NES Golf Tour Wrap Up

Well folks!  I hope you have enjoyed the NES Golf Tour!  This was a project years in the making.  I had been promising to do a guide like this for about 10 years, but video game golf is a lot like binge drinking, you get going and it's great, but after you are done, it is hard to go back and write about it.  So, instead I kept a notebook with all of my scores, and lots of notes about the various criteria that helped critique the games. Over the course of years, that accumulated quite a few notes and the accompanying experience was not unwelcome.  The final result is the following ranking of golf games for the NES (listed from best to worst):

1. NES Open

2. Atlus Golf Grand Slam

3. Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach

4. Golf

5. Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf

6. Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf

7. Greg Norman's Golf Power

NES Open easily provides the best and most complete golfing experience you are going to find on the NES. With all of its special features, saving ability, and customization, playing NES Open is fun every time.  It also has the most replay value of all of the games in the list due to its three courses and leveling up ability.  The graphics are colorful and the game play is engaging.  NES Open is always a stop when I play golf on the NES.




Atlus Golf Grand Slam ranks second, despite its tie with Bandai, on the back of its innovation.  This game amazed me as a kid and still stands unique among its competitors.  The putting is a beast, but the overall experience is enough to keep me coming back for more.  The rich graphics and curious music choice set the stage for a golfing experience unlike any other on the system.  The learning curve is a bit high, but carefully cushioned by the versatility of the interface.




Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach may not look as shiny as the two above it on this list, but it plays like a champ.  With very little learning curve and simplistic game play, BGCPB is a great game for the first time golfer.  It is also a lot of fun to play based on the course design.  The replication of the course at Pebble Beach is very good and provides excellent challenge for even the best video game golfer.





Even though it was the vanguard golf game for the system, Golf holds its own pretty well despite the stiff competition that was to take its cue from this pioneer.  It holds the center spot on this list because of its solid game play and reasonably low learning curve.  There are some quibbles with a few important game play elements that can result in more frustration than the game warrants, but overall Golf features enough simple fun to be worth a play from time to time.




It's not easy to see the game I grew up on rank so lowly on the list, but nostalgia is not enough to justify Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf being any higher than it is on this list.  The game is pretty simple to play and was great for teaching me how to golf as a kid, but the antiquated graphics and limited game play make for a rigid experience.  I still play JNGHMCG from time to time for old time's sake, but it is not a shining example of what the NES can do with golf.




Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf has all the makings of being a great golf game, but it manages to fall short in too many ways.  The course designs are a bit too video gamey, the difficulty is too harsh and the interface unforgiving for a game that plays as loosely as LTFG. There is fun to be had here, but you'll have to overcome a lot of obstacles to get at it.






I'm not even sure you can really call Greg Norman's Golf Power a real golf video game. There are some basic elements of golf here, but they are so poorly managed that any attempt to derive fun from them is nearly impossible.  The only saving grace for GNGP is the course editor feature which will allow you to manage the basic elements of golf a little better than the original programmers at Virgin were able to.  You can build yourself a better golf course, and you can play it, but whether or not you have fun is entirely up to you.  Good luck!




And that's a wrap for the NES Golf Tour.  I hope this helps you make fun decisions when you decide to test your mettle on the 8-bit links!  I truly think golf shines on this system and most of the games on this list exemplify this opinion.

Have a golf game you love?  Disagree with my assessment on any of these games, or the ranking?  Want to see a guide for golf games for your favorite system in the same fashion as this one?  I'd love to hear your feedback.  Hit us up on our facebook page, or in the comments below!  Thanks for reading!

NES Golf Tour: Atlus Golf Grand Slam

The final stop on our Tour takes us to one of the most unusual golf games for the NES.  The good people at Atlus must have taken a look at the field of games already out there and said, "if we are to compete, we need to do something radically different."  And so they did.

Look familiar, facebookers?

I first encountered Golf Grand Slam as a teenager when my dad and I were playing a LOT of NES stuff in tandem (my dad was super cool).  We had been playing Golf and Jack Nicklaus for some time when this came home from the rental store.  It was like no golf game I had ever seen.  Weird interfaces, dramatic music, and a password feature.  Was this some kind of Golf RPG? (if only...but that would come later with Mario Golf Game Boy Color)  It very quickly became my new favorite golf game and it got a lot of play and rentals.  When I finally located the game as a twenty-something, I quickly discovered that skills I possessed as a kid had clearly vanished and my love for the game was mixed with a blind rage.  Always fun.

Here comes the putter throw

Course Design:  Good.  Atlus Golf Grand Slam presents a challenging course with smart hole design and a variety of well planned holes.  The course provides lots of interesting shot opportunities and puts hazards right where they should be: in the way of your easiest, best shot.  There is only one course in this game, but it will take many rounds to truly master.

Green Design: Tough.  Due to the design of the break and how it is implemented, putting is easily one of the hardest parts of this game.  This is amplified any time there is a slope or hill on the putting surface.  Hills or slopes require a LOT of extra power in your putt and can also veer a ball off course very easily.  There is no sigh of relief for making the green in this game as you may find half of your strokes are putts.

