August 22, 2008 | 8:03 PM PST
by: Tim Livingston
Recently, Sports Joystick was able to get a hands-on look at Tiger Woods 09, which is coming out soon to numerous platforms. EA Sports allowed us to get up close and personal with the new version of their golf franchise, and even though Tiger might be sidelined until The Masters or so, he's still as prevalant as ever in his new game. Playing the XBOX 360 version, we'll take a look at some of the good along with some of the bad and we'll split it up 50-50 with three things we liked and three things we didn't like, with the things in the "didn't like" category reading more like wants and desires.
Saving Par
Graphics and physics engines are phenomenal: Golf is about two things: you're there for the beautiful landscapes and scenery, and you're there to see how far you can hit a white (or pink for the ladies) ball with 108 dimples with a metal club that is slanted differently for a certain range of power and flight. Golf is a beautiful game. In association with that train of thought, Tiger Woods 09 is a beautiful game. It might not be THE beautiful game (that would be futbol, says the soccerheads) but it sure looks good. Playing TPC Sawgrass, you really get a sense that the scouting team that went out and looked at the courses looked for whatever they could to make it that much more realistic. The graphics are beautiful, and the character sprites of the golfers are very well done, with many details that would make you want to rewind and look at it again…and you can. The ball flies really well, and the different shots you can hit with different clubs is impressive. The spinning mechanism is taut and fits well within the confines within the different shots, and while it's tough to master the controls (more on that in a second) the majestic flight patterns of the ball and the shots that come from them will make the practice worthwhile. Also, worry note, Tiger fans. All the signature Tiger taunts, victory motions and disappointments are in there. You'll like what you seen after you hit your shots.
It looks a bit busy, but it's also beautiful.
Challenges add to improving game and achieving bragging rights: The EA GamerNet Challenges in the game are spectacular. What happens is two-fold. If you hit a good shot, like a long drive off a tee or a long putt or a nice chip out of trouble, if you're signed in to GamerNet, you can send in your shot as a challenge shot. You set certain requirements for the shot and certain point values, and when you figure out how you want to present the challenge, you post it for other people to see. That's where the other part gets in. A couple of times on a course, you'd come to a certain shot, and all of a sudden, a challenge would appear on the screen and ask if the game wanted to take a chance at besting a shot that was posted by another EA Gamer. On certain Par 3's, it turns into a closet to the pin contest; meanwhile, on Par 5's, it's a long drive contest. For you Bubba Watsons and John Dalys out there, feel free to indulge. The challenges help gamers improve their game while feeling a sense of accomplishment. All in all, a fantastic part of the gaming experience and a great way for people to interact with each other.
Minigames!: Absolutely awesome. The different mini-games range from two target mini-game variations, mini-golf and much more are a great way to get away from the golfing part while still partaking in skillful activities. The target mini-games might be the most rewarding. One version sees you take certain shots from different distances, usually with irons or wedges, and the idea is to get it within a certain distance to earn more shots and get more points, once again for bragging rights. The second one is more difficult, but a lot more fun. You use the target method just like the other version, but here, there are 20 different shots to take, and you go from target to target to get your shot. This means that randomly, you could be going over trees and water, having to go over a nice little hill, fight the wind a whole bunch of different times and other oddities that can amp up the difficulty from normal to uber-difficult in about two shots. All the mini-games have their own little nuances, and all are worth a shot to play.
Needing A Mulligan
Where's Augusta?: So there's this golf course in Georgia. Might have heard of it. Big golf tournament there every year. Called The Masters or something. The course is Augusta National, and it's basically the haven for golf fans in the United States. However, when Sports Joystick got a chance to play it, we were disappointed to see that Augusta was not playable. Even Peter Moore couldn't give us an answer. Now, things can change between now and the release date, and perhaps Augusta will be a late addition, but since this is a hands-on first look, it has to be said that the golf course that saw Tiger Woods destroy for his first major, Greg Norman choke to lose an easy victory and Jack Nickalus' magical run to win in '86 at the age of 46 must be included. EA, get it in there!
Tiger is not exactly happy with the lack of Augusta.
Trouble handling the controls: Golf is a game about control. People know that if they grip and rip it, it has a chance to go 300 yards, regardless of the flight pattern, but in this game, control has a huge learning curve. While you can simply flick back and forth on the joystick to get your motion and hit the ball, you also can do a bunch of things to power up your shot, give your shot sidespin and backspin, and determine shot power with your backswing. And it all happens in basically one motion while you press different buttons! It's also very hard to determine shot power on a 100% scale when you're trying to hit it just right. While eventually, you'll get a hold of how to handle the controls, it has to be mentioned that there is going to be a bit of a learning curve for those who hadn't played the game too much before. Luckily, EA included the Coach's Tips to get people to learn on the fly a little bit faster. Take a lesson from this hands-on: Heed the advice of the coach and improve!
Where are the pink balls?: Okay, so this is really nitpicking, but a local Bay Area golfer by the name of Paula Creamer is known to be Tigeresque on Sundays. Like Tiger is with his trademark red shirts, Creamer is known for all things pink for the final round, including the pink golf ball. There was no pink ball in the game from what we saw, which meant that you had to get your LPGA on with plain old white balls. Hopefully, considering how popular Creamer is becoming at such a young age, the pink balls will be included!
