Posted by Aries on

Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 2006 ; Tiger is on fire!
By: Aries0968

I love golf, there really is no better way to spoil a good walk, but the transition from green to game has always been fraught with an uneasy balance of realistic physics and playability. With this in mind I have always approached golf games at a one woods length, and tentatively picked it up as though it was the stroke that could ruin my handicap, little did I know then that this PSP game would take up residence in my PSP for almost two weeks (I play 24/7, this game isn’t a short game).

Tiger Woods PGA 2006 is almost flawless as a Golf Sim., with an interactive environment that rivals any of the games from its console counterparts, and it keeps the difficulty level just on the upper edge of challenging without ever making it unplayable. Add to this with the all new challenge mode where you can play against some of the best & brightest in the real-world like Jack Nicklaus & Steve Ballesteros, and this game becomes one the best. But crazily I’m not done yet; to those add fantastic WI-FI options and you have a top of the range Golf Sim. with all the trimmings in the palm of your hand.

However despite some truly advanced game play, Tiger Woods: PGA 2006 seems somewhat crushed. Even with the PSP’s ample screen size, anything short of a quick nine holes is almost out of the question as to unlock any of the new courses. In order to unlock courses you must play a full round, this can not only be time consuming but very frustrating unless your willing to leave your PSP on standby, and just keep going on to that next hole. This is due to the issue that there is no way to save mid-round, but that said, if you have the patients to continue to carve your way through the game you will find yourself enthralled and awed by what is in effect :  An Golfers’ dream come true.

Graphics – Lush verdant greens are a welcome distraction from the normal war torn fare available to the PSP 9/10

Sound – The wiitter of birds, the twack of wood on balls, the russle of the wind in the trees, and the roar of the crowd make you feel as if your welcome to paly in the PGA Tour 8/10

Controls – The Tiger franchise always excels on ease of use, and the PSP version is no exception. 7/10

Gameplay – Nothing short of stealing Tigers’ clubs will get you closer to the green then these graphics 9/10

Difficulty – Although at first your all but nurse-maided through the game, later in the game you will be all, but gnashing your teeth at missing that one foot putt. 7/10

Multiplayer Options – The challenges of the AI are effective, nothing is more fun than destroying a friend on the green or hitting that perfect birdy while your friend crys’ on his caddy’s shoulder. Just like real life ….9/10

Replay Value – Golf is a game you won’t walk away from if you love it and having access to all the courses of the PGA in hand will cause you to lose sleep every night. 8/10

Overall – Exceptional in every respect, as a golf game that challenges you to win the PGA Tour this is one of the best golf games on the psp to date, and is a must buy if you are a golf fan, now I’m off for another round…….9/10