Playstation 2 - Hot Shots Golf Fore!

Format
Playstation 2
Publisher
Sony
Developer
Clap Hanz
Country of origin
Japan
Genre
Sports

Hot Shots Golf Fore!

By David Rasmussen
2nd Apr 05

Well, once again the same rules apply as when I reviewed my last golf game.
I’m not into sports games very much, and that goes double for golf games.
Most golf games I’m just not into, and lord knows I don’t want to play another Tiger Woods golf game with the man himself plastered on the case pointing at you as if he’s saying “pull my rich finger!”
If it wasn’t for Hot Shots Golf I would never ever even consider playing a golf game!
Mario Golf? Hated the GameCube Mario Golf, thought it was mind numbing. Jury is still out on the RPG Sports gameplay of Mario Golf Advance Tour, but I know most other golf games bore me… except for Hot Shots Golf that is!

Once I got ahold of Hot Shots Golf 3 that “old” sentiment about golf I fostered in my heart went right out the old window with a vengeance, showing me how good a golf game can be!
Hot Shots Golf, touted as Golf for Everybody, is a down to Earth slice of fun that is light years ahead of the regular stuffy golf games and it’s boring gameplay. That’s why we’re here for the fourth game of the series, Hot Shots Golf Fore!, to tout it’s many wonders!

You know the drill. A bunch of strange and wacky characters have taken to the links to perfect their swing, and once again they bring with them an arsenal of extras (which you can buy at the pro shop, now run by “pigtails” who used to be a selectable character in HSG3) and a band of new caddies (with at least one of them who graduated from caddy (HSG3) to golfer in this game)!

With the best real to life golf mechanics seen in any game, adding in the wacky zany cast of characters, the ton of gear and extras you can earn while golfing, and the overall fun of the title you can see why this is one over the top game that’ll charm your pants (plaid or otherwise) clean off of you.

Returning to this game is the mini golf option, which (according to what I read) was formerly an extra in the first Hot Shots Golf (and hopefully an option in the PSP Hot Shots Golf!), but strangely missing from subsequent releases until now! On the opposite end of the spectrum we have “removed” options, the chief of which being, thankfully, the so-called National Tournament mode which was obsolete by the time I picked up HSG3 from Blockbusters. Thank you! Then again I suppose that mode isn’t needed anymore since the game is now available for play online, which means you can gather up your own posse of opponents and hold your own tournament (if you will it). I haven’t heard of any pick-up tournaments online but there’s a first time for everything. Still, is anyone playing this online?

What with games like ESPN NHL 2K5 (which should be experiencing a morbid boost in online gameplay since it represents a hockey season that never was), this game, and so forth having online functions I wonder how many people sign on to play online? I know some of you play World of Warcraft and games like that online, but what about sports games? What about those games?

Okay. To make a long story short? Yes, there are familiar returning characters to this series, as well as brand new characters for you to meet. That’s too much info, I suppose, to cram into one review so I won’t go into detail. But for a basic run of the mill breakdown I have to say this game is solid in all respects.
You can’t go wrong with this game. With originality, flair, variety and just plain solid golf play that is both fun and enjoyable? Where can you go wrong with this game! You can’t go wrong! Breakdown time!

Hot Shots Golf Breakdown the 4th
What’s Hot? - When they tell you it’s “Golf for Everybody” they mean it! The game is lively, energetic and fun yet it’s also solid gameplay wise and that’s a good thing. With a strong fun cast of characters (both golfer and caddy) that surpasses the old list of the “usual suspects” found in games like the Tiger Woods franchise? This game really knows how to give it it’s all. And it does it with style too, another plus point.

What’s Not? - The miniature golf game could have been a little better, it’s abit hard to work this game over (especially since once the moon goes down that’s when the nurse comes out to be scared).
Still the game is solid, and the removed “National Tournament” mode is another plus. Keep it up.

Moments to Remember? - Maybe it’s just me, but I do happen to have one caddy that is my favorite caddy. And once you find the caddy that works for you then you are most definitely going to be on a roll.
Give it your all! Good luck!

What to Ignore? - Nothing. The game is solid in all respects.

Overall? - Solid gameplay plus solid experience equals a game worth checking out.
It may not get the updates Tiger Woods golfing does, but this game is still worth it regardless and has become one of those things that prove how wrong it is to judge a game before you play it.
Pick it up, try it out, see how solid it is. I recommend it, from me to you, so go play golf!

-- David Rasmussen 2nd Apr 05

Playstation 2 Hot Shots Golf Fore! Images