The big challenge for EA is figuring out how they can squeeze these precise swinging mechanics into handheld versions of the game, given their desire to rule the world by having every title they release on every system currently available. Utilising the touch screen appears to be the method of choice used by the Redwood City giant for Tiger Woods PGA Tour on the Nintendo DS. Unfortunately, without the depth of modes and precise control offered by other Tiger Woods games both console and handheld, you might see it fit to leave this one on the shelf.
Chubbs would be proud
Being a launch title, it is necessary that Tiger Woods PGA Tour uses the touch screen in some way to demonstrate the capabilities of the machine. This obviously means that the analogue stick swing feature from the console games has been converted to be used with the touch screen. Rub the power meter with your stylus, and then run it over the U-shaped swing meter to get the golfer to deliver his stroke. Sounds pretty easy, and it is, but the problems begin to arise when you realise that there’s absolutely no consistency with regards to what the game calls a perfect stroke. Combine that with the fact the power is determined by the accuracy of your stroke, and you have a cause for concern. The game has no training mode for players to figure out the swing mechanics, so the first few rounds of golf will likely be high scoring affairs while the player tries to wrap his/her head around the system.
Whereas swinging is difficult yet manageable to get your head around, putting is an entirely different affair. Many readers will be familiar with the film Happy Gilmore – it's on TV every other week – but remember when Happy was starting out, and would take about 10 putts to get it in the damn hole? Tiger Woods PGA Tour is almost exactly like that. There’s only one level of power for the shot: hard. The player must set a target for the putt using the touch screen and the advice of the pocket caddy. The problem is not only is the putting grid rather short and the terrain shape hard to distinguish, the pocket caddy frequently takes too long to read the green and gives up in frustration, leaving the player without a clue as to where they need to aim their putt. Until a player has learnt the course off by heart, scores will inevitably exceed par.
Most people will have a putting ability similar to Happy Gilmore
As you’d expect, EA had to eliminate a few of the regular features from the console versions when porting Tiger Woods PGA Tour to the Nintendo DS. It does seem like they got a little too crazy when it came to cutting modes, as the only ones that remain are the regular stroke play and the Legends tour, which lets you go one on one with various golfing legends. Fortunately, there are a decent number of courses to play on (six in all), but we’d have liked to have seen some tournament modes or even a cut down version of the PGA Tour featured on the other versions of the game. The rewards system from the other versions of the game has also taken a hike, as have the challenges, speed golf and other little bonuses that make the other Tiger Woods PGA Tour games that little bit sweeter. Players still get to make their own custom golfer, and although you couldn’t expect the crazy depth of the console versions to have made the trip to the DS, the tools with which you are provided to create your avatar are quite limited. Multiplayer is available for up to four players, but each person needs their own copy of the game.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour’s presentation is really quite mixed. The menus and in game interface are much more complicated than they need to be, but the game’s graphics are actually quite good for 3-D on the Nintendo DS. Well, that is to say that they’re technically good; they’re not entirely functional. The game lacks brightness, making it hard to distinguish the layout of the course, the topography of the green, and where the ball is actually going to go after it’s been hit. The golfer’s animations are quite good, and the framerate holds steady throughout the experience. Sound in Tiger Woods PGA Tour is quite lacking, even for a handheld title. A minimalist approach has been taken towards sound effects, and there’s a very small amount of music that only appears on the menus. There is no commentary like other versions of the game, but this is not especially missed.
PALGN Fun Fact: Golf clubs make excellent lightning rods
It’s kind of disappointing seeing a Tiger Woods game turn out this way after having been spoiled with the other console and handheld versions in recent years. One can speculate that the game was rushed out for the Nintendo DS launch, which would explain why the game’s mechanics are undercooked, with the developer obviously having felt obligated to use the touch screen, and why the extras are off at the 19th hole. Still, with EA’s track record, we can expect a sequel sometime in the future, and that should hopefully fix most of our grievances.
This review is brought to you courtesy of Infinite Gameplay, with unlimited game rentals starting from $19.95 a month.
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