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Pocket Mini Golf by Momentum Games, Price: $ 12.99
Reviewed January 2004 by Jon Maksin

Have you ever dreamed of hitting the links while you are stuck indoors (or worse yet, stuck in a meeting)? Well, Momentum Games' Pocket Mini Golf may not be a substitute for the real thing, but it may help take the edge off until you can get out there for real. Pocket Mini Golf is a fun and addictive miniature golf game that manages to keep its various holes unique, challenging, and all the while entertaining.

The strength of this game lies in its extremely addictive gameplay. Players will find themselves playing each hole repeatedly trying to beat their previous score. In fact, the most important aspect of this title is learning each hole's unique characteristics and figuring out how to get that elusive albatross or better yet, a hole-in-one.

When the game starts, the player is presented with a selection of four anime-inspired on-screen avatars (two boys and two girls) that have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, these traits are not outlined in the readme file included with the game (they are described on the Momentum Games website, however). On the other hand, this was only a minor gripe and it did not detract from actual gameplay. Once an avatar is selected, the player is given the option to play on either the beginner or expert level. There is really only one difference between these two skill levels and that would be the stroke power meter. Beginners have the benefit of precisely selecting the strength of each swing by moving a slider with their D-pad or stylus. Experts, on the other hand, have to time their swings just right because the power meter is constantly reciprocating until the swing button is pressed or the ball is clicked with the stylus.

Pocket Mini Golf has three different courses (easy, medium, and hard) that can be played at the beginner and expert skill levels. However, the hard course is not available on the easy difficulty setting. Each of these courses can be played in one of three modes: normal, arcade, and practice. Normal mode requires players to complete eighteen holes at or under par before the next course is unlocked. Arcade mode has the player racing against the clock using unlimited strokes to complete the same eighteen holes. Practice mode is exactly what it sounds like– practice. Practice mode allows the player to play each unlocked hole until they feel comfortable with it. Most players will find themselves playing through the normal mode because this is where the real challenge is. Arcade mode is another story altogether. Experienced players will be able to complete the entire arcade mode through all courses at all skill levels in one brief sitting. Personally, I would have preferred a stroke limit or tighter time constraints in this mode. As it stands, the arcade mode is too easy for most players who have already completed the normal mode– I was really hoping for an added challenge here. Instead, it seems that arcade mode has been relegated to novelty status due to its oversimplified gameplay. In fact, even though the game reports each birdie, bogie, and eagle, the scorecard does not even keep track of the number of strokes taken in the arcade mode (just the time taken to complete each hole). On the other hand, the normal mode more than makes up for the arcade mode's unfortunate shortcomings.

For a game such as this, control is absolutely critical to accuracy. Frankly, Momentum Games nailed it right on the head. From the ease of the power meter and the aiming interface to the small details such as the aiming dots changing color when blocked by an obstacle, control was apparently a top priority when this game was developed. Players also have the option to rotate their view 360 degrees (four different angles) if the current one is ineffective. The only minor control problem here is with the rare ball physics flaw. On a few isolated occasions, the ball either hopped over a wall at low velocity or stayed in bounds on a downward slope. Keep in mind though that these occasions rarely happen. On the other hand, they do pop up from time to time and therefore they must be mentioned here. Aside from this minor intermittent problem, there are not many complaints in the control department here.

Another area that this game excels in is its graphics. At first glance, Pocket Everquest on a miniature golf course may come to mind. The look between these two games is similar except that Pocket EQ has better textures and animation than Pocket Mini Golf . The game is played from an isometric viewpoint on a 3D course complete with sand traps, water hazards, conveyor belts, ramps, and other obstacles. The overall look of the game is rather cartoonish but it works well for it.