Golf (1995 video game)

File:VB Golf (T&E Virtual_Golf).png

Golf{{'}}s gameplay follows traditional golf rules, where players must reach the hole on the green in as few strokes as possible by hitting the ball with a club, while avoiding obstacles including sand traps, water hazards, trees, and deep rough grass. It takes place in the fictional 18-hole Papilion Golf & Country Club. Players choose between two modes of play: Tournament, where they compete against 47 virtual computer-controlled opponents, and Stroke, where they attempt to surpass their previous high scores. In the screen's top left and right corners, players are shown the wind speed/direction and an aerial layout of the course respectively. In advance of their turn, they choose aspects of the swing, such as speed, direction, stance, club type, swing power, and the ball impact point. Players can also place a grid on a nearby portion of the course to aide with the aim and distance of their shots. Players can choose between five different viewing perspectives, change button configurations, and review the positives and negatives of their last shots.{{cite magazine |title=T&E's New Golf Game Leaves the Rest in the Rough |magazine=Nintendo Power |year=1995 |issue=76 |location=United States |pages=40–43}}

{{Cite AV media notes |title=Golf manual |year=1995 |publisher=Nintendo}}

Golf was developed by T&E Soft for the Virtual Boy.{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Boy: It's Virtually Here! |magazine=Nintendo Power |issue=73 |year=1995 |page=73 |location=United States}}{{cite book|author1=David Wesley|author2=Gloria Barczak|title=Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry: Avoiding the Performance Trap|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5KjS3Q7QdsC&pg=PA86|access-date=10 April 2011|date=21 June 2010|publisher=Gower Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-566-09167-4|pages=86–|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001150831/http://books.google.com/books?id=O5KjS3Q7QdsC&pg=PA86|archive-date=1 October 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Golf |url=http://www.ign.com/games/golf-925419/vb-6647 |work=IGN |access-date=2013-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926113234/http://www.ign.com/games/golf-925419/vb-6647 |archive-date=2013-09-26 |url-status=dead }} It was originally known as VR Golf.{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Boy |issue=7 |magazine=GameFan}} Like all other Virtual Boy games, Golf uses a red-and-black color scheme and uses parallax, an optical trick that is used to simulate a 3D effect.{{cite web |title=Backwards Compatible: The Virtual Boy |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2585841.htm |work=Good Game |date=2009-06-01 |access-date=2015-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712045522/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2585841.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2015}} It was published by T&E Soft in Japan on August 11, 1995,{{cite magazine |title=New Games Cross Review |magazine=Famitsu |date=1995-08-18 |issue=349}} and by Nintendo in North America sometime in November 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/doc/vb_games.pdf|title=Virtual Boy Games|publisher=Nintendo of America|access-date=2008-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202093110/http://www.nintendo.com/doc/vb_games.pdf|archive-date=2006-12-02|url-status=dead}}

{{Video game reviews

| Allgame = 3.5/5

| NGen = 2/5}}

Golf had mixed to positive reception. Critics such as Official Nintendo Magazine, Edge, AllGame, and Nintendo Power noted T&E Soft's experience with golf games, the latter which called it the third best Virtual Boy game of the year.{{cite journal |title=The Virtual Boy Collection |journal=Official Nintendo Magazine |year=2010 |location=Great Britain |issue=52 |page=60}}{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Boy hardware |page=104 |magazine=Edge |location=United Kingdom |year=1996}}{{cite magazine |title=The Best of 1995 |magazine=Nintendo Power |year=1996 |issue=80 |page=5 |location=United States}} Nintendo Power also called Golf the most realistic sports game on the Virtual Boy at the time of its release.{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Boy Now Playing Recap |magazine=Nintendo Power |location=United States |issue=82 |page=89 |year=1996}} A reviewer for Next Generation said that the gameplay holds up surprisingly well to golf simulations on systems better suited to the genre.{{cite magazine|title=Golf |magazine=Next Generation|issue=19|publisher=Imagine Media |date=July 1996|page=81}} However, Total! magazine felt that the game was very basic and lacked in content and features.

The audiovisual elements received mixed reviews. GamePro and Electronic Playground both found the game fun but were disappointed by its graphics. GamePro additionally criticized the audio quality.{{cite magazine |title=ProReview: Portable Systems |page=86 |magazine=GamePro |year=1996 |location=United States |issue=81}}{{cite web|title=Reviews: Golf |url=http://www.elecplay.com/review_448.html |work=Electronic Playground |author=john |date=1996-06-20 |access-date=2013-09-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001203041800/http://www.elecplay.com/review_448.html |archive-date=December 3, 2000 |df=mdy-all }} Total! felt that the game had some of the console's worst 3D effects.{{cite journal |title=Red or Dead |journal=Total! |page=39 |issue=53 |year=1996 |location=United Kingdom}} Next Generation felt that the console's limitations and the game's ineffective use of its 3D abilities hindered it, making features in the distance difficult to make out. AllGame felt that the audio and sense of depth were poor, but commended its use of shading.{{cite web |title=Golf review |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=8107&tab=review |work=AllGame |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |access-date=2013-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114213620/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=8107&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Nintendo Magazine was more positive, praising its presentation and perspective.{{cite journal |title=Virtual Boy |journal=Nintendo Magazine |page=50 |year=1995 |location=Australia}}

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Category:1995 video games

Category:Golf video games

Category:Nintendo games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:T&E Soft games

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Virtual Boy games