Renewed love of Links '04

[caseyd]

I just popped in Links 2004 last night for the fun of it. I had tried the same with TW2005 the other night, but got no enjoyment out of it. It was way too easy still. Last night, I was struggling with Links. I didn't remember putting being such a challenge, but it was for me. I wasn't using any spins or anything. Just hitting the ball. I was having a blast. It was actually a challenge. I continued my career from where I left off and came in 30th in one tournament and won one tournament on the last hole. I was actually shanking some drives too. That never happens in TW. I may just sell TW2005 and hang on to Links until something better comes along.

[Yosemite Dan]

Re: Renewed love of Links '04

I hear ya brother, I played links on the PC for years and when I got TW2004 for Xbox I was shocked how unrealistic and easy it was. This is with default ratings(10%) and every aid turned off except putting grid and gale force winds. The only course that gave me a challenge was Kapalua and only because my Max driving was set at 250 yards. Putting has no feel to it and even gale force winds realy doesn't do much to the ball. TW2004 has great presentation and the tour mode is cool but I would continually shoot between -20 and -30 for a tournament and win and never miss the fairway. Even the PC Links with the 3 click method was more enjoyable.

Then I got Links 2004 last month because it was cheap(I saw that it was rated lower than TW so I figured it was inferior) and it was like "wow". Much more difficult in advanced mode with only default ratings except for power propped up a bit. The best part is you really feel like you're playing a course and the physics are much more realistic and the putting much more interactive and rewarding, chipping is great too. Although it gets easy to keep your drives straight when you get used to it you still get wild and the wind is much more effective. The graphics are better and I have yet to shoot lower than 67 and I'm only at the Champions tour so it should even get harder. (Do yourself a favour and don't build up your player to keep it a challenge).

The career mode is fun and the challenges are creative and can keep you playing all night . If it was a little longer and had a season mode like TW than it would be perfect. I have yet to get a hole in one or drop it in the cup from 100+ yards which is something I did in TW on the first day with everything set as hard as possible. I don't have Xbox live so I could imagine how good Links is there.

Hopefully they make another version this year or at least TW2006 takes some of the swing ideas from them and finally make it difficult. I got tired of breaking 60 on it and couldn't fathom how boring it is when you max out your player and break 50.

[caseyd]

Re: Renewed love of Links '04

What I'm finding that I forgot about, but something that's great about this game is that it's realistic in the fact that you have to hit your approach shot to the right side of the hole. In TW, I never felt like I was penalized for hitting on one side of the hole or the other. In Links, if I hit it on the high side, I may have a tricky downhill putt. Makes it much more realistic. I just won another tournament last night on Champions Tour, but I only won with a -9 and only by one shot again. Competition is good.

And...I got my first double eagle in Links (first hole out from fairway even). It was cool. Shot came in and went over a mound in the green and rolled right in. I still don't ever remember getting a hole-in-one. I came within a couple of inches the other day.

[Yosemite Dan]

Re: Renewed love of Links '04

Some of the pin placements they have too had me 3 or 4 putting a few times. The beauty of the game is you really have to concentrate to shoot well. I started a tournament with a 66 thinking I finally got this game licked and promptly got my *** handed to me in the 2nd round with a 75. I haven't got to the Legends tour yet so if the AI shoots much lower it's gonna be very hard to get in the top 5 never mind win. Breaking 60 seems impossible with the black tees and a good wind. One cool thing is if you don't play it for a couple of weeks you're shanking the ball everywhere until you get used to it again. Even some of the gold challenges like the putting challenge and closest to the pin are near impossible and there's no way I'm gonna get without building up my player which I refuse to do so I'll be spending countless hours trying to do it.

The only thing I hate is the stupid snapping camera clicks when you get a long putt close, makes ity too arcady.

[dmb20]

Re: Renewed love of Links '04

I just popped in Links 2004 last night for the fun of it. I had tried the same with TW2005 the other night, but got no enjoyment out of it. It was way too easy still. Last night, I was struggling with Links. I didn't remember putting being such a challenge, but it was for me. I wasn't using any spins or anything. Just hitting the ball. I was having a blast. It was actually a challenge. I continued my career from where I left off and came in 30th in one tournament and won one tournament on the last hole. I was actually shanking some drives too. That never happens in TW. I may just sell TW2005 and hang on to Links until something better comes along.

The best part of this game is the custom soundtracks. It's nice to sit back play a little Links 04 and listen to your favorite music!!

TW 05 does this but the songs start over after each hole.