Shot Set-Up Interface:  Complex. AGGS provides the most comprehensive golfing experience you are going to find in a golf game of this era.  You'll not find the traditional shot of the golfer lining up the shot.  You will get a top down view of the course, but you'll line your shot up entirely using a menu below the view.  You have crosshairs that allow you to pinpoint the exact distance and direction of your shot.  You can over-extend your shot a bit, but too much and you will flub.  Once you are happy with how the shot lines up, you will select your club, your stance, shot type, tee position, and grip.  Yeah, you heard that right.  You can customize every last bit of that.  Plus, your stance actually has two options including ball position.  It's sick.  Off the tee the tee position will be replaced by your lie and the grip will be replaced if you are on a slope to indicate the severity so you can adjust your stance.  Similar options appear on the green.
Now, here's the best part, you don't have to go that in depth if you don't want to.  The auto-caddy (more later) will give you a default setting that is useable.  The shot set-up is as deep or shallow as you want it to be.  That greatly helps out the learning curve as well (more later).
This diverse shot set-up is unique in NES golf games and may take some time to get used to, but once you are adjusted it is a very precise way to play video game golf.

Look at all of these options!!

Swing Interface: Unusual.  Since the power is set by the set-up interface, your "swing" will consist of setting the spin of the ball.  Press A to start your "swing."  A small dot will gyrate across the image of a large golf ball.  Where you stop the dot will determine the spin of the ball.  Stop on either side and you will hook or slice.  Stop high or low to add forward or backspin.  It will take some concentration to hit the ball square in the middle.  This set-up does make it easy to add spin, fade, or draw.

The more accurately your club fits the situation, the slower the dot will jump, hence the better your control

Putting Interface: Also unusual.  The putting interface is the same as the swing.  Adding spin to the ball will cause it to roll in the given direction.  This can help adjust for brutal breaks or slopes.

Auto-Caddy: Decent.  As stated above, the auto-caddy in this game will give you a pretty good shot.  You can also customize it and make it better, but the shot the caddy sets up will get you where you want to go for the most part.  It is a good way to learn the game, and then branch out when you get bold.

Spin Control:  Awesome.  Because of the depth of the swing interface, you can set the spin to be as much or as little as you like and the game is pretty responsive to that input.  The amount of influence your spin will exert will depend on the landing surface.

Wind Influence: Strong. The wind varies realistically from light winds around 1-4 mph to strong winds, 10+.  You will need to adjust your shot accordingly and take particular note when the wind is in your face.

It may look easy, but no putt is certain.

Break Influence:  Vicious.  The break in this game is indicated by an arrow and a degree.  Thus you may get a break at roughly seven o'clock with a severity of 6 degrees.  That is going to be a pretty strong break and you will definitely need to make an adjustment to survive it.  Slope also plays a huge factor and will require adjustment depending on the severity.  As I said above, putting is probably the hardest part of the game.  If you fail to account for the break, you will three putt at the very least.

Chip-In Possible?  Absolutely.  While it isn't easy to do, it is definitely do-able.  Oddly enough I hit 4 chip-ins playing the game for screen shots for this review.  See that Eagle pic?  That was a chip.

Hole-in-One Possible? Yes.  Like the chip, the ace is definitely possible and with the right customized swing, you can knock in the occasional ace from time to time.  It is a great feeling.

Learning Curve: 5.  The depth in this game would suggest a greater curve, but the optional nature of the depth washes some of the curve out.  It will take a few rounds to get used to the unique controls, but once entrenched the game opens up to you.

Whistles and Bells: AGGS has great graphics with lots of color and detail.  The soundtrack to this game is bizarre and sounds more like it belongs in an RPG.  It sounds goofy, but sometimes this adds some real tension.
In addition to the spectacle, AGGS also allows you to pick your club set and your style of play.  It also features a password feature.  Thanks to this feature you can cheat and put together the perfect round by reloading each hole over and over until you get the score you want.  Not terribly sporting, but interesting.  Somehow I think the feature was designed more for people who need to stop playing and resume at a later time.  I am sure that doesn't stop cheaters, though.

You are not helping combat any Engrish stereotypes, people!

Overall Score: 8. Save for the frustration that comes with putting in this game, Atlus Golf Grand Slam is a pretty damn good golf game.  There is only one course, but it takes a lot of rounds to master and I cannot stress enough how much challenge the putting adds to this game.  That said, the game is a lot of fun and gets a lot of play around here when I am going through NES golf games.  It was a favorite when I was a kid, and it gets pretty high marks today as well.  The (optional) depth of the game play goes a long way to making this game exceptional.

Tips from the Club Pro:

• Putting off of the green is sometimes automatic when chipping.  Just be careful and remember: it isn't an all-purpose trick.
• Choose the Up swing when the wind is at your back for some extra distance.  Use the Down Below shot when the wind is in your face.
• Watch for trees when lining up your shot.  You may not think the trees along the border will come into play, but they can.
• Speaking of trees, they are brutal when they are in your path.  This is only important on a couple of holes, but on those holes, it is important.
• When putting up a slope, you will need extra power and lots of it.  The slope can also act as break.  Trial and error are your best teachers.
• The club distances are spot on.  You can extend the shot by 8-10 yards without flubbing, but be careful, particularly out of the rough.  It is better to over club, than to extend your club past its ability.
• You will have to set distance with the crosshairs on the putt as well, so don't come up short while thinking about the break.
• Elevation on the course doesn't make a lot of difference, but the slope indicators will give you an idea of how your ball might roll once it lands.

