SPC Highlights

Friday, August 15, 2008

SuperPhillip's Top 100 Games of All Time

There's one more golf game review for tomorrow, and this one will be for the Playstation 3. You can probably surmise which one I'll be putting under the microscope. Until then, it's Friday so it's time for another five of my personal favorite games period. Since it's a week of golf, why not include two of my favorite golf titles as well? Actually, I did just that this week! Enjoy!

As always:
The first ninety games are in NO particular order. For someone with OCD, compiling a list of 100 games in order would drive me absolutely crazy. There's a good mix of titles from multiple consoles, developers, and genres. Hope you leave this list with some fuzzy memories and good times.
- Final Fantasy VIII (PS)

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Eight Isn't Enough

I don't know, but ever since Square-Enix made the shift to the Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox generation of game consoles, the main line of Final Fantasy has faltered in quality. I very much did not enjoy Final Fantasy X, the online role-playing grind fest in Final Fantasy XI did not appeal to me in the least bit, and Final Fantasy XII left an odd taste in my mouth.

Regardless, the Super Nintendo and Playstation Final Fantasies are epitome of masterpieces. Final Fantasy VIII was released off the humongous success of Final Fantasy VII-- a benchmark for the series. VIII is considered by many to be the black sheep of the PS1 Final Fantasy series. I disagree with that. Sure, you had to draw magic and some summons from enemies which bogged the game down if you didn't enjoy it, but I really enjoyed monsters leveling up with me. I had no problem achieving Level 99 with my main party because I didn't really have to grind which FF7 had and so did FFX (I never finished either of those for that reason by the way).

Cap the fun off a great love story with a plot twist that set many fans to throw this title out and one of the best minigames off all time-- Triple Triad, and you have my pick for my favorite Playstation Final Fantasy. Didn't see that one coming, did you?

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- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

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The Tiniest Zelda Adventure Yet

The evil Vaati has turned the Princess Zelda into stone, and now has his eyes set on taking over Hyrule. Enter Link, a young boy poised for adventure. He meets up with Ezlo, a talking cap, in the Minish Woods that grants him the ability to shrink down to the mythical Minish (or Picori) people's size.

What follows is an adventure made up of five incredibly cleverly designed dungeons and a world taking Link from the heights of Mt. Crenel to the expanses of Castor Wilds. The big sidequest revolves around collecting and reuniting kinstone pieces with other people in the land of Hyrule. Fusing kinstones will open up blocked caverns, create new passages, unlock new treasure chests to open, and a myriad of other happenings.

The Minish Cap may just be five dungeons long, but there's a lot of content to tinker around with. It's just an exceptional title, and it marks the final adventure Capcom's Flagship studio would ever partake in-- as it was disbanded recently.

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- Mario Golf (N64)

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A Hole-in-one.

Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 holds a special place in my heart. It was the first golf video game that I really got into-- it was a bridge title that led me into even more fun and fantastic golf titles such as Hot Shots Golf and Tiger Woods. The title had six sprawling courses all humbly modeled after the Mushroom Kingdom. You had courses in highlands, tropical islands, and even a championship course which had bunkers, greens, hazards, and fairways in the shapes of various Mario characters. Round that out with an impressive cast of characters both generic human and Mario veteran such as Bowser, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach, and even the hard-hitting Metal Mario!

For addicted players like myself, you could even import your own character from the Game Boy Color version to play on the Nintendo 64 version with his or her own personalized stats! Very cool at the time, and really, it still is!

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- We Love Golf (Wii)

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At the very least I do.

I just finished reviewing Camelot's We Love Golf after the many demands of my readers who e-mailed me wanting me to get off my butt and start reviewing new games. Little did I know that my first review out from my hiatus would impact me so positively. Simply put, We Love Golf is an extremely entertaining golf game that challenges the player just enough in later stages without being overly frustrating. Yep, I'm looking at you, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds! Regardless, the graphics are bright and colorful, there's plenty of unlockables and things to do, modes to conquer, and there's just enough courses and characters to keep the variety coming. Some may complain that the difficulty is too simple. These same people probably only played through the first of three tournament modes. We Love Golf is a game I can see myself returning to just to play a quick round for fun. Something I don't do often after I've completed a game to virtual perfection.

