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Hot Shots Golf Fore Review
First, before I begin, I must say that before Hot Shots Golf Fore, I had never played a game of golf in my life. Not in reality, or in the gaming realm. So, the whole concept was pretty new to me, and while it was confusing at first, I found the game to be a breath of fresh air in terms of my gaming habits. Sony sure does know how to shuffle between action games, to horror and then sports, but at least they do it in a way that doesn’t become overwhelming. Hot Shots Golf Fore is a deep, but not too deep arcade style golf simulation that has you playing an entire cast of zany characters including some ones you may know from other Sony franchises. While golf is definitely an acquired taste, almost anyone will be able to enjoy Hot Shots Golf Fore in one way or another. Hopefully, this review will show you exactly what I mean by that.
Someone who casually rides by a golf course may get their first impression of the sport as being, “get ball from point A to point B”. While your main objective is to get a ball into a hole, there are quite a few technical aspects of the process which are often overlooked. So to say that Hot Shots Golf is simple in terms of a game like pong, would be doing it a great disservice. Hot Shots Golf Fore is (as the name implies) the fourth entry into a series which grows more popular with each installment. The first two versions were available on the PSOne, while Hot Shots Golf 3 was the first of the series to hit the Playstation 2. HSGF takes most of HSG3 and spices it up with a universal motto of introducing more of everything. Fans of the series will recognize old courses, characters and other little aspects, but it is all backed up with a ton of new things that will keep any diehard fan hooked for months. 
The main selection of game modes includes a tournament mode, multiplayer, training and minigames. The tournament mode is a neat single player portion that tracks your statistics as you move up in the golfing ranks. The multiplayer allows you to play with your best buddies on the same television, and the training mode allows you to hit the balls to your hearts content over and over again. Something that has returned from the original Hot Shots is the minigolf minigame which is a neat diversion for fans, and a break for those frustrated with the game’s main modes.
The biggest feature in the game is undoubtedly its online options. If you own all the materials required to play your Playstation 2, you can count yourself in for some wild online golf matches with people from all over the world. As many people will tell you, it is not wise to buy the game and simply jump online, especially if it’s your first time with a golf game. Often times you will be treated to a harsh dose of gaming reality, as you get wiped all over the floor. The online features are an excellent addition to the game, but I personally recommend it only to those who have had some experience with its single player aspects.
The sport of golf has been translated into video game form very well, even if it’s more “arcadey” than other titles like Tiger Woods. You basically choose your character from a long roster (there are quite a few to unlock, even a few from Naughty Dog and Insomniac games, which I shall not reveal to you), and hit the course. Gameplay is planned and initiated with three basic button presses. X to get your swing ready, X again to set it and one of the directional pad buttons to adjust the flow of the ball through the air (the last option is a bit more difficult than one would imagine, so the developers have happily added an “easy mode” for those weary of the quick reflexes needed to control the ball). To dig into the deeper aspects of hitting the ball, it is always wise to check the course (which you can do with a helpful camera) and pick a power setting you feel comfortable with. Depending on how you set up your swing, the ball will fly, fall to the ground and hopefully land near the hole. Most of the time, a hole can not be reached in one shot, so the best comment to receive would be “fairway” which indicates you are in good standing to reach the whole in your next shot. If you fail, you will most likely get a “rough” comment, which states you will have a hard time attaining your goals. When you finally reach the “green” (which is the area surrounding the hole), you must enter into a new swinging mode, which is much slower and requires much more precision. Luckily the game is very helpful with its wind indications, ground level diagrams and distance meters, so seeing it will be pretty self explanatory. One you get the ball into the hole, you will receive a ranking which can be “bogey”, “par”, “birdie” and some others. Bogey gives you points, and that’s actually not a good thing. Adding points to your score is actually a bad thing, since it is tracking your poor shots. If you land a par, your standing stays the same, so it is neither beneficial nor hurtful. “Birdie” is one of the best announcements to receive as it actually negates your score, putting you ahead and marks down your flawless hits. Hot Shots Golf Fore can be a very deep and compelling game if you “let” it.
If the game has any one flaw, it would be its lack of a step by step tutorial for newcomers. I had a hard time getting used to the concept of the game and sport, but eventually got into it. It may not come easy for others, so it would have been cool if a better training system had been implemented. In terms of length, you can’t get much better for a sports game. Even after hitting the ball gets boring, the included store allows you to buy a ton of new things to keep your interest.
Visually, HSGF isn’t going to win any awards for breaking new ground, but its precise visualization of the golf physics scores points, along with the vivid imagination shown through the character design and colors. There were no obvious framerate drops or graphical glitches. The game’s graphical style is complemented by its wacky audio presentation which is very solid. Quirky voice acting and slapstick sound effects really add to the game’s lighthearted mood, and it definitely helps for those sometimes frustrating matches.
As stated before, HSGF is a game most anyone can get into if they give it time, and your enjoyment levels only increase as you become better at it. For fans, it is a must buy, and for newcomers I also recommend checking it out, even if you aren’t used to the sport. It is always good to learn and experience new things, so why not golf?
Written by Joseph Bennett. Posted year 2004.
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Released on
September 17, 2004
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