Windows Phone Thoughts: Madden NFL 2005 Reviewed

Kick Off!


Figure 6: Madden NFL 2005 coin toss screen.

The game starts with the coin toss. The winner elects to kick off or receive while the loser selects which goal to defend. This can be relevant depending on the wind direction (shown to you during the selection process). This is just another example of the attention to detail infused into this game.


Figure 7: Madden NFL 2005: Kick Off!

Kicking off is accomplished by pressing and releasing the A button then pressing it again when it reaches the desired power. You can also use the D-Pad to alter the kick's direction. This takes a little getting used to, but overall is pretty easy.


Figure 8: Madden NFL 2005: Play Selection.

Now's the time when the rubber hits the road, so to speak. Play selection is crucial to success in this game. Each team has its own strengths and weakness and your play selection needs to reflect that. Fortunately, there is no shortage of plays to choose from. In fact, you'll need to go three levels deep to finally select your play; that too with the play clock working against you. While this translates into dozens of plays, novices may find it a little daunting at first to navigate play selection in time.


Figure 9: Madden NFL 2005: In Game.

General In-Game Control Functionality:

• Passing, hand-offs, kicking, and player selection (pre-snap on defense) is accomplished by using the A button.
• Cycling through receivers is done with the B button.
• Running is accomplished by the D-Pad and with this game, you are only as good as your button arrangement and D-Pad's responsiveness. I played on an iMate PDA2K which I found to be generally nicely arranged and responsive. If you're not sure, download the demo (which is always a good idea with any game).

From here it's up to you; if you can put all of these together in the right combination, a trip to the Super Bowl may be in your future!

Post-Game Report
Overall, the folks at MDM have done an excellent job in porting Madden NFL 2005 to the Pocket PC. If you are a fan of the genre, you will not be disappointed. However, your particular PPC button arrangement and the strength of its D-Pad will make a difference to your enjoyment of this game.