Club Pro's Best Rounds:
(as much as I played this game as a kid and adult, you would think I would have better scores...)

4.24.10               73 +1
3.15.12               75 +3
4.25.10               77 +5     Ace Hole #12
4.24.10               78 +6
4.21.10               79 +7


But wait, there's more!  Come back next week and we'll wrap up the tour with a look back and a ranking of all of the golf games on the Tour!

NES Golf Tour: Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf

Wow.  What a title!

For those of who you are not familiar, Jack Nicklaus, respectfully and affectionately known as the "Golden Bear," is arguably the greatest golfer in the history of the sport (sorry Tiger).  Nicklaus has won more major tour events than any other golfer in history and has dominated the Master's Tournament six times, back to back in '65 and '66.  Nicklaus was the golfer in the 1970's and if anyone was going to take you on a tour of the greatest golf courses in PGA play.

The game that bears his name, Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf (JNG), was the game that taught me all I know about golf, both video game and real world.  My uncle had long been a devotee of PC golf, but we were too poor to own a PC at the time.  We did have an NES, and I had played, briefly, Golf, but couldn't really get into it.  Golf was nothing like the PC games my uncle played.  Then came JNG.  It looked a lot like the PC games my uncle played and had way more detail than Golf.  So I played it, and I played it, and I played it.  I have shot 59 on it several times.  I got so good at one point that I could hit the flagstick on every approach shot.  Every one.  I love this game.  I love it.

That doesn't mean it is going to get a perfect score on this tour.  This isn't a tour about games I loved as a kid or have sentimental attachment to.  This tour is about providing a critical analysis of the golf games available for the NES.  So let's put JNG to the test:

Course Design:  Interesting.  The course is built from some of the best holes on some of the most famous golf courses on the Pro Tour, so the hole designs are pretty much a lock.  But can you take 18 holes from various courses and construct one awesome golf course?  It seems that you can, at least for the most part.  I don't know if Nicklaus himself actually picked these holes or not, but the selection was rather smartly done.  While not every hole presents a huge challenge, despite what Jack's intro says, the course as a whole is well put together and is fun to play.

Green Design: Various.  Greens are mostly flat and straight, but occasionally there will be a severe break that will disrupt your putt.  Hole location varies and can provide extra challenge.  Green size varies by hole and a couple of greens are really small.  The greens themselves, however will not provide too much real challenge.

Shot Set-Up Interface:  Basic.  You only get one view to set up your shot: third person.  You will get a overhead view on the loading screen that details the statistics for the hole, but will not be able to use that to plan your shot.  The third person view you get is alright, but often you cannot see the hole or hazards in line with your shot.  In many ways you are shooting blind, particularly since elevation is not a consideration in this game, however that also lends a bit of realism to the game.  The biggest problem occurs when trees obscure your view, but once you've played the course a few times it gets easier.
One interesting adjustment is how you line up your shot.  Instead of an arrow or dotted line, you line your shot up with the ball and a dot that runs along the border of the window.  This doesn't make lining up a shot any more difficult, but it is an interesting deviation from the norm.
You will get distances to the pin from the tee and from the course.  Distances on the course are irrelevant since you cannot see exactly where you are hitting the ball.

I added the % and numbers!

Swing Interface: Standard.  The swing meter runs vertically along the left hand side of the screen.  One interesting feature is the addition of the power section at the top of the meter.  If you swing into the power section your club can reach upwards of 40 yards beyond its standard power rating.  However, if you miss the accuracy target, your fade or draw will be more severe.  Other than that, the meter is pretty standard.  Hooks and slices are manageable and the swing speed is slow enough to make an accurate shot pretty easy to come by.  The swing meter is marked off in 10 yard increments to make hitting exact distances much easier.  This swing meter is a great way to learn precision golf.

Putting Interface:  Exactly the same as the swing interface.  However, there is one point I would like to mention with regards to putting.  Just as you line up your shot in the rest of the game, you will also have to line up your putt with the small dot at the top of the screen.  This is very, very hard to do unless you go get a ruler.  Eyeballing this shot is just as hard as it might be in real golf. This can make putting extremely difficult.  Most of the time the game will line you up just fine and you will have a straight putt, but every now and then the game gets mean.  Be careful, and keep a ruler handy...

As you can see from my line, you had better have a good eye or a good ruler handy.

Auto-Caddy:  Pretty good.  You'll probably want to club up or down depending on how much you plan to use the power section.

Spin Control:  Oddly there isn't any.

Wind Influence:  If the bar is more than half red, then you had better correct for wind, a lot.  Otherwise, minor adjustments will keep you in the fairway.

Break Influence:  Same as Wind.  Best to use fade or draw to combat the break since lining up the shot can be a bear of its own.

Chip-in Possible?  Yes, but very rare.

Hole-in-One Possible?  Oddly enough I have never managed to negotiate one, but I suspect that if the chip-in is possible, so is the ace.

Learning Curve: 2.  Getting used to the putting and the single perspective take a second, but seasoned golf gamers will overcome that in no time.  The swing speed is slow and forgiving and the hazards are avoidable and easily played out of.  A great game for first time golfers, as it was for me!

