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»Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee
"Golf = Boring? Hot Shots = Fun."
Many people would consider golf a boring sport.
Some people might not consider it a sport. I consider it more of a test
of will to get a small, dimpled ball into a hole from over 250 yards
out with a club. Here comes Hot Shots Golf for your PSP, a very
Japanese version of the game with anime bobble heads, the ability to
hit the ball over mountains, and a weird sense of humor. As one of the
launch titles for the PSP, it seems quite tame for one of the most
powerful handhelds to come out when you compare it to titles such as
Metal Gear Ac!d or Tiger Woods. However, it is a game you should have
the chance to play and love.
If you have never played a golf
game, the rules are simple. The rules are to put a golf ball into a
hole with as few strokes (swings–a missed swing counts as a stroke) as
possible. The series runs with this and adds a point score; if you play
as well as your opponents, the one with the better score is in the
lead. Depending on the course's rules, you could be playing for the
highest score or the lowest amount of strokes. But getting that ball in
the hole is a whole nether story. You have obstacles to get over and
putting continues to be the hardest aspect of any golf game. The
physics of the ball are quite realistic, and that doesn't impact the
arcade feeling of the game. If you swing and hit a tree, the ball will
bounce off and roll until its kinetic energy is gone from interacting
with the terrain (basic science, people). You can still easily hit the
ball at least 150 yards or more. The game play continues the standard
of the simple “three button swing”, using the same button. One button
push will start the swing, as the meter rises, you press the button
again to set the power, and one final button press to set the accuracy
on the down swing. This is all you need to set the ball flying. Once
you master that, you can add spins, play the wind and terrain, change
clubs, and even use your limited amount of 'power' swings into that
mix. It is all very strategic yet simple, which is truly the appeal of
golf. If you are more of a 'Happy Gilmore' golfer and can't master
putting, you will soon lose. 70-80 percent of your skill must lie with
putting.
There are several modes of golf you can play such as
free play, multiplayer golf, practice, challenge, and a putting
challenge. The challenge mode is the meat of the game. You challenge
one player or a enter a tournament to gain an item, new courses,
players, and even stat boosts in the form of loyalty. Most of the items
are cosmetic, but others such as new clubs can change your accuracy or
even how hard you hit. You will also gain ranks and medals through
continuous play. The multiplayer mode is a miss for the game. Since
golf is a turn-by-turn sort of play, it would seem better to have a
"pass the PSP" mode of golf instead of having every player have a PSP
and a copy of the game. The putting mode helps you better your skill as
well as giving you a chance to earn some more items. You can literally
spend days to months unlocking everything in this game.
As
the game stands now, it still looks beautiful. For a line-up game, it
still is one of the best looking PSP games to date. The colors are
bright without any color bleeding. There are scenic landscapes with
green rolling hills, lush ponds, and strikingly simple yet
well-designed golfers. Everything is a treat to the eyes. Little
graphical flourishes are nice and won't distract from the game play and
the game won't tax your batteries. This game could come out for the
PS2, and most people wouldn't know the difference between its console
brethren. The animations are the same between each golfer. It would
have been nice to have variations on each swing, but all the animations
in the game are sweet and short. Every character has a unique victory
and angry animation giving the game more personality (i.e. the old man
runs in a circle, red faced and screaming when he misses).
The
sound is calming and simple. The game has only about 4 or 5 tracks and
they are nothing to really write about. The grunts and emotions of the
voice actors are simple and fit their character. Maria will cry out in
her cute way when she messes up her shot and smirk when things are
going her way. The sound effects do their job well. You will know when
your ball has either landed in the rough or in the water. The caddy’s
voice is your own choice and doesn't affect the gameplay at all, so
pick the caddy with the least annoying voice.
This
game has a ton of replay value. Unlocking every single item and
building loyalty with each golfer will have you playing for quite some
time. Each character can be customized with any piece of clothing you
earned. If you can think of an item, it probably is modeled within the
game. The multiplayer will also add some more life to the game when you
wish to show anyone your skills with a club. There will be a point
where you reach your plateau of gaming golf skills, but don't let that
stop you; the game still gets better with time.
As
the game stands, I think it is one of the best PSP games out there. If
you have a PSP you should try this game at the very least. I play very
few sports titles and I still play it to this day.
Article by: MrRojan
Posted on: Dec. 8th, 2005 |
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Review Recap |
| Gameplay |
| A simple and yet elegate style of gameplay. |
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Graphics |
| For a launch game, it still is one of the best looking PSP games to date. |
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Sound |
| Nothing to write about except that they get the job done. |
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Replay Value |
| The game still gets better with time. |
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