We Love Golf = Minna No Golf Wii Waggle Version

[Lyte Edge]

We Love Golf is a return to simple, easy to pick and play golfing from Camelot, the original developer of Minna No Golf and the Mario Golf series.

The game should be instantly familiar to anyone who has played these games before: Pick a character, select a course, and get your golf on by accurately hitting the right power and accuracy points on the sliding bar at the bottom of the screen. Only this time, you're using the Wiimote to do this. Basically, you bring the Wiimote upwards, like you would swing a real club, matching up the on-screen golf club as accurately to the best spot on the right side of the bar, but instead of quickly swinging down, you then watch this selected area slide down the bar towards the left accuracy point and flick the controller gently to get the closest possible match. This works flawlessly, and while the game lacks caddies, instead you have a talking Wiimote icon on screen that speaks to you, telling you when to make the shot, how accurate you are, and cheering you on as you play. I'm as much a novice in golf games as you can get, but I found myself making amazingly accurate shots and scoring birdies in no time. The game starts off almost too easy, but I'm certain it will get harder the more that gets opened up.

You start with two default characters and one course, and can compete against CPU opponents in match play and go through the tournament mode to unlock more. There are at least eight characters total in the game; not sure about the number of courses yet. There's also several types of mini games available, plus a training mode. And in multiplayer, you can even use your Miis as your player characters. Your Miis will also appear in the tournament mode, giving you a hand when you win a trophy; the game is basically just using the Mii heads with the default game character body types.

The bonus Capcom characters appear to be in the game in the form of alternate outfits for the WLG cast. There are character skins like Ryu and Chun-Li from Street Fighter, Pearl from Phoenix Wright, Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, and Arthur from Ghouls N Ghosts. If you check out promotional movie #2 on the WLG site, you can see some of the Capcom characters. http://www.capcom.co.jp/golf/movie/index.html There were also some interesting names on the tournament leaderboards, too, like "Leon S. Kennedy, Albert Wesker, Dante, Virgil, and Trish." I wonder if all these Capcom characters are in the game, or if this is just an easter egg? Each game character does have four bonus outfits to unlock, and I'm assuming they're all for the Capcom skins.

Compared with Tecmo's recently-released Swing Golf Pangya! 2, We Love Golf has a more colorful look, a smoother frame rate (there is no slowdown), and an overall clearer, cleaner image. But Pangya's more physical approach to using the Wiimote feels closer to gripping a golf club than We Love Golf's more simpler, easier style. Right now, I'd say I definitely prefer We Love Golf over Pangya! 2. Actually, I pretty much prefer it to any golf game out right now.

[speedpop]

Camelot are the only company to make golf games fun.

[Plinko]

I want this game.

Camelot golf = win

[maxmars]

Sure took the world long enough to make a good Golf game for the Wii..

[Shaheed79]

This and Wii love Tennis are must buys. NTM Golden Sun 3 for Wii is comin our way thank God Camelot still loves Nintendo because until now most every Wii sports game especially Tiger Woods 08 suck because lazy developers aren't researching and learning the controls properly. I knew Camelot wouldn't let us down.

[kurosawa]

Sounds nice, but why didn't they just replicate the (simple yet extremely fun) swing mechanics of Wii Sports?

[rakka]

This and Wii love Tennis are must buys.

when was this announced?

[jts]

Sure took the world long enough to make a good Golf game for the Wii..

The golf game in Wii Sports is awesome! It only needs (much) more holes :(

[Lambtron]

God I want this so bad. Why can't the Wii be region free?? :(

[rhfb]

The golf game in Wii Sports is awesome! It only needs (much) more holes :(

No it isn't. The controls are horrid. As an avid golfer I'll have to try this once it does come out.

[kurosawa]

No it isn't. The controls are horrid. As an avid golfer I'll have to try this once it does come out.

Horrid? In a golfer point of view or a gamer one?
Because, as a gamer, those are the most satisfying controls of all golf games on the Wii.

But judging by your answer, I wouldn't be too optimistic about this one: you have to match the animations on screen, from what i read.

[rhfb]

Horrid? In a golfer point of view or a gamer one? Because, as a gamer, those are the most satisfying controls of all golf games on the Wii. But judging by your answer, I wouldn't be too optimistic about this one: you have to match the animations on screen, from what i read.

As a golfer. That being said it is the only golf game I've tried so far, its just that the system usually registers something totally different from the swing you are trying to do.

[jts]

No it isn't. The controls are horrid. As an avid golfer I'll have to try this once it does come out.

I'm no avid golfer but i just love it. I don't know what's wrong with the controls except maybe for putting.

It only needs 54 to 72 holes + online and i'd buy it full price

[kurosawa]

As a golfer. That being said it is the only golf game I've tried so far, its just that the system usually registers something totally different from the swing you are trying to do.

Well, I'm no golfer, but from what i tried with Tiger Woods and read from Pangya and this one... the game golfers want is not out yet.