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- Golden Sun (GBA)

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More energizing than Sunny-D!

Three games in this Friday edition that have music composed by Motoi Sakuraba and developed by Camelot-- go figure! Golden Sun was the RPG that Game Boy Advance owners were craving for. I was absolutely blown away by it. Combat was fast and frenetic, the world was full of humor, adventure, and mind-bending puzzles, and the graphics and sound were simply top-notch. I didn't really enjoy the sequel, The Lost Age, as much as I wanted to. Golden Sun led the player where to go in a somewhat linear fashion, but The Lost Age was more open-ended (too much so in my case) to where I would get lost and not know or have a clue on where to go.

Sequel disappointment aside, I greatly look forward to if and when Camelot decides to create the final chapter in the incredible Golden Sun trilogy!

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I'll see you next week for five more my personal gems in my video game collection! Same day next week!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee (PSP) Review

The week of putting and driving continues with a look back at the very first Hot Shots Golf title for the PSP in Open Tee. Rest assured, the sequel will be reviewed-- just not this week.

Putt and drive in the palms of your hands.


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The Hot Shots Golf series is known for its accessible gameplay and surprising depth in each title. Does a foray into the realm of portable gaming make the experience as shallow as a kiddy pool? Thankfully enough, the answer to that question is no. Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is the series' first entry on Sony's Playstation Portable, and the series holds up remarkably well in its transition from console to handheld gaming.

Most gamers (unless they have friends nearby with PSPs and copies of the game of their own) will play the most in Single-player Golf. The modes consist of Stroke Play-- a simple round of golf on one of the courses already unlocked, Challenge Mode, Training-- to help get the ins and outs of the golfing experience, and Putting Challenge-- where players will test their putting abilities on multiple greens with multiple degrees of slopes. Players start off with a limited number of options, characters, and courses offered to them, but by entering Challenge Mode they can unlock a wealth of new presents. Challenge Mode is the balls and clubs of the Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee golf bag. This mode is where players will partake in match play and tournaments (have the lowest score at the end of nine holes and the players wins) to increase their rank. By winning certain challenges, players will earn stars. Earn enough stars, and you'll move onto the next rank and level of challenges. These become particularly difficult in later levels as expected. However, earning stars isn't the only reward for completing challenges. Some challenges offer new characters, caddies (who do nothing to assist the player unless non sequitors are their pleasure), costumes, headgear, accessories, and new equipment in the form of balls and clubs.

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The courses are lush, detailed, and varied.

A big part of Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is character customization. Players earn new clothes and equipment by winning challenges. Players aren't able to create a character from scratch, but they can take the characters they unlock and outfit them at their leisure. There's four main modes of customization-- headgear, body attire, accessories, and golf gear. Headgear regards hairstyles and hats, body attire are the different costumes, vests, and dresses, accessories are things like sunglasses, jewelry, and more, and golf gear are your standard balls and clubs-- each with their own specialties much like the golfers that use them. There's two different outfits that players can save to a character which is nice if one wishes to vary things up a bit. Additionally, by playing a round with a character, their loyalty for the player will steadily rise up. Reach certain loyalty levels with them and they'll be able to perform more power shots (needed for extra distance on drives), new types of shots, and better control. This makes just playing as one character fine, but having the highest loyalty rating for each character a fun and rewarding goal to achieve.

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One of the many costume/character combinations.

There's six total courses in Open Tee, and while players only begin with the Southern Alps, by playing through Challenge Mode extensively all of the courses will be unlocked. From the fall countryside of Autumn Pagoda to the dusty gulches of Golden Desert, all of the courses are well-designed and are enjoyable to play upon. Players can also unlock mirror and back tee versions of all the courses as well offering new twists on old favorites.

