Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10/ Wii MotionPlus Review (Wii)

A golf clap isn't loud enough for this game.

Nintendo has inadvertently just released a piece of gaming hardware that makes the Wii Remote look like a duck without feathers; a.k.a. buck-ass naked. Wii MotionPlus brings 1 to 1 movement to your Wii console, giving you improved accuracy, and implementing a skill factor notably absent from previous motion based games. Waggle is gone, and movement has moved in. What is really a shame in all this joy, of course, is that many future Wii titles will still be MotionPlus-less. Regardless, developers will surely look at Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 as a classic example of what the tiny white attachment is capable of; taking a best selling golf game and making it flawless.

The main additions you'll notice in the game over previous Tiger Wii titles are the controls, the clean crisp interface and the new modes and mini games which now utilize MotionPlus' precise controls. The main golf exhibition mode still provides last year's newly created "All-Play" mode, designed for those who want a little extra help. The mode makes the game easier for novices by showing you exactly where your ball is going to go. For the most part, Basic and Advanced modes are where you'll be residing, the Advanced mode giving you few indicators and really leaving your game to pure skill.


Now onto the controls! What MotionPlus has done is revamp your traditional Wii-swing by reading the location of the MotionPlus in space, to put it as un-techy sounding as possible. By twisting ever-so-slightly on the Wii Remote, you can add draw or fade with ease, just as long as you keep that position throughout your full stroke. More so than ever, how hard you swing directly impacts how far your ball goes. If you played previous Tiger Wii titles, you might not be used to that and will find yourself hitting the ball around 60-70% of a full swing. You'll quickly get used to learning to swing harder, which only brings more realism to the title.

If the improved accuracy for driving your ball down the fairway has got you excited to try MotionPlus for yourself, you ain't seen nothing yet. Putting has gone from a curse to a pleasure. Previously, the Wii Remote could not accurately differentiate the proper median between a short soft putt and a hard long putt. Now, MotionPlus knows exactly what you want to accomplish. If your putting game suffers, it's because of you and not your controller, even more reason to throw your Wii Remote through your plasma.

Ahh,... a day at the beach

Tiger Woods 10 brings so many great features, I'm not sure if a year is enough time to enjoy this game. As previously implemented, the game utilizes the forecast channel to change the in game weather accordingly. Additionally, real time weather forecasts will adjust at courses around the globe. But enough about weather, the coolest new feature that Tiger 10 brings has to be the Live Tournament Mode, which allows gamers to play against the pros online. Professional golfers who will be competing in the PGA Tour will have their leaderboards updated immediately, giving you the chance to compete against their scores. Seriously, that goes above and beyond awesome.

The mini games are always a nice breath of fresh air, and with improved controls and accuracy, aiming to hit your golf ball through rings has never been more fun. But the much talked about bread and butter of Tiger 10 is the new Disc Golf game that capitalizes on that accuracy. Disc Golf, or Frisbee golf as you may know it locally, has you flick your wrist to send a Frisbee to the goal located on each green. Fun and inventive way to show off MotionPlus, especially considering Wii Sports Resort's plethora of mini-game fun won't hit store shelves for another 6 weeks in the US.

The Time:
You can play a round of golf in about 20 minutes or so, which may be time consuming for some. Gamers looking for a quick game can just jump into the different mini games or challenges offered. Overall golf titles typically aren't quick experiences, but they certainly are a breeze compared to the 4 hours spent on a real course.
(7.0/10)
*1 = time consuming, 10 = jump in, jump out

The Game:
Personally, I loved Tiger Woods '07 on Wii. I thought the game really achieved in making a great golf simulator. However, EA Sports took a wrong turn and Tiger '08 was abysmal. Every intentional advancement was two steps backwards in reality. Tiger '09 All Play finally got the franchise back on track, but still something was missing. Although redundant, Wii MotionPlus has changed the game, and now this year's Tiger is a must have for any SPORTS fan.
(10/10)

The Verdict:
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 out performs every golf software title ever made, due to the realism of mimicking your movements in a near perfect fashion. If you prefer a couch seated button mashing golf simulator, by all means purchase the HD versions. But if you want to play a golf title, chances are you like to play golf. And if you like to play golf, then you will love to play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for Wii.