Q: Is Tiger Woods for Wii any better than last year? Does the new Motion sensor make it better? – TWood

Yes and yes. Golf eludes me. I mean real golf, it eludes me. Oh its not that I can’t find it – Milwaukee has an admirable number of cheap yet beautiful courses of varying difficulty – and its not completely due to any lack of money, the reason I don’t play much golf, I think, is because I’m pretty bad at it and have no interest in devoting to time to getting better – right now. Yet in spite of all that, I do like it. Since video games are all about doing something virtually that you can’t do, uh, nonvirtually, I do like me some video game golf. I’ve been playing video golf since the days when Links ruled the world, Golden Tee hadn’t dominated the arcade world and EA Sports’ Tiger Woods was just an upstart cub.

But I’ve always hated the swing meter. 3 clicks, 2 clicks, whatever. That’s not golf, that’s timing, that’s doing a field goal in Madden over and over again. I dreamed of a golf game that let me PLAY golf and by PLAY, I mean I wanted to feel it was me who put the ball into that sand trap – and me who got it out again. Sorry all you old-schoolers, click –click- click doesn’t cut it.

I’ll get the Tiger Woods 10 in a minute.

I preferred it when EA and whoever owned Links at the time started experimenting with using a mouse, or an analog stick to make your swing. It translated power and whether you sliced or hooked it fairly well and I figured that would be that. We have out golf style gentlemen and it doesn’t go click-click-click. Then something really cool came to my door!

I can’t remember the name and I wish to God I’d kept it but I once had a strange PS2 golf game that used cloth wire pulleys to mimic your swing. You’d put on two golf gloves and connected them to the cloth wire. Aiming downward, using a short and silly plastic club, it was able to translate most golf shots well simply by using your own swing. If you have a terrible slice, you’ll have one here too. I doubt the game would make a duffer any better at swinging, but it could show them where a few problem areas are, and give them useful practice at golf strategy, reading the lie, and the short game. Anyway, I lent it to my wife’s friends son and doubt I’ll ever see it again.

At the time (2001 maybe?) I considered it the most realistic and amazing golf sim ever. That distinction didn’t last long. When the Wii debuted I hated the Wii sports golf game and waited patiently to see what Tiger would do. It was great. Swing the remote to approximate a real golf swing and that’s what you got. Nice!

But nowhere near as nice as Tiger Woods 10’s use of the new motion enhancement device (it comes either with one of those, or without). Now I can move the club face, I can intentionally hook or slice with accuracy, and swinging feels perfectly natural.

Tiger Woods 10 is good for the Xbox 360 and traditionally it’s been solid on the PSP and the DS. There’s also a terrific iPhone/iTouch version by the way, you use your finger to swing. But compared to it’s console brethren, the Wii Tiger doesn’t look so good. I’m not complaining, it’s probably as good looking as the hardware can support – and gameplay trumps all. But if there’s any kind of game that needs perfect graphics it’s golf (and flight sims). It’s more immersive. So I’ll give due credit to the absolute-f**kiing-gorgeousness of the PS3 and 360 versions.

But they can’t hold a candle to their uglier but far more sporting brother.

Oh, they also included a crude but workable version of Frisbee Golf. Which is delightful in that I’m going to start taking my kids out to those skunk smelling local courses soon. FROLF makes for a fine family outing.  I recommend Tiger Woods for any family or child that’s interested in golf, actively learning how to play golf, or for rainy days – or recessions – when you can’t play golf. Still, and the manual doesn’t say this, be sure to take some lessons first or play your first few games with someone who can coach your swing. Golf preys on bad habits and you don’t want to develop any here that’ll make real golf and even more stress inducing endeavor than it already is!

A NOTE FROM GAMERMOM

I’ve never golfed before. But I was hooked on this after the first nine holes. I hit par twice and GamerDad has been teaching me all the basics. I can’t wait to bring the children into the mix.

Back to GamerDad

Now lets address your basic question.  Tiger Woods 10 isn’t graphically improved from 09. The upgrade is worthwhile mainly because of the new swing style (the game lets you use other styles and even has a mode for casual party play – I don’t recommend these because golf is all about habits – why use unreal swings when the game does a great job translating real swings?) and how well the Motion sensor works. Oh, it also has a fair version of Frisbee Golf, which is a great sport for kids – it’s not just for hippies and College students (and College Student Hippies) any more.

Tags: Game Reviews