Open Tee features a simple interface for drives. Hit the X button to start the meter. Hit the meter at the left side to set the distance, hit the meter when it falls back to the right side to set the impact. Holding the directional pad in various directions as you initiate distance and impact can give the ball topspin or any other form of impact twists. Triangle and Circle adjust the camera to give the player some bearing on his or her surroundings. The analog nub can also be used to look around the environment as well. Checking wind conditions, the distance of the hole, the height of the hole, and the degree of slope the player is on are also considerations besides simply swinging for the fences. On the other golfer's mitt, putting is as simple as checking to see the slope of the green (indicated by white lines which run along the putting grid), adjusting as fit, and initiating the putting meter. One press to start the meter, and one press to set the putting distance. It sounds easy, but mastering putting is another thing-- thanks to a useless caddy whose best advice is "Good luck".

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Bogey?! I thought you said fogey! Aw, I'm old...

While an excellent addition to the Hot Shots Golf series, the title isn't perfect. Challenge Mode is amusing, but playing through the same course over and over again to advance to the next rank and stage of competition can become tedious even with the unlockable costumes that come with it. However, there's far worse things to be doing over and over again, and thankfully playing Open Tee isn't one of them. Additionally, this title lacks an online mode, so unless one has a friend with a PSP and a copy of this game they're left to play by their lonesome in a rather quick single-player mode.

Those problems aside, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is a very impressive PSP title, and there's a lot to play through and enjoy on one UMD. The character customization is fantastic, the course design is superb, and achieving course high scores or watching replays of nailing that chip-in eagle or that incredible hole-in-one are incredibly rewarding. Any PSP owner who has even a mild or perhaps even nil interest in golf should try out Open Tee. It's an excellent addition and a great alternative to actually packing up the golf clubs and heading out to the links.

[SuperPhillip Says]

Graphics: Beautiful backgrounds, textures, and deformed anime character models offer something pleasing to anyone's eye.

Gameplay: Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee plays amazingly well as a portable golf title. From driving to putting, Open Tee has the control aspect covered.

Sound: Voice clips from the characters and caddies are welcome, the music is memorable, but the sound effects are rather weak.

Replay Value: Challenge Mode has legs, and unlocking all that there is to unlock in that mode gives this golf title legs.

Overall: 8.25/10
- Great. The flaws don't outweigh the fun, so PSP owners, pick this title up!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

We Love Golf (Wii) Review

Golf week continues with an entirely brand new review! Check out to see if We Love Golf outclasses Super Swing Golf Season Two as best Wii golf game!

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Then why don't we go marry it?

Camelot is a name pretty much synonymous with golf games. Who else could tailor and craft such competent to excellent titles such as the original Mario Golf, the Gamecube Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, as well as beginning the highly successful Playstation brand of golf games, the Hot Shots Golf series? Sure, the Nintendo faithful would rather Camelot get to work on the third installment of the popular Golden Sun series, but that doesn't mean that their most recent golf outing, We Love Golf, isn't worthy of praise or at the very least a modicum of attention. Does Camelot sink another eagle with their latest trip to the links, or should they hang up their collective golf bag for good?

We Love Golf is your typical Japanese golf game filled with anime-inspired characters, bright and colorful courses, and addicting gameplay. There's a multitude of modes for players to sink their balls into (yep, I went there). Tournament mode pits players against twenty-nine CPU opponents in 18 holes of fierce competition. Simply enough, the best score after exhibition play wins the tournament and progresses to the next course. You won't ever see your competition during play, so really you're only competing against yourself and the errors you may or may not burden yourself with (and the set score of the highest CPU player during each tournament). Don't be surprised when you beat the field with a score of -13 while your closest competitor is at +23. However, it's deceptively easy. As you complete the first series of tournaments, a new tournament mode unlocks featuring harder greens, fiercer conditions, and harder competition. Even after beating the Pro Tournament, the Mirror Tournament unlocks where the CPU's best scores are anywhere from -7 to -13. So easy birdies in the original tournament mode may become much more difficult to attain in later competitions. Each time you come within the top three of a courses' tournament you unlock a brand new course to play on. There's eight total ranging from a seaside resort to a Japanese garden to a beautiful desert oasis. Each course is varied enough both in challenge and design to keep things fresh with a bevy of different obstacles to circumvent around.