Whistles and Bells:  Few.  The game tries hard to recreate that PC experience by loading the play field lines at a time.  That doesn't work, particularly when the resultant graphics are blobs and blocks of color.  The NES doesn't need that kind of thing, it works fine on its own engine.
The best special feature is just the lead-ins by Jack and the chance to play a round of renowned golf holes from courses around the PGA.
The music is decent and there is a sound grab when you star the game that says, pretty clearly, "nice shot!"
The game does track some stats and keeps you updated between holes.  That sort of thing is fun, but not exactly mind-blowing.

Overall Score: 6.
The game is good, and I dearly love it for nostalgia's sake, but there are far better golf games for the system.  The idea behind the design and the ease of play are the game's strong suits, but the rest of the game is less than what the NES is capable of being used for.

Tips from the Club Pro:

Yes, I am, thank you.

• Trees are the death of your game.  Avoid at all costs.  There are only a few holes where trees come into play, but learn them and then learn how to not hit the ball near them.  It is virtually impossible to hit over or around them successfully.
• Use the power meter!  You can drive upwards of 320 yds with good wind.  It will add nearly 50 yds to your club, so you can get a lot of distance and still lob the ball.
• There are only a few real hazards that come into play on the course, learn them and play around them.
• Hook and Slice are not as important in this game, unless you are recovering from a bad shot.
• Take the time to line up your putt correctly.  Doing so will make the putting game so much easier.
• Use the fade or draw to make minor adjustments in your putt or to overcome a mild break.
• When using the putter or the PW consider the meter to be marked off in 10 yard increments.  This will help you get the right distance on your power.
• Over hit your putt by about 5 yards as you will sometimes come up short even if you have the right power.

Club Pro's Best Rounds:
2.14.06         59 -13*
4.06.04         60 -12
2.15.06         62 -10
2.16.08         64 -8
2.13.06         65 -7

*After I shot 59, I switched to the PRO settings.


Alright, we've one last stop to make on the NES Golf Tour, so come back next week and we'll see what the good people at Atlus have to offer!

NES Golf Tour: NES Open

Nintendo's second foray into the world of video game golf is the bigger and badder NES Open.  Not only was this game a true successor to the original Golf, it also laid the foundation for the later, incredible Mario Golf 64.  NES Open might be the ultimate golf game for the NES.  It can be truly said that this game has pretty much everything you could ask or expect from a golf game on this system.  The graphics are crisp, the game play is smooth and smart, and the extra features are plentiful.

Course Design:  Great!  NES Open features three different courses: US, Japan, and UK.  Each course is smartly designed, although not terribly distinct or indicative of their geographical designations.  Hole designs vary from complex to straightforward, but every hole provides challenge.  There are a few "video game" style holes, but they are not the norm and are not entirely unwelcome, either.  Par 3's are plenty tricky and Par 5's provide opportunity for skilled players to make up a few strokes here and there.  All three courses are fun to play and are well designed.

Green Design:  Sometimes the greens in this game are so busy that it is difficult to plan a good putt.  This isn't always the case and in general the green design is pretty solid, but from time to time you will get a green that can't tell if it is coming or going and chances are it is doing both and several other things as well.  Greens do vary in size and shape, however, and while hold placement doesn't change much the designs alone will provide sufficient challenge.

Shot Set-Up Interface: Almost the most complete control you will have over your shot in a golf video game on the NES (only Atlus Golf Grand Slam offers more in depth control).  NES Open's shot set-up allows you set the direction of your shot, the speed of your swing, your club, the point of impact on the ball (to determine spin), and then the height of your shot.  During the swing you can also determine the fade or draw.  The shot set-up gives you almost complete control over the path of your ball.  Once off the tee you are given distance to pin measurements and lie conditions.  The only thing you are not given is distance in the field from your lie.  As with nearly every other game on the tour this means you will have to guess if you can clear that pot bunker or water hazard until you have taken several swings at it.  This limitation is quickly overcome after a few rounds and is made up for in part by the otherwise complete control you have over your shot.

Swing Interface:  The difficulty with the swing meter in NES Open is entirely a factor of the speed of your swing.  Set to SLOW, the swing meter is soft and smooth as butter.  Set to FAST and you are looking at a button masher.  While this will take some getting used to, it is also a really cool feature of the game and adds a level and depth of challenge that makes the game all the sweeter.  Accuracy and length will vary depending upon the speed and club selection, but accurate shots are not hard to come by once you get the hang of the meter.  There is even a super shot that gives you extra distance if you hit a FAST swing at max power and directly on the accuracy target.  But believe me when I speak from experience, saying that there will be a big adjustment to this swing meter if you are coming from another golf game, especially, say the turtle-slow meter on Bandai Golf Pebble Beach.  Hooking and slicing are pretty easy to accomplish, but they are absolutely wicked and require some measure of control to use effectively.

Putting Interface: Similar to the swing interface, speed will determine the success of your putt and most of the time, with good green placement, you'll be using the SLOW setting.  Due to the speed variance, few putting situations will require you to use the full meter, but you might find use for it putting off of the green.  You'll need to get a good handle on the putting as the breaks in this game are vicious.  The FAST putter can be your friend, but it is also a powerful weapon that when used improperly or without discipline, will add strokes to your score.

