I love miniature golf.  I love the idea of putting through an obstacle course, up ramps, across water, rebounding off six foot walls, and flying through space…but maybe I am getting ahead of myself. 

The problem is, I am terrible at all things related to golf…including putting.  Which is why most of the time, I stick to playing golf on my Pocket PC.  So, when I recently learned that a new miniature golf game had been released by Venan Games, I knew I had to give it a shot (OK, so maybe that was a bad pun).

Installation and Registration: I always recommend that you "try before you buy" with any new software (games and applications).  In fact, I will rarely purchase a game if I have not had the opportunity to test it out first.  Venan follows this rule with Super Putt Extreme, allowing you to play the first three holes of Grassy Greens before you purchase the game.  You can download the trial, here.  Once you have decided that you want or need more miniature golf action, just register the game, and download the full version.  Both the trial and the full version (they are two separate files) can be installed via ActiveSync.  

Gameplay: This game is a great rendition of miniature golf.  The controls are simple, but the courses can be extremely difficult.  To play, simply make two adjustments.  First, move the dotted line in front of your ball to control the angle of your shot.  Then, move the power meter up or down to control how hard you hit the ball.  Tap putt and watch the ball careen down the course.

Unlike most golf games, Super Putt Extreme does not feature a constantly sliding meter, which requires you to tap it at precisely the right time to achieve the power you need.  I really appreciated the simplified controls which went a long way toward taking the guesswork out of hitting the ball.

I would, however, have liked to see the addition of a mulligan feature and the ability to start a hole again.  Let’s face it, sometimes a great score can be ruined by one hole or even one shot.  On numerous occasions, I have been looking at a par score, only to make a mistake on one hole and see my score spin wildly out of control.  The ability to undo (or redo) these mistakes would be a significant improvement.

This game would also benefit from the addition of a save feature.  Frequently, I do not have time to play a full nine holes in one sitting.  Since I am constantly stopping and restarting, the ability to restart where I left off in the middle of a game would be invaluable.

Graphics: In a lot of ways, the graphics in a game set the tone and personality for the rest of the action.   One of the first things I noticed about Super Putt Extreme was the cartoonish quality of the graphics.  This quality immediately jumped out at me and said, "Have fun.  Don’t take this too seriously…just sit back and enjoy."  This is exactly the diversion I need and expect from a game like this. 

Characters: There are four different characters you can play in this game: Ike, the nerdy kid with big glasses, LeeAnne, the cowgirl, Quinn, the eskimo, and Zub, an alien from Mars. 

The characters are consistent with my comments about the graphics — each is a drawn as a fun caricature.  Many miniature golf games I have played do not use characters at all.  Your position is represented by a mark on the screen, a floating putter in the sky, or a generic back of a person.  I was pleased to see four distinct and well drawn characters in this game. 

My only disappointment was that each player does not seem to have a distinct personality.  While each may react to a good or bad shot slightly differently, the character you select does not affect gameplay in any way.  It would be nice if different characters exhibited different traits which affected their shots, or even if each had a unique or special ability which affected their play.

MultiPlayer:  Although I enjoyed playing this game alone, it can be played by up to four players.  The disappointing thing about this feature was that the game does not allow you to link multiple Pocket PC’s together.  Instead, all four must pass the Pocket PC back and forth. 

While I appreciate the opportunity to share the game with my friends, it would be a great addition to allow multiple Pocket PC’s to connect via Bluetooth or Infra Red Beaming.  This would also be a fun game to be able to play over the Internet with players in remote locations, or against computerized opponents. 

Special Powers: Throughout the game, there are six special powers which players can earn by hitting wrapped packages which appear in the game.  These special powers include:

• Sneak Peek, which allows you to view the projected path of your shot
• Homing Power, which nudges your ball toward the hole after it has stopped rolling
• Kick Power, which kicks an opponent’s ball away from the hole
• KAPOWI! Power, which causes an opponent’s ball to be struck at maximum power on their next shot
• Lead Ball, which makes an opponent’s ball twice as heavy
• Air Horn, which disrupts an opponent’s shot.

I thought this added a unique flair to the game.  Not only did it give you a fun special ability to help you out of a tough hole (or help your opponent into one), but the animation when you used these abilities could be extremely comical.  For example, when you use the Homing Power, a radar dish pops out of the ball and spins around, as though seeking the hole, before the ball continues traveling toward the hole.  Such animation seems like a small touch, however, when it fits this seamlessly into the graphics of the game, it really enhances gameplay overall.  This animation is not necessary, but then again, neither is icing on cake. 

To be perfectly candid, however, I did get frustrated by the operation of the Sneak Peek Power.  That power gives you the ability to see a snap shot of your ball’s path as it is currently aimed.  Once you attempt to adjust your aim, however, Sneak Peek is turned off.  It would be more effective if you could adjust your shot with Sneak Peek activated so that you could align the best possible shot while viewing its path. 

Courses and Levels: At the beginning of the game, you can access four different courses.  Each course is rated a different skill level and has different attributes.  The four courses you can access are:

• Grassy Greens, an Amateur Level course designed on plush green grass for easy play.
• Cactus Creek, an Amateur Level course, built out of the desert sand which makes the greens much slower than normal.
• Arctique, a Semi-Pro Level course built out of the ice, causing the ball to careen wildly across the greens.
• Outer Limits, a Pro Level course built in outer space.  The lack of gravity on this course can make for some wild shots…and misses.

Make par on one of the four courses and you can unlock a corresponding bonus course.

I loved the fact that each course had its own unique challenges.  It made the game extremely enjoyable.  Once I got tired of playing in grass, I could choose a new environment, including outer space.

Conclusion: I found this game to be delightfully comical.  The graphics, characters, and animation made it feel like playing a cartoon.   I only wish this would have been developed further to give each character a different personality or special trait.  I also thoroughly enjoyed the variety of courses available, each with its own environment and playing hazards.   While there are some features I would love to see added in a future version (such as a save feature and a mulligan) I found this game to be a great diversion.  It was difficult, but with practice, I saw noticeable improvement, which really helped maintain my interest level.  I am certainly looking forward to unlocking the rest of the bonus courses (if only I could make par on The Outer Limits Course).

Vital Statistics:

Name: Super Putt Xtreme

Version: 1.0.11

Platform: WM 2003 SE

Also Available: WM5

Developer: Venan Entertainment

Available From:  Venan Entertainment                

Price: $9.95

Technorati Tags: mini golf – Venan

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