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The courses are quite nice to gawk at.

If tournament isn't your immediate preference, there's a number of other modes to play through. There's the Near-Pin contest which has three exclusive short courses where the goal is to aim and hit as close to the hole as possible (or at least make it on the green). Then there's the Camelot favorite, Ring Shot. Mario Golf veterans should be familiar with this mode by now. There's six levels on each of the eight courses where the aim of the game is to drive the ball through all rings and make it into the hole with par. The first courses are simple enough, but later levels can prove to be quite challenging. One will have you needing to ricochet the ball of a mountainside to have it fly through two rings. Moreover, there's also Target Golf with four modes each-- approach, tee shot, second shot, and putting. You have ten tries to beat the target score as you aim for a target filled with multiple point values. The closer to the hole you are, the better the point value with a hole-in-one being worth 100 points.

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Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.

As you'd expect there's a ragtag group of characters to select from. Only two are available at the beginning of WLG, but by playing the Vs. Play mode you can unlock more for a total of ten characters. You can even unlock the ability to choose from your collection of Miis. There's nothing funnier than playing as a hispanic-speaking David Letterman Mii. After beating a character once you can challenge them again for a stronger version. This can be done up to three times for some powerful hitters. Just a word of warning though, their shots can be much trickier to time. Despite that, the characters themselves don't really emanate too much personality. They're just your typical pro golfer, young whippersnapper, girl with glasses, et cetera- type of bunch. Thankfully since Capcom produced this title, there's a Capcom-themed costume for each of the ten characters to unlock via in-game challenges such as completing Ring Shot to beating Tournament mode. There's Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, and Sakura from the Street Fighter series, Zack and Captain Rose from Zack and Wiki, Arthur from the Ghost and Goblins franchise, along with many more. Unfortunately, there's no Mega Man costumes which had me befuddled a bit. A small problem, but a problem nonetheless.

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Arthur is just one of the ten costumes aspiring champions can unlock.

The BIG problem with the majority of Wii golf games is that they don't truly mimic an actual golf swing, or when they attempt to, they don't work as well as they're supposed to (see Tiger Woods '08). On the other hand, We Love Golf does an admirable job of simulating a realistic enough golf swing albeit with its own quirks. For instance, instead of simply performing a golf swing and having the power and angle of your shot calculate as to how far and where your ball will go, WLG institutes the traditional three click swing mechanic found in Camelot's past golf expeditions. By pointing the Wii remote upwards, you'll get an overhead view of the current hole. By aiming the Wii remote at the screen, you'll be able to get a peek at the vicinity of where your ball is projected to land. After selecting the appropriate club (if needed) by cycling through them via the plus and minus buttons, you can use the d-pad to move the cursor around to select exactly where you'd like to shoot for. Pointing the Wii remote downward towards the ground puts the camera and game into shot mode. Holding the A button will allow you to begin your shot. You then swing back far enough to reach the target marker on the power gauge at the bottom of the screen. When the cursor hits the target market it will start heading in the opposite direction. You time your downward swing for when the cursor hits the impact zone of the gauge. The closer your timing is to the impact zone, the straighter and better your shot will be. Of course, the Wii remote mascot will tell you this from your own controller. Thankfully, you can turn it off if you choose to. It actually helped me in getting my rhythm down.

