Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

[pietasterp]

Sorry if this has been gone over, but I don't see a thread here as yet...I'm an old-school golf game guy from back in the PC Days (my first golf game was "Leaderboard Golf" on the Commie64, where the courses were all water with only a fairway and green...remember that oldie but goodie?), and I have an original XBox. I was hoping the guys on here, who I know are a lot like me in that you like simulation-oriented realistic sports, could tell me if there is a golf game worth purchasing for XBox. I've been waiting for a while for something good to come out, but all I see are Tiger Woods, which I basically can't stand because that series makes Golden Tee Golf look like Sierra's PGA Championship Golf series, and that one game with the gloves and wires and crap (which, while interesting, just looks like to damn much of a hassle for me). Is there anything out there remotely realistic for me on XBox? What do you guys think the best offering on the original 'Box is?

Thanks for the input.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Of the XBox golf games I've had a chance to play, Links 2004 is clearly way ahead of the rest of the pack. It may be eclipsed by ProStroke Golf once it reaches our shores, but I don't think you could go wrong picking up Links 2004, for the ~ $10 it would cost you.

Allow me to qualify what I've said above a bit... I don't pretend to think that ProStroke is going to surpass the presentation or the graphics of Links 2004. That game still astounds me for what it does graphically. I think ProStroke has the potential to deliver a tactile experience beyond anything we've ever seen on a console.

[pk500]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links 2004, hands down. It does many more things right than Tiger and is more challenging, especially putting and the short game. The only weakness in Links is that it's really tough to flub up a tee shot.

If you get Links, make sure you play at the hardest skill level with no assists. That's when the strengths of the game are manifested the most.

And as Onlooker said, the graphics are sublime, especially for a game that's 3 years old.

Take care,
PK

[lnin0]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links is easily the best golf game on the Xbox. What it lacks in courses to Tiger's series it makes up in unmatched depth of play. It is also way ahead of Tiger as far as stable online quick-round foursome play.

[mgoblue]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links 2004...single player is kinda crappy, but for pure golf gameplay and online play it's better than TW infinitely

[Rodster]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links 2004

[pietasterp]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Wow - that's a pretty resounding set of endorsements. I'll be sure to go and pick it up sooner rather than later. I was a little concerned by the mediocre-to-poor reviews it got on a lot of the websites, but I wanted to ask the OS crowd because we all know how bad most of the sports reviews on major gaming sites are (I don't trust them any further than I can throw them, and that ain't that far). Thanks for the input; I trust hardcore sports gamers' opinions, and seeing as how it appears to be the only real viable alternative to Tiger Woods, I'll be picking it up...Probably by the back nine Sunday, because Tiger is clearly gonna win the PGA...I have nothing against the guy, but I find myself rooting against him only because he makes golf so uninteresting to me. But that's another thread...

Links it is. Thanks, all!

[pietasterp]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Okay, so having bought Links 2004 about a week ago and playing the sh*t out of it, let me just say to everyone that suggested that Links 2004 was hands-down the best golf game on XBox....you were absolutely right. I simply cannot believe I haven't heard much positive about this game prior to what you guys said in this thread (the reviews are very mediocre)! For starters, the graphics are WAY ahead of what Tiger Woods is doing even with this year's version (and I just played this year's version today @ Best Buy - it looked like a PS1 game, no joke). Frankly, it may be as good as the 360 version of Tiger, from what I've seen. I couldn't believe that it was a 3-year-old game...all I could think about was that I wish I wouldn't have waited 3 years to get this game. Where in the heck are all those reviews coming from that said the graphics were just okay? Were those reviewers playing the same game? I'm thoroughly confused.

