C&VG


Zany Golf

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Machine: Amiga 500

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #89

Zany Golf

Being of feeble frame, I've never been one for participation in strenuous sporting events. But one place where my athletic prowess ranks alongside the greatest, is on the Crazy Golf course. However, in all my years of touring from Tynemouth to Blackpool, I've never seen a course as thoroughly crazy and downright fun to play as the ones in this game.

As its name suggests, Zany Golf is a step up from merely crazy, and features nine scrolling holes, populated with such delights as bouncing quarter-pounders with a ketchup-bumper, magic castles, pintables, force-shielded computers with laser guns and even uphill greens which have to be negotiated by blowing the ball along with electric fans! Amongst these oddities, the programmers have still found room for the good old windmill which appears on the same hole as the equally familiar lighthouse.

After being shown a plan of each hole, your ball (and those of up to three other players) starts on the tee, ready to putt. By clicking the mouse button and holding it, you stretch a line out from the ball which represents the strength and direction of the putt. The standard laws of physics apply concerning rebounds and momentum, but the ball does seem to travel a little too far when it looks like it should stop.

Zany Golf

You get a set quota of spare shots for every game and every putt over each hole's par is subtracted from that quota. You can gain bonus shots by finishing a hole under par, or completing stunt shots or, when the opportunity arises, hitting a fairy which appears on the green, and finishing a hole under a time limit.

The graphics throughout the game show a remarkable attention to detail and have obviously had hours of work spent over them all, from the stylish title screens and introductory sequences to the beautifully drawn and animated course scenery. The only fault I could possibly pick (with the ST version anyway) is the slightly jerky scrolling which appears when the ball puts on a burst of speed.

Each course has its own musical accompaniment, which usually takes the form of wacky fairground-style tunes. They're all very good, but they do tend to grind on a bit, which becomes irritating when you're trying to sink that crucial putt.

But I don't want to put Zany Golf down with such petty quibbles when it is a game deserving much praise. Play is such an enjoyable combination of luck and skill (with a bit of frustration thrown in for good measure) that you'll be coming back to it for ages. If alien blasting isn't your thing, rush out and buy this now - I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

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