Auto-Caddy: Pretty decent, although the recommended club is often a club or two less than what you might need to combat conditions like lie and wind.  You can toggle this feature off in the OPTIONS menu.

Spin Control: Inconsistent.  Top spin will almost always give your ball extra distance, but the amount of distance you'll gain is not significant.  Backspin is terribly inconsistent.  The influence of the backspin is dependent upon the club you are using, but the actual effect is hit or miss.  Land a backspin shot in the rough or fairway and it will stick like a magnet, regardless of the club.  On the green, backspin will either put your ball into full reverse, stop your ball like it hit mud, or have no effect at all.  What determines this is difficult to tell, as I have had all three effects result from the use of a PW.  I don't think you should shun the spin control, but don't count on it either.

Wind Influence:  Anything over 5 MPH is going to be a bear, so plan accordingly.  Anything less and you can make a mild adjustment here and there and be fine.

Break Influence: Evil.  Not kidding.  You will not find a less forgiving break in a golf game for the NES.  Breaks may vary from minimal to "pick up your ball and throw it back into the rough," but no matter what kind of break you find, you will need to account for it during your putt. You can power through most breaks, especially close to the hole, but power isn't going to solve all of the woes the breaks in NES Open will create.

Chip-In Possible?  Yes. And for the skilled golfer it is a viable strategy.

Hole-in-One Possible?  Yes and I have one!  Tricky to do, as with all aces, but certainly out there to get.

Learning Curve: 3  Once you get the hang of the speed differences in your swing and the impact that has on the swing meter, the rest of this game is just golf.  You'll have to learn distances and how to overcome the vicious breaks on the greens, but again, most of that is overcome after a few rounds.  After that you are treated to an incredible golf experience.

Whistles and Bells:  Where do I start?  From cut-scenes at the hole and in the bunker to the ability to select the clubs in your golf bag to the save feature that tracks your progress and improves your skill rank. NES Open is a cornucopia of special features that elevate your game experience from great to amazing.  Regular stroke play gives you ample opportunity to practice and improve your game.  As your scores improve, and your skills improve, the game will keep track of your stats (under OPTIONS) and also improve your standing (Amateur, Semi-Pro, etc.).  Your standing comes into play when you enter Tournament Mode.  You can play either 18 or 36 hole tournaments and compete against (invisible) AI golfers.  You will play a regular round and AI golfer results will be simulated.  Depending on how low your score is, you will be ranked against the simulated results and be awarded prize money accordingly.  At the end of each tournament, Donkey Kong will deposit your prize money and keep tabs on how much you have earned.  There are extra opportunities to earn money during the tournament with the Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin competitions.
If that isn't enough, the game also records your best birdie, eagle, albatross, and ace shots so that you can replay them later and relive the glory.
NES Open provides the biggest and most complete golf experience on the NES and these whistles and bells make that experience all the more enjoyable!

Overall Score: 9  I don't give perfect scores very often and while NES Open doesn't earn a coveted 10, it is a close as we are going to get on this tour.  With only a few minor quibbles here and there, I don't think you can find a better, or more fun, golf game for the NES.


Tips from the Club Pro:

• Swing speed is essential when setting up your shot.  Learn the strengths and weaknesses of each speed and use them to your advantage.  Fast shots are great on the tee and out of the trap or rough, but your accuracy will vary unless you are really good. Medium shots are good all purpose shots, good from the fairway or rough.  Slow shots are good for the short game or when you absolutely must navigate tricky hazards.
• Pay attention to hazards and trees when judging shots.  These courses are designed for challenge.  If you wonder how far out that tree is from the tee, chances are good it is nearly the distance of your best possible drive. 
• Clubs will not yield their full distance except under perfect conditions, so be ready to club up one or two, three or four in the rough.
• Woods out of the rough are inconsistent, as in the real game.
• Putting is perhaps the most difficult part of this game.  Overcoming vicious breaks and judging speed and distance will require lots of practice.  Don't expect many one-putts your first few rounds, but stick with it.
• Not good at putting? Shore up that short game.  Long putts are never desirable.
•  The wind WILL affect your short shots and chips.  Adjust accordingly and keep those shots LOW when possible.

I have no idea why Peach is so cracked out in this game.

Club Pro's Best Rounds:

US Course
4.11.12             74 +2
4.12.12             76 +4

Japan Course
4.9.12               71 -1
4.11.12             73 +1

UK Course
4.12.12             71 -1   Hole-in-One Hole #12
4.12.12             74 +2

Next on the tour, we'll join the Golden Bear as he take us on a tour of the greatest 18 holes of major championships golf (also the golf game with the longest name, ever.)

NES Golf Tour: Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach

NOTHING says late 80's golf like this label

World class golfers aren't the only ones to get their own video games; world class golf courses have that honor as well.  One of the strongest features of PC golfing was the recreation of most of the world's most famous golf courses.  From Augusta to Torrey Pines, chances are good if stuffy old white dudes had heard of it, you could find it in PC golf.  Few golf games for the NES however, were ambitious enough to attempt this same feat.  It may have been simpler to just create new golf courses for console gamers to play, or it may not have even been a strong consideration to include real world courses in video game golf at that level.  But the good people at Bandai took the chance and attempted to lovingly recreate one of the most beautiful and challenging golf courses in major championship golf: Pebble Beach (as it was circa 1988).