[grandjedi6]

when was this announced?

It wasn't, however it was trademarked

[donkey show]

when was this announced?

I second this motion. I need a Wii tennis game besides Wii sports already. My dream of Prince of Tennis Wii is already crushed. =(

EDIT: nvm, thanks for the info on it being trademarked. I'd love to rock some Tennis with Sakura and Dante.

[kottila]

Horrid? In a golfer point of view or a gamer one? Because, as a gamer, those are the most satisfying controls of all golf games on the Wii. But judging by your answer, I wouldn't be too optimistic about this one: you have to match the animations on screen, from what i read.

Well, if remove the random fades or draws when you hit over 100% and let us put our own fade/draw on the ball, plus change the putting a little bit, it would be fantastic.

[Lyte Edge]

Forgot to mention that when you're getting ready to take a shot or putt, simply moving the Wiimote upwards will take you to different course views; moving it downwards takes you back to the shot position. It's so slick.

[DevelopmentArrested]

Should I buy Panyga (SSG 2) or wait for this to come stateside?

[Mdk7]

Sure took the world long enough to make a good Golf game for the Wii..

yay, but we better not think about tennis...
I mean Wii Sport tennis is already awesome, but the potential for something much deeper is incredible...and it's still there! :(

Thanks for the hands on, it sounds really cool (even if i was expecting something a little bit more "dynamic"): can't wait to try it in 2009, when it will come out here in Pal Land!

[grandjedi6]

Haha So you really can play as crudly skinned versions of Pearl and Apollo Justice

Should I buy Panyga (SSG 2) or wait for this to come stateside?

I'd wait for this

[Lyte Edge]

Should I buy Panyga (SSG 2) or wait for this to come stateside?

I haven't put too much time into Pangya! 2, but if I was only getting one, it would have to be We Love Golf.

[1-D_FTW]

Glad to see the positive comments The list of games that'll convince me to repurchase a Wii is growing, but this is the game that leads the pack. Hope everyone has equally positive comments about We Love Golf.

Sounds nice, but why didn't they just replicate the (simple yet extremely fun) swing mechanics of Wii Sports?

Probably because it's difficult to market a game that has controls that appear broken at the outset.

No it isn't. The controls are horrid. As an avid golfer I'll have to try this once it does come out.

They're pretty awesome once you learn the rules of how to swing. But, yeah, you can't play like it's an actual golf game. Cause the remote can't accurately handle movements that are that quick, so they've basically slowed everything down. If you play using only your wrists, you can "speed limit" your swing pretty effectively.

I'm no avid golfer but i just love it. I don't know what's wrong with the controls except maybe for putting. It only needs 54 to 72 holes + online and i'd buy it full price

I think the putting is the one thing that does replicate the real world swing effectively.

[jesusraz]

Thanks for the impressions, Lyte Edge. I never took to Pangya! and wasn't sure if the sequel had improved much. But to be honest, the more I hear about WLG, I'm thinking of passing up Tecmo's effort until they decide to include a robust online element.

It wasn't, however it was trademarked

Along with 'We Love Baseball'...I wonder which would come first, though?

[zeroshiki]

Camelot are the only company to make golf games fun.

Clap Hanz?

[bumpkin]

Lyte Edge: How different is Pangya 2 from the first one in terms of controls and the motion detection? I liked the first Pangya, but the swing mechanic felt a little disjointed because you had to backswing, pause, then do your follow through. It wasn't very "realistic" in that respect; shitty tempo can fuck up a real life golf swing.

[Lyte Edge]

Clap Hanz is just following Camelot's lead, but I always find that I prefer Camelot's efforts over theirs. I'm just glad that Camelot isn't making Mario games anymore. :P

Lyte Edge: How different is Pangya 2 from the first one in terms of controls and the motion detection? I liked the first Pangya, but the swing mechanic felt a little disjointed because you had to backswing, pause, then do your follow through. It wasn't very "realistic" in that respect; shitty tempo can fuck up a real life golf swing.

I can't say. I got the first game at the Japanese Wii launch but played it for about two minutes. The game being 480i only made it look absolutely atrocious on my TV, and the frame rate was choppy. I'm not normally such a graphics whore, but that just completely turned me off to the game and I never played it again. Pangya 2 is 480p and much smoother, at the least.

But I do believe the backswing -> pause -> follow through mechanic is still the same.

[Psychotext]

Excellent. My mother loves playing golf games and other than Wii Sports the golf games on the Wii have been meh so far. Day one.

[AstroLad]

I will not just stand idly by and watch the finest golf game developer, Clap Hanz, have their name besmirched like this. But yes Camelot is the finest Wii golf game developer. Let's find some common ground here.

[cjrocksforever]

the game golfers want is not out yet.