Secondly, as you guys mentioned, at the highest difficulty levels, you actually have to swing the club a certain way, or else hooks/slices will come into play, and significantly at that. Moving the thumbstick and having to hold the R thumbstick to spin the ball is challenging, as well it should be. Also, birdies actually feel like an accomplishment in this game, as opposed to Tiger Woods, where it seems like if you aren't making birdie every hold you're losing ground. Also, the putting stroke feels so much better than anything else I've played; the game really seems to take into account smoothness of swing, as opposed to simply distance you pulled back the putter head. I fooled around for hours with the putting stroke, and noticed that if you take the clubhead back just a tiny bit, but slam the stick forward through the hitting zone, it will result in a jerky clubbed putt that's way too hard, just what that swing would yield in real life. On the other hand, if you take the club back moderately slowly, then move moderately slowly through the hitting zone in a smooth motion, it will yield a very nice, smooth putting stroke and pure roll on the green. Same goes with full swings - I love how this game is about the TEMPO of your swing, not just pulling back on the stick until you get the right distance. And on the highest difficulty, it's fantastic that it becomes about feel re: distance you need to hit the ball.

Minor gripes: There should be a better way to read the greens than the 3 options you have (blue line on easy, grid, and moving grid from your ball to the hole). I think the grahics are good enough that you should be able to just get down to ground level and simply look at the terrain to tell which way the ball is going to break, just like in real life. I think they could highlight the contrast on hills more or whatever to make the slopes clearer, but I don't find the putting grid all that informative and it's hard to analyze just by looking at the grid because as far as I can tell, you can't free roam the camera while looking at the grid.

They NEED to get rid of the Tiger Woods style arcadey crap...the game is great, but do we need 2 games doing the Matrix bullet-timed replays? It infuriates me to no end that when you hit a nice drive, you just want to sit back and watch it go from the tee box or have a blimp/tower cam follow the ball from a FIXED position to the landing area, or even a reverse-landing area cam to show where your ball ends up, but instead it goes to the slow-mo replay of your swing and the Matrix-like ball flight close up. The game was so near perfect, too.

Get rid of the "ball cam"...no golf game in the world should have a camera that follows the ball in flight - it's completely stupid and very un-intuitive, because you can't tell where the hell your ball is in relation to the green/hole/fairway until it comes down nearer to the ground, and that's annoying. Either keep it old-school (and real) and let you view your shots compeltely from start to finish from the tee, or do a TV-style presentation where they follow most of the shot from behind the golfer, then switch to a side view/blimp cam/reverse landing cam for the finish of the shot. That alone would have made this game perfect.

Sorry this turned into a Links impression thread (hey - only 3 years late to the party! Hope it helps all you eager would-be Links buyers out there - all 3 of you!). But I had no expectations for this game and got it for $7 based solely on your guys' recommendations. I guess I should've known you guys would know what the best sim golf game was. I can't believe they have not come out with a follow-up to this game. Must EVERYONE cede every quality simulation sports game to the dominating arcade-fest that EA offers? Honestly, this feels to me like a 2K/Madden type situation, except for the fact that MS could easily make another golf game (they just chose not to, for whatever reason). I wish this game would've sold better originally. If they made these graphics next-gen (which frankly gives me a half-chub just thinking about, since the original XBox graphics are damn near next gen) and went completely SIM in the gameplay/presentation, I would purchase an XBox360 on the spot. Seems like a trend, now that I think about it...If 1 of 2 games came out for 360 (updated more sim-like Links or 2K football), they'd have me hook-line-and-sinker. But, as it appears neither of those are forthcoming, guess I'll try to beat the career mode to unlock the Ocean Mill course.

[fishepa]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links 2004.

[DrStrangepork]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Links 2004 hands down.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

pietasterp, better late than never. Thanks for your detailed impressions of the game. It still is truly ahead of its time. And now that it's made the XBox 360 backward compatible status, I'll get to play it in 720p widescreen magnificence on my 42" plasma when I get home from work in the morning! The game was gorgeous in 480i on my 32" CRT SDTV, I'm getting a woody thinking of what it's going to look like in 720p!

You've identified some of the excesses I think Links 2004 caved into. Ball cams have no place in a serious golf simulation, IMO. I wish this one gave the user some camera configuration options. We also don't need the Matrix type video effects, they detract from the game's presentation, IMO.

I also wish the camera would hold a fixed position (preferably from your players perspective), rather than continuously panning around when showing AI players play their shots. I also don't like the panning on all replays. Let me select the replay angle, or give me something that looks like believable camera work.