Unlike something like Hot Shots Golf where your projected landing site is portrayed by a grid shape, WLG's projection shows actually where the ball will hit and even which way it will roll. Now this may seem completely stupid and easy at first, it can trip you up at times (and in a good way). First, the projection does not factor in wind velocity at all. Second, the projection does not factor in the current lie of your ball, so you'll have to guess if you're in the rough or a bunker. Lastly, the projection does not really factor the slope of the green, so there is some guesswork to be done. In fact, after playing this game for over forty hours, I've only managed to sink a hole-in-one twice as opposed to Hot Shots Golf Fore where I've sunk four. Anecdotal evidence, but evidence all the same!

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Once you get used to the swing system, you can pull off some spectacular shots.

At first, the swing mechanic takes a little getting used to, but after a few holes or so you'll think of it as second nature. Thankfully, the developers through in the ability for practice swings which are performed by holding the B trigger instead of the A button for when you're setting up a shot. The mechanic doesn't feel as natural as a realistic golf swing as there's the timing of the down stroke to consider (if you want an actual golf swing, wait for Tiger Woods '09 which promises this feature to almost 1:1 movement). However, it still feels very good and rewarding. A cool and literal twist on the formula is that you can actually twist the Wii remote to the left or to the right to hook and slice your ball to the left or right. This is perfect for when a straight shot would have your ball crashing into a mountainside or Rosie O'Donnell is in your way, and a slice to the right would angle the shot just to the right of the obstruction. Well, perhaps in Rosie's case you'd want to hit her... hard. Backspin and topspin are executed merely by holding the 1 or 2 button during a shot and are perfect for gaining some extra yardage on a mammoth par 5 or putting the brakes on a ball on a particularly fast green. And hey, if you make a particularly cool shot, you can watch a replay of it in the options menu, a feature that I couldn't believe Super Swing Golf didn't even have.

A feature that Japanese We Love Golf players didn't even have that Capcom USA happily included for Western release is online rounds which can be played either with an anonymous stranger from around the world or a pal via those damned friend codes. Regardless of the mode you select, you match play a series of holes and the player with the most wins is the victor. I would have preferred to have a choice between stroke play and match play online, but this current online system is better than no online system. I particularly enjoyed the time limit for each player. Don't make your shot within the time limit? Then you lose that hole. How's THAT for you people who decide they have to pee while I'M playing you!

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This is the fifth of eight courses of different challenge and design.

On the aesthetic side of the course, We Love Golf features a very bright, colorful, and eye-catching presentation to it. Characters are animated well, the game chugs along smoothly at almost all times, and the game is genuinely pleasing to look at to the majority of us who have played an HD system and haven't said they can't go back to SD ever again. The sound side of the course features the composition of one of the busiest composers in the game industry today, the irreplaceable Motoi Sakuraba of Tales, Golden Sun, and Star Ocean fame (among others). The voice work is good even if the lines the actors speak range from passable to punishing. Overall, WLG is an admirable effort for the Wii's hardware-- though the Wii is capable of much more.

We Love Golf offers a lot of content for both players who've never set foot on a real life golf course to those who eat, sleep, and breathe golf and for those who love golf games and can't stand playing golf in reality such as yours truly. Blasted bugs and sunburns! WLG has many modes, many unlockables, many challenges, and many hours to invest and play through. Online play only enhances the experience offering closer competition than you'll find in the main game. The characters may be cookie-cutter and the difficulty may be nonexistent in the beginning stages of the game, but that doesn't detract enough from the experience to bar a recommendation. We Love Golf is one of my favorite golf titles in a long time. It's not perfect, but it's still a blast to play.

[SuperPhillip Says]

Graphics: Nothing that will make you weep with envy, but it's all rather pleasing all the same.

Gameplay: Getting the swing of things may take a little getting used to, but once you have it down cold it feels second nature. Just don't swing like that on a real life golf course.

Sound: Nothing really horrible to complain about regarding voices. The Wii remote may get on your nerves, however. Lastly, Motoi Sakuraba is fantastic as always.

