Super Swing Golf review

Polar bears, ninjas and anime sailors collide in the most realistic golf game ever

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Feels like you're playing the real thing

  • +

    Crazy courses encourage creativity

  • +

    New accessories = new powers

Cons

  • -

    No online multiplayer? Seriously?

  • -

    Computer players are jerks

  • -

    Everything locked at the start

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The golf in Wii Sports is surprisingly fun, but it's hardly deep or realistic. Along with every other sport represented in the game, it plays more like an appetizer - a fun little sample of what can and should be expected from Wii sports titles in the future. The more you play it, the more you'll wish for a bigger and fuller golf simulator.

Super Swing Golf is the answer to that wish. Though certainly not perfect, it manages to fulfill the potential shown in Wii Sports Golf, delivering a truer-to-life experience without losing any of the charm.

Beginning with the swing itself. Hitting with the correct amount of power in Wii Sports requires mostly luck and memorization - you must discover the right speed of movement through practice mode trial-and-error, then recreate that exact motion from memory on the real attempt. Super Swing, on the other hand, gives you complete control. By pulling your hands, and the remote, back in an arc like an actual golfer would, you fill up the power meter. While bringing them a foot or two back might be appropriate for a short putt, getting them all the way up behind your head will set you up for a maximum distance long drive.

This system not only forces you to play more realistically - a properly timed wrist flick could do the trick in Wii Sports - but also more thoughtfully. Since power and distance are taken care of by your hand placement, the swing is all about form. If you come through your arc nice and straight, the resulting shot will be nice and straight. Twist the remote slightly to the right or left anywhere during the swing and, just as if you had rotated the face of a club, your shot will hook or slice correspondingly.

The golf in Wii Sports is surprisingly fun, but it's hardly deep or realistic. Along with every other sport represented in the game, it plays more like an appetizer - a fun little sample of what can and should be expected from Wii sports titles in the future. The more you play it, the more you'll wish for a bigger and fuller golf simulator.

Super Swing Golf is the answer to that wish. Though certainly not perfect, it manages to fulfill the potential shown in Wii Sports Golf, delivering a truer-to-life experience without losing any of the charm.

Beginning with the swing itself. Hitting with the correct amount of power in Wii Sports requires mostly luck and memorization - you must discover the right speed of movement through practice mode trial-and-error, then recreate that exact motion from memory on the real attempt. Super Swing, on the other hand, gives you complete control. By pulling your hands, and the remote, back in an arc like an actual golfer would, you fill up the power meter. While bringing them a foot or two back might be appropriate for a short putt, getting them all the way up behind your head will set you up for a maximum distance long drive.

This system not only forces you to play more realistically - a properly timed wrist flick could do the trick in Wii Sports - but also more thoughtfully. Since power and distance are taken care of by your hand placement, the swing is all about form. If you come through your arc nice and straight, the resulting shot will be nice and straight. Twist the remote slightly to the right or left anywhere during the swing and, just as if you had rotated the face of a club, your shot will hook or slice correspondingly.

More info

GenreSports
DescriptionA fun and deep golf game that transforms your Wii remote into a virtual club. Though the settings and characters are as fantastical as they come, the swing mechanics are convincingly realistic.
Platform"Wii"
US censor rating"Everyone 10+"
UK censor rating""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Charlie Barratt
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