Console gamers don't have much choice when it comes to simulation golf games. There's plenty of fun, arcadey golf games to go around, the highlights being Mario Golf and Hot Shots. But when it comes to simulations on consoles, the Tiger Woods series has had a monopoly. Until now that is. At last, Links 2004 will hit the Xbox in a few weeks, bringing the Tiger Woods/Links battle for golf supremacy on the PC to the console front.

Anybody who's interested in golf games in the slightest has to have played or at least heard of Links. It is the definitive golf game, with beautifully recreated authentic courses and uber realistic physics with the "feel" of real golf. All of that is intact in the Xbox version, but the highlight of the console debut has got to be the impressive graphics engine built completely from scratch.

Let me explain how the visuals were like on the PC. While your golfer was animated nicely with a 3D model, the backgrounds were completely static. The courses were gorgeous, and the accuracy was down to a tee, but it was strangely disorienting hitting shots around on a still picture. It felt like some sort of apocalyptic nightmare where the entire world had been flattened. Of course, the actual golfing was to die for, so fans put up with the outdated visuals and hoped Microsoft would someday get a clue from the rapidly improving Tiger Woods series that was going 3D.

That has now been completely fixed in Links 2004, with a phenomenal, fully 3D graphics engine. Water effects, a weak point in the otherwise stunning eye candy of Tiger Woods 2004, are breathtaking on Links. What's more, the holes on course are well-animated, with squirrels running around, ducks that fly away when a shot hits the water, and waves pounding the beach. Sun-cast shadows that vary in length depending on the day are an especially nice touch.

Aside from the graphics, Links plays pretty much the same as it does on the PC, which is just fine. The Real-time Swing is like the analog swing in Tiger Woods where you mimic a real life swing by pushing the joystick back and then forward for the follow-through. It is very intuitive and easy to hit a power drive down the fairway on the first shot. As with any golf game, the auto-caddy helps pick out a club for you, but you're free to be more creative and create your own shots. There's also a variety of shot types to choose from that are best suited for appropriate situations.

The meat of the single player game is in create-a-player, where you select various skill attributes, personality, and clothing for your personal golfer. Then you lead him through a career, starting from the bottom and working your way up to the Tour. It's pretty traditional but will still offer quite a bit of gameplay. Of course, you can always select from any number of tour pros (with coverboy Sergio Garcia leading the pack) and hit up various courses in any number of standard gameplay modes.

Then, there's the full XSN support with Live. While Tiger Woods 2004 only allows 1-on-1 online play with the PS2, Links 2004 will allow foursome play. As with all XSN titles, tournaments can easily be set up, and you can compete with all the other people online for glory and to make your way up the online leaderboards. There has even been some talk thrown around about downloadable courses, which would very nicely supplement the courses available. If done right, having these add-on courses available for download through Live would be a major feature for Links.

I gotta admit, I've always been partial to Links over Tiger Woods. However, Tiger Woods 2004 has certainly wowed me and will certainly give Links 2004 some competition. Still, the new kicked up graphics, the classic gameplay, and the Live support are a killer combo in Links' favor. Links 2004 is definitely going to be a winner this holiday season.