Four!! Golf once again arrives on the Nintendo DS. This time however, the capabilities of the hardware are fully exploited. True Swing Golf uses the touch screen for most of its gameplay and control, and the results couldn't be better.
Aesthetics:
Verdant green fields, grainy sand traps, and a nice blue sky, you know, everything you would expect from a golf game. Those trees are another matter though. Sprite city, here we come. Nothing says realism like two-dimensional images in a three dimensional world. I'm probably nitpicking a bit here, but with games like Mario Kart DS on the market, the graphical bar has been set pretty high on the dual screened handheld. I guess it's too much to ask for all the games to be at that level. Still, the character models are detailed enough, and animated quite well. The game's levels are also based on the Phoenix Country Club golf courses of the Phoenix Seagaia Resort. So for those of you craving the experience of a real country club, but can't afford the whole rich person... thing. This game has you covered. Art imitating life anyone?
Anyway, what else can I say? It's a golf game, and it looks like one. You can’t get any simpler than that.
Sound:
In my humble opinion, this game is best played with the music turned down. The overly excited soundtrack (if you can call it that) seems more at home on a sweeping adventure game, not introducing players to the slow pace of golf. Once this sweeping music is removed, players are treated to a myriad of nature sounds fitting for a golf course, and a somewhat muted crowd of spectators mocking your horrible shots. (They might cheer for the good ones, but apparently I'm not as good as sports games as I thought.)
Control:
With average graphics and sound, True Swing Golf would be just another golf game if it weren't for it's new and unique approach to game control. To swing the club and hit the ball, you pick the angle of your shot as you would in any other game. Then the fun begins. On the touch screen you are treated to a series of lines in front of the golf ball itself. These lines indicate what power you will hit the ball at. To swing the ball you simply use the stylus to drag the ball back to a particular line, and then sweep it forward to strike the ball. This is very much like Othello, "Easy to learn, hard to master." I'll describe why below.
Gameplay:
Ok, so we know how the game system works. The motion of the stylus is used for the virtual swing of the club. Right... Ok. If there is one thing this game has taught me, is that I cannot draw a straight line in the least. By rapidly pulling back the ball and shooting my stylus forward, I make a trajectory for the ball that is more akin to a gummy worm than an actual direction. I'm lucky if I get the ball in the right course let alone the green. Perhaps this is just me. Others might have more success. A surgeon I will never be. (Trauma Center would be a real hoot I bet, but I digress.)
Anyway, back to the point. There are the usual grids for determining the geography of the terrain and the like, plus the standard wind and weather effects and the consequent havoc they wreak on your ball. But, the real point of this game is swing control, and if you have the steady hands of a watchmaker, this game is for you. If not, well...
Multiplayer:
Nintendo has been the king of local multiplayer games for a long time now, and this game continues that tradition. Lacking any wi-fi compatibility, this game still delivers a four-player experience from a single game card. Granted, it's golf, so this isn't surprising, but it is still nice to see. Owners can even send a demo version of the game to other players wirelessly. In addition you can send pictochat type messages during play to your opponents. Except for the omission of wi-fi connectivity, this is about as good as you are going to get in the multiplayer arena for a golf game.
OVERALL:
With various game modes, wireless multiplayer, and a very unique control scheme, True Swing Golf rises above the pack to deliver a solid, if not perfect golf experience for the Nintendo DS.
If you like to swing, pick this up now.
The Lowdown on  True Swing Golf
| Aesthetics: Average |
Control: Very Good |
| Gameplay: Very Good |
Multiplayer: Very Good |
| Sound: Average |
Innovation: 6/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 4/6 |
|
Overall: Above Average!
"A Quality Game"
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True Swing Golf