You don't have to know a 3 Iron from a loft wedge to recognize the splendor and majesty of the course at Pebble Beach. (take the full tour here and maybe I can get a kickback or a free round sometime...ha!)  Featuring an unmatched view of the Pacific Ocean and the lush vegetation of the Monterey Pennisula, Pebble Beach is the ideal setting for a great round of golf.  The course itself is diverse and provides ample challenges for golfers of any skill level.  If you ever have the chance I strongly encourage you to go.

But I am not here to write a travel blog about the wonders of Central California, I am here to talk about video game golf!  As I mentioned above, Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach is what I describe above reduced to 8 bits and crammed into a plastic cartridge, with all of that reduction implies. Look the limited palette of the NES is not going to capture the grandeur of the west coast. The flat green, orange, and blue are going to lack the nuance of the real thing, but if you are a graphics whore who is going to bitch about the visuals, then you might reconsider your choice of the NES.  No, what BGCPB does capture, and capture extremely well, is the experience of playing golf on this legendary course.

While some of the holes have changed over the past 25 years, if you do a side-by-side comparison with the virtual tour above you will see that the heart of the course is still there and some of the holes are pretty much the same today as they were in the NES era (the 18th hole is pretty much verbatim).  This may not seem like much, but if you are going to put the name of the course on your game, you had better be ready to deliver.

The Classic 18th Hole, as it is today and the NES version by comparison.  Not too shabby!

Course Design:  Excellent. It's freaking Pebble Beach.  As I have already said, this is a legendary course and the people at Bandai have done an exceptional job of recreating on the NES.  The holes are challenging, diverse, and smartly designed.  From long drives onto narrow fairways to tight par 3's surrounded by sand, this course has earned its credibility and the NES version upholds that credibility.

Green Design: Decent.  While the hole placement is constant, the greens are designed with challenge in mind.  Breaks vary and are realistic.  Honestly, the breaks in this game are some of the most realistic in both design and function of any gold game on the NES, but more on that later.  Greens conditions are as lovingly translated as the rest of the course.

Shot Set-Up Interface:  Interesting.  You get two views, but one is a cross-section and the other is a top down.  You will do most of your shot set-up from the overhead, but the cross-section will give you an idea of elevation, a rare feature in NES golf games.  While the elevation doesn't play a huge factor, it is an interesting feature and adds an extra layer of depth.  Setting up your shot is pretty simple.  Regular shots have the same limitation on direction as in Golf.  You are restricted to fixed range of direction and must use hooks and slices to adjust your direction. For some reason this limitation is less annoying here, but it still requires some skill to set up a shot that needs to reach a specific target.  The overhead view provides a clear look at the course.   Furthermore, when you approach the green, you'll get a zoomed in look at the green area to help making chipping a little easier.  All in all, setting up a good shot in this game is pretty simple and aided by the interface.

PAY ATTENTION!

The most important thing to learn about the shot set-up interface is that you will be given the distance to the hole from your current position at the end of the previous stroke.  Pay attention to this as it will be the only time this information is given.  If you get button happy, you will miss your distance to pin and have to guess at it.  I cannot fault the game here, since it gives you the info; if you aren't paying attention then the gaff is on you.

Miss your shot?  No problem!

Swing Interface: Easy.  The choice to overlap the swing meter with the overhead view of the course is an interesting one, but once you get used to it, it isn't quite as distracting as it initially appears.  Getting over the initial confusion is aided by the gentleness of the swing meter.  The backswing speed is very slow, allowing the power to be set easily.  The downswing is faster, but not so much that it makes an accurate shot difficult.  The best feature of the swing interface, however, is also one of the most unique features of the game: swing forgiveness.   If you do not set the power or miss the end of the meter, the swing will cancel out and you can try again with NO PENALTY.  That's right, this way if there is something off about your shot, you can cancel out just by not setting the power during the backswing.  I know.  One of the advantages of this feature is that you can reset your shot until you get the maximum power.  It's kind of a cheat, but it's there in the game.  The swing meter also allows you to set your hook or slice before you take the shot by moving the accuracy arrow either to the left or the right.  This will determine the amount of draw or fade when you hit the arrow on your downswing.  This also works on the putt.

Moving the arrow can adjust the influence of your shot

Chipping is trickier as it is tough to judge power on your approach.  As a general rule, the purple area represents the distance you need to reach the pin, but this can vary and you will need to adjust your power accordingly.

Putting Interface: Speaking of which, the putting interface is exactly like the swing interface, but the power works more like chipping.  Generally, the edge of the purple zone is the power needed to reach the hole unless you are a great distance off, then you will need to adjust your power accordingly.  This will take some getting used to, but otherwise the putting is pretty simple.  And yes, you can putt off the green, just be aware, the break will influence the direction of the putt even if you cannot see it on the chip view detail.

Auto-Caddy: None.  And furthermore, do not always trust the target crosshairs, they will not always point toward the pin.

Spin Control: None.

Wind Influence: Brutal, particularly when it is in your face.  You will always want to check the wind conditions before teeing off.

Break Influence: Important.  As mentioned above the break in this game is tough, but fair, and pretty realistic.  Pay attention to the density and direction of the break as you set up your putt or you will easily see it go awry.

