Operation Sports:

Madden NFL 2005: Football in a Flash

By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com

You're ready for some football, so you pop in your brand-spanking-new copy of Madden NFL 2005 into your Xbox®. However, you don't have a lot of time, and can't finish a whole game. What's a football fan to do? Well, Madden NFL 2005 has you covered with a variety of mini-games, each designed to harness the fun and excitement of Madden football in shorter periods.

In this article, we’ll visit each of these mini-games and explain how playing them can not only provide an entertaining diversion from the regular rough-and-tumble games, but is also a great way to hone your Madden skills as well.

When you select Mini Games from the Game Modes menu, you'll see the three mode types: Mini-Camp, Rushing Attack, and Two Minute Drill.

The mini-games can help every aspect of play.

Mini-Camp returns from last year's version of Madden, and it's every bit as fun and challenging as it was last fall. The games of Mini-Camp will have you using every NFL team and all four of Madden's difficulty levels as you try to complete challenges for quarterbacks, running backs, defensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs, and special team players. You'll travel around the country in the Madden Cruiser as you try your hand at Pocket Presence with Atlanta's star quarterback Michael Vick, or play as linebacker extraordinaire Ray Lewis in Chase and Tackle. It's a great way to play with many of the NFL's biggest stars, doing what they do best. Each of the games has a Drill and Game Situation. Once you've completed the Drill, you'll unlock the Game Situation. There, you'll put the skills you've just learned to good use as you try to beat the challenge. If you do, a special Madden Card will be added to your collection, and the next difficulty level of that Mini-Camp game will be unlocked. The games are easy to play, but surprisingly difficult to master. All of them can dramatically help your skills in regular Maddenfootball games, and they're an awful lot of fun to boot. Many of the Mini-Camp games are also used in Madden's Franchise mode during training camp, and the better you can play these, the faster your Franchise players will improve.

Rushing Attack is exactly what it sounds like. You'll have a quarterback, fullback, and halfback, along with a set of moving blocking pads to simulate your line. Your QB will simply hand off to the halfback, and the goal is then simple: Get as many yards and touchdowns as you can in 60 seconds. The defense opposing you will consist of one linebacker and one safety; so, in essence, it's a two-on-two game. Points are earned for yards gained and touchdowns (and their length) for the offense, with the defense awarded points for tackles, and bonus for the successful use of Madden's new Hit Stick. The game is fast, furious, and really helps the offensive player learn to follow blocks, use their special moves, and improve their running game as a whole. For the defensive player, nothing's better at teaching you to how to use the defensive strafe, take good angles, and perfect the Hit Stick. On top of all this, Rushing Attack is even available for play online over Xbox Live®!

The Two Minute Drill punishes hesitation.

In Two Minute Drill, the game is distilled into a quick, frenzied contest where each team gets two minutes to score as many points as possible. However, touchdowns and field goals aren't the only points you're worried about. Good plays on offense (first downs, pass completions, and scoring plays) are rewarded with positive points, while good plays on defense (tackles, sacks, and interceptions) will reward the defense with points of their own. After one team has had the ball for two minutes and has done what they can with it, they'll switch sides and play two more minutes. The team with the most scoring plays will have the most points and win the game. The game can be played solo or with a friend, and Madden Tokens can be won based on the outcome. It's a fun way to get in a quick game, while improving your critical clock management skills.

Madden's mini-games are truly football in a flash: They're fun, addictive, and they'll make you a better Madden player. What else could you ask for?

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