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GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
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Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/24/2008
- Released on: 08/26/2008
- Originally published on GameSpot: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play (Wii) Review
Ignore the kid-friendly look of the box and the goofy All-Play tagline that mar the Nintendo Wii edition of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. Yes, this looks like the preteen version of the EA Sports golf game, but it packs a real punch when it comes to faithfully re-creating an afternoon on the links. Brilliant controls that almost perfectly mimic real golf swings and a suite of great Wii-only party games make this the best version of Tiger Woods released this year. Developer Tiburon has nailed this one straight down the fairway, putting together a game geared to both serious golfers looking to take some realistic cuts and dabbling duffers up for hacking around with the wife and kids.
What really separates the Wii's take on Tiger Woods 09 from its cousins on the 360 and PlayStation 3 are the motion-sensitive controls. You simply point the Wii Remote toward the floor and hold down the B button to take over the golfer's movements, then pull back and push forward as if you were swinging a real golf club. Remarkably golflike action then ensues. You can hold the remote almost exactly like an actual golf club, using a real hand-over-hand golf grip. It doesn't feel totally authentic due to the lack of weight at the end of the remote, though. While you swing and follow through just as if you were out on a real course, you feel a bit off-balance because you're basically swinging an invisible club. So accuracy can be a problem, as well as trying to control the power of your swing for distance. It's easy to put too much oomph into shots and blow well past the pin, and then overcompensate and wind up leaving the shot dozens of yards too short.
But these issues are really just growing pains. Controls here are so accurate that you'll quickly get accustomed to the weightless club, and you'll soon have no problems judging how much effort is needed to hit specific distances. In a short time, even a seasoned golfer can swing the Wii Remote like a real golf club. If you're having major problems, you can dumb things down by going to the All-Play control option, which provides trails showing the ball's direction and other aids.
Just about every shot in the arsenal of a pro golfer is available here, from draws to fades to punches. Some creativity was needed in this department, largely because so many golf shots rely on things like stance and foot positioning. So to mimic these movements, Tiger Woods 09 exaggerates wrist twists. Pull your hands over while swinging, for instance, and you can fire a nifty draw. As you might expect from this carpal tunnel-challenging description, these sorts of shots are not particularly easy. Rounds of golf here are real workouts for the upper body, especially if you want to play like a pro and up the difficulty setting to use the entire lineup of wrist-breaking shots. Success is awfully sweet when it comes, however. It feels as if you have actually accomplished something on the golf course at the end of a round.
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