I like the difficulty of the game, but I've limited my player to 25 skill points. I think once you go beyond that, you start going superhuman and lose some of the natural challenge.

Oh, let me add this... your comment about the green reading options. Are you aware that if you click the left thumbstick, it brings up a topographical grid, ala Links 2003 and TW 20XX on the PC? I use that exclusively for challenge purposes. These grids should clean up considerably in 720p. That's been my beef about them in 480i.... they can be a bit blurry.

You might see me online now that Links 2004 is BC on my 360! Welcome to the fold!!

[pietasterp]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Oh, let me add this... your comment about the green reading options. Are you aware that if you click the left thumbstick, it brings up a topographical grid, ala Links 2003 and TW 20XX on the PC? I use that exclusively for challenge purposes. These grids should clean up considerably in 720p. That's been my beef about them in 480i.... they can be a bit blurry.

You might see me online now that Links 2004 is BC on my 360! Welcome to the fold!!

Good point, Onlooker - thanks for the heads-up. Can you free-roam/pan/zoom while the grid is up, though? Because whenever I use it, it seems like I'm stuck in the distant 3/4 overhead view. Maybe I just need to screw around with it more...Also, great point about limiting your skill points - I don't want to have super-golfer at any point. 25 sounds like a reasonable number to keep things realistic.

Links in 720p would just rock - I have a 52-inch DLP that the game looks really good on, but in 720p, man-oh-man. Almost makes me want to get a 360, although I think there would have to be at least the suggestion that a new Links is on the horizon...

Thanks for thanking me for posting my impressions - I'm sure it'll help no one, considering I must be the last golf fan on earth w/ an XBox that did not have this game. Mildly amusing anecdote - when I purchased the game at EBgames or Gamestop or wherever the hell I was, the kid checking me out asked "do you want to reserve a copy of Tiger Woods 07?" - I just kind of stared at him for about 3 seconds, then said "Why?"...then he finished ringing me up without any further discussion.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Can you free-roam/pan/zoom while the grid is up, though? Because whenever I use it, it seems like I'm stuck in the distant 3/4 overhead view.

I don't think you can. Sometimes the angle I'm forced to use with the grid isn't ideal. I would like to be able change the viewing angle, but the options are limited.

I don't want to have super-golfer at any point. 25 sounds like a reasonable number to keep things realistic.

It works for me. Some of the challenges in the Pro Career mode are really tough with the numbers that way, but I like the challenge. I get a lot more gratification than if my guy was a 60+.

Almost makes me want to get a 360, although I think there would have to be at least the suggestion that a new Links is on the horizon...

It's funny you mention a new Links. For some strange reason, EB Games Germany lists Links 2007 for the 360! Even more bizarre is that it shows a 9/15/06 release date. If I understood German, I could tell you a little bit more about it. I know it's bogus because Links fate has been sealed by Take 2. I just wonder where EB Games Germany is getting this stuff!?

when I purchased the game at EBgames or Gamestop or wherever the hell I was, the kid checking me out asked "do you want to reserve a copy of Tiger Woods 07?" - I just kind of stared at him for about 3 seconds, then said "Why?"...then he finished ringing me up without any further discussion.

LOL... I get the same speil at my EB Games everytime I go in. However, they know me well enough to ask if there's anything I'd like to pre-order. They know I'm freakish enough that whatever the forthcoming hit is going to be, I'm going to want something off the wall, that they have to go the computer to check to see if they even carry it! You should have seen the look on the girl's face when I tolder I was interested in pre-ordering ProStroke Golf for the PC. She hadn't even heard of the PS2/XBox versions!

[jima]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

I know it's bogus because Links fate has been sealed by Take 2.

Or is it?

http://forums.xbox.com/6425662/ShowPost.aspx

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Best Golf Game for Original XBox?

Or is it?
http://forums.xbox.com/6425662/ShowPost.aspx

I'd read that earlier tonight... makes me wonder just what Daryl was talkiing about. I just have a feeling that it means Links' fate has been sealed in a fatal condition. I hope I'm wrong.