Atari User
1st January 1987
Published in Atari User #21
Leader Board
After playing a few golf games on the Atari, including one featuring a player whose club action resembled a one-sailed windmill in a force six gale, I was despairing of a decent golf simulation.
Now Leaderboard, already available on the ST, has arrived for the 8 bit Atari. One to four players can take part, each choosing their level of play from 1 to 3. At the novice level, you only concentrate on selecting the club and the force of the shot.
Amateurs have the additional worry of hooking or slicing, and professionals also have the wind to contend with.
You then select the number of holes and the course. Each of the four courses is of eighteen holes consisting of two to four islands on a lake, the tee being on one and the green on another.
Having made your selections the first tee is displayed. Three-quarters of the screen is used for the playing area, the rest details your club, yardage to the hole, scores, wind and the power indicator.
Screens are drawn reasonably quickly, showing your player at the bottom of the screen and the view to the hole.
A cursor appears between the golfer and the hole. To aim, the cursor is moved to the direction in which you wish the ball to travel.
After choosing one of the thirteen clubs available, you start the swing by pressing the fire button, then release it to lock the power showing on the indicator.
On the two higher levels, pressing the button again determines whether you will hit a straight ball or, more likely, slice or hook.
Animation of the golfer is very good. After gracefully hitting the ball he follows through and watches as the ball lands, bounces and rolls to a stop.
Apart from the golfer and the perspective views, the graphics are only adequate - the lack of trees and bunkers detracts from the realism.
Having said that, the game is great fun to play and I have been hooked (and possibly sliced) on it since I bought it.
US Gold is soon to release a disc for £6.50, containing four new 18-hole courses, and this should keep me playing for quite some while to come.
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