Hot Shots Golf – Out of Bounds – Review

g-hotshotsgolf200Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

(SCEA for PS3)
By Mike Delano

When you first fire up the latest entry in the Hot Shots series, you might be surprised at how little it has evolved since the series debuted 10 years ago on the original Playstation. The simple, meter-timed button presses for driving and putting, the super-deformed characters and the achingly cute presentation are all back, and even the new high-def graphical upgrade doesn’t seem to have been used for much beyond making everything brighter and more detailed. And yet, it’s impossible to put down, because everything that worked 10 years ago still works today. There’s no better way to take a break from the (comparatively) breakneck pace of other games than to just kick back and listen to the breeze as you shoot a few holes in Out of Bounds. The simplicity of the traditional hit meter has been augmented with a new advanced shot system that’s nearly as addicting, and there are enough unlockables to obtain by playing through the game’s central challenge mode that there’s always an incentive to get another nine holes in. And, of course, there’s enough competitive online content to fill your heart’s content. Fans of evolution, look elsewhere, but highly recommended for everyone else.
(www.us.playstation.com)