I think I’ve mentioned quite a bit on this blog that my main cup of tea is a good solid hack and slash RPG. If its got tons of loot and bosses galore, I’m in. But once in a while the sword gets dulled, the shield wrist strap breaks, and the quests are over. Typically at this point I’ll either A) Try and find a new RPG, or B) Branch out, stretch my thumbs, and find a new game in a different genre to play. I don’t understand golf. I mean I get the rules, and I understand there is a LOT of skill involved. I just don’t get the draw of smashing a ball with a stick over and over till you get it into a tiny hole, then when you’ve finally made it, you do it 17 more times. Boy, that gets my heart pounding. Golf video games are no exception. It blows my mind that a new one or two comes out every year, since the game hasn’t really changed since the fifteenth century.
That being said, I can understand the game on a smaller scale – a miniature scale if you will. The game suddenly becomes less about chasing tiny balls in go karts and becomes a game of physics. Now that, I can get into. Mini Golf MatchUp is a free mini golf game for iOS and Android. I figured what the heck, let’s give it a go after my wife suggested I give it a whirl for the blog. So I did, and here are the results…
To be fair, this is a mini golf game. It’s not really the genre where I kick back in a lazy boy recliner, get two tall cans of Mountain Dew, dim the lights, and sink into the chair for three hours. It’s a quick casual game and I can respect that. In fact the game plays very much like words with friends or that one where you draw pictures at each other. You watch your opponent take their shot, make yours, then make the next hole first and it swaps.
The game starts you out with one area to play, and gives you a set of goals, sort of like achievements. Bounce the ball off a cactus, get eaten by a dinosaur, get a hole in one after a do-over while banking into a time rift causing your ball to land in King Henry’s split pea soup. OK, that last one might not be in there but you get the idea.
Every time you complete one of these you earn a star, which you use to open and unlock new courses that have a handful of levels in each. Alternatively, you can also spend $2.99 or so to unlock a level. Personally, I like to earn things, and I’m a scrooge when it comes to paid unlockable content.
The physics in the game is spot on, It’s rare I’ve looked at the screen after hitting a ball and had my “Ummmm…. No.” face on. Though I swear, this stupid shark has it out for me. Either I get distracted, or I play the game when I’m half asleep, but I constantly bounce off that stupid fin. $20 says below the water there’s a guy with a stick connected to that fin, wearing a scuba suit, laughing hysterically at my folly.
So, while I wont be at the edge of my seat awaiting the next plot twist, or shouting into the air at no one in particular as some sort of mythical artifact golf putter with +12 to Hole-In-One’s (Bind on Equip), I can definitely respect that this is a great mini golf game. It can hold me over until I can sink my teeth into something a bit meatier like Blizzards’ new free to play card game that I am desperately trying to get into the BETA for. Hear that Blizz, toss one my way – please!
Graphics:
D’Awwww…. This game is cute. It almost reminds me of Little Big Planet for some reason. I think the only thing that would make this better, is instead of having a picture for a golfer, some sort of customizable golfer, with unlockable avatar pieces.
Gameplay:
Like I said, it’s a mini golf game. Which is fine, but not my general cup of tea. That being said, this is a pretty solid game. While the game does have premium balls like a power ball or an off road ball (really??) that you can purchase, I understand that the creators would like to make a buck or two.
Audio:
That same dang ball-in-a-hole noise… every… time. Come on, record like 10 and play one at random. Same with the ball hits from the putter. This should be an easy category to score points in. Sadly, you dropped the ball, and it wasn’t on the fairway. Other than that the audio quality is quite good.
Innovation:
Well… I mean it’s mini golf… Not sure we are reinventing it either. But hey! It’s got avatar icons and off-road balls!
Overall:
Alright! We made it through the article with out any obvious and overused jokes, and I’ve just lost to my wife’s amazing putting skills for the second time today. I think I’ll lay down the putter for now. (Unless I decide to pick up a game of Gator Golf for the office) The game’s great. It’s fun in short bursts, which probably doesn’t need to be said. Anyone expecting a novella of storyline out of a game called Mini Golf MatchUp, should probably see a professional. Bottom line; go download the game, it’s a lot of fun. ‘Till next time!
