Everybody's Golf review

Those expecting a convincing display of Vita’s unique features from Everybody’s Golf will be disappointed. The rear touchpad can be used to pinpoint the distance of objects on the map, swipes on the screen rustle like wind through the trees, and you can take a firstperson wander around the course, panning the camera as you go. That’s your lot, and all are as pointless as they sound. Happily, the core mechanics are as digital as ever, the three-press control system being both precise and rewarding.

Offline, the principal time sink is Challenge Mode, a series of nine- and 18-hole games with point rewards for beating unseen CPU opponents. Points can be spent on costumes, new ball and club types, concept art, music and unlockable characters. There’s little incentive to play as the latter, though, since completing challenges levels up Loyalty, adding to your stock of power shots, which give you an extra ten yards on the stroke of your choice. As such, you’ll question the value in picking a new character who can drive a farther 15 yards off the tee, because it feels like a retrograde step from the one you’ve been using since you first loaded up the game.

Unadventurous Everybody’s Golf may be, but it’s wonderfully executed, and its presence at Vita’s launch is welcome. With their endlessly smiling characters, cheery J-tunes and bright skies, Everybody’s Golf titles are the best Nintendo-esque games a Sony console has ever seen, and this latest iteration is no exception. [7]