Chip-In Possible?:  Absolutely and almost to the point of being too easy.  Sometimes it feels like there is a gravity well in the hole when you are chipping in.  This makes for some spectacular shots and a lot of fun, but it can seem a little trite.

Hole-in-One Possible?: While I have not yet managed one, I have to believe that it is possible. This game plays pretty fast and loose and with chip-ins so manageable, I have to imagine that an ace is out there to be had.

Learning Curve: 2.  BGCPB earns this rating because of the amount of forgiveness built in.  I am referring to the swing meter, of course, but also some of the leniency with penalties like bunkers and rough (balls may look clear in the rough, but be counted as fairway as long as there is an edge nearby), plus the almost complete lack of OB.  It takes a round or two to fully grasp the controls, but after that your challenge will be the course, not learning to control your swing.  This would be an excellent game for someone learning the ins and outs of the sport or learning to play video game golf.  The few idiosyncrasies the game has are pretty quickly overcome.

Whistles and Bells:  NOT the music.  The title screen has a jaunty tune that makes you think that this game will feature some nice background music to play by.  Nope.  As soon as you leave this screen you will be inundated by the most repetitive jingle since the music for Skateboardin'.  And it plays non-stop until you sink the putt.  That is your only break from the monotony.  I highly recommend putting on your favorite record and playing along to it instead.  You will not miss the scant few sound affects for hitting the ball and landing in the bunker.
Apart from the horrid music, the game doesn't feature too much in the way of special features.  The graphics are nice and are kind of a blend of extremely well detailed textured displays and that kind of early NES crudely rendered images.  Where the game is detailed it looks amazing, the green breaks and woods for example, but everywhere else it is flat color on color.  The color palette is also a bit limited, but the blue of the water hazards help provide some contrast.

Overall Score: 8.  I really enjoy playing this game.  I realize it is limited to one course, but man, what a course!  The loving translation makes this a real joy for a golf fan.  The learning curve is minimal and the fast and loose action makes for a quick, fun round of golf.  The amount of forgiveness and leniency do make it a bit easy, but as you will see from my scores, getting under par is no guarantee!  I play Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach a lot.  There are a few minor quibbles that keep it from being perfect, but it is one of my favorite NES golf games.



Tips from the Club Pro:

• Club distances in this game are a little different than standard.  Expect to get -10 to -20 yards less than you might normally expect from your clubs. The instruction manual gives you the distances for each club. I overclub by at least 1.
• You will get a good initial bounce on the fairway and green, but after that bounce, the grass will grab the ball and hold on tight.
• Chipping will take more practice than most other aspects of the game.  For some reason the swing meter acts a little differently.  I use the edge of the purple area as my "max power to reach hole" indicator and then adjust from there.  It is very easy to over or under hit.
• Playing out of the sand is much like in real life: unpredictable.  I rarely use less than half power to get clear.
• Watch your accuracy off the tee.  Try to hook or slice too much, or miss the arrow by too much and the results will be disastrous.
• Club selection is limited by situation.  You will not have your 1W except on the tee and no Woods in the rough.  While this does limit you a bit, it also keeps you from making very bad decisions.  Likewise, you can use a 7I out of the trap fairly reliably.

Can you ignore the Penis Bunker long enough to reach the green?

Club Pro's Top Rounds:
4.16.10             72 EVEN
4.11.10             73 +1
4.13.10             74 +2
4.13.12             75 +3
4.14.10             76 +4


Sadly, we must leave the majesty of the Monterey Pennisula for our next stop returns us to the first party fun of Nintendo golf as we participate in the NES OPEN!  Good times!

NES Golf Tour: Golf

Golf.  There is it. One simple four letter word.  No fancy sponsorships or name branding, no self-aggrandizing superlatives, no magnanimous claims, just the one-word name of the sport: Golf.  Back in 1985 Nintendo realized that simpler was better.  They also realized they were launching a new video game system into the crash era of video games and even then they understood the importance and relevance of video game golf to the point that they included it in their first wave of games for their soon to be legendary system.  Golf, Football, Baseball, and Tennis are the four sports to earn a place in Nintendo's "Sports Series."  The next golf game for the NES would not appear for three more years.  So from 1985 until 1988, Golf was King of the Links.

Not YOU guys!  You won't show up until 1987 and 1988 respectively!

Simpler may have been better for 1985, but how does the original golf game for the NES stack up compared to the powerhouses that would come later?  Not to badly, honestly.  Let's take a look:





Course Design:  Great.  For a game as early as this one to feature a better course design than either of the previous two games we have looked at, especially Greg Norman's Golf Power which came out in the 90's, is a testimony to Golf right out of the gate.  The holes vary nicely, providing plenty of challenge.  Some holes seem impossible and others seem impossibly easy until you play them a few times.  While no single hole on the course is a game breaker, there are more than a couple that can wreck your score.  Hazards are evenly distributed and are used in sensible ways.  The only real weakness in the course design is that there is only one course and therefore you are prone to learning its ins and outs after a handful of rounds and the challenge can diminish quickly once you get good.

Is it just me, or does this hole look like a turtle's head?

