Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii edition)

[Cyrrex]

Screw it, I was writing a BiiF for this, but managed to hit the wrong button an make it all disappear.  I fail at computers, apparently.  If someone wants to BiiF it for me, that'd be cool.  Or not.

Anyway.  Do you like golf?  Do you like golf video games?  Are you curious to see where this technology can go?

If you answered yes to, uh, two of the above, then buying this game for the Wii is probably a no brainer.  I'm sure that the game is going to be technically (certainly graphically) inferior to the 360 and PS3 versions in virtually every way.  Except for one.  MotionPlus makes this a Wii purchase.  Really.

The golf game itself is fairly predictable.  Create your own freak in a kilt and cowboy boots.  Level him up.  Play against Tiger.  Win fame and glory.  Yada yada.  Nothing really new there.   The difference here is in the control, and the MotionPlus is a bit of a game changer.  This isn't the stupid pointer/waggler of Wii games past.  The MP really does track the position of the Wiimote in a 1 to 1 manner.  This isn't like Wii Sport's version of golf where you sat on your couch, flicked your wrist in any direction you chose and send the ball 300 yards down the middle of the fairway. 

Here, the MP knows if you are pointing your "golf club" down.  It knows the direction of your club face.  It knows how far you take your backswing.  It knows if you twist the club on your swing.  It knows the position of the club on impact.  It knows how you followed through.  It even knows the speed of your swing.  In short, you are effectively swinging a golf club.  Take all of this into account, and you probably forget about shooting anything close to par on your first time around the course.  Shockingly, I actually shot my exact handicap (20) on my first attempt.  I got a little better on subsequent attempts, but make no mistake:  the is strangely accurate.  Just like real life, I made a few great drives, and hooked a few into the trees.  I made some lucky sand saves, and sent several others way off the opposite side of the green.  I made a long putt or two, but was just as likely to hit it 10 feet short (the putting is remarkably instinctive, btw).  It played out pretty much exactly how a round of golf for me would play out.  The announcer even said it was the worst display of golf she'd ever seen.

I don't know if there is a way to cheat it, but you will likely be standing there as if on the driving range, attempting to make completely accurate golf swings.  You will look like a dork with a Wiimote.   

Buy It.

[WayAbvPar]

If I ever planned to own a Wii this would be the first series I would pick up. 09 was really fun on the 360, but a good swing analog would make it REALLY fun. And almost like exercise. At least I would play standing up. Sometimes.

[Cyrrex]

To be honest, I think you kinda have to stand up to play it.  It's hard to imagine working well otherwise.

[Trippy]

Do not underestimate the ingenuity of coach potatoes.

[schild]

I imagine, if I got a stick, about 3 feet long, and set my chair off to the side a bit, and hung the wiimote from say, a piece of thin bendable metal, jointed at the bottom to a stiff rod holding the wiimote - I could swing perfectly every time.

[Lounge]

How is the putting?

The previous years everything has been great right up to the green at which point it falls flat hard.  Is it still one to one with the putter or did they implement some kind of bullshit mechanic there?  The only video i have found of putting still includes some kind of power meeter with a line and i'm a bit leery of picking this up until i know how it works.

[Cyrrex]

The power meters you see are only, I think, measuring the amount of backswing and speed you are applying (which determines the length of your putt, obviously).  It is feedback only...it is simply measuring your actions.  The putting seems to be the most accurate part of the game.  If that is the barrier to prevent you from buying the game, you have nothing to worry about.

I don't doubt that someone will find some way to sit on their couch and play this game, but I'm guessing it will be more trouble than it's worth, and much less fun.  The problem you have to overcome is that you actually have to swing the Wiimote as hard as you would a real golf club.  It really is measuring swing speed.

[Yegolev]

At least I would play standing up. Sometimes.

LOL

[Cyrrex]

(Self serving bump)

Have put quite a bit more time into this.  Best sports game I've played since FNR3 - though I'll admit to not playing too many sports games these days, due to the fact that they haven't fucking changed at all in the last 15 years.

As was kind of expected, you do get better at this game than your actual real life golfing skill would indicate...it is a game, after all.  Still, it remains challenging and interesting.  I actually started one of the online modes that let me compete against the real world scores at the US Open at Bethpage.  I was a bit too rusty, but quickly gave it up as a bad idea.  That shit was hard, and my golfer wasn't leveled up enough yet.

Protip:  do some of the tournament challenge thingies.  These are short little challenges (and Easy, Medium and Hard at each venue) that ask you to duplicate the feats of some past golfer during some past tournament...for example, shoot a 31 on the back nine at Doral (or somesuch).  This is quick money and easy points to help you level up.

[Malakili]

(Self serving bump)

Have put quite a bit more time into this.  Best sports game I've played since FNR3 - though I'll admit to not playing too many sports games these days, due to the fact that they haven't fucking changed at all in the last 15 years.

As was kind of expected, you do get better at this game than your actual real life golfing skill would indicate...it is a game, after all.  Still, it remains challenging and interesting.  I actually started one of the online modes that let me compete against the real world scores at the US Open at Bethpage.  I was a bit too rusty, but quickly gave it up as a bad idea.  That shit was hard, and my golfer wasn't leveled up enough yet.

Protip:  do some of the tournament challenge thingies.  These are short little challenges (and Easy, Medium and Hard at each venue) that ask you to duplicate the feats of some past golfer during some past tournament...for example, shoot a 31 on the back nine at Doral (or somesuch).  This is quick money and easy points to help you level up.

I was thinking about picking this up, but is this leveling up thing definitely part of the game? I mean, can I just pick a random golfer, pick a course, and go play?  I don't feel like unlocking shit, and leveling up to play harder courses.

[Dion]

Does this mean I'll get raped by the game if I suck at normal golf?

[Margalis]

The levelling up is only in career mode AFAIK.

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, leveling up is probably only in career mode.  I say probably because I haven't tried the Play Now mode.  That said, the leveling feels natural enough and seems like a good way to keep you progressing.   It also doesn't seem to be much of a gate in terms of where you can play, though it will have at least a minor effect on how you perform.

Dion - I doubt being good at golf is a requirement.  The game isn't so punishing.

[Xuri]

Apparently Tiger Woods lost at his own Wii-game against comedian Jimmy Fallon yesterday, in the middle of Times Square. Only article I've found about it was on a Norwegian news-site, so... here you go: Norwenglish (through google) article.

[WayAbvPar]

Hopefully he broke a driver over Fallon's head and then jabbed the shaft into his jugular to finish him off.

[Azazel]

Hopefully he broke a driver over Fallon's head and then jabbed the shaft into his jugular to finish him off.

I approve of this post.