Remember the old days? No? Not even a little?
Well, back in the old days, golf games were a bit more simple. There were no analog buttons and no fancy-pants control sticks to move. You would aim, and hit the button to swing. We also rode in covered wagons and churned our own butter, but I digress.
Hearkening back to those button-pushing days is a release on Xbox Live Arcade called Golf: Tee It Up! It is available only on the Games Marketplace and is 800 Microsoft Points (10 dollars).
As I mentioned, the swing mechanic in this game relies on one button and good timing. After lining up a shot, the player hits the swing button once to move a slider up a power bar, again when it reaches the amount of power they want to use for the shot, and once more when the slider returns to the starting point. If you stop the slider too far from the starting point, the shot will hook or slice accordingly and make you want to shoot boiling piss at the TV. In golf games, this three-button press sequence is as old as the hills, and it still feels better than all of the new “improved” control schemes I’ve tried.
Also at your disposal are the usual spin controls and power shots; I found “power shots” to be a bit of a misnomer as the ball went about the same distance regardless of what I did to it.
It’s not all old-school happenenings here though, no sir. A new wrinkle in your plaid pants comes in the form of the “Focus” ability. This allows you to slow time and steer the ball, which is great when you completely muff up a shot. It also lets the player preview where the ball will travel when putting. The catch is that you’re given only four seconds of Focus per hole. It can be divided up over different shots, but once it’s gone, it’s gone.
While I have no complaints about the long game, the putting in this title leaves something to be desired. If you still have some Focus left, it’s easy to see where you should aim the shot. If you don’t….Gone are the time-tested gridlines which indicated the topography of the green. In their place are contour lines which follow specific elevations. I found these to be less than helpful, and often more confusing than anything. Perhaps it comes down to personal preference, but I found myself wishing for an olde-timey grid to appear over the green.
This game looks pretty good, especially for an arcade title. The courses are fairly detailed and well-designed, and the character models, while cartoony, are certainly beyond adequate. Visually, it looks very similar to entries in the Hot Shots Golf series, and I mean that in a good way. Character customization is minimal; anyone looking for a “face creator” à la Tiger Woods games will be sorely disappointed. Should one so desire, there are additional clothing packs available for purchase on the marketplace, but that’s about it.
The game comes with only two eighteen hole courses to play. While that’s a very small number, both are challenging and offer a fair bit of variety. The holes range from quite easy to turn-you-into-a-muthafucking-viking-style frustrating. A third course is available on the marketplace, though it will set you back another 320 Microsoft Points.
Play modes are stripped down as well; there is no real career mode. However, solo play, as well as local and online multiplayer are all present. After years of being conditioned to expect a collection of mini-games in every sports title, their absence feels weird. Not a deal-breaker, but unusual.
Then again, this is an arcade golf game. Moreover, it’s about one-fifth the price of any other golf game out there, and the gameplay feels every bit as good. While there’s not a ton of content in the initial purchase, additional features are available for those who want them. And at ten bucks, the full game is cheaper than a bucket of balls at the driving range. If you enjoy golf games but not the ultra-realistic simulator versions out there, then Golf: Tee It Up is a great option, though it may leave you wanting a bit more.
