Proof that golf does work on a handheld…
After playing the greatness that is Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 on Wii, I was expecting to come down to Earth with a big thud for the PSP version of the same game. I didn’t expect to enjoy it after being hit with the golf club of revelation known as the Wii MotionPlus. So, what did I end up thinking after playing it?
While I can’t claim to enjoy it nearly as much as the Wii version. The PSP version is simply charming; it’s simplistic with its control and over all, its damn fun to play. For those PSP owners who don’t have a Wii, then this is a good enough compromise. Tiger Woods 10 works incredibly well on the system without sacrificing any features of its console rivals. It still maintains online/offline modes, the option to create your own golfer and even a new challenge mode which sets you targets like getting the ball in the hole in a certain number of shots.
The controls are simple. You use the analog stick to swing your club, while the right trigger boost the power of the backswing, and you can give the ball a curve in the air by using the analog stick also. When you are on the green, you can use the right trigger to get a good view of what kind of shot you need to take and the rest is upto you. It does become second nature quickly and before I knew it, I was pulling off great shots that I’ve never managed to do in any previous version apart from the latest Wii version.
To put it simply, this is the best handheld version of the series to date. It has everything that you would want from a Tiger Woods game; it’s almost the ultimate version and should please long-term fans who have been disappointed over Tiger’s past PSP performances.
In terms of performance, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 does well. It has great visuals, character models and courses are well detailed. Commentary is also of a high quality, which is impressive as a whole. You’d think that being a handheld version, they would cut corners all over the place (like a certain wizard’s latest outing on a different handheld) but luckily, this isn’t a watered down version. It’s one that can stand on its own two feet and for that, it’s pretty special.
The Verdict
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the PSP exceeded all my expectations. It contains everything that makes the series popular and adds in better control, it’s just a shame that it will mostly be overlooked by the outstanding Wii version…but for PSP owners, you could do a lot worse than take Tiger’s latest offering for a spin.
