Honestly I am not the biggest fan of
sports games. I feel that while some sport games are amongst the most
enjoyable and popular (Madden series comes to mind), some of the other "fringe"
sports games take away from some of life’s simplest enjoyments. Case in
point, I have never liked a pool game, because I think that pool is something
that is best enjoyed actually playing pool. The same could be said
of pinball games, dart games and so on and so forth, no matter how cool a
console version of a pinball game may be, it’s nothing compared to playing an
actual pinball machine. Now that being said, I enjoy playing golf in real
life, but for some reason, golf has never effected me the way pool games and
volleyball games on a game system do. Maybe it has something to do
with how frustrating golf can be, maybe it has something to do with the fact it
takes four hours to complete a round or maybe it’s because even cheap golf is
expensive.
Soooo, what I am getting at is
that is while I believe sports should be experienced in the real world, I
absolutely love this title. Hot Shots Golf Fore! is arguably one of the
best reasons for owning a Playstation 2 and for playing video games. What
makes it so great is its ability to take the dynamics of golf and the wackiness
of Looney tunes and put them both in a blender set to mix. Starting
off, gamers have their choice of four different golfers. Each player
possesses slightly different playing abilities, but when they reach the links, a
definite "feel" is apparent when playing them. As time goes on, and
players earn points (more on this below) more characters will become accessible
and eventually 30 different characters will be available to play, many of which
have graced the other three Hot Shots titles. Once other characters are
available the dynamics of the game begins to change, certain unlocked players
are definitely much better golfers and course records (driving distance) will
fall, increasing the aforementioned points total, allowing for more items to be
purchased. In other words, this is almost like a golf RPG with extra
characters, more courses to unlock and books to be found and bought that open up
new golf moves. I was absolutely floored by the sheer number of things to
find, do and unlock within this game.
I spoke earlier about a points
total, the points are generated when playing in the tournament mode (single
player). As you play through the courses, you are awarded points for good
shots, for example, you get 20 points for having your ball land in the fairway
when you tee off. Likewise, if you land in a sand trap you lose 20 points,
40 if you land in the water and so on and so forth. When you finish a course,
you can take your points to the pro-shop where they can be used to purchase some
of the items I described above. The game does a good job of not letting
things go too easy for you, you will need to play quite a few rounds of golf in
order to start unlocking the really good stuff, and while you initially only
have 3 courses available, each one can be played during the four seasons.
While Summer, appears to be the easiest with its light breezes, the other
seasons will prove to be more difficult with rain and snow falling. Playing for
inclement weather adds another layer to the game’s challenge.
And, just so you know, the game does
feature a mini-golf course that is a fun little trek off the beaten path.
You only get two strokes per hole, but that’s the point of mini-golf now, isn’t
it?
From a graphics standpoint,
Hot Shots is done very well. The colors all appear very bright and robust
and there is a cartoonish feel to the game that is very inviting. The different
hues of the greens is nicely portrayed and the varying courses do a good job of
making you feel like you are somewhere completely different. While
some have a more traditional look to them with rolling hills and trees, some of
the other courses are very rocky and designed for maximum ball loss.
Strong level design is one of the game’s standout features. The characters
also are designed well, with an ample amount of polygons giving them a very
fluid and smooth look to both their appearance and movements. The fact
that they look like weirdo cartoon characters is a plus. Lastly, the
shading that is elicited from the objects in the game looks very nice and tells
me that the level of detail done by the programmers involved much care.
The simple music the game generates
as you play through the different parts of the holes is a mix of easy going
melody to serious bumping when a crucial putt needs to be made. It made
the game have a more rounded feel to it. If there is one complaint, it’s
that the caddies who follow you around (you can pick them) tend to say the same
quirky little things over and over. And while they were pretty funny at
first, after hearing "I’m gonna cook you sausages" 5000000 times does tend to
get on your nerves.
Fortunately the game does allow you
to play online against other duffers (golfers) in a relatively easy set up.
In no less then three minutes you can log on and go against other players in the
games simple online menu. For me though, I called a friend who also has
the game and he proceeded to whup up on me in three rounds in a room he created
and passworded. The game does allow for typing of messages in the loadout
screen but sadly does not make use of the Sony headset.
Gameplay: 9.0
Two different stroke types for the novice and veteran, the forgiving ease that
some of the players have when they blow a shot and the smooth friendly controls
make this a very inviting game to play.
Graphics: 8.8
A seemingly perfect blend of cartoon looks and real world physics. I
really appreciated the different perspectives the game would generate when a
ball was hit particularly well. And the specialized hits of fire and ice
came off the screen with both brightness and clarity. A nice looking game.
Sound: 8.5
Good honest to goodness golf noises. A solid "WHACK!" when a ball is
hammered. The tin cup "ploink" when the ball drops in the hole and some
very funny phrases said by all of the characters. Minus the repetition of
the caddies and we are in noise Nirvana.
Difficulty: Medium
In order to completely master this game and unlock everything it has to offer,
expect to play many, many hours of golf, fortunately the game provides a
relatively easy difficulty grade. If anything, the game may get the better
of you before you find everything.
Concept: 8.0
While a golf game is not entirely original, Hot Shots Golf has certainly put
their stamp on the genre. It provides a game with RPG elements and arcade
style fun, with the simple fun of golf. The mixture is pure gaming magic.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Awesome, simply awesome. The game is easy to get online with and there
appear to be no flaws in the online servers. This may change as more and
more people start playing online. A strong multiplayer title. You
can even play four person golf at home provided you have the multi-tap. The
only thing missing is the ability to use the headset.
Overall: 9.0
Wow, it has been many titles since I have enjoyed a game this much. My
wife plays it, my son plays it, I play it. This is an excellent title for
the family or for the single player. I cannot express how much enjoyment
this title has brought into our family gaming. Go out and pick it up right
now!
