The annual release of Tiger Woods games forces sports gamers to ask themselves: do I prefer graphics or controls? Wood's golf-gasm looks fantastic on both 360/PS3 with sunny landscapes, individual blades of grass and the overall cool sheen we expect from EA titles. Yet, over on the Wii, the series offers the tangibility of grabbing a club on the world's finest courses. The fancy graphics will impress your bros. The easy controls will impress your girlfriend. The fancy graphics will justify your expensive new HDTV. The easy controls will justify skipping the daily workout routine. It's enough choice to turn a man Calvinist.
Worry not, golf fans, because this year, I'm pleased to announce my decision's premade. I think. See, I so fancy the new Tiger Woods for the Wii because it finally makes good on its promise of tight, lifelike golf controls. That's not to say the previous Woods Wii game was bad; it remains the best Wii golf experience. This year though, in no small part because of Wii Motion Plus, Woods considerably ups the ante.
Full preview after the jump...
With the addition of Wii Motion Plus, the player can now control draw and fade with her wrists. If she tweaks her hands left or right, the ball will pull or curve as it flies off the pin. However, the Wii Motion Plus doesn't factor in your actual line-up with the screen, so if you swing far right or left, it won't shoot the ball in that direction. This is a nice compromise between reality and fun gameplay. Keeping your arms and wrists in position is difficult, but also adds a level of realism and control. Lining up your stance with the screen for a perfect shot might have made the game too difficult.
But what if you don't have Wii Motion Plus? Well, your Tiger Woods decision is suddenly a bit more difficult. The controls have been improved over previous years, but the precision the WMP affords provides the money shots.
And if you only own a Wii? Good news, this title includes most of the new features that come with the 360/PS3 iteration. The game now has USGA license, so after each play you can press the "-" button to view a pop-up rulebook that explains how to play or score your current shot, which is convenient when your ball lands in an unhittable position.
The game also includes the addition of fans watching your swings from a safe spot behind the tape. As of the moment, you cannot drill them with a wild shot, though this may be possible in the next-gen titles. Don't worry dear, dears, you'll know as soon as we know.
Tiger Woods 10 is scheduled for June 16th, just in time for the US Open and Father's day. We'll keep you posted with previews and reviews to better help you decide which version to grab.
