Zzap


Multimixx 1
By Kixx
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #76

Multimixx 1

Originally released as Par 3, this golfer's paradise comprises Leader Board, World Class Leader Board and Leader Board Tournament.

Unsurprisingly, all play very similarly. Your golfer is presented in front of a 3D view of the hole. After selecting your club and aiming your shot left/right, you perform a swing via a proven control system.

Just hold down fire to start the power bar rising, release to select power, then press fire again to stop a second falling bar on the line for a straight shot (stop it too early and you'll hook the shot to the left; too late and you'll slice it to the right). Wind makes hitting a straight shot even trickier but is thankfully only active at the hardest (Professional) of the three skill levels. Once you eventually get onto the green, you can putt by aiming left/right to take account of any slope and then setting the power.

Both Leader Board and Leader Board Tournament allow up to four players to play 18-72 holes on any of four courses. The main hazard is the water which surrounds the holes, some of which are even split into different islands.

World Class Leader Board also allows four players to compete, but there's a separate load for each of the four courses, and a short painless multi-load for each hole. This is due to the extra complexity of holes with the added hazards of bunkers and trees. Shots from rough ground and sand require extra power and accuracy to compensate for the 'dampening' effect of the terrain.

If you get stuck beneath trees, you can select a special low-flying 'punch' shot to go under the branches. Sometimes you won't be able to see the hole from your position, so the overhead view comes in handy.

Verdict

Classics like the Leader Board series never seem to age; they're as playable now as they always were, and great fun with two or more players competing.

With twelve varied courses, this compilation scores a hole in one for value.