Hot Shots Golf FORE! is MORE Than Just Another Sequel

by Louis Bedigian

“One of the best things about the multiplayer online mode is that gamers get to play with up to 50 people simultaneously.”

You work hard all your life.  You save lots of money and force yourself to live on a budget.  On that fateful day when you retire, you finally get to live the life of luxury that you’ve always dreamed of.  Your only responsibility: to improve your golf score.

Then your grandson Timmy comes over for a visit.  He brought along his PlayStation 2 and encourages old gramps to play.

“You run along and enjoy your next-generation what-cha-ma-call-its.  I’ll just watch.”

“But grandpa, I just got a brand-new game!”  Timmy pops Hot Shots Golf FORE! into the PS2.

Grandpa’s interest is piqued by the wacky intro.  Five hours later he covers his face in shame.

“Oh Timmy, what have I done?  I’ve spent my whole life saving money so that I could one day retire and play golf all day.  But now I realize that I could have blown every penny and spent my retired years playing Hot Shots Golf FORE! with you.”

Saving money sure can be painful.  It happened to grandpa, and it could happen to you when the game is released next month.  Taku Imasaki (Producer) and Maya Rogers (Assistant Producer) give us several reasons why we should kick the real thing and spend our days inside with PlayStation 2.

 

Hot Shots Golf was one of the first golf games I ever played.  It was easy to learn but difficult to master, creating the perfect dose of addictiveness.  How has the game evolved since that time?

The Hot Shots Golf franchise has been famous for its replay value. Plain and simple – it's challenging and fun to play at the same time.  The Hot Shots Golf franchise is known for fast paced arcade style gameplay with an intuitive control system.  Hot Shots Golf FORE! features more in-depth true-to-life golf physics, extremely detailed graphics, new and returning off-the-wall characters, real life golf courses as well as fun, wacky courses, and the new this year – online gaming.  Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) boasts the largest online console gaming community in North America with close to 3 million gamers with online connectivity and we add 100,000 new users each month... to put that in perspective that's like filling up the Rose Bowl every month. By the end of 2004 SCEA will have more than 100 online-enabled titles available for PlayStation 2, which will include Hot Shots Golf FORE!

Are the controls still easy to learn, even for gamers who have never played a golf game before?

The controls are very easy to learn, but difficult to master.  It uses a very intuitive three point click system, once to active swing meter, once to set power, and finally once to set impact.  Also, a new feature has been brought to Hot Shots Golf FORE! called Easy Mode, which allows first time players and people of any age jump into the game right away with a click of a button.

Looks peaceful, doesn’t it?

Presumably the difficulty will increase with each course, but can any difficulty adjustments be made before starting a game?

There are several ways to adjust difficulty before you start a round. One way to adjust difficulty is through choosing the right characters.  Each character has different attributes (strengths and weaknesses to their game – much like that of real golfers) and the attributes that the characters have will affect their play, so choose a character that best fits the gamer and the needs of the course you want to play.  But choose wisely, as the more talented the player, the more difficult it will be to master that player.

Additionally, the Easy Mode is yet another feature the gamer can use to adjust the difficulty of the game.  Simply select the button in the confirmation screen, and the game will automatically start in the Easy Mode.

Lastly, there are 'back tee' options and 'mirrored course' options for
those players who have unlocked those features.

That's the beauty of Hot Shots Golf FORE! – it appeals to people and golfers of all ages and gamers of all types.  It's look and friendliness appeals to casual gamers, yet its depth and all the hidden items and character upgrade features appeal to the hard-core gamers.  It's not just a game for golf lovers and gamers... it's golf for the people.

What can we expect from the courses and approximately how many will there be?

There are 15 courses all together, including Miniature Golf – which for the insiders reading this, they'll know that it has been brought back by popular demand.  Expect to see some real life courses as well as fun wacky course that only the Hot Shots Golf franchise can offer.  Once a gamer masters a course, they can select playing back tee on that course, or a Mirrored course which provides double the fun and challenge. Additionally, different weather conditions and seasons affect the courses too, so the options are almost unlimited.

Hot Shots Golf FORE! has sold more than one million copies in Japan.

How many play modes are being designed for the game?  Could you tell us a little bit about them?

In Single Player mode, there are: Tournament, VS Mode, Mini Game, and
Training Modes. In Multiplayer mode, there's the conventional offline mode,
and then there is the new Online Mode.  Pick a mode, any mode:

Tournament – play 18 holes in a stroke game.

VS Mode – battle the Hot Shots Golf FORE! characters in a 9-hole intensive match.

Mini Game – play one par 3 short course, or 2 Miniature golf courses.

Training – practice a course that you have unlocked, in Normal Mode from the beginning or in the Putter Mode from the green.

Online Mode – challenge anyone across the country in a head-to-head Rival Mode or play in the Tournament Mode which allows simultaneous play for up to 50 people.  Get a good score in the Tournament Mode and your scores might make the Hot Shots Golf FORE! Rankings.

Hot Shots Golf Fore! has excellent visuals.  Is a new engine in play?

Hot Shots Golf 3 had great graphics, but when you step into the world of Hot Shots Golf FORE!... well, gamers will notice the difference right off the first tee. With the implementation of engine in play. Hot Shots Golf FORE! features new camera angles which make shots look more dramatic and additional graphic effects were added to the "nice shots" and secret shots, encouraging the players to aim for them.  Additionally, we have implemented new visual effects to make the surrounding environments even more organic and true to life.  Gamers will notice the difference everywhere from the character's hair/clothes movement, the leaves swaying in the air, the amazing water graphics and so on.  Game on!

Regarding the characters, who's new to the game and who's returning from the previous titles?  Also, will the characters in the American version differ from those in the Japanese version?

Hot Shots Golf FORE! has a mix of returning characters from Hot Shots Golf 3, characters from the Japanese version and new characters that were created just for Hot Shots Golf FORE!  Also, there may be special cameo appearances from other PlayStation 2 favorites...

If my birdie hit a ducky, would they call it a bucky?

One of the most desired features is the game's online multiplayer mode.  What can players expect from it?

Fun, fun and more fun.  One of the best things about the multiplayer online mode is that gamers get to play with up to 50 people simultaneously.  They can play a round by themselves, see where they rank in at the end of each hole, chat with others in between holes and check out their stats, and if they rank high in the tournament, they might make it to the Top Rankings!

Are there any offline multiplayer features?

 

There are offline multiplayer features just as it were in all the past Hot Shots games.  Playable up to four players, the Multiplayer Mode lets gamers play a game with their friends and family at home.  Gamers can play either the Stroke Play or Match Play, and the play is looks and feels like the real game of golf with others on the course with them.

And as with real life golf, one of the cool factors of Hot Shots Golf FORE! is that within the Multiplayer Mode, gamers can utilize different taunts to distract their opponents.  It really adds to the whole experience of Hot Shots Golf FORE!

 

Thank you for your time.