All-Pro Football 2K8 Special Abilities Spotlight

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is how it organizes the more than 240 former NFL greats that constitute the game's stellar roster. All players are organized along three different skill tiers--gold, silver, and bronze; depending on that tier, each player has a number of special abilities that help further define what makes that player so special on the field. The following is a list of all the special abilities in the game and their description.

How former NFL legends play on the field in APF 2K8 depends on their special abilities.

• Signal Stealer -- Press X with our QB or defender to try to steal your opponent's plays.
• Scrambler -- QB is talented at throwing the ball out of the pocket.
• Rocket Arm -- QB has top-flight arm strength with QB charge.
• Quick Release -- QB has a quick throwing motion.
• Pocket Presence -- QB is at his best when in the pocket.
• Play Fake -- QB's play action fake is great at fooling defenders.
• Pass Threat -- QB's threat of passing makes draw plays more lethal.
• Laser Arm -- Pinpoint accuracy with QB charge.
• Deception -- QB's pump fakes are more likely to deceive defenders.
• Cadence -- QB's cadence is good at drawing defenders offside.
• 4th Quarter Comeback -- QB is at his best when trailing in the 4th quarter.
• Strength Bonus -- Player has top-notch strength for his position.
• Stamina Bonus -- Player doesn't tire easily.
• Speed Burner -- Player has top-notch speed for his position.
• Secure Ball Bonus -- Player is good at holding onto the football.
• Run Coverage -- Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Quick Feet -- Player has top-notch agility for his position.
• Leadership Bonus -- Player makes his teammates better.
• Hops -- Player has excellent jumping ability.
• Durability Bonus -- Player is resilient to injuries and very dependable.
• Acrobatic Catches -- Player is able to make difficult circus catches.
• Branching Tackles -- Player is good at shaking off tackles by tapping A.
• Break Away Burst -- Player has an extra gear when running away from defenders.
• Bump Buster -- Player is talented at beating bump and run coverage.
• Cutback Ability -- Player is quick out of cuts.
• Deep Threat -- Receiver is skilled at catching deep passes and draws extra attention from safeties.
• Mr. 3rd Down -- Receiver is clutch in 3rd down situations.
• Possession Receiver -- Receiver is particularly talented at running short routes.
• Return Specialist -- Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Route God -- Receiver is great route runner.
• Ankle Breaker -- Player has a 2nd level charge juke move.
• Battering Ram -- Player has a 2nd level charge shoulder charge.
• Spin -- Defender has a 2nd level charge spin.
• Arm of Steel -- Player has a 2nd level charge stiff arm.
• Stop on a Dime -- Player has a 2nd level charge stop.
• Tough in the Middle -- Receiver isn't afraid to get hit on catches in the middle.
• Workhorse -- Ball carrier gets better the more he gets the ball.
• Soft Hands -- Player has excellent hands.
• Special Team Demon -- Player is talented at covering punts or kicks.
• Magic Feet -- Player has the footwork and balance to stay in bounds on sideline catches.
• Brick Wall -- Player has superior pass blocking skills.
• Bulldozer -- Player has superior run blocking skills.
• Stonewall -- Linemen is such a stalwart that the QB is extra composed around him.
• Clutch -- Player's performance is best in all-clutch situations and games.
• Scissor Kick -- Player has a scissor kick special move by using RS.
• Finesse -- Player has a 2nd level spin and juke move.
• Power -- Player has a 2nd level shoulder charge and stiff arm.
• Finesse and Power -- Player has a 2nd level spin, juke, shoulder charge, and stiff arm.
• Ball Strip -- Player is adept at forcing fumbles.
• Big Hit -- Defender is particularly adept at big hit tackles with RS.
• Bull Rush -- Defender has a 2nd level charge bull rush.
• Bump Master -- Player is skilled at bump and run coverage.
• Closing Speed -- Defender is able to cover ground quickly when closing in on the ball.
• Club -- Defender has a 2nd level charge club.
• Loose Ball Magnet -- Defender has a knack for recovering fumbles.
• Reach Tackle -- Defender has the strength to pull down ball carriers with reach tackles.
• Rip -- Defender has a 2nd level charge rip.
• Run Reader -- Defender has a sixth sense that allows him to hit the hole.
• Sack Master -- Defender is particularly skilled at sacking the QB.
• Wrap Up Tackler -- Defender is a textbook wrap tackler.
• Coverage Bonus -- Player has excellent pass coverage skills.
• Pass Rush Bonus -- Player is skilled at rushing the passer.
• Run Coverage -- Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
• Ball Hawk -- Defender has a keen sense of the ball on passes.
• Footsteps -- Defender strikes fear in receivers and this can result in gator arms.
• Return Specialist -- Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
• Coffin Corner -- Player is good at pinning punts inside the 10-yard line.
• Kick Accuracy Bonus -- Player has excellent kick accuracy.
• Kick Power Bonus -- Player has excellent kick power.

Now and forever, Chuck Muncie is our hero.

As you might expect from reading the list, several of these abilities, such as cadence, laser arm, or bulldozer, are tied to a player's specific position, such as quarterback or offensive line. That said, there is a lot of overlap of abilities along all the positions in the game so that multiple players can have the closing speed, loose ball magnet, or ball strip ability. In addition, several of the abilities, such as strength bonus, speed burner, or stamina bonus, are general bonuses that refer to a player's abilities compared to others at that position. For example, both Gale Sayers and Steve Young are speed burners, but you'll find Sayers to be a much quicker runner in the game than Young. The most intriguing abilities in the game are the ones that involve some sort of interactivity with the game, such as the signal stealer, which lets you try to steal your opponent's play by pressing the X button before the snap, or the big hit ability that allows you to pound ball carriers with the flick of the right stick.

We'll have more coverage of All-Pro Football 2K8 leading up to the game's release later this month.