Nintendo Wii owners continue to play golf in Wii Sports and Tecmo's wacky Super Swing Golf (the only game to officially endorse a smiling lunch bag as a caddy). However, that didn't stop EA Sports from producing its own golf game for the system, one with a much more serious approach. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 should have appeared during the Wii launch, but "better late than never" certainly applies here.
Golfers can challenge each other in Stroke Play, Match Play, Skins Play (winning over certain holes) and a few others. The Wii version includes different variations of these games, including Bloodsome, One-Ball and Greensome. These awkwardly named modes let players decide who takes what shot on the course, with each one containing slightly different variations. The Tiger Challenge mixes a lot of these events together, with the overall goal to make the player more efficient in their golf performance. Sadly, the lack of online play can't be overlooked, especially considering how huge a difference it made in other console versions of Tiger Woods 07.
Create-a-Player mode continues to be robust as the player works through a set of attributes in an attempt to create themselves digitally. For those not up to the task of building the perfect golfer, several PGA tour pros may be chosen, including Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and even a couple of pros from the LPGA tour (sorry, no Michelle Wie). Eighteen courses await would-be golfers, including the National, the K Club and Pebble Beach.
Unlike previous versions, this one features motion sensitive controls. Players grip the Wii remote like an actual golf club, performing the back and forth motions and holding the trigger button to launch the ball. The game wisely includes the option to take practice swings, with the results of each swing showing on-screen to give them an idea of how they come off. The game plays very fluidly, with excellent swing mechanics. Very rarely will a player run into any problems with a hook or a slice -- unless their natural golf swing sucks to begin with. They can also aim the targeting reticule on the course by "gripping it" with a virtual glove and moving it around to set up their ideal shot. Putting requires some practice, but eventually starts to feel natural after sinking a few balls. For those not up to waving their arms around like a golfing maniac, Tiger Woods offers an alternate control scheme, where players use the Nunchuk's analog stick to set up the swinging motions -- perfect for those tired after a long day from playing the real thing.
Tiger Woods' graphics could've used some tidying up. Trees look pixilated, the frame rate sputters from time to time and some other course details (especially the water) are less than attractive. On the flip side, the audio sounds very good. Gary McCord and David Feherty continue to provide lively, spontaneous commentary, and the sound effects make do with little ambient noises and enthusiastic crowd reactions.
Graphic flaws aside, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 serves up an adequate game of golf. The course selection, respectable number of modes and solid game play make it worth a rental. To the golfing nuts out there, it could even be worthy of a purchase.
Final Score: 7 (out of 10)
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