Tiger Woods PGA TOUR

I’m still trying to wrap my noodle
around my new DS and how the touch screen has opened a whole new world of
gaming. With a winner of a franchise on the console market, it only made sense
for EA to put its hit Tiger Woods series on the hot new portable. But does it
work? Does the game have the same great gameplay as the Xbox version? How
about that touch screen, does it do the series justice? Well I’m dying to find
out too, so please read on.

Let me say this, the Nintendo DS
has wireless multiplayer capabilities that are really cool. And even games
where only one person has to have the game and the other DS player around will
download the multiplayer games, thus really exciting this reviewer. This is
not one of those games. There, I said it. If you want to partake in the
multiplayer golf action that this game has, everyone has to have a copy of the
game. Gawshdurnit! Well, so much for that unique feature, let’s see if it
falls by the wayside.

Anyhoo, back to the game.
Featuring six different 18-hole golf courses and a bevy of professional
golfers, Tiger Woods DS borrows from some of the console version’s better
ideas while not being able to quite execute them all. First thing I noticed
was that the game is in 3D, (whoa) and that it features a fairly clever
dynamic camera. The next thing I noticed was that, wow, the golf-swing
mechanic was kinda tough as it requires you to use the games touch pad. Now,
let me see if I can explain it to those out there that may not be familiar
with the console. When you are ready to hit the ball, you have the option of
using the power meter by rubbing up and down very quickly. By rubbing the
power meter you see that the power meter gets hot and then you run the touch
pad’s stylus down and then up a golf swing meter in an effort to really smack
that ball. Here’s where things get tricky. The game does not feature (and it
should) a driving range-type training area or some sort of other training
(involving the swing) so that the player does not get penalized for hitting
the ball poorly. And trust me, you will hit the ball poorly, often.

Now, of course you cannot
appreciate the complexities of a game like this until you actually hold it in
your hand, and that swing thing is certainly something to get used to as I
still have yet to master it and get a semi-respectable score (par or better).
But the game still has a lot to offer even when you are experiencing serious
frustration (hey, just like real golf). Some items worth noting are the game’s
ability to customize your virtual golfer and the strong use of license with
top-name players whuppin your fannie all over the courses.

But, there are some things that
keep this game from reaching the level that its console brothers and sisters
have achieved. Most notably, the very poor putting that this title features.
Sure you can spin the camera around to look at it from different angles, but
the putting grid is so small and the details of the green are so minute that
it is darn-near impossible to cleanly grasp. The game has a "caddy tip"
function that can help you with finding the correct angle on which to putt,
but even that isn’t as clear and concise as it should be.

Graphically, the game does look
pretty good; the designers were probably stretching their minds to the
breaking point in order to come up with a visually appealing game in the short
development time that they were given. Even now as I type this review, the
programmers are working on the next title in the series and I have to believe
that they will iron out any graphical deficiencies that the game does have.
Not terrible mind you, but trust me, compare this one to the next and it will
be night and day.

Gameplay: 6.1
I’m not sure how the heck I am
ever going to make an under-par score, I like the use of the touch pad, but
man, even the slightest deviation, and my ball is rocketing out to the middle
of a lake. Plus, I still have a hard time pressing the screen as hard as I’m
supposed to; I know, it’s designed to take some punishment, but the constant
rubbing on the power meter is still hard for me to do.

Graphics: 7.5
I said some interesting things
above about the graphics, but they did manage to nail down a decent-3D engine
and the smooth swing on the actual golfers looks pretty decent.

Sound: 7.8
I’m still getting used to a
hand-held game that comes out in stereo. The gentle little melody that plays
as you go through your courses is alright and in some cases, the music tempo
even falls in line with how you play. The "THWACK" of the golf ball comes out
nice and clear.

Difficulty: Med/Hard
Yeah, I said it before, so it
bears repeating, the swing action that is tied in with the game can be really
tough. I would swear that I hit that little ball dead on, but nope, out of
bounds again. Yes, you can expect some seriously high scores by the end of a
round, I know cause the game has stroke limits per hole.

Concept: 7.4
A novel idea playing the game with
the touch pad, and I do think they are on the right track, but the putting and
spotty drives that I had made me feel like more then one thing was rushed.
Golf games aren’t new, but the game gets props for embracing the touch pad.

Overall: 6.8
Not really one of the stand-out titles to be launched on the DS, but
an average one. Some people will absolutely love what this game has to offer,
but for the most part I think gamers will be more frustrated then thrilled.