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The PSP's first golf offering, up to par?
May 4, 2005 | 7:36 PM PSTby: Sud Koushik
EA sports is really showing the PSP some love. Tiger Woods PGA Tour is the first golf game for the PSP and will be the only one around until Sony’s already well established Hot Shots Golf series makes its appearance. Taking advantage of Hot Shot’s Golf later release date, Tiger Woods had a chance to win over your wallets, but it doesn’t quite do that.
Gameplay
Mr. Woods has never before looked so sleek and animated in a handheld system to date. The game features most everything that the console versions have. Even the graphics can be mistaken for a PS2 game. Tiger Woods has 12 courses to play on and even sports a multiplayer mode, which can only be played offline. However the price to pay for the pretty graphics and extensive gameplay features is the amount of time you have to wait during loading. The game takes about a minute to load the course itself, and a few seconds here are there while switching modes. While waiting to move to the next hole it can take a while. That being said, PGA Tour is not as quick to pick up and play during something like a ride to the movie theater.
Like I mentioned above, many of the games features comes from the console version, but not everything runs as smooth as one would have liked. First off the Precision Swing allows you to move the golf club that your golfer is holding by simply tilting the anolog nub on the PSP. Its not as smooth as the console versions were, and it takes some time to get used to. The problem is since this was basically stripped from the console version and slapped onto the PSP version, the game doesn’t really adopt to how the anolog nub works on the PSP. Only real negative is that the nub is a bit touchy and sensitive. The shoulder button is usually used simultaneously when swinging, and can be a but tricky to manuver. The shoulder button allows you to add some more power while preforming a back swing and even add a unique spin to an air borne ball.
There are numerous modes to play in PGA Tour. There is the Legends Tour, where you can take on a well known golfer in a 18 hole match; Quick Play, which is played in 12 different courses, in the usual Stroke form (perfect to get used to the controls).Finally we have the head to head wireless multiplayer mode. This provides the most exciting handheld golf experience to date. The main multiplayer modes are Stroke, Match, Skins, Long Drive Shootout, and my personal favorite Bingo Bango Bongo. The first four are more or less normal games and nothing that stands out. The latter however is exciting and original. Bingo Bango Bongo has gamers going to head to head to try and accompish the objective before the other. Bingo is how far you can drive, Bango is the first person to land on the green, and Bongo is the first to put the ball in the hole. If you are the first to do one of those three you are awarded in cash. Did I mention that the cash will buy you new courses and golfers? Its not all crisp though, the game when played may disconnect or slow down.
Graphics and Audio
The PSP is capable of producing some impressive graphics, and EA made use of that quite well. The game is definitely a graphical stunner for a handheld title, but comes with its cons. There are plenty of times of lack of character detail and character animation. The game also tends to chop up when in motion. The audio is fairly good. The game features over a dozen BT Pocket Trax music, and lots of commentary, with Gary McCord and David Feherty lending their voices. These two commentators will really go into detail, and cover most of what you do. This also comes with a small but quality set of sound effects. Overall the graphics are great, but choppy, and the audio/commentary is plenty.
Overall
As the first golf game the PSP receives, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is better then any other portable golf game on the market.The game lacks slightly better visuals, and is in need of a redone control system, along with a cut down on load times, but other then that it is a solid golf title. Granted if EA fixes the mistakes it made this time, then gamers are in a treat next year. Overall, if you desire a golf game for the PSP, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is more then enough.
Gameplay
Mr. Woods has never before looked so sleek and animated in a handheld system to date. The game features most everything that the console versions have. Even the graphics can be mistaken for a PS2 game. Tiger Woods has 12 courses to play on and even sports a multiplayer mode, which can only be played offline. However the price to pay for the pretty graphics and extensive gameplay features is the amount of time you have to wait during loading. The game takes about a minute to load the course itself, and a few seconds here are there while switching modes. While waiting to move to the next hole it can take a while. That being said, PGA Tour is not as quick to pick up and play during something like a ride to the movie theater.
Like I mentioned above, many of the games features comes from the console version, but not everything runs as smooth as one would have liked. First off the Precision Swing allows you to move the golf club that your golfer is holding by simply tilting the anolog nub on the PSP. Its not as smooth as the console versions were, and it takes some time to get used to. The problem is since this was basically stripped from the console version and slapped onto the PSP version, the game doesn’t really adopt to how the anolog nub works on the PSP. Only real negative is that the nub is a bit touchy and sensitive. The shoulder button is usually used simultaneously when swinging, and can be a but tricky to manuver. The shoulder button allows you to add some more power while preforming a back swing and even add a unique spin to an air borne ball.
There are numerous modes to play in PGA Tour. There is the Legends Tour, where you can take on a well known golfer in a 18 hole match; Quick Play, which is played in 12 different courses, in the usual Stroke form (perfect to get used to the controls).Finally we have the head to head wireless multiplayer mode. This provides the most exciting handheld golf experience to date. The main multiplayer modes are Stroke, Match, Skins, Long Drive Shootout, and my personal favorite Bingo Bango Bongo. The first four are more or less normal games and nothing that stands out. The latter however is exciting and original. Bingo Bango Bongo has gamers going to head to head to try and accompish the objective before the other. Bingo is how far you can drive, Bango is the first person to land on the green, and Bongo is the first to put the ball in the hole. If you are the first to do one of those three you are awarded in cash. Did I mention that the cash will buy you new courses and golfers? Its not all crisp though, the game when played may disconnect or slow down.
Graphics and Audio
The PSP is capable of producing some impressive graphics, and EA made use of that quite well. The game is definitely a graphical stunner for a handheld title, but comes with its cons. There are plenty of times of lack of character detail and character animation. The game also tends to chop up when in motion. The audio is fairly good. The game features over a dozen BT Pocket Trax music, and lots of commentary, with Gary McCord and David Feherty lending their voices. These two commentators will really go into detail, and cover most of what you do. This also comes with a small but quality set of sound effects. Overall the graphics are great, but choppy, and the audio/commentary is plenty.
Overall
As the first golf game the PSP receives, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is better then any other portable golf game on the market.The game lacks slightly better visuals, and is in need of a redone control system, along with a cut down on load times, but other then that it is a solid golf title. Granted if EA fixes the mistakes it made this time, then gamers are in a treat next year. Overall, if you desire a golf game for the PSP, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is more then enough.
November 20, 2009
