With that in mind, it’s easy to approach Everybody’s Golf a little annoyed. Angry, even. In which case, we recommend you seek professional help, because getting angry at a game before you even play it is simply not healthy, you freaking psychopath. But, the second you get on the course and launch your first drive, the thoughts of killing the local publisher vanish. You see, despite being a year old, Everybody’s Golf is still terrific. The big headed characters with poor accents will charm the pants off you, and you will be swinging that club all night long.
Fore! You know, that would be an amusing subtitle for this game… Oh, right
One of the first things you will notice about Everybody’s Golf is that it does not take itself particularly seriously. It’s all incredibly light-hearted, and adds to the game’s appeal no end. The various characters are all big-headed ethnic stereotypes – brainless American wrestler, mystical Indian guy, Greg Norman, the list goes on – with their own unique strengths, weaknesses, accents and one-liners. Then there’s the loading screen, which advises you “enjoy Everybody’s Golf to the fullest”. The sickening ‘fun’ feel takes the edge off, making missing those close range putts by a whisker much easier to swallow.
Everybody’s Golf uses the tried and true method most golf games have been using for centuries. Press the button once to start the swing, and set the power meter rising. Hit the button again to determine your power. Finally, press the button a third time to determine the accuracy of your shot. This is what will make or break your shot – get it right, and you will hit a ‘Nice Shot’, which will be helped by additional power for extra yardage. Get it wrong though, and you may slice it into the trees, or, worse, your character may fall over and hit the ball about ten yards. The beginner’s club set is available for those who don’t like the sound of that though, removing the third button press and giving near-perfect accuracy each time.
Advanced users will want to spin the ball too, which can be obtained by pressing the d-pad in the appropriate direction after selecting the power of your shot. It’s rather helpful for getting around those pesky trees. And, if that wasn’t enough, you can try and select a special flaming or ice shot, which will give you a healthy dose of extra power – at the cost of accuracy, of course. Combine these with other factors like wind, slopes and using the right club in the right situation, and Everybody’s Golf has a deceptive amount of depth – especially when you consider the simplistic facade.
One of these bares a likeness to Matt – guess which one
There is a healthy selection of ways to play the game, too. In single player, there is a tournament mode, where you smash your way around an eighteen hole course attempt to get the lowest score. Obviously. There is also a VS mode, which puts you in a grueling death match (of sorts) against a computer opponent. Here you must hit a lowest score to win a hole, and the person with the most wins in nine holes wins. This is probably the best single player mode of the game. It’s fun for a quick blast, and it’s where you can unlock the bulk of the many characters the game has to offer. The obligatory training mode is also available, as well as Mini game – for putting/3-par fun. Multiplayer is available both online and offline, too, and is smashing fun in each case. There’s nothing quite like seeing a friend land a horrible shot in the bunker, and being able to mock them incessantly for it. Until you inevitably do the same thing two shots later, of course. Between all these different gameplay options and hordes of unlockable features (different characters, courses, clubs, balls – the list goes on), there is a hell of a lot to see and do in Everybody’s Golf. So much so, that you might even start to be good by the time you’re through.
While it won’t win any awards for its polygon account, Everybody’s Golf looks gorgeous. It has its own unique visual style, made up of big headed (have we mentioned that before?) characters and a brilliant camera. Each character has their own various animations depending on their score, which usually involve the character falling over, or making a cheesy expression that looks like it was ripped straight out of an anime cartoon. Indeed, if wide-eyed anime girls making peace signs irk you, you might want to stay right away. Courses themselves aren’t particularly spectacular, with rather basic trees lying on the outskirts (or, occasionally, in the middle) of the course, and not a whole lot in the scenery department.
The grandstands are always jammed to capacity
But where the game really impresses here is with the camera. There are so many different angles – the usual, camera on the ground angle, watching the ball from the initial driving position and, most impressively, the camera that sits just above the ball for the entire drive. It can also be completely and simply manipulated with a very simple zoom-and-tilt system before each shot, in order to navigate any potential trouble spots. Considering you could almost be justified in doing nothing with the camera in a golf game, the fact so much variety has been included is very much appreciated.
So, Everybody’s Golf, then. It’s a fantastic, gorgeous, oddball, surprisingly deep and just plain fun game of golf that absolutely everybody should be able to get into. You should, absolutely, definitely and positively consider picking this up on your next trip to your local games emporium.
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