Green Design:  Again, solid.  Greens vary in size and shape.  While none of the layouts get too elaborate or tricky, putting is never a sure thing.  Break distribution varies from hole to hole.  Break design is simple, the entire green breaks in one direction, with the strength of the break varying from light break to "take your ball back to the fairway."  Hole placement varies, but remains relatively close to the center of the green.  Overall, the green design is very standard and you'll occasionally encounter a set-up that has you two or three-putting your way to the cup.

How far is it to that next island?

Shot Set-Up Interface: Good, not great, but good.  You have two windows, third person and overhead, and they match up pretty well with the overhead being the more reliable and what the game appears to pay attention to.  You are give the distance to the hole from the tee, but no other distances for the rest of the hole.  This is one of the game's biggest shortcomings.  Distances are not terribly difficult to judge once you familiarize yourself with the course and the clubs, but getting started this contributes heavily to the learning curve.  Apart from that, the displays available give you an honest look at your shot and help you prepare for your swing.  The game's other big shortcoming lies in the direction arrow helps you direct your shot.  The arrow is rigid and only allows you to point your shot in general directions.  There is no finesse in choosing the direction of your shot.  This means that hook and slice are going to be more important to your game than they would be otherwise.  This can make some shots, particularly where water and OB come into play, very tricky to line up.  This can be overcome with experienced game play, but again it makes for an unnecessary challenge.

Swing Interface: Standard with a bit of leniency.  The swing interface follows the standard formula with a few features that make it a bit simpler than some golf games.  Your swing speed is moderate at best and slow compared to other games on this tour.  The target for an accurate shot is tiny, but the margin of error is wide and your shot will not hook or slice wildly if you are not dead on.  Likewise, the hook and slice area target area is pretty much as wide as the swing meter, within reason.  The farther you stop the meter on either side of the accuracy target will determine the amount of hook or slice.  As long as you are relatively near the accuracy target you will not flub the shot.  There is a limit, but it is generous.  Just don't abuse this privilege as the hooks and slices in this game can get nasty.

It's ok, just give it a whack!

Putting Interface: Again, standard.  Putting is pretty intuitive in this game and you'll want to learn your way around the putting meter to get a good sense of the power you possess, but after a few putts you'll almost do it by instinct.  Putting off the green is allowed and encouraged as it is often better than trying to chip from short distances.  Your power is equal to a iron, but your ball does not leave the ground.

Auto-Caddy:  None.  The game tells you the strength of the club.  It is up to you to determine the distance and choose the best stick for the job.

Spin Control: None.  Maybe because it is such an early game, but you get no spin control here.  Would have been nice.

Wind Influence:  Moderate.  Pay attention to the wind information as it can wreck an otherwise perfect shot.  Because of the troubles with the Set-Up Interface, you may need to add a hook or slice to account for the wind.

Break Influence:  Important.  If you fail to account for the break, particularly when it is strong (tight grass arrows) then you will be adding a few strokes to your score.  The break is fair, but can be vicious.  You may need to double or triple your power when putting uphill against a strong break.

Chip-In Possible?  Yes, and with the right skill and strategy you can do it somewhat often.

Hole in One Possible?  YES!  And I have done it!  See below!

Learning Curve: 2.  Everything about this game is pretty standard and the controls are generous.  Once you learn the gauge distances and hook and slice, you are pretty much set.

Whistles and Bells: Almost none.  Unless you count playing with what I assume is Mario, then there isn't too much extra in this game.  I hate using its age as a defense, but I'm not sure what more to expect from a game as early as this one.  The graphics,  however, are really nice and colorful.  You can do without the game's only sound effect, "beep-beep-beep," so just put on some music you like and provide your own whistles and bells.

Overall Score: 7.  Seem high?  Honestly, my only real knocks against this game are also what I consider to be its greatest strengths: simplicity.  There is only one course and once you learn it the challenge is lessened, there are quibbles with the set-up interface, and there aren't many extra features, but all of these can be overcome relatively easily and do not take away from the fact that Golf presents the game of golf in a straightforward and pure manner.  There is plenty of fun to be had here for both new golfers and people like me who are about to join the Seniors Tour.

Tips from the Club Pro:

•  If the ball lands on a tree graphic it is OB.  Always shoot clear of the trees.  You can shoot over, but do not land near as you run the risk of OB.
• Always use half your power or more getting out of the sand.  Less and you will almost always flub.  And yes, oddly, you can use a Wood in the bunker.  Results vary.
• Hole 6, use a 3W to reach the island safely off the tee.
• Hole 8, use a 3W to reach the clearing in the trees.
• Hole 11, use a 1Iron to get on safely.
• Hole 13, use a 3W or 1 Iron to reach the island safely depending on the wind, hook or slice accordingly.
• Hole 15, use a 4 or 5 Iron to reach the small island.  You can reach the big island above it with a 1W, but you may want some wind help for assurance.
• Be careful using the PW to chip, it has more power than you think it does.

These are four of the hardest holes to judge the distance on.  My advice on these holes is tried and true.

Club Pro's Best Rounds:

3.29.12         -3
3.29.12         EVEN
3.28.12         +1
6.30.03         +2
3.29.12         +4
6.28.03         Hole-in-One on Hole #3

Join us next time as we make for one of the most beautiful golf course in the United States in Bandai Golf Challenge: Pebble Beach.