We Love Golf!
Score: 83% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Capcom Developer: Camelot Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4; 2 - 4 (Online) Genre: Arcade/ Sports (Golf)/ Online
Graphics & Sound: We Love Golf! bears a striking resemblance to Hot Shots Golf, but that's to be expected since both were developed by Camelot. Characters look generic, but are easily the game's strongest visual aspect. The "generic look" is quickly forgotten once you begin to unlock the Capcom-themed costumes. You can also import your Mii into the game. Unfortunately, you can't switch up the look of the courses. They are brightly-colored and look nice, but suffer from flat, bland textures. Music is passable, though it does teeter on the annoying side, something you don't want in a golf game. Most of the music stays out of the way and fits the game's mood, though there are also tracks like the putting music that will drive you nuts. The sound effects also fit the game and in a clever twist, the tutorial voice comes from the Wii-mote's speaker.
Gameplay: We Love Golf! is a purely arcade golf experience, so if you're still waiting for a true motion-controlled simulation, you're out of luck. The game features seven modes, which includes standards like tournament as well as one-on-one challenges, stroke challenges and target golf. There's even an online mode, so you and three friends can hit the links and maybe conduct business. Of course, online play comes with the sticky business of fooling with Friend Codes, though games are a lot of fun so it's worth the hassle. If you find yourself without anyone to play against, you can also play random people with World Play, although the trade-off isn't really worth it since you lose a lot of control over what types of matches you play. We Love Golf! really shines when it comes to replay value. It won't take very long to play through the various modes, though the numerous unlockables are bound to keep you playing for a while. There are several mini-games as well as new costumes, including characters from several Capcom franchises like Street Fighter and Zack & Wiki. It's an odd thing, but you'd never expect that something as trivial as a Chun-Li costume would keep you playing.
Difficulty: Success comes down to two things, understanding how the game is played and getting your timing down. The scheme can get a little complicated at times, but after a few holes, you'll know exactly how you need to hit the ball. Eventually you'll find yourself hitting hole-in-ones and birdies with relative ease. Golf purists will hate it, but a majority of Wii players shouldn't have too much of a problem. I know I enjoyed it. It's not that I don't enjoy the challenge Tiger Woods presents, but sometimes you just want to kick back and enjoy looking really good. As you get deeper into tournaments, the game gets harder. In an odd, roundabout way, the ease of play can actually lead to frustration in more difficult tournaments. Once you're used to easy hole-in-ones and birdies, anything less can become a major disappointment. The inclusion of a swing meter also has a way of making everything feel a little more complicated that it is. I often caught myself staring at the meter rather than focusing on my swing and forgetting to twist the Wii-mote to fade or hook my shots.
Game Mechanics: The swing mechanic is responsive and easy enough to learn. To swing the club, you first need to point off the screen to enter shot mode. From there, you pull back to set the power and then swing when the meter drops. Before your swing, you can press (B) to take a practice swing or hit (A) for the real deal. You can also switch between shot and aim modes by pointing at the screen, which is a really cool mechanic that I hope other developers pick up on. It's really smooth and just works. Although the control scheme works, it's hard to shake the feeling that you're just going through the motions - literally. Swing control isn't 1:1 motion (basically, your Wii-mote movement perfectly matches in-game movement) and the force you put behind your swing doesn't matter. I can understand the lack of 1:1, though the only thing that matters as far as the power behind your swing goes is where you stop the meter, so it really isn't that far beyond the standard three-button press system that's been around for years. We Love Golf! isn't the end all be all motion-controlled golf experience most players have been hoping for, but as far as the Wii's current crop of golf games goes, it is one of the best available. Players looking for a more hardcore, sim experience will be disappointed, but if you're in the market for light-hearted fun, We Love Golf! is a good fit.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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