Give me a golf game for the wii that will replicate my swing (similar to wii sports), but also let it measure my power (club head speed) to justify distance. This game seems to be good, but being a golfer myself, i would rather play super swing because it is the closest game to replicate an actual golf swing (besides wii sports)

[Lyte Edge]

I will not just stand idly by and watch the finest golf game developer, Clap Hanz, have their name besmirched like this. But yes Camelot is the finest Wii golf game developer. Let's find some common ground here.

Camelot is better, that's all. No one's hating on Clap Handz though.

[zeroshiki]

Camelot is better, that's all. No one's hating on Clap Handz though.

So you totally missed this?

Camelot are the only company to make golf games fun.

Not to mention it being patently false.

[Lyte Edge]

So you totally missed this? Not to mention it being patently false.

Guess I did. That's a load o' crap. Actually my favorite golf game is still Neo Turf Masters.

[grandjedi6]

Give me a golf game for the wii that will replicate my swing (similar to wii sports), but also let it measure my power (club head speed) to justify distance. This game seems to be good, but being a golfer myself, i would rather play super swing because it is the closest game to replicate an actual golf swing (besides wii sports)

ew, your username is too fucking long

[Teddman]

If there were a Wii Freeloader, I'd pick up We Love Golf as an Xmas gift.

[mutsu]

This thread died fairly quickly that I missed the thread (was out of Internet for a few days).

Great impressions. I am definitely going to pick this up. I have almost finished with Super Mario Galaxy and am looking for something new to play on my Wii now, this should definitely be one of my next stops.

[Dash Kappei]

This thread died fairly quickly that I missed the thread (was out of Internet for a few days).

Yep, thanks to your reply I noticed it myself... and WLG is one of my most anticipated games for the system.

[Hcoregamer00]

God I want this so bad. Why can't the Wii be region free?? :(

I ask myself that damn question every single day.

[RedBoot]

Still waiting to hear the full list of Capcom costumes in this one. I know Ryu, Chun-Li, Sakura, Apollo Justice, Pearl Fey, Jill Valentine, and Arthur are all in, but there's at least one more, and if each character has more than one, then there's a lot more.

Anyway, I've been playing Mario Golf GC off and on as of late, so I'm looking forward to this one coming out here. I'm hoping it comes soon, but I also hope it avoids the February Wii Rush (4 games I want coming that month already, and I know of one in late January and one in early March as well).

[Hcoregamer00]

With a thread title like this you can't help but ask, "Why doesn't it have Minna No Golf's Sales?"

[mutsu]

With a thread title like this you can't help but ask, "Why doesn't it have Minna No Golf's Sales?"

The last I heard was that it's not advertised?

I know it bombed completely, but how much did it actually sell? I couldn't be bothered digging up the numbers.

I am really struggling on this - should I get this now at full price, or should I wait for the inevitable price drop later?

[EDarkness]

With a thread title like this you can't help but ask, "Why doesn't it have Minna No Golf's Sales?"

I think there are a lot of factors going on. The biggest I think is lack of advertising. I don't think I saw any ads for this game anywhere until like two weeks ago where a store had a video of people playing. They didn't even announce it early enough to really build any hype. I really think that announcing games many months before release can help build much needed hype. This game basically came out of nowhere.

On top of that, it was released close to Super Swing Golf and Tiger Woods. It looks almost exactly like Super Swing Golf, too. I don't think enough people have played it to really get word of mouth. I think Capcom should have held the game a little longer to build some hype and compare it to the original Minna No Golf.

Perhaps as word of mouth builds, it'll have legs, but I doubt it.

[Gamecocks625]

Quick question to those who have played it. How many courses are there?

[Datschge]

Quick question to those who have played it. How many courses are there?

Someone here played it? Didn't play yet (waiting for the European release...), but there's music for 11 courses, so I guess it's at least that.

[bluheim]

Clap Hanz?

Not a Wii developer = NOT FUN GAMES !

[Gamecocks625]

Someone here played it? Didn't play yet (waiting for the European release...), but there's music for 11 courses, so I guess it's at least that.

I was refering to those who played the Japanese version. You're right, the EU and US release is still TBA 2008.

[Gamecocks625]

Can you save replays of your shots like you can on Hot Shots Golf?

[dsmoke1986]

This game looks good...However I really want someone to develop a true golf sim using the wiimote...that would sell like hotcakes...Something that truly measures swing speed, and clubhead path...With some of the great courses in the world to play on...That would be truly dope.

[donny2112]

We Love Golf is online for the U.S. and European versions!

Q: Is there any other new content for the North American version of the game? We are right in the middle of developing and debug testing for North American and European versions of We Love Golf! The major content newly added is the online gameplay, in addition to support for multiple languages in North America and Europe. Also, in addition to the new charactes, we tweaked the graphics a little in order to appeal to international players. Furthermore, we're rethinking the swing speed as well.

Among the modes, we think that the new online mode is the most fun! Now you can play with a friend in you neighborhood as well as anyone in the world. When you beat another player, their character's face is added to your play sheet, so players will want to collect as many as possible.

[cw_sasuke]

nice capcom :-)