Use an 8 or 10 button gamepad like the Gravis Gamepad Pro,Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad or Gravis GrIP.

BIG HINT FOR FIRST TIMERS - Don't try and madly smashbuttons. Being cool
and deliberate always yields results. Most cool moves require holding down
either the SKILLMODE1 or SKILLMODE2 buttons like a SHIFT key on the
keyboard of a computer. Once you've mastered this the game can be played at
a really fast pace!

Tactical Moves

Don't be fooled into thinking that skill alone will allow you to master
this game. In order to duel tactically you'll have to plan ahead somewhat.

Before starting a game, go into Team management and take a look at your
teams formations and strategy settings. You should reset your 3 IGM
settings to be IGM1 - super offensive, IGM2 - neutral, IGM3 - super
defensive. For example IGM1 is 3-4-3 or 3-3-4 with all out offense, IGM2
is 4-4-2 with attack and IGM3 is 5-3-2 with all out defense.

Your CPU opponent will try several strategies to crack your defense so you
should adapt your formation and strategy accordingly. Keep a close eye on
what the opponent team is doing. You can quickly adapt your teams posture
using the IGM toggle. Depending on how much risk you are willing to take
you can outnumber your opponent in mid-field or up front using IGM1 for a
period of time then quickly revert back to IGM2. If you are feeling lots of
pressure from the CPU you should toggle to IGM3 which moves players back to
support and play a counter attack. If he's backing off you should move
players up front and try to play the ball in with IGM1 again. Note: be
aware of his star players, they are likely to be the ones to do damage

When attacking:

Use the wing back run:

If you are having problems moving up the middle of the park try using a
wing back run. Hold SKILLMODE1+SKILLMODE2 and press SPRINT. Look for the
player with tactic indicator streaking up the wing. Move the ball away from
that side to draw players away. You should hit that player with a through
pass or a lob before he goes offside.

Use the through run:

You can channel players through the middle of the park using the through
run. Hold SKILLMODE1+SKILLMODE2 and press PASS. Look for the player with
tactic indicator making a diagonal run to the back of the opposing defense.
You should hit that player with a through pass or a lob before he goes
offside.

When defending:

Defensive pressure - Almost one third of goalsresult from turnovers in
the opponents end. If you can catch your opponent off guard you may steal
an easy goal. Use the attacking press tactic to force him to move the ball
up-field more hastily. Hold SKILLMODE1 + SKILLMODE2 and press SHOOT. You'll
notice your forwards charging down the ball carrier trying to force a
mistake. You may intercept a bad pass or catch him holding onto the ball
for too long. BEWARE - USING THIS TACTIC WILL FATIGUE YOUR FORWARD PLAYERS
MAKING THEM LESS EFFECTIVE IN THE LONG RUN.

Offside trap - Holding SKILLMODE1+SKILLMODE2 and pressing LOB will
activate an offside trap. Beware though, professional players aren't easily
fooled.

Basic strategies

Try probing the wings and the center channel to see where the areas of
least resistance are.

Crossing - The wings are generally easier to penetrate however the goalie
and defense will be waiting for your cross. To do headers - hold down the
LOB button while the ball is in the air. (You must keep it held until the
player makes contact) You can head the ball back across the net to
teammates this way. PASS heads to a teammate's feet, SHOOT tries a header
on goal. Time it right to get a diving header with the SHOOT button (harder
to do). You can also do volleys, flying volleys and bicycle kicks to finish
your goals with style and flair. These are much more likely to score but
require more time and space. Tap-hold SHOOT while ball is in the air. (It's
easy, but you must do it properly. As soon as the ball is in the air, tap
SHOOT and as fast as you can press and hold SHOOT again until the ball
reaches the player) This takes practice to do it right. The timing of the
button presses needs to be quick. This is an essential skill to master the
game. It pays to practice heading and volleying in training mode.

Passing - If you work the ball up the middle, using one-timer passes will
make it difficult for opponents to chase you down. Press PASS while the
ball is in transit and use the d-pad for choosing direction you wish to
send the one-timer. These require more skill and little thinking ahead. If
you get more advanced you can use passback to get one-twos going. While
holding SKILLMODE1+SKILLMODE2, press THROUGH PASS to pass the ball and
reposition for a return pass. While holding SKILLMODE1+SKILLMODE2, press
JUMP to gain control of another player and ask for a pass.

Defending - You don't always have to commit to big slide tackles to gain
possession back. By keeping shape and letting the opponent come at you can
force bad turnovers from passes. He'll be forced to run through areas of
concentrated defense making it less likely for him to be successful in
penetrating. If the opponent does make it close to your box you are best
off to use standing tackles as these are less likely to give away dangerous
free-kicks or penalties.

Defending - As a last resort you can pull down players who have an obvious chance on
net. Press JUMP and your player will foul the opponent. There are some cool
reactions and falls. Try turning referee strictness down or doing it in
training mode.

Beating the last line of defense

If you want to get by that last line of defense there is always a cool
move you can use to pull off the spectacular.

Flick move - This is great for beating a player who's rushing you. Hold
SKILLMODE2 and press LOB and he'll watch as the ball sails over his head
onto your awaiting foot.

360 spin move - This is the best way to shield off standing challenges and
keep your momentum. Hold SKILLMODE1 or SKILLMODE2 and press SHOOT. A well
timed 360 at the top of the 18 will give you a great chance on net. Beware
though - this move may look pretty but you can get hit really hard with a
slide tackle

Lateral move - Excellent for those impatient defenders who tend to slide right
at you as this move will pull you right out of the way. 2 ways to do it -
Tap a SKILLMODE1 or SKILLMODE2 once; or hold SKILLMODE1 or SKILLMODE2 and
press PASS. This move won't work against a standing tackle though.

Jump over an impending slide tackle - press JUMP- You can also hop over
the goalie if you're good.

There are many stepovers, fakes, and dekes in the game. Holding SKILLMODE1
or SKILLMODE2 and using the d-pad will make player dribble more cautiously
and pull fakes when direction is changed. Fakes will cause any tackles
activated nea