PGA European Tour Golf

Be sure to press your plaid slacks, because you're invited to rub elbows with some international swingers in the first-ever game to feature the PGA European license.

PGA European tour is a hard-core golf sim featuring four authentic European courses. Over 60 pros appear in the game, including Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal.

You may not get to see much European golf action on television, but the Olde World is home to many major championship tournaments. PGA European Tour allows players to compete in eight of these official tournaments, playing as a real pro or with a golfer created from scratch. As you tear up the links, you can watch your golfer's international ranking improve.

In addition to Tournament Mode, European Tour also offers Stroke Play, Match Play, Skins Match and Quick Play. In each of these modes, one to four players can match up for some friendly competition.

Beginning golfers will have to endure a tiring climb up the game's steep learning curve, but once you reach the summit you'll begin to appreciate Infogrames' approach. Each shot requires careful consideration, since weather and other variables can ruin a swing that's not perfectly planned.

The swing meter moves smoothly, and it is appropriately challenging to lock down the perfect swing. The interface relies too heavily on tedious menus, though, which makes changing clubs a difficult procedure. On the other hand, informative grids and arrows make the short game a breeze.

Infogrames has done an excellent job animating the golfers. Realistic swings are super-smooth, and the golfers look great as they approach the ball. Small touches, like golfers bending over to brush off the green, add a lot to the game.

Significant pop-up plagues the courses in European Tour, which damages the carefully designed environments. Generally, we would have preferred to see a more polished visual presentation.

In the audio department, European Tour will keep you interested. Witty commentary is provided by BBC commentator Peter Allis. If you're not playing up to your potential, his candid comments will quickly cut you down to size. Some phrases are repeated too frequently, but occasionally you'll hear an unusual quip that will catch you off guard.

PGA European Tour is a game that caters to real-world golfers. Its emphasis on detailed control will intrigue those who have spent some time on greens. Casual swingers may want to look elsewhere.

Source:

www.nintendo.com – Nintendo 64