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PS3 | Sports | Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

Boxart for Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds 12 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.50
  • SOUND: 4.50
  • CONTROL: 4.00
  • FUN FACTOR 4.50
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.5
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Preview: TGS '07: Hot Shots Golf 5

Preview by Chris Morell | 09/24/2007 | 15:14:23 PM PST

The Hot Shots team give us a special demo of Hot Shots Golf 5 on the PS3. It's a fresh start of the series.

At the Tokyo Game Show last week, I sat down with Masahi Muramori, the president of Clap Hanz--the makers of Hot Shots Golf 5 (known as Everybody's Golf 5 in Japan)--for a progress report on the game's localization and a gameplay demo.

Hot Shots has also been one of my favorite series, so I've been anxious to see how the series is improving with its move into the PS3 era (I also picked up the Japanese version of the game last week, which has been out since late July). For starters, the graphics are the most noticeable difference. On the underpowered PS2, Hot Shots always had a cartoon-like charm in its characters, which it still does, but now it's much more visually pleasing.

On the PS3, it's a new beginning for the Hot Shots series.

On the PS3, it's a new beginning for the Hot Shots series.

I was expecting a few new characters and courses, but Clap Hanz did the opposite, practically starting over from scratch. Just about all the golfers and courses are new, and are customizable just as in the rest of the series.

New Swing Mechanic

But the biggest changes are in actual gameplay. The mechanics of the patented three-click swing system haven't changed in the series until now, and Hot Shots Golf 5 adds a new swing system to spice things up (the three-click swing is still a playable option). The new swing is still based around a three-click system, but it works a little differently in that there is no horizontal swing meter on the bottom of the screen. Instead, it's all about watching your golfer swing.

Muramori-san explained how it works. You'll click to begin the swing, and from there you want to watch your golfer's backswing and click again when he/she reaches the desired length of backswing. You'll see a little glimmer around the clubhead when it reaches 50% and again at 100%. After you click to select your level of power, you'll need to click a third time when the clubhead finally reaches the ball. Here's where you will control your accuracy of the shot. There's a circle that you want to click on when it reaches the golf ball.

The real trick, Muramori said, is that experienced players can use the circular accuracy system in creative ways. For example, if you press the button too early, you can achieve more power on your shot, but it will slice or hook. The trick is to adjust for the slice or hook and you can get a longer shot.

Putting also works in a similar way, and you have to eyeball the distance. It's a little more difficult, but much more rewarding.


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