Links LS 1997

Links LS has three unnamed playable golfers, with Arnold Palmer as a fourth. It has three courses, including Palmer's Latrobe Country Club, and is also compatible with previous courses released for Links 386. The player can also take a virtual tour of Palmer's office and workshop.

Like its predecessors, Links LS (Legends in Sports) was developed and published by Access Software. The game was in development for three years. Access initially considered naming the project Links Pentium. However, Intel objected to the title over trademark concerns regarding its Pentium microprocessor.

Unlike the earlier games, Access added computer players, improved ball physics, and high-resolution graphics.{{cite magazine |date=March 1997 |title=The Golf War |magazine=boot |location=United States |issue=7 |page=76}} The company also spent $50,000 on a motion-capture machine to create the golfer animations, providing a higher level of detail than before. To accurately recreate the Latrobe course, Access conducted extensive interviews with Palmer and co-designer Ed Seay. Several features were eventually scrapped and saved for the game's successor. Modem-based gameplay was among the planned features, but was removed due to time constraints.{{cite magazine |last=McDonald |first=T. Liam |date=March 1996 |title=Computer Chipping |magazine=PC Gamer |location=United States |issue= |pages=83, 85–86, 88}} Links LS was released in 1996.

{{Video game reviews

| CGSP = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Peter |title=Links LS: Legends of the Sport |url=http://www.cdmag.com/sports_vault/links_ls_review/page1.html |website=Computer Games Strategy Plus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970614172359/http://www.cdmag.com/sports_vault/links_ls_review/page1.html |archive-date=June 14, 1997 |pages=1–4}}

| CGW = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Atkin Sr. |first=Denny |date=November 1996 |title=Duffer's Dream |magazine=Computer Gaming World |location=United States |issue=148 |pages=240, 244}}

| GPPGC = A−{{cite magazine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970417034844/http://www.pcgamesmag.com/games/Oct96/golf1096.html | url=http://www.pcgamesmag.com:80/games/Oct96/golf1096.html | title=Links LS | magazine=PC Games | author=Morris, Daniel | date=October 1996 | archive-date=April 17, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=February 28, 2020 }}

| GSpot = 8.2/10{{cite web |last=Sengstack |first=Jeff |title=Links LS |url=https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/linksls/review.html |website=GameSpot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041212204434/https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/linksls/review.html |archive-date=December 12, 2004 |date=August 15, 1996}}

| MW = {{Rating|4.5|5}}

| NGen = {{rating|4|5}} (PC)

| PCG = 94%{{cite magazine |last=Maueröder |first=Petra |date=October 1996 |title=Links LS |magazine=PC Games |location=Germany |pages=152–153 |language=German}}

| rev1 = PC Player

| rev1Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |date=October 1996 |title=Links LS |magazine=PC Player |location=Germany |pages=78–80 |language=German}}

}}

Macworld{{'}}s Michael Gowan called Links LS a "beautifully rendered golf sim [that] is almost as tough to master as the real thing."{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010810062339/http://www.macworld.com/1999/02/games/games.html |url=http://www.macworld.com:80/1999/02/games/games.html |title=Name Your Game; From Goofy to Gory, Macworld Reviews 48 Ways to Play |author=Gowan, Michael |work=Macworld |date=February 1999 |archive-date=August 10, 2001 |url-status=dead }} A Next Generation critic said it put the Links series "once again at the top of the PC golfing heap", citing its impressive technical specs even by the standards of high-end setups, support for all the Links 386 add-on disks, and customizable features.{{cite magazine|title=Links LS|magazine=Next Generation|issue=24|publisher=Imagine Media|date=December 1996|pages=266, 268}}

Links LS was a finalist for the Computer Game Developers Conference's 1996 "Best Sports Game" Spotlight Award,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970605172050/http://www.next-generation.com/news/041597e.chtml | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/041597e.chtml | title=And the Nominees Are... | date=April 15, 1997 | author=Staff | work=Next Generation | archive-date=June 5, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=February 28, 2020 }} but lost the prize to NHL 97.{{cite press release | url=http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/spotlight_1997.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110703083042/http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/spotlight_1997.html | archive-date=July 3, 2011 | title=Spotlight Awards Winners Announced for Best Computer Games of 1996 | publisher=Game Developers Conference | url-status=dead | location=Santa Clara, California | date=April 28, 1997 | access-date=May 12, 2018 }} It was also the runner-up for Computer Gaming World{{'}}s 1996 "Sports Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to NBA Live 97. The editors praised Links LS as "the best-looking golf game we've seen."{{cite magazine | author=Staff | magazine=Computer Gaming World | title=The Computer Gaming World 1997 Premier Awards |date=May 1997 | issue=154 | pages=68-70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 }} Links LS won Computer Games Strategy Plus{{'}}s 1996 sports game of the year award.{{cite web| author=Staff| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970614161401/http://www.cdmag.com/news/0325971.html |url=http://www.cdmag.com/news/0325971.html |title=Computer Games Strategy Plus announces 1996 Awards |date=March 25, 1997 |work=Computer Games Strategy Plus |archive-date=June 14, 1997 |accessdate=November 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }} Links LS was named the tenth best computer game ever by PC Gamer UK in 1997. The editors called it "an object lesson in how every PC game should be made."{{cite magazine |author1=Flynn, James |author2=Owen, Steve |author3=Pierce, Matthew |author4=Davis, Jonathan |author5=Longhurst, Richard | magazine=PC Gamer UK | title=The PC Gamer Top 100 |date=July 1997 | issue=45 | pages=51–83 }}

Links LS 1997 won Computer Game Entertainment{{'}}s 1996 "Best Sports Game" prize. The magazine's editors wrote, "It's easy to control, responsive and a lot of fun, and what else can you ask for in a game?" They nominated the game as their overall game of the year, but it lost to Diablo in that category.{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=Computer Game Entertainment | title=The Computer Game Entertainment Awards 1996 |date=July 1997 | issue=1 | pages=54–58 }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/links-ls-legends-in-sports-1997-edition Links LS] at MobyGames

{{Links series}}

{{Access Software}}

Category:1996 video games

Category:Access Software games

Category:DOS games

Category:DOS-only games

Category:Golf video games

1997

Category:Video games developed in the United States