golf

Hot Shots Golf 3, the sequel to the fun and accessible Hot Shots 1 and 2, is a very fun golf game, and easy for anyone to learn. Part of the reason this game is so appealing is that you don't have to be a master before you start having fun; Gran Turismo 3 was like that, and the first 10 hours with that game was a real struggle. With Hot Shots Golf 3, anyone can pick up a controller and quickly learn to play within 15 minutes. I even tried a round with my dad, and after playing a few courses, he was scoring par and birdie without much trouble.

However, it is not an easy game once you get going. The initial courses are fun and mildly challenging, but as the game goes along, the courses become (thankfully) harder. As goes usual golf gaming fair, there are a countless number of secrets and items to unlock. You can unlock secret clubs, characters, wallpapers and more by earning "Hot Shot" points while you play.

The only things that I didn't like about this game were the unorignal characters and the annoying sound effects. The characters are very stereotyped, as usual, and I would have preferred Sony to use the original Japanese characters.

Other than those two bad points, Hot Shots Golf 3 is a very fun golf game with a lot of longevity. There are plenty of secrets to unlock, six huge 18 hole courses to play on, and even internet scoring competition. While it's not wholly original (considering it's another sequel), it's a great accessible game, whether you're playing alone or with some friends.

Let's get one thing straight: I've never given two shakes about golf, either in real-life or video game form. I'd never played a golf game until Hot Shots Golf 3. This review will show my lack of knowledge about the sport, and will contain no comparisons to Swing Away Golf, Tiger Woods 2002, Tee Off Golf, or even the first two Hot Shots games, because I've never spent one second playing any of them. In fact, being Golf Ignoramus #1, I may seem like the least qualified person in the universe to review this game.

However, HSG3 is not a golf game just for golf-heads. It is fun, pure and simple - in fact, it's the most fun I've had with a game since Samba de Amigo and Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast. HSG3 is one of only two games I've ever pre-ordered; even now I'm really perplexed about what attracted me to it. I was positive the game would be a winner.

Lucky for me, I was right. HSG3 makes golf fun and easy to play, yet contains enough depth to keep it from being silly. It's a fantastic multiplayer game as well - my similarly golf-ignorant friends got involved immediately. We now consider it a multiplayer classic.

First off, the game is gorgeous to look at. The characters have goofy, oversized heads, and behave in bizarre, endearing ways. They'll do backflips when you get a birdy, and will even line-dance with some frogs. The game is full of visual whimsy: a rainbow trail follows the ball on an accurate stroke, your caddy kicks up a puff of dust as he takes off after the ball, and the golf ball will even burst into flames on certain occasions. The true stars of the game are the courses: lush, detail-filled marvels that are just magnificent. I was actually disappointed my character couldn't hop in the golf cart and take a leisurely tour of the course, drinking in the grassy, rolling hills, the swaying trees, butterflies, falling leaves, rippling pools, and the glorious sunset. You might see a windmill turning lazily in the distance, or a train chugging along a winding track. You'll hear buzzing insects, soft gusts of wind...and your caddie's grating comments when you launch one into the rough. The courses vary from a tropical island to a desert canyon, and each has its own treasures and obstacles. You can play each course in any season, at different times of day, or with different weather conditions. Not only does each detail provide an additional feast for the eyes, but each affects the gameplay directly.

Ah, the gameplay. HSG3 uses a three-click and meter system to measure your swing: hit the button once to start the meter, again to measure power, and once more for timing. You can also used the d-pad to target your swing for slice purposes. It's ridiculously easy to do, but can get very complex, as you'll have to pay attention to the slope of the course, the wind condition, which club would be best, and of course you'll have to avoid sand traps and water. Putting is also easy: a grid appears over the green showing slope and speed, and you tap the button once to start the meter and again to measure power. A randomly placed pin practically guarantees you won't play the same hole twice. "Easy to get into, difficult to master" is a gaming cliche, but it fits HSG3 perfectly.

There are several single-player modes to choose from, including Practice, Stroke, Tournament, and Vs. You accumulate Hot Shots Points in these modes, which can then be used in the Shop to buy items ranging from new clubs and balls to caddies. Trust me - you'll revisit the courses many times in order to rack up additional points. You play against the CPU in Vs. mode, and if you win, you unlock additional characters with improved performance stats. There's also an interesting internet mode, which ranks your best games against players nationwide.

Multiplayer is a joy. One of the best features is that you can use one controller for up to four people - no multitap needed! You can play one hole or compare your scores over a series. Fiendishly addictive, and it can get pretty competitive!!

Hot Shots is golf for the anti-golfer. Despite having a total lack of interest in the sport, I got into the game right away. It takes the somewhat slow-paced and dry game of golf and makes it appealing and fun. HSG3 is a game you and your friends will replay many times, whether to improve your scores, purchase all the items, bask in the beauty of the courses, or to have a simple good time. Ignore the golf-ish exterior and give it a chance. I think you'll get hooked, unless you're dead-set against having fun.

I sold my PS2 last year for an XBox but I kept this game, slim chance that I got another PS2. I really missed Hotshots Golf 3. I would drink beer after work and play a round of 18. I missed it. I missed the bet that me and a buddy had for the first hole in one either of us would score. The bet was to do shots of whiskey in celebration. Neither of us ever had that whiskey until two weeks ago. With March Madness winnings I bought me a new PS2.

HSG3 is a golf game that doesn't take itself serious. The taunts are really funny and will be stuck in your head for days. The courses feel very lifelike, full of colors and unlockable animals, great weather effects. Since I sold my memory card last year, I am playing through the tourney mode, unlocking all the clubs and other goodies once again.

If you are looking for a serious golf game with collared shirt stiffs, this is not your game. The Power Meter system in this games works just fine for me, but I hear the controls in Tiger are really good as well.

I'm not a golfer and don't have any serious plans of ever becoming one. I've been on a golf course less times than I have fingers on my left hand. Don't even know why I actually ever bought this game, in all truth. Good reviews I guess, something different from all the action titles and RPGS out there. Not too serious a game if you don't want it to be, but the depth is there if you're looking for it; about 12 unlockable players, tourneys, unlockable clubs and courses. Great fun. ;o)