One of my favorite modes in Madden 15 was "The Gauntlet," a mode designed like a ladder mode in an arcade game to assess all of your Madden skills. The mode was pretty innovative, while at the same time reminding players of previous skills trainers, Madden mini-games and the mobile Backbreaker titles.

The Gauntlet returns, er, "strikes back" this year with some new additions. It is still a fun way to spend a few minutes, but it can often be as frustrating as it is addictive.

If you have not played this mode in the past, it's pretty straightforward. You get six lives to advance through 40 skill-based levels. Some are as easy as completing a pass on a pre-determined play, or rushing for a first down. As you progress, things become a bit more difficult. Every five levels or so you encounter a boss level -- I mean "BOSS LEVEL!!!" -- which are surreal twists on a standard challenge.

This year, a new level type offers you a way to earn extra lives, usually by completing something a bit more difficult than a normal level. Occasionally these involve huge or small versions of players, perhaps a nod to the Madden 15 tiny player glitch. These levels feel appropriately balanced as earning the extra life can be a mean feat, but failing doesn't cost anything.

Another new level type are ladder challenges, which offer you the ability to advance or slide back multiple steps. Like the extra lives levels, these are one shots. Oddly enough, I usually seem to get these early in the mode, so I end up falling back to the starting level if I fail.

Overall, I really like The Gauntlet this year, but as I mentioned, it can be unforgiving and frustrating. I find some of the boss levels annoying, especially if they rely on luck more than skill, such as the high wind kicking challenges. Occasionally, you will fail because of some poor AI decisions or instructions that may not be clear the first time.

More often than not, however, the mode is a fun and quick way to get a Madden fix. It's also a great way to test your skills, especially when viewed as a "final exam" for all of the skills trainers. I like that some levels ask you to read the defense or run a play correctly; it isn't all based on twitch skills. That being said, I do wish there were some multiplayer-based variants of the mode.

According to EA, fewer than 200 people were able to finish the mode last year, so expect a high level of difficulty and lots of restarts. In short, The Gauntlet offers some great arcade action while in between games of Madden 16.