To gamers,
the name John Madden means football. No other sports game – hockey,
basketball, baseball, or soccer – has a name attached with that much power. It
doesn’t matter how successful NHL 06 or NHL 2K6 were because gamers are still
going to look at the 07 editions individually before determining which was
best. Madden, however, is deemed "the best" before it was even released (back
when Madden had competition).
If there’s
any name that has come close to matching Madden’s power, it’s Tiger Woods.
Gamers know him well, and whether they follow his career closely or not, they
expect a very high level of entertainment value from his game series. No, he
doesn’t make the games himself, but his picture – an undeniable seal of
approval – comes on every box.
Over the
past couple of years, Tiger Woods failed to make a major splash on the
handheld platforms. Chalk it up to technical inefficiencies. That changes
today. Tiger Woods 07 comes to the PSP with the same quality gameplay found in
the PS2 version. If you already have it on a console, you don’t really need
another. But if you’ve yet to take the latest Tour, or if you have but
want to take that experience on the road, stay with me as I explain why this
is my favorite version.
Swing,
Swing
The last few
series updates have focused on a new, analog stick-heavy swing system. Charge
meters, timed button presses, and other non-intuitive elements were eliminated
by this innovation. (And will not be outdone until the motion-sensing Wii and
PS3 take over.)
Tiger Woods
07 brings that control style to PSP for a near-flawless transition. Push
straight down, or down and to a bottom corner, and the player will set up his
or her swing. The corresponding animation is not only realistic, but is also
exact to your analog movement. As you push down, the player pulls back the
club. A maximum swing potency of 100% is reached – complete your move now for
the best possible swing. If the club is not swung in time, the power rating
will drop to about 70% and stay there till you swing. Players can start over
by gradually pushing the analog stick back into its standard, centered
position. Again, watch the animation – it’s perfectly in-sync with your
actions.
The idea of
this control system is that you’ll swing the club in one smooth motion. To
complete your swing, you have to (from the pulled back position) push the
analog stick all the way forward. Any hesitance or mistakes will cause the
swing to lose power, and may botch the shot all together.
You also
have to consider the position of the stick, and the type of swing you were
trying to perform. If the analog stick is angled when you start, it needs to
be angled when you finish. Think of it this way: however you choose to pull
the stick back, make sure it’s pushed forward from the same position. Swings
should be smooth and straight.
Those who
have experience with the series on another platform will be able to jump right
into the PSP version. Otherwise, expect to spend a minimum of 30 minutes
getting used to the controls. I know some gamers might read that and think,
"Oh no, a learning curve? I’ll pass…" But you’ve got to remember that
nothing good has ever been achieved without a fight. That is especially true
of video games. My favorite titles are the ones with new control mechanics –
games that I had to learn before they could be fully enjoyed. Yeah, you might
suck at this one the first time you play it. But when it clicks – when the
controls finally make sense – you’re going to love it.
Time
Consumption
Tiger Woods
07’s best mode is easily its updated PGA Tour Career mode. Chances are you’ve
experienced the "Dynasty" and/or "Manager" modes of EA’s other sports games,
which use an event calendar to separate tournaments, competitions, mini-games,
and any other necessary option. Tiger Woods does the same, offering more
competitions and mini-games than could ever be completed in one road trip.
The Shooting
Gallery and Putting Frenzy mini-games are great fun. Shooting Gallery is
similar to FIFA 07’s Wall Attack mode. You have to take out specific tiles on
the wall. This is done by swinging your club in various directions and with
various degrees of power. Hitting an "X" tile, if any are displayed, will
knock five seconds off the clock.
Putting
Frenzy is a race against the clock to putt as many balls as you can. It’s fun,
fast, and very simple compared with the other mini-game. Both of these are a
great way to enjoy Tiger Woods 07 when you’re in a hurry, and can be played
separately or within the Career mode.
Tiger Woods
07 is an unconditional must-have for golf lovers. Stellar controls, excellent
course designs, challenging (and fun!) mini-games and an extremely addictive
season mode are outstanding. Tiger Woods 07 delivers the most realistic
golfing experience on a handheld to date. But just because it’s real doesn’t
mean it can’t have a little fictitious fun. Mini-games, flawed opponents (they
make mistakes too), and the ability to jump in and immediately start having
fun are a big part of what makes Tiger Woods a winner on the PSP. Like the PSP
versions of NFL Street 2 and FIFA 07, I expect to play the PSP version of
Tiger Woods 07 more than any other.
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Gameplay: 8.6
The quality of a
golf game is determined by one thing: its swing mechanics. Longevity is
determined by the content based around those mechanics, and addictive level of
each play mode. Tiger Woods 07 hits the bull’s eye on both accounts. It felt
so good to be able to start a game and perform exactly the same as I would on
PS2 and receive the same results. The mechanics are wonderful, and the season
mode and mini-games an engrossing blast. Once you start, you won’t be able to
put this one down.
Graphics: 9.0
Tiger Woods 07
isn’t just the king of golf – it’s also the king of PSP visuals. You won’t
believe the realism crammed into each player model, nor will you expect the
layer of detail applied to each course. While many PSP games look like they
were made for the PSone, Tiger Woods 07’s graphics are closer to what you’d
expect from a next-gen handheld.
Sound: 6.0
Crystal-clear and
ultra-repetitive. The commentary sounds like it was recorded with only a
handful of lines, which were then applied to the game using an inaccurate
response system.
Difficulty: Medium
The mini-games
may be forgiving, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the season mode challenges
are. You’ll be playing through the season mode for hours before the high
replay value has a chance to kick in.
Concept: 8.0
This isn’t a
“new” experience, not for gamers with a PS2 at least. But the concept, no
matter how old, has never been executed as beautifully on a handheld as it is
today.
Multiplayer: 7.9
Got Wi-Fi access
or frequent a public location that does? In addition to the ad hoc
multiplayer, Tiger Woods 07 lets you access the online infrastructure. The
downside: only two players are allowed to compete in either mode.
Overall: 8.6
First and
foremost, Tiger Woods 07 offers the best swing controls in the league. No game
released thus far can compare. The next generation should break new ground
with motion-sensing controls on Wii and PS3, but as far as the 10-year-old
analog stick is concerned, no game is as impressive as Tiger Woods 07. You
will be amazed at every turn. Every swing is an exhilarating joy. Imagine that
– a handheld golf game that’s exhilarating. I never dreamed it was possible. I
never thought the pre-release screenshots could have been taken from gameplay
footage. But what you see is real. And what you get is a killer, must-have
golf game.