Replay Value: There's eight courses, three tournaments, ten characters, multiple modes, ten Capcom costumes to unlock, and online fun to be had. There's plenty to do in We Love Golf.

Overall: 8.75/10 - Excellent. The most fun I've had with golf since Hot Shots Golf Fore. It's a great little golf game deserving of attention.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Super Swing Golf: Season Two Review

This week celebrates the ending of the PGA's last major of the year, the PGA Championship! There will be four reviews for four different golf titles, two for the Wii, and one for the PS3 and PSP apiece. Let's head to the first hole, shall we?

Power to the Pangya

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The golf game of Pangya returns to the Nintendo Wii with new courses, new characters, new costumes, and various other new additions. This game is once again modeled after the massively multiplayer online golf game, Albatross18. Does this second season of Pangya differentiate itself much from its online counterpart-- or for that matter the original Super Swing Golf-- or is this anime golf game sinking bogeys?

The biggest addition to Season 2 is the inclusion of a brand new Tour mode. This mode has players starting as the precocious young Scout or the bouncy redhead Hana as they travel from course to course challenging various Pangya players to a round of golf. You start on a world map very similar to what you'd see in New Super Mario Bros. You advance spaces by beating opponents via Match or Stroke play and by winning the various minigames, all the while earning Pang to spend on new items in the Clubhouse.

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Swinging with the Wii remote is by far my favorite way to play.

The Clubhouse has seen a massive overhaul in its array of goods-- all that can be found already on Albatross18. As you advance through Tour mode you'll unlock new goodies to purchase from sports jackets to new equipment such as newer Phoenix balls (the golf balls of Pangya) and even newer caddies. The ability to customize your character in this fashion is a fantastic bonus, and unlike Albatross18 you need not fork over real life cash to stylize your characters-- all you need is Pang. Pang is the currency of Super Swing Golf, and it's earned via completing matches in Tour mode, driving the ball an extra distance, sinking an under par opportunity, long putts, and chip-ins.

And what you equip isn't limited to looks either. What you wear and who's your caddy has an effect on how you play. Each item in the Clubhouse increases your stats in some shape or form-- either by increasing the power of your shots to see how far they can fly, giving the ball much needed spin, or giving you enough control over your shots to make sure they don't go astray.

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They don't call it Super Swing for nothing.

Making your way through each course's map isn't always so straightforward. There's alternate paths leading to hidden goodies, and multiple branching paths to take on your way to the area's boss. Best the boss of an area, and you'll be rewarded not only with new goods to purchase, but also that boss to join your team to play as. All those multiple paths lead to new matches and a lot of Pangya to be played.

Playing Pangya on the Wii isn't as simple as button-clicking. Yes, you can play that way if you desire with the traditional three-click method used in golf games from Mario Golf to Hot Shots, but the most intuitive way to play is by swinging with the Wii remote itself. Start a shot by pressing the A button. Swing the Wii remote behind you to determine your shot distance, then press down the A button and initiate your strike at that ball! Hit too far to the left, and your shot will fall to the left. Hit too far to the right, and your shot will drop to the right. Thankfully, there's a tutorial mode for players to perfect their swings.

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Sink it in the hole? Earn some Pang.

Super Swing Golf Season 2 is filled to the brim with courses. Those familiar with the original will be accustomed to most of the courses, but there's several new ones as well. There's a whopping fourteen courses in all to select from ranging from the crystal beaches of Blue Lagoon to the cherry blossom-filled Pink Wind. There's courses set in a volcanic wasteland, and there's even a course set on top militia battleships! The courses are designed decently, but some of the Par 4 holes feel a little more like Par 5 holes in their distances.

Unfortunately, the character side of things isn't as rich. There's only eight characters to select from as well as eight different caddies. Each character and caddy has their own distinct voice as well as background which is explained in the numerous loading screens. A plus about having only eight characters is that there's less work in discovering your favorite.

