Engaging game, but nothing revolutionary
The addition of online multiplayer was something I wasn't too excited about, but after trying it, I found the clubhouse easy-to-navigate and the online play quite fun. You can schedule a tournament and hang out in the "club house" for it to begin or you can create your own "room" and in a few moments a few strangers dropped by and a game began. I have found the online community for this product very positive, an atmosphere that would be appropriate for kids as well as more "reserved" adults. Canned and custom comments can be sent to other players at the completion of a hole, but as the pacing is quite quick, the canned comments are usually all you have time to send.
In the first floor of the clubhouse, I saw between 20-40 people playing online the first day the game was released. I'm not sure how many people will be available as the game's release date gets further and further in the past. However, there are hours of challenge in the single player mode, but for those not usually interested in online play, I encourage you to give it a shot and know you will be pleasantly surprised. Online games tend go be completed in under 20 minutes for 9 holes. Short enough to pick up a quick game here and there to relax.
As listed on the packing, the game runs in 720p. Not the most exciting or demanding specifications, but it certainly is a step up from the PS2 version. It is hard to take the landscape too seriously, however with the cartoonish characters, it is really more about fun than photo-realism.
Sound is a mixed bag. From the voice welcoming you to Hot Shots golf in a nearly indecipherable voice to the "crickets" that are incredibly annoying, this is certainly NOT a game you will crank the volume up for. The music is something you might hear in an elevator, and if you did, you would probably be willing to jump out a few floors early and take the stairs. When I make a close chip to the hole the audience seems to convey disappointment rather than applause for the fine shot. It just seems like the sound is unpolished, the caddy "advice" certainly supports this. My advice, turn the sound down, the play and the visual and engrossing enough.
This game is probably not worth $59. CC had it for $10 off and Best Buy matched that price. Knowing what I do about the product, I would purchase it again at this price.