#Hot shots golf series#

Now, the game automatically switches to an approach mode when you get closer than 60 yards to the hole, and it switches to a superapproach mode when you're closer than 30 yards. Additionally, you can set your ball spin while the power/accuracy meter is in motion, allowing more advanced players to do cool things like slice the ball around obstacles or land the ball softly once it hits the green. While this tried-and-true method works well, it would have been nice to see HSG2 implement an analog-control scheme - similar to that in Tiger Woods 2000 - to let you choose the scheme you are most comfortable with. Hot Shots Golf 2 brings back the classic power/accuracy meter for hitting the ball - press the x button to start the meter, again to set the stroke's power, and once again to set the stroke's accuracy.

#Hot shots golf series#

On top of that, with a single button press you can change to a bird's-eye view of the hole, letting you plan not only that one shot, but also a series of shots with ease. Hot Shots Golf 2 lets you easily switch cameras, and it instantly lets you view the course from almost any camera angle - using a simple zoom-and-pan system that's incredibly easy to master. When you can't read the wind by watching the clouds, you can toss up grass to help you judge from which direction and how hard the wind is blowing. Wind changes, ball spin, and the lie of your ball are all things to keep an eye on when planning your shot. Everything that you would expect from a realistic golfing sim is here. The gameplay is where Hot Shots Golf 2 really shines. You can spend these points on unlocking various things in the game - from better equipment to secret modes. Like Hot Shots Golf, HSG2 uses an experience-points system - you gain a certain amount of points by playing in any game mode besides training. Each character has his own strengths and weaknesses - from ball control to arc type - making a sizable difference between players' game styles. If you win the match, you'll unlock that character for play in all the other modes. mode lets you challenge one of the ten hidden characters to an 18-hole course of your choice.

Beating the tournament mode unlocks new courses for you to play on, while the vs. There's a simple four-player stroke game, a par three nine-hole game, a two-player match play, and one-player tournament, training, and vs. Once you feel like you've mastered the concepts of golfing Hot Shots style, you can choose one of six different games. You can simply launch yourself into a game, or you can explore the various menus, and you can even learn everything there is to know about the game with its detailed tutorial section. But not only does it fill those shoes, it also stretches them a little - as Hot Shots Golf 2 is more than a worthy successor to the original.įrom the get go, Hot Shots Golf 2 is easy to get into.

As the first game to follow in Hot Shot's footsteps, Hot Shots Golf 2 has some big shoes to fill. Hot Shots Golf successfully united both factions, giving sim fans the realistic golfing engine they desired but tossing in enough spice and simplicity to hold the interest of arcade fans. Until Hot Shots Golf came along, the world of video-game golf was split into two factions - gamers that preferred hard-core simulation-style golfing games, and those who wanted more of an unrealistic, arcade feel to their golfing experience.