Reviewed: April 5, 2007
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Electronic Arts

Developer
EA Redwood Shores

Released: March 13, 2007
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-4

7
6
6
8
7.2

Supported Features:

But what about golf? Golf is probably the focus of more attempts to recreate itself indoors than any other sport, and while they did pack in a taste of golf in Wii Sports it was only a taste. Even as we teed off the fifth hole we knew this sport could be done so much better, and less than a month after system launch Tecmo delivered their vision of the sport. And while Super Swing Golf had more color and content, you also had to suffer through sickly cute anime characters and a lot of boring story elements.

Well the master has arrived, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is ready to show us how to play golf on the Wii with a whole new control scheme, loads of mini-games, 18 courses, 35 pro and fantasy golfers, and 12 exciting ways to play the game of golf.

You still get to create your own golfer and take them from the ranks of unknown amateur to somebody who might just be teeing off with Tiger himself. There is a full calendar of events that will have you traveling the world competing for rank and cash, and you can spend that cash on a pro shop full of clothing and accessories to enhance your style and stats. When you think you are reader, check out the Tiger Challenge that will have you going up against 18 top golfers.

Obviously, everybody wants to know just how good the swing mechanic is for Tiger Woods. Well, the True Swing system has never been more realistic (in theory), and even though there is a slight learning curve to the procedures of setting up and making a shot, the controls have never been more intuitive. You use the Wii-mote as a pointer with the new True Aiming system to aim your shot, either in top or 3D views of the hole. You can drag the target circle to where you want to hit the ball and the game will pick the club to get you there, or you can change your club and stance with the D-pad then press and hold the B button as you backswing the remote just like a real club then release and follow through.

My only quibble with the entire swing scheme is that your movements in relation to the onscreen character are not in synch, allowing you to achieve a full backswing with only partial movement on your part. This makes it hard to vary your distance with swing power alone, since you almost always take a full swing, but for golfers who play the max distance of their chosen club, it won’t even be an issue.

The True Swing system also tracks any subtle twists to your wrists that might create a hook or slice. This can lend itself to great strategy and great frustration when you think you swung straight and the ball curves into the lake. You can toggle this part of the swing system off if you find you cannot control your accuracy and every shot will fly straight and true.

My only issue with the swing system that kept me from total immersion was that my big hands could not both grip the controller like they would a real golf club. I ultimately had to play the game swinging entirely with one hand, which introduced all sorts of accuracy issues. Tiger Woods would definitely benefit from a golf club extension attached to the Wii-mote.

For those who just can’t come to…err…grips with the new swing system, you can plug in your nunchuk and use the analog stick to go back to the pre-Wii days of Tiger Woods. EA has made sure that anybody of any age and any skill set can play this game, and they can, so be prepared to fight off dear old dad on those rainy days when he can’t hit the real links.

Tiger Woods definitely has its serious side; with lengthy tournaments, PGA Tour based on the FedEx Cup, and a robust stat system that will have your virtual golfer increase their skills as your own golfing abilities improve. But then you have the fun parts of PGA Tour 07; those wonderful mini-games and arcade modes that are available from the onset. Skills 18, Battle Golf, One Ball, and Team One Ball are not only great ways to practice your swing techniques, but also great fun for up to four players.

Skillzone offers four of its own modes including my favorite, T-I-G-E-R, which is basically a version of Horse where one player takes a shot at the hole and everybody must get as close, or closer, with their matching shot or get a letter. Capture, Target, and Target2Target are the three other modes that have you testing your quick aim and accuracy in a variety of challenging and fun multiplayer game modes.

This is probably what PGA Tour 07 would have looked like on the GameCube, only with the extra horses under the hood on the Wii EA will have a hard time accounting for the numerous framerate drops that often dip below the standard 30fps. And with some shimmering and jaggy issues, Tiger is one game that oddly looks better close-up than from a distance.

Despite the overall quality and clarity issues, Tiger Woods does offer an overall gorgeous and realistic golf experience taking us to 18 championship courses that most of us will never see in real life beyond TV coverage. The character models and animation are excellent. Tecmo’s golf is certainly more colorful and charming, especially for the kids, but Tiger brings home the reality of these locations and the actual sport of golf.

Sound effects are spot-on for all the mechanics of golf including the clubs slicing up divots, whacking balls, the splash of water, and the tink as the ball drops in the cup. There are enough environmental effects like wind and birds to make you believe you are on the course, but this game is mostly a silent experience. I did enjoy the fact that you hear your club striking the ball on the Wii-mote speaker.

The EA Trax system is back with selected tunes for the menus and setup screens. I really don’t require music when I golf so I didn’t even notice it that much. It didn’t annoy me, so I guess that’s a good thing.

The lack of online play is forgivable this year since Nintendo hasn’t gotten all the kinks worked out of their online network, but hopefully things will be on track so we can play against golfers online in the 2008 version. Even without online play, there is enough quality golf to keep you busy for the better part of a year.