Kidz Sports: Crazy Golf (Wii) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Ever since Nintendo released the Wii (which included the rather excellent Wii Sports) other developers and publishers have been attempting to produce a whole host of titles attempting to snatch some of the lucrative home sports fan market. The problem is that the games included are so well produced (not to mention finely tuned to the Wii Remote) that almost all have failed. Popcorn Arcade are the latest publishers to have a stab at the golfing side of things with their Crazy Mini-Golf but given this company is renowned for releasing a string of sub par quality titles, isn't this a round they can't possibly win?

Gameplay

If you've played Crazy Golf before (and why wouldn't you?) you'll know that the more themed the holes and wacky the design, the better and this latest outing for the Kids Sports series challenges you to play four 18 hole courses over a variety of worlds including Desert Islands and the Arctic. All start out simple enough with little in the way of obstacles but you'll quickly have to adapt your skills to a number of different layouts and obstructions and other objects which lye between you and the hole. I'd love to say there a greater depth to the game but this is Crazy Golf and the reason we all love it in the first place is its accessibility.

Controls

Given that the games comes bundled with a 'real' golf club it's a little baffling that you aren't actually required to use it for the whole of the game. In fact you only have to use it for half of the game: the Simulation Mode which attempts to bring a realistic feel to the proceedings. Tackling the Arcade Mode requires a completely different method, featuring power meters and button pressing, which would be far more at home on a standard console or even the classic GameCube. Unfortunately neither produces the required effect and the end result is more frustrating than enjoyable leading one to question the development teams' expertise in Crazy Golf in the first place.

Graphics

Visually the game is full of flaws and while the sky and various sunsets are reasonably pleasing, that's just about as good as it gets here. The first problem is with the ball itself which is often submerged in the course itself and also has the ability to travel through objects. The characters models are poorly rendered and animated which is unforgivable given just what we know the Wii can do now graphics wise. The only positive side of the visuals is the ability to create your own custom player although the menu system here does appear as if it's been lifted from the Wii creation system.

Sound

Audio wise you'll be 'treated' to a collection of uninspiring MIDI tracks and while these are reasonably inoffensive they repeat far too often to be enjoyable.

Final comments

While Popcorn Arcade are known for their budget titles that shouldn't make for inferior products. The problems are not only with the overall production values but also with some of the controls which, unforgivably, make some of the simpler shots incredibly frustrating especially when there's an obstacle of any description involved. Even though Crazy Mini Golf is loaded with gameplay problems our version came with a rather nice Telescopic Golf Club which does enhance the feeling that you are putting around a 'real' golf course although it still doesn't make up for a less that entertaining Wii title.

Pro: The Telescopic Golf Club
Con: Poor Sound and Visuals
Final score: 4.8

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