In short? This game is horrible. Wii Sports Golf is easily a better game, and that comes on a disc with the console along with several other games. Stick with that.
A minigolf game on the Wii could work really well. A large variety of imaginatively designed courses and controls that actually resemble playing minigolf… if done well, it could be great fun. This game is not done well.
Firstly, the controls are incredibly unintuitive. Aiming works fine, but when it comes to swinging, you have to hold A and swing the Wiimote to get the power level up to determine how hard you hit. This seems fine, but your character doesn’t actually move while you’re swinging the Wiimote – only the power meter does – and there is no real indicator of distance or where your ball will end up. What the hell is the point of this? Did Wii Sports Golf teach nothing? Without the added fun and sense of realism that comes with swinging the Wiimote as your character swings the club, all that swinging does is replace holding a button. With such an obviously better control scheme having been around since the console launch (and indeed supplied with every console bought), it’s baffling as to why they didn’t rip it off entirely or make a slightly better scheme.
If you collect enough coins, you can use them to buy a better game.
So after falling at the first and most important hurdle, the game has already lost the race, but let’s keep going anyway. The characters are annoying. You have limited options with which to customise your boy/girl/ man/woman, but, regardless of your choices, your character will turn into a giant ponce. After each hole, he dances around like a complete douche, before being hit in the head with a golf ball (that seemingly comes out of the ether) and falling down. It’s like they want you to hate the character. The announcer is much worse though, and features some of the most annoying voice acting in a game ever. Think creepy uncle that no-one likes, and then make him more patronising and irritating.
If his name is 'Cheater', shouldn't he have a hole-in-one on every hole?
The course design is also disappointing. There are around 9 courses, each with three holes and their own unique theme (like barnyard, or prehistoric). This is a small amount of courses, and none are particularly exciting. Ball physics aren’t great, and in most cases you’re better off just smacking the ball in the general direction of the hole and hoping for the best. The developers have tried to spice things up by placing coins on the course (that you can use to buy clothing for your character), as well as evil coins (that kill puppies and take away five of your regular coins). Annoyingly, it is often hard to avoid the evil coins due to the unpredictability of some of the holes, and it is often very easy to pick up three or four evil coins on a course and lose all your regular coins. It smacks of something that wasn’t thought through properly.
You could probably see all the game has to offer in a couple of hours, and the game modes on offer aren’t particularly enthralling. It’s either single player or multiplayer, and you choose each hole one at a time. No career mode, no tournaments. How dull. Obviously, multiplayer is more enjoyable, but you’re better off just going down to the local minigolf course with a couple of mates and playing a couple of rounds. It’ll last just as long as this game, and be infinitely more enjoyable. Give it a miss.
By watchers_eye
Graphics: D+
Bright and colourful, but nothing you haven’t seen in a poor GCN game.
Sound: D-
Annoying announcer, and forgettable everything else.
Gameplay: D-
Sigh.
Overall: D-
More shovelware for the Wii. When will it end?
Hi, we have bought Carnival mini golf, set up out players, but can’t get the screen where you can change players cloths and only have 3 courses unlocked HOW DO YOU UNLOCK THE OTHER 6?
Just by playing the game.