PlayStation 2

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002

Sound makes this even more realistic. Bird chriping, ocean splashing onto the shore, hitting the ball on the tee or the ground makes it a outstanding experience. Grab your clubs and irons (or PS2 controller) and head for the courses!

This is a tough nut to crack. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 is absolutely brilliant in what I think are the hardest phases of the game of golf to model. Most PC golf sims would love to have its ball physics, yet it can't even match its PlayStation patriarch (PGA Tour '96) when it comes to competitive options and critical gameplay features. As efficient as it is with its use of the memory card, I don't see why it can't support a season mode using the same approach as its PC cousin.

Auch wenn man sich darüber ärgern kann, dass EA in Sachen Optik teilweise so geschludert hat, bleibt am Ende ein erfrischend neues Golferlebnis, das mit der PC-Version nur noch wenig zu tun hat. Zwar werden sich Simulationsfreunde über die unrealistischen Arcade-Features ärgern, aber genau das hat dem Genre virtuell gefehlt: mehr Adrenalin, mehr Herzpochen, mehr Spaß. Die motivierenden Spielmodi und das ausgefeilte Belohnungssystem machen den Einzelspielermodus auf lange Zeit attraktiv und mit Freunden kommt beim Speed Golf erst recht Stimmung auf. Insgesamt ein sehr empfehlenswertes Golfspiel mit kleinen grafischen und akustischen Tücken!

Up to four players (using a multi-tap) can join in on some highly competitive rounds of golf, each with their own profile and player, if they so choose. Also, speed golf is available in split-screen mode, which would be fun if the game mode were made to be a little more fun.

In the end, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 lives up to the man behind its name. Solid graphics make for a visually pleasing virtual round of golf, only added to by great control that perfectly compliments the minute complexities of the game. However, it is in the copious amount of replay that this game earns its salt, with so many different challenges and modes that even the casual fan of golf will find reason enough to hang on to this game for quite a while. While far from the perfect game, if you are a serious fan of golf, then there are not many games out there that should compete with Tiger Woods 2002 as your golfing game of choice.

Due to a lack of any alternatives, the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games have traditionally been the choice for players looking for a realistic golf game on consoles. Now it's not just a default choice. The host of graphical and gameplay improvements featured in the 2002 edition make this year's Tiger Woods far superior to previous entries in the series. Tiger Woods 2002 may have a few shortcomings, but in spite of those, it's still the best golf simulation currently on the console market--and one of the best console golf games to date.

Not a lot to dislike here, honestly, unless you have a rabid aversion to golf. This is a very well-done golf game in the simulation mode, and one with a particularly friendly attitude towards newer players. They'll appreciate the tutorials and intuitive gameplay, while I expect advanced players will like the more detailed options available to them. Everyone should get a kick out of the career-oriented challenge features, and speed golf is there for multiplayer fiends.

I have a feeling that golf enthusiasts will love the amount of detail EA has sunk into this game, but for the average gamer, this one is bound to go straight into the long stuff.

There's definitely something that I'll give Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002: it performs an amazing job of providing an environment for novices to pick up and play the game. Veterans of golf simulations shouldn't be alarmed, however, because the title offers tons of complexity with the control of the ball and computer-driven competitors that will appeal to even the most seasoned player. Do I think that I'll wind up with a newfound interest in golf Not really. But I will say that I've got more of an understanding of the game by playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002.

In response to last year's mediocre performance, Tiger Woods has been revamped with a brand-new game engine. But the same frustrating, albeit unique controls remain intact resulting in the same inconsistent shot making that was felt last year. The saving graces for Tiger are its Career mode and Speed Golf.

EA tried to spice up the action by adding dramatic visual and sound effects to certain shots. Sometimes the controller will vibrate like a heart beat to convey tension, which is neat but often happens at inappropriate times. Perhaps the biggest letdown is the new "Speed Golf" mode which lets two players compete on a split screen to put the ball in the hole as fast as they can. It's an awesome concept, but the execution is a complete bust. After you hit the ball, you actually have to move a cursor to its location, which is both stupid and annoying. I have also witnessed the ball do some bizarre things, like making a 90-degree turn into the cup from a foot away. Despite my initial interest in the innovative controls, I didn't find Tiger Woods Golf to be worth the money.