We Love Golf! for Wii Reviews by Gamers

Here we go again. Another golf game for Nintendo's little white videogame console -- not from the Big N, EA or Tecmo this time, but publisher Capcom, and it's the best one yet (at least, that is, until the next iteration of Tiger Woods PGA Tour lands on the system). That's probably because the developer of this latest effort has both intimate knowledge of golf games and equally in-depth experience with Nintendo's home platforms. After all, Camelot Software Planning did design the hit N64 and GCN Mario Golf and Tennis titles. That being true, the company has never worked with the Wii remote before, which makes its intuitive implementation in the console-exclusive We Love Golf! all the more impressive. The moment you pick up the controller, you will very easily be able to play Camelot's title, pounding golf balls into the green and sinking putts for birdies and even eagles. And yet, if you seek either a golf simulation or just a game that finally nails the long-promised one-to-one swinging sensation absent from nearly ever Wii golfer before it, I'm sorry to report that your search must go on.

We Love Golf! is truly an arcade game of golf if ever there was one. In fact, it looks and plays similarly to previous Camelot-developed sports outings, including Mario Golf and Hot Shots before it. That is to say, it's an arcade-paced affair that omits the extra features found in a golf simulation like Tiger Woods, and survives by good, fast controls, not to mention primary colors and themed backgrounds. Camelot has always created clean graphical presentations and its latest effort proves no different. However, without Nintendo's licensed roster to work with, the developer has instead designed a cast of characters so generic and forgettable that you'll wish Mario were an unlockable. Thankfully, Capcom has at least allowed the studio to dress some of its golfer models in bonus costumes from popular franchises like Street Fighter and Ghosts 'n Goblins. Playing as Zack & Wiki is simply more interesting than hitting golf balls as the templated "Jack." Additionally, you can play off or online as your Mii avatar, a welcomed addition that is only slightly marred by the fact that Miis are readily available for two or more gamers but must be unlocked in single-player mode.

While We Love Golf! may not boast some of the pro tour options found in other golfers, it does arrive with a good selection of different gameplay modes -- seven, to be precise, including everything from standard tournament play to pin contests, target golf, ring shots, stroke challenges and character matches. It also supports up to four players (in succession) and, best of all, the American version of the title ships with a full-fledged online mode. It's a strong selection even if some of the aforementioned modes -- tournament and online aside -- lack real depth. If you're like me, you will spend the majority of your time going through tournament play and competing against a friend or a random challenger in the online mode, which is surprisingly well maintained. Although you will still have to exchange frustratingly unnecessary friend codes to connect with your close pals, you can alternatively connect to World Play without any fuss, and it just works. The downside to World Play is that you must choose between two different play styles -- beginner and master -- and are unable to modify all of the little in-match details. Furthermore, you won't be playing 18-hole matches, but nine-hole competitions -- the first person to take five holes wins.

I've met with Camelot's famed Takahashi brothers on several occasions and they have oftentimes professed that they don't believe Wii golf games have ever really nailed the perfect control scheme. I've always been forced to agree, but unfortunately I don't think We Love Golf! does, either -- and for very different reasons. It's not that the game's controls fall short of Camelot's goals because that is not the case at all. The controls do exactly what the developer intended, and they work extremely well. Indeed, EA could learn a thing or two from the setup. The problem I have with the configuration is that it is fundamentally unchanged from the bulk of other Camelot-created golf games. To swing, you pull the Wii remote back in cue with an on-screen shot / power meter and then pull forward when the meter drops back again. It's perfectly responsive, and yet you could do the same thing with button taps -- and you did with Mario Golf. Sadly, Camelot hasn't attempted to simulate a one-to-one swing experience, a missed opportunity that's become more apparent as I continue testing the latest version of Tiger Woods, which does and largely succeeds. As a result, Wii Love Golf!'s controls feel more mechanical and complicated than they need to be. Purists may still defend them, but I'll argue to the end that if you're going to make a Wii golf game, you need to likewise make the most of the Wii remote.

It's a really strange decision, too, because as I noted, Camelot does make some great control choices. You can play the entire game with the Wii remote and the on-screen action cycles between different viewpoints depending on how you hold the Wii remote. Hold it up and you'll be given a top-down view of the course. Point at the screen and you'll see a zoomed forward 3D angle of the landscape ahead. Meanwhile, if you hold it down, you'll go into your swing. I also really like the way the game handles fade and draw on the golf ball. Before you take a swing, you simply twist the Wii remote left or right and it adds the respective hook. Works every time, unlike in Tiger, which is a little clumsier in that regard.

Of course, it all comes back to the swing mechanics, which function based on timing alone and not form or execution. So once you've got your timing down, you're destined for success. After my first 18 holes, I was ahead of my nearest computer-controlled competitor by 20 holes. Buh? Yeah. It is incredibly easy to birdie and eagle in Camelot's title. Long putts are generally a breeze. After a while, you will feel you've played poorly if you par a course. Admittedly, the difficulty does ramp up as you go, but We Love Golf! is still a much easier game than just about any other golfer out there, which is disappointing. Thankfully, there are a number of venues to keep you busy, and online play, too.

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