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King of Clubs

Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 16:58
Ken's outfit for the Open was frowned upon by the older club members
Anyone who has ever spent a lazy summer afternoon at a cheerful summer resort in a UK seaside town will have drawn back the faithful putting blade to turn their hand at crazy golf.

This cheap, cheerful and thoroughly entertaining pastime has been brought to the Nintendo Wii in all its garish glory.

Set in Nevada, King of Clubs follows the exploits of Big Bubba, a clichéd Elvis impersonator, and his friends as they play their way through a number of themed courses.

From the opening sequence you get a flavour of the most impressive part of the game - its sharp humour. Almost everything in the game from the characters, a plethora of failed movie stars Hollywood rejects, to the course design is witty, both poking fun at and celebrating the tacky nature of the sport.

The graphics are, of course, not a patch on anything that has been released on the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360, but the jagged nature of the sprites seems to lend itself to the game retro charm.

So, despite not being visually stunning (and admittedly having a slightly tedious single player mode), King of Clubs has a surprising range of features to keep the player, plus an array of friends, entertained.

There are a number of different courses, starting out with a selection of prehistoric holes, which, when completed, unlock further settings, including Egyptian and futuristic-themed backdrops.

In addition, rewards and prizes can be picked up by collecting money on course or bettering records to unlock a range of specialist clubs and balls with different capabilities.

As mentioned earlier, the real depth of the game is in the multiplayer modes, where up to four friends can take part in a number of different challenges. For example, Golf Warriors randomizes clubs, courses and balls, adding an unpredictable element to the gameplay.

Unlike its more technically-blessed contemporaries, such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and Wii Sports Golf, King of Clubs uses the Wiimote both simply and freely, allowing anyone to pick up the controls with a simple flick of the wrist.

Like the Wii itself, King of Clubs focuses on playability. With the use of the Wiimote the game is entertaining and interactive, with substantial depth and variety, especially in multiplayer mode, making it almost as fun as the real thing.

8.5/10

Leigh Jackson


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