This review originally appeared within iLounge’s iOS Gems series within the compilation article, iPhone Gems: Games With Balls, and One with Blasting. Additional details may be found in the original article.
We have yet to be really impressed by any of the iPhone’s golf games, and the two we look at this week continue that trend. Yet iGolf (Free) from SGN just manages to squeak out a decent rating by offering an interesting experience at a price tag of zero dollars.
Unlike the other titles we’ve tried, iGolf doesn’t provide a complete golf course, 2-D or 3-D models of trees, or even a full bag of clubs.
Just like iBowl, it’s streamlined for one major purpose: to show off the iPhone’s accelerometer-based controls. At any given point on the three holes or driving range that are included in the title, you swipe the screen to choose the general direction you’re aiming in, press a “SET” button, then swing the device itself to send the ball flying. It obliges with a very simple, not-so-realistic 3-D zoom through the course, showing you where the ball has landed, and letting you choose from between three types of clubs for your next shot.
Ultimately, iGolf could become a real game with only a couple of tweaks: offering the player information on how powerful each of the clubs is, and then offering a little more control within a more realistic—wind, elevation, obstacle-laden—environment. For now, it’s just a demo of how golf could work on the platform, with brighter graphics and a more streamlined interface than other titles we’ve seen, but we’d actually be interested in seeing a full-fledged version of this one. iLounge Rating: C+.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: SGN
Website: www.sgn.com
Title: iGolf
Price: Free
Compatible: iPhones, iPod touches
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