The game itself takes place on Pangya Island, and at the beginning of the game, you’re given a choice of two generic-looking anime characters. Once you’ve made your (purely cosmetic) choice, the golfing begins. Earning Pang, the game's form of currency, through the main modes of the game, you can then use it to buy some ‘fun’ outfits for your golfer, as well as a variety of different clubs and caddies. It’s all a bit weird and Japanese, of course, but it does add another element to an otherwise basic golf game.
It's Japanese and crazy. But is it for you?
Probably most importantly, Pangya! Golf with Style makes full use of the Wii-mote as a golf club. It’s not just about swinging back and forth though, as the Wii-mote is used intuitively even in the setting up of each shot. Switching to Free Mode allows you to physically point at the screen and navigate your way around the course, moving the Wii-mote forwards and backwards to and from the green, as well as being able to easily pan the camera up or down if need be. You can also go into an Aerial View, which is basically a birds-eye view of the course that navigates in a similar fashion.
Once you feel acquainted with the hole in question, you can use the Wii-mote to point and click around the screen to adjust things like spin and angle based on the wind conditions, which are displayed handily on screen. Then, you can actually hit the ball. Swinging the club backwards sets up the power meter, and similar to other golf games, once you’re happy with the amount of power, simply hold down A and swing. It’s a little more awkward than the golf in Wii Sports, but it does work pretty well. The putting is set up similarly, allowing you to see just how steep or bumpy the ground is based on the on-screen displays.
There is also the option of switching back to the basic controls and using a button-press to swing your club. This certainly does take away the novelty factor that most people will buy the game for, but the fact is that after playing several holes standing up and swinging your arms, it gets a little bit tiring, and this is where the novelty seriously starts to wear thin. Courses take a fairly long time to complete, and long play sessions make it difficult to stand and swing your arms like a golfer, even for the most dedicated players.
The game celebrates when you hit the ball properly. How nice!
The main mode of the game focuses on the previously mentioned Pang, as well as gaining experience as you play, leveling up your character in basic RPG fashion. Going shopping for specific items can affect your in-game performance, with some items of clothing and clubs adding to your power, accuracy, control, curve and spin statistics. That or you may just think your character looks particularly cute in a school uniform. It's all pretty basic, and you don’t necessarily even need to spend a lot of time here to enjoy the game, but the option is there for those that like the shopping aspect.
The only problem with leveling up your character is that it takes way too much time. Progression from level to level gets extremely mundane and it's frustrating trying to earn Pang for the more expensive items. There’s a lot of time and effort spent where literally nothing happens as you play game after game of golf, and unfortunately it’s just not enough to keep you focused for very long. There are some pretty special effects for when you hit the ball hard enough, and random pieces of ‘storyline’ where your character interacts with the AI in a cheesy and strange way, but it all gets old rather fast, and you’ll tire of the cut-scenes and zany antics pretty quickly.
Graphically, Pangya fails to impress. While the art style is certainly cute and interesting, it’s very basic in design and lacks any technical polish. It looks like something that should have been released on the GameCube during its early stages rather than something from this generation. The golf that’s featured in Wii Sports actually has more graphical style than this, which is disappointing, given that Wii Sports is a freebie. The sound is equally unimpressive, with some repetitive elevator music and some annoying bits of voice-over work.
Dressing your character can be fun, if you're into that sort of thing...
In terms of longevity, the game does have some life to it. There is a lot to unlock in terms of characters and items, and there are heaps of customisable options in making your character look unique. The single player modes will keep you very busy, offering a variety of courses that will take some time to complete, and there is multi-player, where you and up to 3 friends can take it in turns to play on the course of your choice. It can be a lot of fun playing with friends, so if you know some people that like zany anime and golf games, there are good times to be had.
Pangya is a decent attempt of a golf game, and the graphical style may have some appeal to casual players enticed into Wii ownership by Wii Sports. The gameplay is very solid, so if you’re a fan of the genre, there is definitely something here for you. There is a lot included in the game in terms of modes and customization, so if shopping and golfing sounds like heaven to you, then you’ll love Pangya! Golf with Style. For everybody else however, this is ultimately a novelty purchase, or at best, a rental.
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