailments.
By paying attention to this stat, you reduce the likelihood that a key player — such as your QB, WR, TE, or K — will be out for the most or the remainder of the season, essentially eliminating your chances of making the Retro Bowl.
3. Make the most of these numbers for your WR and TE.
When it comes to WR and TE, all four numbers are helpful, but I prefer catch and speed for WR and catch and power for TE.
Catch stats are obviously the most important for WRs because they are constantly running routes with tight intervals to successfully catch passes, and speed stats are crucial for those moments when they catch them open, as it will allow them to run the ball down the field, often turning a 15-yard catch into a 25-30-yard shot. When facing a subpar defense, a WR with outstanding speed may even run the ball down the field for long distances for touchdowns.
When it comes to TE, I seldom come across one with decent speed numbers or the potential for high speed stats, thus I mainly employ them as tanks. These are the players you’ll occasionally find to be very open-minded, and despite their slowness, they can prolong the game by breaking tackles and tearing down defenses.
To my amazement, I discovered TE to be one of the game’s most valuable players. My QBs have won the most in-game MVP honors in my four save files, each with more than 20 seasons, but my TEs have easily won the second most, while WRs have typically won. Attacker’s Player of the Year award.
4. Make the most of these numbers for your quarterback.
Your quarterback is perhaps the most essential player on the field since he or she is in charge of passing the ball to your great players. Within the context of this game, I’ve found speed and fitness stats to be almost meaningless when it comes to QB – I believe it’s theoretically possible to cultivate a great running QB like Michael Vick or Cam Newton’s top, but I haven’t had any success in that department; you’d be better off getting a good RB with those stats.
I always prioritize “throw accuracy” and “arm strength” for quarterbacks. Both are fairly straightforward, with “throw accuracy” being something you should prioritize first—you’ll be able to kick-start your career as a QB by making short, precise, and effective passes—while “arm strength” comes in handy once you’ve achieved a high level of accuracy—it will allow you to hurl missiles down the field for 30-50 yards (though if you approach an open passer with a good speed stat, you can easily achieve over 70 yard gains).
In my gaming experience, a quarterback with strong arm strength but bad passing accuracy becomes an interceptor if the ball is thrown deep.
5. Contract renewal with rookies in order to surpass the pay cap
This tip is only applicable to players who have Coaching Credits to invest, but it is absolutely something you can do after the third to fifth seasons in the game.
The “Retro Bowl” has the same salary cap as the real NFL, and because the game is balanced so well, it’s incredibly easy to take over a new team, sell off primarily ineffective players for draft capitals, and then rally a great, youthful group with plenty of money to spare. The difficulty is that rookie contracts typically last approximately two years, after which the star player will deal with the bubble, leaving you with the alternative of letting one or two stars go or buying cheap in other sections of your club (for example, allowing your defense to take a short time). hit in order to equal the top striker).
However, there is a simple way to keep your reign intact without completely reorganizing your team to meet the salary cap: renew rookie contracts the year they expire.
Note that you cannot renew a player’s contract during their rookie year, thus you must wait until their second season to do so. However, if you have the credits, you can do this indefinitely—and it’s usually worth it, because the cost of the Training Credits to do this is usually less than or equal to the cost of Contract with a free agent to replace them.
I was able to maintain the TE and WR players in this manner for roughly $10 million each year until they reached the age of 30.
It’s not the most fair trick on your virtual players, but it’s a good technique to keep your prices down and beat the pay cap.
