Sms ~ Great Golf Review

Overview

Great Golf is one of Sega's old "Great" sport series. The name "Great Golf" suggests a no-frills type sports game. No fancy show off graphics or sound, just plain old simple golf. And that is what we get.

Gameplay

Playing this game is simple. Hit the ball into the hole. Unlike most of the latest golf games, Great Golf is very easy grab hold of for the novice. It is quite similar to Microsoft's Fuji Golf using a vertical bar swing system. The game plays well due to it's such self explanatory nature. Choose your club, position your foot, aim your shot, then swing your club. Although I didn't find much difference in the positioning of the foot, it seemed interesting enough anyway. Besides that, the gameplay itself is far too ordinary to be considered something very good.

5.5 out of 10

Graphics

Even though the game is relatively old, the graphics engine still looks impressive by the way each scene is generated after every shot. The ball even shows up on the overhead map going together with the main screen. Otherwise I could just say everything looks plain and simple. Green for grass, blue for the sky and brown for the sand.

3.75 out of 5

Sound and Music

The only music that plays is when you make it to the putting green. Like the graphics, the sound is plain and simple. Just beeps and toots from the limited sound generating capabilities of a Sega Master System. There are some strange sound effects. Such as when you make a powerful hit, there will be this screaming sound. I can't figure out whether it's the golfer himself or sound effects for the club shot, but whatever it is, it makes the game look very dumb.

2.75 out of 5

Playability and Versatility

The controls are very easy to grab hold of. Select the position of the right foot, aim the shot, then swing the club.

With its vertical bar swing system, all you do is select the amount of power from this automatic up and down moving red meter by pushing the button, then you will hit the ball. This makes the game perhaps too easy to play because the red meter moves too slow anyway, making it too easy to select the power you want. Then again, the challenge comes in when you're trying to judge between the distance wanted and the power of the shot.

You will be unlikely to even want to replay the game after completing all 18 holes, which will take you about three quarters of an hour as it soon becomes tiresome and repetitive.

3 out of 5

Options

Quite limited really. Up to 4 players can play alternating turns and up to two players in match-up mode. No tournament modes though. Due to such slow moving nature of golf, I doubt that you would put up taking turns with three other players. If you did, it can take up to or over 2 hours to complete the entire course depending on how good the you are. There is only one golf course available, but for golf game like this, one course is really all you need.

2 out of 5

Conclusion

A pretty average golf game and there were better ones in it's day. Great Golf? Err... Not so great after all!

For: very easy to get hold of, good graphics, right foot positioning interesting, challenging to get the ball where you want it.

Against: average sounds, some dumb sound effects, swing system too easy, limited options, becomes tiresome and repetitive.

Platform:

Sega Master System

Genre: Sports, Golf

Producer: Sega

Year: 1987

Runs on: Meka

Scoring Summary

Gameplay: 5.5 out of 10

Graphics: 3.75 out of 5

Sound and Music:

2.75 out of 5

Playability and Versatility: 3 out of 5

Options: 2 out of 5

Total: 17 out of 30

Overall:

57%

~Reviewed by Twirl