The main golf simulation in this year's version seems to be about the same as before, but EA has added a number of mini-games in the Party Mode. These activities range from hitting balls at targets to driving around in the ball truck at a driving range. There is also a feature called Ball Battle, which can be used in any of the Party Mode games that involve actually hitting a golf ball. Each player gets a certain number of tokens, and spending one after a ball is hit will start the Ball Battle. The camera zooms in on the ball, and all players (including the person who just hit the ball) can use the Wii Remote pointer to drag and spin the ball, changing its direction and backspin. You have to be fast, because the ball continues falling to the ground while this sub-game takes place.
As with the new Madden All-Play, this game seems like a big step forward for casual fans or anyone with friends or family who will want to join in. For more serious gamers, it remains to be seen whether the revised swinging controls are enough reason to buy yet another Tiger Woods game.