All in all, Tiger Woods 09 was a nice game to look at for the first time. There is a bit more to do before it's complete, but once it is, look for it to be a big-time favorite amongst the golf heads again. Look out for Tiger Woods 09 All-Play on the Wii, as well, as the control scheme for that with the Wii Remote is going to be a big time selling point, and considering how well it played last year, it should be a high seller. Stay tuned for more on the game in the future from Sports Joystick, including reviews.
Saving Par
Graphics and physics engines are phenomenal: Golf is about two things: you're there for the beautiful landscapes and scenery, and you're there to see how far you can hit a white (or pink for the ladies) ball with 108 dimples with a metal club that is slanted differently for a certain range of power and flight. Golf is a beautiful game. In association with that train of thought, Tiger Woods 09 is a beautiful game. It might not be THE beautiful game (that would be futbol, says the soccerheads) but it sure looks good. Playing TPC Sawgrass, you really get a sense that the scouting team that went out and looked at the courses looked for whatever they could to make it that much more realistic. The graphics are beautiful, and the character sprites of the golfers are very well done, with many details that would make you want to rewind and look at it again…and you can. The ball flies really well, and the different shots you can hit with different clubs is impressive. The spinning mechanism is taut and fits well within the confines within the different shots, and while it's tough to master the controls (more on that in a second) the majestic flight patterns of the ball and the shots that come from them will make the practice worthwhile. Also, worry note, Tiger fans. All the signature Tiger taunts, victory motions and disappointments are in there. You'll like what you seen after you hit your shots.
It looks a bit busy, but it's also beautiful.
Challenges add to improving game and achieving bragging rights: The EA GamerNet Challenges in the game are spectacular. What happens is two-fold. If you hit a good shot, like a long drive off a tee or a long putt or a nice chip out of trouble, if you're signed in to GamerNet, you can send in your shot as a challenge shot. You set certain requirements for the shot and certain point values, and when you figure out how you want to present the challenge, you post it for other people to see. That's where the other part gets in. A couple of times on a course, you'd come to a certain shot, and all of a sudden, a challenge would appear on the screen and ask if the game wanted to take a chance at besting a shot that was posted by another EA Gamer. On certain Par 3's, it turns into a closet to the pin contest; meanwhile, on Par 5's, it's a long drive contest. For you Bubba Watsons and John Dalys out there, feel free to indulge. The challenges help gamers improve their game while feeling a sense of accomplishment. All in all, a fantastic part of the gaming experience and a great way for people to interact with each other.
Minigames!: Absolutely awesome. The different mini-games range from two target mini-game variations, mini-golf and much more are a great way to get away from the golfing part while still partaking in skillful activities. The target mini-games might be the most rewarding. One version sees you take certain shots from different distances, usually with irons or wedges, and the idea is to get it within a certain distance to earn more shots and get more points, once again for bragging rights. The second one is more difficult, but a lot more fun. You use the target method just like the other version, but here, there are 20 different shots to take, and you go from target to target to get your shot. This means that randomly, you could be going over trees and water, having to go over a nice little hill, fight the wind a whole bunch of different times and other oddities that can amp up the difficulty from normal to uber-difficult in about two shots. All the mini-games have their own little nuances, and all are worth a shot to play.
Needing A Mulligan
Where's Augusta?: So there's this golf course in Georgia. Might have heard of it. Big golf tournament there every year. Called The Masters or something. The course is Augusta National, and it's basically the haven for golf fans in the United States. However, when Sports Joystick got a chance to play it, we were disappointed to see that Augusta was not playable. Even Peter Moore couldn't give us an answer. Now, things can change between now and the release date, and perhaps Augusta will be a late addition, but since this is a hands-on first look, it has to be said that the golf course that saw Tiger Woods destroy for his first major, Greg Norman choke to lose an easy victory and Jack Nickalus' magical run to win in '86 at the age of 46 must be included. EA, get it in there!
Tiger is not exactly happy with the lack of Augusta.
Trouble handling the controls: Golf is a game about control. People know that if they grip and rip it, it has a chance to go 300 yards, regardless of the flight pattern, but in this game, control has a huge learning curve. While you can simply flick back and forth on the joystick to get your motion and hit the ball, you also can do a bunch of things to power up your shot, give your shot sidespin and backspin, and determine shot power with your backswing. And it all happens in basically one motion while you press different buttons! It's also very hard to determine shot power on a 100% scale when you're trying to hit it just right. While eventually, you'll get a hold of how to handle the controls, it has to be mentioned that there is going to be a bit of a learning curve for those who hadn't played the game too much before. Luckily, EA included the Coach's Tips to get people to learn on the fly a little bit faster. Take a lesson from this hands-on: Heed the advice of the coach and improve!
Where are the pink balls?: Okay, so this is really nitpicking, but a local Bay Area golfer by the name of Paula Creamer is known to be Tigeresque on Sundays. Like Tiger is with his trademark red shirts, Creamer is known for all things pink for the final round, including the pink golf ball. There was no pink ball in the game from what we saw, which meant that you had to get your LPGA on with plain old white balls. Hopefully, considering how popular Creamer is becoming at such a young age, the pink balls will be included!
All in all, Tiger Woods 09 was a nice game to look at for the first time. There is a bit more to do before it's complete, but once it is, look for it to be a big-time favorite amongst the golf heads again. Look out for Tiger Woods 09 All-Play on the Wii, as well, as the control scheme for that with the Wii Remote is going to be a big time selling point, and considering how well it played last year, it should be a high seller. Stay tuned for more on the game in the future from Sports Joystick, including reviews.
