Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (PSP) Review

It seems lately I've been delved into handheld golf more than I expected to. Just recently, I typed up an article comparing some older, favorite golf games to new releases, and also managed to put together a review of the disappointing Nintendo DS golf game Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf. It seems lately I'm stuck in the digital back swing, so I might as well knock one more off the driving range while I'm here. Enter Tiger Woods PGA Tour for the Sony PSP, the first and only golf game for the handheld system- until Sony's Hot Shots Golf emerges over the summer.

After the DS disappointment, I feared the worst from this port, as I figured that the game would be just a quickie port that tried to use the capabilities of the Sony PSP. Well, I was partly right, but this is hardly a quickie port. Instead, what we have here is a comprehensive golf game with solid-enough gameplay, decent visuals, and plenty of gameplay modes to put even the most grizzled of golf pros in a tizzy. It's really an impressive feat, if not something worthy of the Gold Jacket.

So what, if anything, holds back Tiger Woods PGA Tour from the same classic five-star status of Ridge Racer and Wipeout Pure? Well, first off, noticeable right off the bat is the game's strenuous load times. It takes about one to two minutes just to get started, and then there's a few seconds loading between holes and occasional hiccups when setting up replays or alternate camera angles. This may annoy some who are just in the mood to pop in the UMD and play some quick golf.

There's also some side issues with the game's appearance. While the general game engine still remains perfectly intact, right down to the dramatic changes in visuals when you strike a perfect tone on a power swing, there's still moments of fuzziness and lack of detail that come into play, particularly on some of the player modeling. However, it's not really a big problem, and the game overall looks like a much more solid champion than the DS version.

As far as sound goes, the game doesn't skip a beat. It doesn't contain a wide variety of licensed songs like the console editions, but what music is there is very good, fitting to the game of golf. The commentary is in full swing (mind the pun), with Gary McCord and David Feherty providing lively comments during the game. It's really best when they go into detail on a ball's journey to the pin, good or bad. Round this out with some great sound effects (as minimal as they are) and you have nothing but goodness in this particular area.

But where Tiger Woods really shines is in the gameplay. It takes a little getting used to with the analog num on the front of the system, as the ball can sometimes sail in the slightest of wrong directions a few times. But it's easier to adjust to than the DS version, closer to the console version in nature and a lot of fun once it takes off. The shoulder button conveniently comes into play with setting up power during a back swing or putting a spin on the ball during its air time. The only real problem I ran into was setting up for a putt. Trying to distance it so much or scootch it over a little bit takes practice, as it seems over-sensitive here. Overall, though, it plays wonderfully.

Then you have the game's extras, and this is where Tiger Woods truly makes a game of legend. Along with being able to detail your own player in the GameFace mode, you can engage in a number of side games, including the Legends Tour, where you can challenge several famous faces to a round of eighteen; Quick Play, where you can challenge twelve different courses in typical Stroke fashion and get the hang of the game's controls; and even Head-To-Head Play, where you can challenge friends either in a rotation fashion on the same unit or via a Wi-Fi connection with another player who owns the game. There's lots to do here, and new courses and golfers to unlock with all the cash you earn. It's stacked.

Let's face it, Tiger Woods PGA Tour was in need of a good face-lift on the portable front in order to make a legacy for itself, and it appears that EA's finally on the right track with the PSP version of the game. It's not perfect, as it lacks a little bit in some areas and could use a little boosting on the loading time, but it's still the most comprehensive and enjoyable handheld version of the game yet. Can't wait to see what's cooking for next year.