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If normal golf has you down, why not try Balloon Pop?

For those with friends over, there's the multiplayer mode. You can Pangya in regular stroke play or match play on 1, 3, 6, 9, or all 18 holes of a particular course. There's also numerous minigames to play such as Darts where you try to hit your ball into the target area for a certain amount of points. Or maybe you'd like to pop some balloons for points? Then there's the Driving Contest which is pretty much self-explanatory. You can even save your character to your Wii remote and bring it over to a friend's house to play.

The world of Pangya is rich and colorful. While the graphics don't press the Wii in any shape or form, what there is of the visuals is pleasant to look at and serve the Super Swing Golf world well. The music is entertaining to listen to, and there's even three themes for each golf course-- just in case you dreaded a lack of variety. Most of the voice work is passable, but there's some that can make the corniest man cringe.

What is severely lacking from Super Swing Golf Season 2 is online play. This is painfully apparent seeing as the game Season Two is based off of is an online golf title. The online system's there, so why isn't there anything here, Tecmo? Also, playing through Tour Mode can be grating as there's really only two types of matches-- either match play or stroke play-- and the only differences are the amount of holes played and the course chosen. This can get quite tedious to play through as the first half of Tour mode is mind-numbingly easy. Thankfully though, the cheap AI from the original Super Swing Golf isn't around for the party until after Tour mode is completed.

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This new lava course is quite the sight to behold.

Super Swing Golf Season 2 might not be on the level of the Hot Shots Golf series, but it's definitely trying to rival it. There's an exorbitant amount of content to play through, items to purchase, and courses to hit the links on. The glaring omission here is online play, and while it's no deal-breaker (especially with the hours upon hours one can lose in single-player play), it's still amiss regardless. Those waiting for a round of golf to play but are stuck in the coldness of winter to actually go out and play a round can find solace in this virtual form. It's not the perfect golf game, but it's getting close.

[SuperPhillip Says]

Graphics: Colorful visuals on par with the Gamecube. It works for this type of game.

Gameplay: Master button play, or use the more intuitive swing controls-- for right or left-handed golfers.

Sound: The music is particularly good. The voices? A mixed golf bag.

Replay Value: There's just so much to do here. There's Tour mode to complete 100% (good luck), Vs. CPU mode, costumes such as certain Tecmo garments to purchase, and countless hours to spend trying to do it all.

Overall: 8.0/10 - Great. The Wii's best golf game so far. Can We Love Golf top it?

Monday, August 11, 2008

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Now with a brand new tan!

This week, we have five more tracks from five more games including Viva Piñata, Mario Tennis, and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz! Hope you like some of my picks!

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From the underrated Xbox 360 title, Viva Piñata, it's the very charming (at least to me) ending theme of the game performed by the cast of the show.

No worries though as I have planned some of the beautiful orchestrated tracks to upload in the game as well if this doesn't suit your sweet tooth.



This is another track from the happy-go-lucky world of Billy Hatchet and the Giant Egg. This song is overheard during the first level or so of the game.



Hey, gang, it's time for another double-dippin' twofer! This time, however, it's not just two versions of the same song-- it's two completely different songs from the same game, Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64.

We begin with Ring Shot (Doubles) and cap off with Tiebreaker. Enjoy, and may this video give you some nostalgia or the hankering to head back to the tennis courts with Mario and his pals!



This is unprecedented now. Not just one song, not just two songs, but THREE songs accompanied by three different videos! Have I gone mad? Apparently so!

Regardless, the tracks are all from the Playstation 2, Hot Shots Golf Fore. The songs are:

Opening
Main Menu
Course Select



Cobalt Caverns, a colorful, psychedelic setting, is one of the ten worlds featuring ten levels each in the Wii launch title, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.

Original footage by Overhazard.



Next week, yours truly will have five more tracks to share with all of you. Hope you'll stick around until then!