Jamdat Sports Golf 2004 (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Steve Palley
• Reviewed on: 06/01/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Jamdat Sports Golf 2004 (Mobile) Review

When it comes to developing meter-based sports titles, Jamdat doesn't have much left to prove. The company has already broken the bank with its bowling franchise, which has boiled this type of interface down to a fine art. However, the jury has been out on whether the mobile development juggernaut can reproduce this success in other types of sports games. Jamdat Sports Golf 2004 isn't without a few hiccups, but its graphically lush front end and sturdy gameplay uphold the tradition in a convincing fashion.

The first thing that stands out about Golf 2004 is its level of graphical polish. The developers put a lot of effort into the menu system, which looks like it has been picked over with a fine-tooth comb from the fonts to the background. This standard sets high expectations for the integral gameplay's visual feel, which are satisfied by the detailed course renderings. In all, Golf 2004 is the nicest-looking downloadable golf title we've seen: The fairways are lush and freshly striped from the player's overhead vantage point, the foliage isn't pixelated, and shadowing effects make it easy to identify a particular hole's contours. In addition, the overhead camera scrolls smoothly from one part of the hole to another, greatly facilitating shot-planning. There's very little variation in terrain types between courses, however, as most of the courses seem to share the exact same color palette.

As far as control goes, setting things up on the overhead map is a breeze; you can switch clubs by pressing up and down (displaying an updated range estimation each time), aim your shot from side to side, and add spin to the ball using the 7 and 9 keys. The sound is unremarkable, as it is mostly confined to the thwacking of club against ball and crowd noise, but it is high quality and appropriately placed.

Golf 2004 is also remarkable for the amount of useful information it packs into its interface. For instance, the game will display your shot's estimated trajectory in a red parabolic arc as well as a shadow on the ground; this is a tremendously cool feature, as it helps to calculate whether you can blast your ball over obstacles. A wind sock appears in the upper-left corner to give you an idea of direction and power, but it's sometimes difficult to tell in which direction the flag is blowing, especially when you have a direct head or tail wind. A simple arrow might have been a better choice. The ball-lie indicator, on the other hand, directly indicates the kind of terrain you've gotten yourself into, and it is quite useful in judging which club to use. In addition, if you've chosen a difficult club for the situation, it'll show up on the map screen in yellow, orange, or red--increasing the speed of the swing meter accordingly.

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