 |
| OVERALL RATING |
2.5 |
| Presentation |
 |
3.0 |
| Control |
 |
2.5 |
| Gameplay |
 |
2.0 |
| Fun factor |
|
2.0 |
| User Rating |
 |
3.0 |
 |
Posted: June 16, 2005
It wasn’t too long ago that mobile game publishers were cranking out golf games left and right. Now it seems they have diverted their attention to the more entry-level form of the game, mini-golf. In a surprise move, the newest of this game type to be released also happens to be in 3D, but it probably could have waited.
3D Beach Mini Golf takes place on a tropical beach with two modes to choose from. Practice allows you to perfect your skill in any of the nine holes available, while Tournament lets you take on up to three computer or friend-controlled opponents. There are four characters to choose from but neither will have different skill sets or appear at all during game play.
As the game begins, you get a 3D panoramic view of the hole to inspect the layout. Attention is then directed to the golf ball where an arrow points to the path it will travel when hit. You can rotate this directional arrow to the desired location and then by pressing and holding down a button, a power gauge will signify the strength of the shot. When the hole has been completed, you will generate a score based on the number below or above par. The one with the highest score at the end of the tournament wins.
While the game is presented in full 3D, it isn’t quite ready for prime time. The rotating views move fairly slow, frequently playing catch up after you’ve pointed the directional arrow. The images will also “break” momentarily as the phone processes the information on-screen. When it comes time to hit the ball, the power gauge appears and the actual strength of the shot varies, making it difficult to truly calculate how long the button should be held down, causing you valuable strokes. This becomes more magnified in holes that have hills or jumps. The ball physics always land you in the most precarious of places and even the audio completely shuts down during game play.
3D Beach Mini Golf deserves some praise for being one of the few 3D experiences for wireless phones, but I just can’t help wondering if it was really necessary at this time. There aren’t many phones that have the processing power to run this game effectively, and even so, it’s clear that the game experience was stripped just to make it playable. If you must experience 3D mini-golfing, then do so. As for me, I’ll stick with 2D for now.
